bird stenciled on the side. When it wouldn’t fit over her pigtails she took them out, tied a ponytail, and pulled it through the back of the hat. Hunter took her arm and steered her out of her cabin. Great.
He looked around as he led her to a trail through tall pines.
“There sure is a lot of wildlife out here.”
“Don’t worry. They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them. As long as you make a little noise, you probably won’t see them. In bear country, people walk with bells on their walking sticks or backpacks so the bears hear them before they see them.”
“I take it bears don’t like bells.”
“That’s the idea.”
Toni wished she could erase the smell of pine and replace it with the scent of exhaust, while pretending she walked down Broadway instead of a dirt trail. She should have recorded all the lovely city noises and put them on her iPod. What she would do to hear the familiar honking of irate cabbies and the occasional comment foisted upon the poor driver who offended them, buses’ air brakes, tires squealing, and the inevitable sirens adding to the heavenly cacophony.
Hunter nudged her shoulder, breaking her concentration. “Did you bring sunscreen?”
“I’m working on my visualization technique here. Do you mind? I’m pretending I’m on Broadway, and you’re not helping. No one has ever asked me if I had sunscreen while walking down Broadway.”
“Sorry. I’m just afraid you’ll end up with a nasty burn. But a sunburn through that cover-up you’re wearing will make a real interesting pattern on your skin—like a red and white fishnet stocking. You can start a new fashion trend.”
The sound of rushing water had Toni’s throat going dry. She pulled a bottle of the wet stuff out of her bleeding heart backpack and took a sip. Why didn’t she fill her prescription for Xanax? She could use one… or a dozen right about now. The cabin she’d all but hidden in since her arrival was no longer in sight.
“You okay?”
“Just skippy. Why?”
“You’re turning even whiter than usual again.”
“What do you expect? I can no longer see civilization.”
He took her hand. His was cool and dry. Hers was not. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“I can get lost and never be found.”
“I won’t let you get lost. It’s bad for business.”
“No one would notice. They didn’t the last time.”
Hunter stopped, which stopped her, since he was holding her clammy hand. “I’d notice. So would everyone else.”
“You’re nice to say so, but no. Most wouldn’t, and I’m fine with that. I don’t like to stand out too much.”
Hunter raised his brow again. It was getting annoying.
“I might dress a little loudly—”
“A little?”
“Fine. I dress like a freak, but I still blend into the wallpaper, especially around a bunch of models in New York.”
“Is that why you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Work with models so no one will notice you. Although I noticed you, and I’d bet a year’s salary that Trapper and Fisher noticed you too.”
“You have to notice me. I’m the boss.”
Hunter shook his head. “No, I’m the boss. You work for the client. There’s a difference. I own River Runners for a reason.”
“You don’t play well with others?”
“I play with others just fine.”
The look in his eye and the gravelly quality of his voice made her think of the kind of play involving plastic sheets and wessonality. Not that she ever partook. But the man did have expressive eyes, or possibly the altitude was getting to her, turning her into a delusional sex kitten.
“I don’t like working for them. I want to run things my way.”
Toni did her best to rip her mind out of the gutter. Heck, they didn’t even have gutters here. Where did mountain peoples’ minds go to play without a gutter?
“I make the rules.”
That set off a few alarm bells. He might as well have hit his chest with his fist. Maybe he was the mountain version of
He looked around as he led her to a trail through tall pines.
“There sure is a lot of wildlife out here.”
“Don’t worry. They’re just as afraid of you as you are of them. As long as you make a little noise, you probably won’t see them. In bear country, people walk with bells on their walking sticks or backpacks so the bears hear them before they see them.”
“I take it bears don’t like bells.”
“That’s the idea.”
Toni wished she could erase the smell of pine and replace it with the scent of exhaust, while pretending she walked down Broadway instead of a dirt trail. She should have recorded all the lovely city noises and put them on her iPod. What she would do to hear the familiar honking of irate cabbies and the occasional comment foisted upon the poor driver who offended them, buses’ air brakes, tires squealing, and the inevitable sirens adding to the heavenly cacophony.
Hunter nudged her shoulder, breaking her concentration. “Did you bring sunscreen?”
“I’m working on my visualization technique here. Do you mind? I’m pretending I’m on Broadway, and you’re not helping. No one has ever asked me if I had sunscreen while walking down Broadway.”
“Sorry. I’m just afraid you’ll end up with a nasty burn. But a sunburn through that cover-up you’re wearing will make a real interesting pattern on your skin—like a red and white fishnet stocking. You can start a new fashion trend.”
The sound of rushing water had Toni’s throat going dry. She pulled a bottle of the wet stuff out of her bleeding heart backpack and took a sip. Why didn’t she fill her prescription for Xanax? She could use one… or a dozen right about now. The cabin she’d all but hidden in since her arrival was no longer in sight.
“You okay?”
“Just skippy. Why?”
“You’re turning even whiter than usual again.”
“What do you expect? I can no longer see civilization.”
He took her hand. His was cool and dry. Hers was not. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“I can get lost and never be found.”
“I won’t let you get lost. It’s bad for business.”
“No one would notice. They didn’t the last time.”
Hunter stopped, which stopped her, since he was holding her clammy hand. “I’d notice. So would everyone else.”
“You’re nice to say so, but no. Most wouldn’t, and I’m fine with that. I don’t like to stand out too much.”
Hunter raised his brow again. It was getting annoying.
“I might dress a little loudly—”
“A little?”
“Fine. I dress like a freak, but I still blend into the wallpaper, especially around a bunch of models in New York.”
“Is that why you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Work with models so no one will notice you. Although I noticed you, and I’d bet a year’s salary that Trapper and Fisher noticed you too.”
“You have to notice me. I’m the boss.”
Hunter shook his head. “No, I’m the boss. You work for the client. There’s a difference. I own River Runners for a reason.”
“You don’t play well with others?”
“I play with others just fine.”
The look in his eye and the gravelly quality of his voice made her think of the kind of play involving plastic sheets and wessonality. Not that she ever partook. But the man did have expressive eyes, or possibly the altitude was getting to her, turning her into a delusional sex kitten.
“I don’t like working for them. I want to run things my way.”
Toni did her best to rip her mind out of the gutter. Heck, they didn’t even have gutters here. Where did mountain peoples’ minds go to play without a gutter?
“I make the rules.”
That set off a few alarm bells. He might as well have hit his chest with his fist. Maybe he was the mountain version of
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