Read Fire in the Woods for Free Online

fallen trees and stomping in muddy patches, I followed him deeper into the woods. My phone finally stopped ringing, but the buck was long gone…again. I laughed and leaned over, resting my hands on my knees. I was starting to make a habit out of this.
    “Jess?”
    I screamed and whirled toward the voice.
    David raised his hands. “Sorry. I thought you saw me.”
    “Saw you? I was looking at the stinking deer.” I held my hand to my heart, willing it to stay within my chest. “You scared the crap out of me.”
    His lips contorted into the cutest pout as he settled onto the ground. “Sorry.”
    “Well, wear a bell or something next time. Geeze!”
    Okay, heart. You can slow down now .
    I caught my breath. “Are you feeling any better?”
    “Maybe.” He rotated his shoulder. “Either that or I’m numb.”
    Dirt and pine needles scattered in a puff as I dropped my backpack beside him. “Okay, let’s get to it, then.” I grabbed the Ziploc bag.
    “What’s that?”
    “Ice. What did you think?” The cubes scraped together inside the plastic.
    “Umm…” His eyes widened.
    “If your shoulder is swollen, and you won’t go to the hospital. You need a cold compress.”
    He swallowed hard. “Okay.”
    David bent forward. I brushed traces of bark and dirt clinging to his back as I knelt beside him. The muscles in his neck and arms tensed.
    “Loosen up. It’s just ice.” I carefully placed the bag on his injury.
    David trembled. He steadied himself against a sapling, gripping the slim trunk in a shaky fist. “It burns! Owe, it burns!”
    I pulled the bag away from his skin. “How can it burn? It’s cold.” I set the Ziploc on my leg and let the ice chill my skin. “Look. No burn. You can’t be such a big baby. This is supposed to help. Can we try again?”
    David nodded, but flinched as I lifted the bag.
    “Okay, tell you what…” I picked up his tee-shirt from the ground. “Let’s get this back on you.”
    His head popped through the opening, and a gentle tug brought his right hand through the armhole. I elevated his left arm as slowly as I could, but he still stifled a groan as the rest of the shirt slid on.
    “This is like torture,” he whispered.
    “Sorry.” I gently replaced the bag. “Your shirt should protect a little against the ice but still leave it cold enough to stop the swelling.” I smiled, proud of myself for remembering something from first aid.
    David grimaced. “It’s still pretty cold.”
    “It’s supposed to be. That’s the point.”
    David’s eyes closed. He took in a deep breath through his nose, and his lips parted slightly to release it. I watched the tight, white cotton expand and retract across his back with each breath. Holy shmoley. Okay, Florence Nightingale, get a grip.
    David’s body quaked, and he grunted through clenched teeth. He grabbed the sapling, snapping it in two.
    “Hey, what’d that tree ever do to you?”
    His hands formed into trembling fists. He shook like a rocket trying to take off until he bolted upright. The ice fell to the ground.
    “I c-can’t,” he stammered. “It’s just too cold.”
    “All right.” I picked up the bag. “But I don’t think it was on there long enough to help you.”
    “Then I’ll have to deal with the pain. I’ll get over it.” He grimaced, settling back down on the ground. “Eventually.”
    He rubbed his shoulders. His gaze seemed distant.
    “Are you okay?” I asked.
    “I can’t seem to get warm.”
    “Warm? It’s like eighty degrees. It’s gorgeous out here.”
    “I know, but I keep getting a chill.” He scuffed the dirt, making an imprint with the front of his sneaker. A spider shimmied from the divot and crawled up a tree to his right.
    The sun funneled through the canopy, flickering splotches of light into his hair. What was it about this boy? I just wanted to sit there and stare at him. Well okay, he was gorgeous, but it was something more than that. I felt compelled, like a gentle tug