Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(18)
Sucking in a deep breath of the pine-laced air, she stopped. She’d be a fool to keep going and chance getting lost. Besides, even though Oren was used to her escapades—especially when it came to small helpless animals—she’d worry him if she were gone too long. He had always warned her not to stray too far.
Although she wasn’t much of a worrier herself, she couldn’t keep from glancing around with a shiver of fear. Only the wide trunks of the tall pine trees surrounded her.
The shadows swayed, and her body tightened with the thought that Jimmy Neil might spring out from behind one of the enormous trunks and pounce on her.
It was a silly thought, she knew. She hadn’t seen him among the shanty boys back at the camp. He was likely nowhere near. But for a long moment, she stood absolutely still and listened.
The thud of her heart echoed through her head.
Finally, convinced she was alone, she glanced up the trunk of the tree closest to her. The rippled brown trunk towered high into the air. The tree was an endless pole rising into the sky to the top, where a canopy of green boughs formed a roof that blocked out the sunshine, except for shifting flecks that left quick kisses on her flushed face.
Even though she’d been in plenty of Michigan forests over the winter, the magnificence never failed to amaze her. Every time she stood in an undisturbed grove of white pine and gazed at the enormity of their beauty, she imagined she was in a cathedral—a natural God-made cathedral.
A breeze caught the boughs, and they began to awaken and murmur among themselves. In a few seconds they grew louder, humming like a choir beginning their warm-up.
She smiled and took a deep breath. The trees were glorious. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to destroy this natural wonder.
At the snap of a twig behind her, her smile froze and fear shimmied up her backbone.
Her mind clamored for her to scream, to run, to get away from whatever—or whoever—was attempting to sneak up on her.
But before she could turn or make her getaway, a hand slid around her face and covered her mouth, cutting off the scream that clawed its way up her throat.
Chapter
5
Lily fought like a lynx caught in a steel trap. She scratched and bit and kicked with a force that took Connell by surprise. Her teeth sank into the sensitive flesh of his palm and forced him to let go.
“Calm down, Lily. It’s just me, Connell.”
The beginning of her scream died away, and she spun on him, her eyes flashing with fury. “Why did you sneak up on me like that?”
“I didn’t mean to.” He brought his smarting hand to his mouth and sucked at the blood she’d drawn. “When you didn’t hear me approach, I thought I might startle you. And I didn’t want you to scream—a sure way to get every shanty boy in the camp to come running.”
The tempest in her eyes turned into a low gale.
He glanced at the teeth marks she’d left in his hand. “You sure know how to greet a fellow.”
“And you sure know how to scare a girl half to death.”
“Why exactly were you so scared?”
“Because I thought you were someone else.”
“And what if I had been someone else?”
She paused, her pretty lips stalled around the shape of her next word.
“Any number of the rough men from this camp could have followed you out here.” He’d seen the way the men were looking at her, how they hadn’t been able to take their eyes off her from the moment she’d arrived. “What would you have done then?”
When she’d run off into the woods after the stupid cat, he’d had to yell at several of the men to stop them from chasing after her.
“I would have screamed.” She pulled herself up to her full height, which he estimated to be five feet six inches. “Since apparently I’d get lots of attention that way.”
“I’m serious,” he started. But then at the glimpse of the twinkle in her eyes, his ready lecture stalled.
He stuck his aching hand into his pocket and pressed his wound against the scratchy wool.
“I appreciate your concern,” she offered with the hint of a smile. “But I’m a much stronger woman than you realize.”
She’d be no match for any of his strong shanty boys.
“You were reckless to wander off by yourself.” He tried to soften his accusation, but he wanted her to realize the constant danger she was in simply by being an attractive woman in a place populated by lusty men. “I strongly suggest you refrain from doing so again—especially if you hope to avoid any further run-ins.”
He could see from the shadows that flashed across her face she was remembering the encounter with Jimmy Neil.
What would have happened to her if he hadn’t seen Jimmy come back into the hotel? What if he hadn’t gotten up to make sure she made it up to her room without trouble?
He hadn’t been able to shake the gut-twisting fear at how close she’d come to being dragged off by Jimmy Neil and assaulted. He’d never trusted the scoundrel. Especially because the man was on James Carr’s payroll.
Although Jimmy wouldn’t be lurking in the hallways of the Northern Hotel anymore, Connell couldn’t loosen the knot in his gut—the one that warned him Lily was going to get into big trouble sooner or later.