with
me. Grunt will go with us. He has a high sense of hearing and smell. He’ll let
us know if a stranger’s still on the mountain.”
Toni agreed. She’d never forget the
sight of him tearing into the man with the gun. With Grunt’s sharp teeth, she
had no doubt he’d drawn blood from her attacker’s arm.
Inez flipped strips of bacon like a
pro, then poured scrambled eggs into the sizzling pan. “Maybe Mac shouldn’t
take his morning swim today.”
“Swim?” Toni eyed Mac’s muscular
legs. His penetrating gaze seemed to pierce straight to her inner soul. A dream
man wrapped up in one tall, strong package.
“Mac recently started taking a swim
after breakfast. Therapy recommended by the doctor. It strengthens his leg
without putting too much weight on the healing muscles.” Hank answered.
“But what if that man is still out
there?”
Mac smiled. “Don’t worry, Toni.
Grunt would have warned us by now. If anything, that guy is long gone. No doubt
he feared we’d call the cops on him.”
“But we don’t have any phone
service this high in the mountains.”
“That’s right, but I doubt the man
with road rage knows that. For all he knows, we have a CB radio and called the
police.”
She didn’t feel much better. “But
won’t swimming rip open the wound in your leg?”
“Nope, it’s been five weeks. Doc
says it’s healed enough for swimming, if I take it very slow.”
Inez laughed. “Stop worrying, Toni.
When the doctor sewed the muscle together, he layered the stitches from the
inside out. The shot tore through soft tissue and ripped the muscle pretty bad.
It also damaged a lot of veins and capillaries, but Mac’s lucky the bullet
didn’t hit the bone. He’s healing nicely, now.”
“Ah, okay.” What did she know about
bullet wounds anyway? She only knew they brought devastation and death. She
hated guns!
Mac sat forward and grimaced as he
eased his foot to the floor and looked at Toni. “You want to swim, too?”
Swimming in Crystal Lake. If Eric
was here and she was certain some crazy man wasn’t roaming the mountain with a
gun, she wouldn’t hesitate. “Nah, I don’t have a suit.”
“We can tie a pair of my long
shorts around your waist so they won’t fall off. No need to worry about style.”
He waggled his eye brows at her.
She didn’t laugh, but clasped a
hand against her aching side. “I think I’d rather not. My ribs are still sore.
Next time, I’ll bring my sister and a swimming suit and we’ll go in together.”
Next time. No, she couldn’t come
here ever again. Her heart couldn’t take it. But maybe getting her younger
sister out of the city would do her some good. Here in the mountains, a person
had time to think about what really mattered. Toni longed to share this
tranquility with Cara.
“Just don’t get any ideas about
dunking us girls. We can gang up on you,” she warned.
Mac’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“I think Eric and I can handle you two skinny girls.”
He stopped, his smile dropping away
like stone. He turned away, the anguish in his eyes twisting her heart.
He’d forgotten again. So had she.
Eric was gone and this wasn’t getting any easier.
Chapter Seven
“Breakfast is ready,” Inez called.
Grateful for the distraction, Toni
scrambled for the table. They ate, then washed the dishes. Hank picked up his
rifle and Toni’s eyes widened.
“Don’t worry,” Hank reassured her
and patted the gun. “It’s just for protection. There’s plenty of dangerous
creatures out there. Mostly bears and cougars.”
He left with Inez to go get Toni’s
car. Mac braced his crutch under one arm and limped to a cupboard where he
removed two fluffy towels.
“You ready to go down to the lake?”
he asked.
“Yes, just give me a few minutes to
run to the privy, first.” She hesitated at the door, hating the thought of
going out alone. Her common sense told her the gunman was long gone, but she
still felt squeamish.
Mac waved his
me. Grunt will go with us. He has a high sense of hearing and smell. He’ll let
us know if a stranger’s still on the mountain.”
Toni agreed. She’d never forget the
sight of him tearing into the man with the gun. With Grunt’s sharp teeth, she
had no doubt he’d drawn blood from her attacker’s arm.
Inez flipped strips of bacon like a
pro, then poured scrambled eggs into the sizzling pan. “Maybe Mac shouldn’t
take his morning swim today.”
“Swim?” Toni eyed Mac’s muscular
legs. His penetrating gaze seemed to pierce straight to her inner soul. A dream
man wrapped up in one tall, strong package.
“Mac recently started taking a swim
after breakfast. Therapy recommended by the doctor. It strengthens his leg
without putting too much weight on the healing muscles.” Hank answered.
“But what if that man is still out
there?”
Mac smiled. “Don’t worry, Toni.
Grunt would have warned us by now. If anything, that guy is long gone. No doubt
he feared we’d call the cops on him.”
“But we don’t have any phone
service this high in the mountains.”
“That’s right, but I doubt the man
with road rage knows that. For all he knows, we have a CB radio and called the
police.”
She didn’t feel much better. “But
won’t swimming rip open the wound in your leg?”
“Nope, it’s been five weeks. Doc
says it’s healed enough for swimming, if I take it very slow.”
Inez laughed. “Stop worrying, Toni.
When the doctor sewed the muscle together, he layered the stitches from the
inside out. The shot tore through soft tissue and ripped the muscle pretty bad.
It also damaged a lot of veins and capillaries, but Mac’s lucky the bullet
didn’t hit the bone. He’s healing nicely, now.”
“Ah, okay.” What did she know about
bullet wounds anyway? She only knew they brought devastation and death. She
hated guns!
Mac sat forward and grimaced as he
eased his foot to the floor and looked at Toni. “You want to swim, too?”
Swimming in Crystal Lake. If Eric
was here and she was certain some crazy man wasn’t roaming the mountain with a
gun, she wouldn’t hesitate. “Nah, I don’t have a suit.”
“We can tie a pair of my long
shorts around your waist so they won’t fall off. No need to worry about style.”
He waggled his eye brows at her.
She didn’t laugh, but clasped a
hand against her aching side. “I think I’d rather not. My ribs are still sore.
Next time, I’ll bring my sister and a swimming suit and we’ll go in together.”
Next time. No, she couldn’t come
here ever again. Her heart couldn’t take it. But maybe getting her younger
sister out of the city would do her some good. Here in the mountains, a person
had time to think about what really mattered. Toni longed to share this
tranquility with Cara.
“Just don’t get any ideas about
dunking us girls. We can gang up on you,” she warned.
Mac’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“I think Eric and I can handle you two skinny girls.”
He stopped, his smile dropping away
like stone. He turned away, the anguish in his eyes twisting her heart.
He’d forgotten again. So had she.
Eric was gone and this wasn’t getting any easier.
Chapter Seven
“Breakfast is ready,” Inez called.
Grateful for the distraction, Toni
scrambled for the table. They ate, then washed the dishes. Hank picked up his
rifle and Toni’s eyes widened.
“Don’t worry,” Hank reassured her
and patted the gun. “It’s just for protection. There’s plenty of dangerous
creatures out there. Mostly bears and cougars.”
He left with Inez to go get Toni’s
car. Mac braced his crutch under one arm and limped to a cupboard where he
removed two fluffy towels.
“You ready to go down to the lake?”
he asked.
“Yes, just give me a few minutes to
run to the privy, first.” She hesitated at the door, hating the thought of
going out alone. Her common sense told her the gunman was long gone, but she
still felt squeamish.
Mac waved his
Similar Books
