Chance Encounter(30)

“What the hell kind of answer is that?”

She just grinned. “Why do you want to know where she is?”

To wring her neck. “Why do you keep answering my questions with more questions?”

“It amuses me.”

“I need her,” he said tightly. “We have work to go over.”

“Uh-huh. Hard to do that with your lips locked.” And at the look on Chance’s face, she roared with laughter. “Well, you’re the one thinking it, not me.” Having pity she patted his arm. “And you ought to know, I didn’t figure this one out entirely by myself. Brian helped. You’ve got the ‘hots for her,’ I think he said.”

He let out an expletive.

She laughed at him some more. “Try rentals. Oh, and you might want to hurry.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”



CHANCE DID INDEED find Ally in rentals, arranging to rent a kayak for the rest of the afternoon. “What are you doing?”

She fumbled with the helmet she’d thankfully put on correctly, blew the hair out of her face and didn’t answer him. When she hoisted the kayak and went outside, he followed, amazed at her strength. Her bare arms were tanned and toned with muscle. So were her legs. Gone was the fragile, vulnerable woman he always imagined her to be.

When exactly had that happened?

“Ally, I asked you a question.”

“Go back to your cave, Chance.”

He took the kayak from her and put it on the ground. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Oh, I know what I’m doing. Tim’s been giving me lessons all week.”

He stared at her, wondering when his world had turned into a Twilight Zone remake. “I told you to stay out of the river.”

“And I told you I don’t take demands well.”

“I thought you were leaving, going back for your sister’s party.”

“You thought wrong.” Her eyes were completely void of temper now. “Look, I know you think I’m speaking in tongues when I say this, but I want to be a real manager. I’m trying to be a real manager. And despite the fact that we’ll never get along the way I want to, I’m smart enough to know you’re the best person to teach me.”

Well damn if that didn’t both defuse his temper and humble him to the bone. Unable to help himself, he lifted a hand to her face, using his fingers to tuck her hair better into the helmet. At the feel of her smooth, soft, precious skin, he felt that now familiar ache from deep within him. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her. Nor kissing her, apparently, because he leaned in, cupped her jaw in his hand and put his mouth against hers.

She kissed him back, slipping her fingers into his hair at his nape, drawing him closer, deeper, and when she made a sound of pleasure and desire mixed in one, he was lost. He might have stayed that way forever, locked in her arms, if the smell of smoke hadn’t finally penetrated his swamped senses.

Smoke.

He looked up and his heart nearly leaped right out of his chest. Above them, the summit once again raged with flames.





8




WITHIN AN HOUR they had ground support, air support, and more of both on the way for the flare-up. There were firefighters on the backside of the mountain, digging their way through a firebreak, and more on the west and east side, attempting to gain quick control this time.

Ally watched Chance quickly and methodically make sure every guest and employee was safe and accounted for. She witnessed his anguish, his fear, and felt it as her own.

“All staff members on duty are on the radio,” Ally told him as she caught up with him in his office. “They’re just waiting for directions.”

“The only direction is to stay the hell out of danger and let the firefighters do their thing.” He shouldered his backpack, checked his radio and headed toward the door.

He was going up there, she realized with a shock. She grabbed his arm. “What happened to staying out of harm’s way?”

“I’m going to see what’s going on.”

“No!”

A pained look crossed his strong features. “Ally, standing down here, over a mile away, torturing myself with what’s happening to the land, again, is killing me.” Abruptly, he shrugged her off. “I’ll radio you with whatever news I get.”

“No! Stay here, stay where it’s—”

“Safe?” He whirled on her, eyes hot and fierce, jaw tense. “Not if there’s anything I can do to help.” Then, shocking her further, he kissed her, hard, and on impulse, she clung to him.

For just a moment, he clung back.

“Be careful,” she whispered.

Without another word, he vanished out the door.



ALLY’S HEART REMAINED firmly in her throat, until the fire was fully contained and everyone was safe and accounted for.

Including Chance.

By midnight, things were finally quiet again. That was the good news, but there was bad as well. The fire chief didn’t think the fire was a flare-up of the old one, which meant it could either be the unusual heat wave or arson, and they’d be looking for answers come daylight.

Just the thought had Ally burning with fear and fury. It wasn’t Brian, she knew that much. She’d witnessed his joy in this place. It had become his home. He wouldn’t hurt it.