Take Only Pictures Part 9

"Well, you clearly love what you do."

Kristine nodded. She couldn't deny it, couldn't ignore how being out in the backcountry on horseback made her heart sing. Nard's behavior in the yard had reminded her all too vividly why she had stayed away from the Lodge for so long. A s.h.i.+ver went down her spine remembering how she startled when she heard his voice that morning.

He'd called her Teeny again, refusing to bend and use her full name. He'd unsaddled her horse and was holding the heavy roping saddle by the horn like it weighed nothing. "I need that Boomerang horse in the backcountry."

She'd moved to take her saddle, realizing that there was no easy way to take it without touching him. "Throw it on the rail," she'd said. Though she liked Boomerang a lot, she let it go. She couldn't argue with him for not wanting to have a new horse on an overnight trip. It wasn't his choices, it was the way he stood there waiting for her to challenge him. He'd been testing her, she was certain, seeing how far he could push her, his watery blue eyes intent on her reaction.

He'd pushed again. "There's a number of people who can help your brother here. Dad's having to send a cook from the cafe on this trip. After this, I've got the photography trip. You should cook it."

"I'm a packer, Nard, not a backcountry cook."

He'd pulled at his mustache with his bottom lip, a habit that had always made her skin crawl. She'd been proud of herself for the unemotional reply, for shutting him down.

Though she'd tried to tune him out and stay on task, the expression on his face as he lurked around her pack dock this morning had made her rush to get out of the yard. Now Scooter was stuck with the extra weight of the stone she'd added to his load, carrying it up the rocky staircase that switchbacked beside the Shadow Lake waterfall.

She paused halfway up the hill before the climb got more intense. Her riders halted on the switchback below her.

"How's Scooter's pack riding?" she asked the boy.

"Great!" he chirped. "I've been watching it the whole time!"

Kristine winked at the boy's parents, knowing they were all glad that he'd stopped complaining about being on his own horse. She glanced ahead of her, aware that the next part of the trail would test her young rider's bravery.

"I'm really going to need you to watch it closely until we get to the lake, okay?"

His nod and his lowered brows matched her serious tone.

"You can help out your horse by holding onto the horn of the saddle and leaning forward. We're going to climb some pretty steep stairs, and I want that pack riding just like you are. Ready?"

"Ready," they all agreed.

She nudged her horse forward and onto the steep staircase. The Appaloosa struggled with the uphill climb, making her even more aware of the small burden she had added to her mule. A burden much like the one she had carried since she'd left the Lodge unexpectedly, one that Nard had handed her and that she had carried ever since. As they climbed the steepest part of the trail water thundered from the lake in the valley above them, drowning out even the sound of her horse's hooves scrambling to find purchase. She felt herself slipping back to the panic of refusing Nard, the feel of his hands around her wrists and her inability to make any noise at all, the only sound her heart thrumming in her ears.

And then the silence.

The vast, calm lake before them.

She released the breath she'd been holding and a.s.sessed the guests and the mules. All fell into line behind her. She had made it to safety. She was in control. Malcolm gave her a big thumbs-up. Kristine's tension eased as the seven animals snaked silently along the trail, their hoofbeats now m.u.f.fled by the soft earth. She gave Digger his head, liking how he'd dug into his challenge and smiling at how it fit his excavator tendencies.

Her senses still heightened, she methodically unloaded the mules and tended to the dude horses. She stood letting Peac.o.c.k rub his head on her when Malcolm's father, Jack, came to find her. "Will it be you picking us up?"

"Hard to say," she answered truthfully.

"We all enjoyed the trip up so much. Thank you for working with Malcolm. The gentleman last year got us to Emerald, but he certainly didn't have the gift you have. I thought you'd like to know that Malcolm invited you to his party. We'll try to save you a cupcake."

"Just promise me you've got your bear containers and won't be attracting any other guests," Kristine joked.

"We know the drill." He smiled. "Hope to see you in a few days."

"Me, too." She strung up the horses but detoured to the lake before starting her journey back. She took a deep breath, standing on the rocks at the sh.o.r.e of the crystal blue lake, the dramatic backdrop of rocky mountain with sporadic pines growing from crevices. She rolled the rock from Scooter's pack in the palm of her hand, feeling the weight of it. With all of her might, she threw it as far into the lake as she could, standing on the sh.o.r.e until the ripples reached her toes. She smiled, then, feeling lighter than she had in years.

Chapter Fourteen.

"Gloria!" Mitch.e.l.l's voice startled her out of her ch.o.r.e of poring through years and years of ranger reports, collecting data on the local bears. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No, but thanks." She bent to her work, grumbling inside when he sat down across from her.

"Boss man says you're picking up camp."

"I just moved the camper to the Aspen Grove Campground. I want to talk to the campers and hosts at both campgrounds, get a read on whether the Lodge is attracting more problems." Gloria left out that being at the Aspen camp would mean she could easily walk over to the outpost at the end of her day. More days than not, she found herself joining the Owenses there, if not for dinner, then to share a few beers out on the pack docks, listening to the valley settle for the night.

