Free Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) by Peggy L Henderson Page A

when it came to survival, yet underneath all that was pure innocence and a vulnerable female.
    What would happen come morning? What would he find in that canyon? The nagging thought that he might not find his way through whatever time portal he had come from sent an icy chill down his spine. He couldn’t stay here. The last few days proved that he was way out of his element. He stared at Sarah’s sleeping form. The company was enticing enough, but she was strictly hands-off.  He didn’t get involved with innocent girls like her. They expected things. He believed in the love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of relationships.
    Chase rolled to his side. The mutt groaned at the disturbance, but soon settled in against him, and draped its head back over his thigh.

 
    Chapter 9
     
     
     Wood crackled and popped loudly, the sounds intermingled with the noisy chirping of birds. Chase stirred, the unfamiliar sounds echoing in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter from the bright sunlight that filtered through the trees. Was it morning already? Hadn’t he just closed his eyes?
    He yawned, then stretched the rigid muscles in his arms and legs, and rolled onto his back. His eyes opened, and he shrank back for a split second. Looming over him, Sarah’s mutt dangled its tongue in his face, its hot, moist breath nearly making him gag. He’d never get used to that dog hovering inches from him every time he opened his eyes.
    “Goddamn mutt,” he growled, and pushed the animal’s blocky head away. He raised up on his elbows and peered around the campsite. Sarah’s sleeping blanket was empty, and she was nowhere to be seen. His eyes scanned the trees, and he pushed himself fully off the ground with a groan. He stretched his arms in the air, and rotated his shoulders, working the tightness out of his muscles. Yesterday had been one hell of a long day, and sleeping on hard ground didn’t help. 
    “Where’s your owner,” he said to the dog, which pranced around him, tail wagging enthusiastically. He had no idea what the mutt wanted. He didn’t speak canine.  Heck, he didn’t even like dogs. Why had this one latched on to him? Sarah couldn’t have gone far, though. She wouldn’t leave her pet behind.
    He ran a hand over his face. The rough whiskers of a beard scraped like sandpaper across his palms. He probably looked like a mountain man at this point. He hadn’t shaved in six days. Hopefully before this day was over, he’d be soaking under a hot shower.
    Chase walked around camp, working the kinks from his thigh and calf muscles. Already his legs felt less tight, and he followed the sound of the trickling creek he remembered from last night. Some cold water on his face might fully wake him up.
    He thought about his climb back down the canyon to the Yellowstone River. Another strenuous day lay ahead, and the sooner he got underway, the sooner he could be back to where he belonged. He glanced through the trees where the opposite rim of the canyon became visible, the brilliant yellows and reds of the rocks shining like gold in the morning sun. The roar of the Upper Falls had been a steady background noise all night.
    He pushed through the undergrowth, eager for a drink of water. A cup of coffee was probably too much to hope for. The trees opened to a small clearing where the stream meandered through the forest. The sight before him stopped him like an opposing team’s defensive tackle. 
    The creek trickled off to the right. Sitting at its banks was Sarah. He stared, rooted to the spot. She’d unstrapped the belt from around her waist, and unbuttoned the top few buttons on her shirt. Her hair spilled in wavy cascades over her shoulder and down her back. She lifted it aside and tilted her head, running a strip of wet cloth along her neck, and down the front of her shirt. The motion caused the loose shirt to slide down her arm, exposing her shoulder and the swell of her breasts. She closed her eyes, and the slight smile on