Free A Rare Breed by Mary Tate Engels Page B

hooked his thumbs into his jeans' pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Why are you telling me this, Brit?"
    She raised her chin and gazed directly into his dark eyes. "I want you to know, that's all."
    "To know what?" he challenged.
    "To know that there's no one in the way, if you're interested." Brit couldn't believe she was saying this, but now was not the time to stop. "I mean, no one on my side. Maybe on yours."
    He took a step toward her and the rope looped to his belt rustled against his thigh. "No, no one in the way on my side, if you're interested."
    "Not even the one who gave you the bear fetish? A Zuni girl, perhaps?"
    "An old Zuni grandmother and very good friend."
    "Oh." She flashed him a smile. "That clears up some things."
    "I suppose."
    "Well ... are you? Are you interested?" When he didn't answer right away, she thought she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. She felt exposed and stupid. And she wanted to turn and run away as fast as she could.
    Slowly Jake nodded and a sly grin spread across his lean face. "Sure. Could be, now that the Michael issue is cleared up. Are you interested?"
    She stomped one foot and nearly slid in the mud. "Dammit, Jake! That's why I told you, if you can't figure it out."
    He pressed his lips together to hide a smile. "I think I would have, in time. But it's nice to know."
    "It is?"
    He nodded, and a small grin broke his usual stern expression. "Sure. I’ll be in before dark and well work on those moccasins together. See you."
    "Okay." She smiled happily and watched him turn to go. The backpack seemed small on his broad back and the loop of rope flopped against his thigh with every step. She admired the self-assured way he strode across the rocks and the masculine amble of his gait. Caught in his spell, she was unable to turn away from the sight of him until he disappeared down the path and be-hind a sandstone boulder.
    Brit replayed their crazy cryptic conversation in her mind periodically during the next hours, and it gave her strength to face another day with the Romeros. Things would be better when Jake returned, she repeatedly told herself.
    Brit spent a great deal of the morning inspecting the changes in the landscape around the campsite after the violent storm. "Mother Nature" was definitely in charge of the canyon. Not only was the small pup tent gone, but rocks had been rearranged, evidence of the powerful forces of this wilderness. Around the camp, there were small piles or lines of stones made by streams rushing down the canyon walls.
    There were remarkable changes at the river. Several of the boulders damming the water into the shallow pool where Brit had bathed yesterday had shifted or been moved entirely, so that the pool was no longer a separate entity from the river. Most amazing, though, was the water level. What was once a peaceful pool and shallow stream had doubled in size and now raged with remarkable speed and strength. Little whitecaps decorated the ripples.
    It must have been nearly noon when Rudi and Yolanda emerged from the tent and began poking around the campsite. Brit ignored them and stayed away as long as she could. Facing Yolanda after yesterday's yelling match was the last thing she wanted to do. But, eventually, she decided she must. And she had to do the thing she most despised. Apologize.
    Brit approached Yolanda stiffly. "We need to talk, Yolanda."
    The always-confident TV star looked uncomfortable. "I have nothing to say to you."
    "Maybe not, but I have something to say to you. Believe me, this is hard to do, but I feel it's necessary. We have a ways to go together, and it would be a shame to spend it like this."
    "I thought it was pretty peaceful without us talking at all today to mess things up."
    "You're right. And it'll be peaceful again soon," Brit promised and took a deep breath be fore she launched into her mini-speech. "Look, I'm sorry about the argument, Yolanda. I guess
    I was in a bad mood. Like you, I was worried about Frank