"Doing any research in the backcountry? I cover the Thousand Island section, and my camp up there is suh-weet. You're welcome to stay anytime. Plenty of room in the tent for you, so you don't have to carry that in. I've got a bear box, the works."

"I'll be doing some day hikes into the backcountry to set up some barbed wire to collect hair samples. We check the DNA back at the lab in Sacramento to determine whether it's the same bear turning up at multiple camps. If I end up needing to stay out there longer, I'll keep your camp in mind."

"I just finished my report for Scott, so I'm a free man for the next four days."

"Great." Gloria was starting to feel uncomfortable with his continued conversation given that she had done her best not to encourage him. He certainly smelled like he'd come in from his ten days out, and she was anxious to have the works.p.a.ce back to herself.

"I was thinking of driving out to Mono. Have you been?"

"Nope."

"It's truly awesome. How can I describe it?" He tipped his head back, his scraggly Adam's apple protruding and bobbing as he swallowed. "The lake's full of these weird-shaped spires that make it look like an alien landscape. The saline content is so high that you float like you're sitting in a chair. You want to check it out?"

"No, thank you. I still need to settle into my new camp."

Mitch.e.l.l studied her. "Is this a PhD thing?"

"Sorry?"

"I'm a lowly seasonal employee, and you're this expert research scientist. Is that why you're blowing me off?"

Gloria set down the reports she'd been reading and took a deep breath. "I've dated plenty of rangers," she said.

Mitch.e.l.l's eyes lit up.

"Female ones," she said.

"Oh, dude. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"That came out wrong. I just meant...ugh. I just feel so stupid. I just a.s.sumed...It's not like we get much gossip to key us in."

"No sweat, Mitch.e.l.l. As long as we're clear, we're good. We're good?"

"You're still welcome up at my camp by Thousand. While you're here, you should see some of the backcountry. It would be a shame not to. And Mono really rocks."

"Thanks, Mitch.e.l.l. If I do decide on some sightseeing, I'll track you down."

After he left, she'd tried to get back to the reports again, but she couldn't get her mind off her move. Being able to get to and from the outpost on foot instead of having to rely on the shuttle and Kristine's kindness was certainly the main motivator for her move, but she was also thinking about how one-sided the arrangement felt. She wanted to be able to reciprocate dinner casually.

She checked her watch and decided to head back home. She'd found the perfect campsite located between the outpost and the trailhead for the River Trail. She was certain Kristine would often pa.s.s through there on her way home when she wasn't using the High Trail. Though it was early, she couldn't concentrate on her work, only on what she'd planned for dinner and how much she hoped to be able to share it with Kristine.

Back home, she threw some steaks in a marinade, chopped veggies, sliced and b.u.t.tered bread and built a fire for coals. She grabbed a novel from the camper and settled in to wait for Kristine to come through, hoping that her a.s.signment for the day would bring her home through her campsite. She paused, wondering whether Kristine would read her presence as a come-on which wasn't her intention. She simply enjoyed Kristine's company, Gabe's too, for that matter. The more time she spent with the Owenses, the more she admired Kristine's pursuit of her goals. Kristine came alive talking about her dreams of traveling as a photographer and the places she wanted to explore through her lens.

The sun was starting to set, and still no sound of hoofbeats. She felt disappointed, like a girl stood up for a date, which was totally unfair given that she hadn't even made one. Resigning herself to the fact that Kristine must have used the High Trail, she set aside her book. Time to cook. Probably for the best, she decided, ducking into the camper to get her trays of food. She didn't want to cook in the dark.

Of course as soon as she stepped away from the grill, she heard stock crossing the road. She panicked. In all of her preparation, she had not considered what she was going to say to Kristine. She dove out of the camper in time to see the packer's approach. She looked d.a.m.n s.e.xy riding up on a spotted horse, a string of horses and mules stretched out behind her. She couldn't keep her eyes off the figure covered head to toe in dirt from the trail. And Kristine hadn't even looked at her yet, hadn't graced her with that exuberant smile that welcomed her each time they saw each other. She could not deny how much she still craved Kristine.

"Thought your crew didn't like to be called late for dinner," she called out.

"Gloria?" Kristine asked in the dim light, pulling her horse to a stop. "What in the world?"

"Lovely thing about a camper-it's mobile."

"Lovely thing, indeed," Kristine said, trying to control the squirrely horse she rode. "He's anxious to get home. Give me some time to unsaddle? I need to make sure Gabe's back to put up my stock."

"Absolutely." Gloria was set to return to her task but couldn't resist watching Kristine continue down the trail.

"You watching my a.s.s?" she called from the front of the line.

"I thought those were mules," Gloria hollered back. She smiled hearing Kristine's laughter mix with the sound of all of the horseshoes ringing on the pavement, enjoying her ability to draw forth that sound.

