Read Called by the Bear 1-3 for Free Online Page A

all."
    "Amen." Sierra flips on the radio. "Can we stop soon? I'm hungry."
    "On it." I yawn and look forward to filling my belly and then taking a nap when Sierra drives. The miles are ticking off quickly, and everything about it seems right. My bad dream is already fading from my memory, and a smile creeps onto my face as I sing along to the song Sierra cranked up.

----
    W e manage to get a twenty-one-hour drive in before stopping in Columbus, Ohio, for the night. We could keep going, but my hands feel as if they‘re vibrating even when they aren't on the wheel. And Sierra is getting cranky. I can tell she needs sleep as badly as I do. When she finally snaps at me, I know it’s time to stop.
    Unfortunately, a solid night of shut-eye isn’t in the cards for me. After a few hours I wake. Creeped out by a feeling that someone is in the room with us, I glance frantically around and realize I’m being paranoid. I shudder, but I’m not sure whether it’s from that thought or my intensely sexual dream. My mountain man took me to high places I'd never seen or felt before. Boy oh boy, if that's what awaits me, I'm ready to get on the road again.
    Sierra is moaning, and when I look over at her I'm afraid she's having the same kind of dream. I really don't want to watch that, so I get up to sneak out of the room. I slide the soft cotton of a warm sweatshirt over my tank top and my feet into sneakers. Slowly I let myself out with the slippery plastic of a room keychain in my hand.
    The roar of traffic on the highway is periodically interrupted by the sound of trucks shifting gears. Bugs fly around the light over our door as I step into the darkness to stay hidden. The feeling of being watched hasn’t really left me.
    I'm struck by the craziness of our plan. Wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the cold, I can't believe I just packed everything up and took off on a cross-country jaunt. And that we don't even know where to go beyond east.
    I inhale a deep, cool breath of air and flash to my wild sex dream. A kitchen counter. Broad shoulders with my nails dug into sweat-slicked skin. Vibrant green eyes… and the TV was on in the background. I recall a news station teaser and try to focus on the words instead of the orgasm that was building in me. This is Karen Scott of WABI TV five, your news first, serving the greater Bangor area.
    That’s it! My dream was telling me to go to Bangor. Where the hell is Bangor? Relief washes over me as I turn my key in the lock of the door with a clunk . I grab the smooth knob and push the door open. "Sierra, wake up."
    She lets out an annoyed sound. "This better be good because I was having the best dream."
    I drop onto the bed and bounce a bit. "I know where we need to go. A town called Bangor. Do you know where that is?"
    She sits up, rubbing her eyes. Her voice is thick with sleepiness. "Yeah, it's up in northern Maine. How do you know?"
    "My dream. There was a TV playing, and the news station was from Bangor."
    "That covers a big area, but at least we've narrowed it down to a part of a state. Nice." She falls back to the pillow. "Now that we've worked that out, can I go back to sleep?"
    "Sure. I should try to sleep too. Sorry I woke you."
    Sierra waves a hand and pulls the covers up to her chin. I strip off the sweatshirt and pull off my sneakers as quietly as I can. Crawling slowly under the covers, I close my eyes. I try to relax, but my head is swimming with excitement.
    I'm wiggling my toes in happiness and can't seem to calm down because now that I know our destination, I want to get back on the road.
    Sierra lets out an exasperated sigh. "You want to go now, don't you?"
    I bolt up and whip the covers off of us. "Yup. I'm so glad you do too." I don't give her time to disagree as I get up, flip on the light, and gather my things for a shower.
    She pulls the covers over her head with a groan, but I see her body shaking with quiet laughter. She's excited too.

9
    Chapter 9
    C arly

    S