"And that, in short, is why there are days I spend the entire time in the saddle thinking about how long it would take to pack my s.h.i.+t and leave," Kristine said, finally releasing her wadded, crumpled napkin on the table. "Ugh. I'm sorry. I hate to complain about Nard taking my horse, but I've had a string of bad days since he stuck me with that Appaloosa horse."

Gloria frowned in sympathy. She had enjoyed every minute of Kristine's account of the problems she'd had with new stock. The details of her job fascinated her, and Kristine's animated delivery captivated Gloria even more. She found herself staring at Kristine's mouth trying not to think about kissing her. This, she realized, was why they kept hanging out at the cabin. Without Gabe's presence, she was more acutely aware of her attraction to Kristine. Without the conversation to distract her, Gloria couldn't think of a reason not to kiss Kristine. She searched for the topic. "I wondered why I didn't recognize any of your animals." Kristine looked relieved, and Gloria wondered if she also felt like the dynamic between them had s.h.i.+fted now that it was just the two of them.

She leaned back with her beer. "Nard has this thing about big mules, but he's cheap, so he won't buy them trained."

"I thought Leo bought all their animals from your family."

"All the good ones." Kristine quirked her eyebrow.

"Of course."

"But that's Leo. The big babies are Nard's idea, his attempt at establis.h.i.+ng himself apart from Leo. It wouldn't be an issue if he knew how to train them, but he has no idea and would never admit it. He works them 'til they're real screwed up and then leaves them in the corral as the last option. And these two, Beetle and Bailey..." She grimaced. "They could kill someone with their stupidity. It's a good thing I wasn't up on the rock steps by Shadow when Bailey set back the way he did. He'd have pulled Digger straight off the trail. There's a sobering thought."

"Do you run through your head what you'd do if that happened?"

"Of course," Kristine said. She drained her beer and stared at it much like she had at the campfire at the beginning of the summer. Finally, she answered, "'Never quit a wreck' is what my dad always said."

"I don't follow."

"Say your horse slips. It's more dangerous to jump off because you might mess up their balance. They might end up falling right on you."

"If you stay in the saddle you have more control."

"Exactly. Even if you end up getting thrown, you're at least going to clear the mess."

Gloria nodded, processing. "You guys should call that pair Thing One and Thing Two with the trouble they cause."

"Gabe's going to love that." She smiled, but her voice sounded distracted.

"Is that why you took off before? You got fed up with..." she searched for a word to describe what she read in Kristine's eyes.

"Partly," Kristine supplied without answering the question. She stood to clear the dishes.

Gloria rose quickly, worried that her question had spooked Kristine. She took the plates. "Please don't worry about the cleanup. I've got my system." They stood so near to each other in the small s.p.a.ce that it would have taken nothing to lean forward and capture the mouth that she'd been watching. Kristine surrendered the dishes and sat back down at the small table. Silence filled the s.p.a.ce as Gloria took care of the dishes. She was trying hard to maintain the easy conversations that had become the norm when they were with Gabe, and Kristine seemed aware of that too. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Kristine still held a defensive posture and saw her holding a greeting card.

"You bought one of mine," she said, meeting Gloria's eyes.

"A bunch, actually. I've been sending my mom's letters in them."

"I'm flattered," Kristine said. "This is one of my favorites. I was on one of my first solo spots down to Island Crossing, and my horse had a loose shoe. I didn't want to risk it on the granite pa.s.s, so I was trying to pry it off. These women came up and chatted with me, wanted to know about the animals, about my job. It hit me the minute I saw them that they were a couple. Didn't say anything, you know, no secret handshake, no rainbow sticker, but there was this energy between them, this sense of happiness that they just radiated. I couldn't help but feel it. You can't tell in this shot," she shrugged, studying the picture of the two hikers on the blasted out trail along a sheer granite cliff, "but I think about that every time I look at it."

"It's funny, but I sensed that about them too, the first time I saw the card. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I sensed that they were together." She was tempted to add how she had pictured herself happily following Kristine on the same trail and how often her thoughts had been occupied by Kristine when she had been camped at Fish Creek. There it was, again. A patch of silence in which to grow her desire.

Kristine set the card back down on the counter where she'd found it. She seemed to be grasping for something to say, as if she was safer when her mouth was moving. "All the stuff in the store is so old. I have other pieces with me at the cabin if you need more. It's not all from here, but you're welcome to have a look."

"I like your work, the angles you find. They've got a really personal feel to them."

"I used to have my eye on the landscape all the time. Now I find myself drawn to people."

Kristine's words surprised Gloria. She turned, wiping her hands on a dishtowel, studying Kristine, worried that it was her own thoughts that had her reading more into Kristine's words than she intended. Kristine quieted, too. They stood nearly opposite each other in the small quarters. Gloria wondered if Kristine was aware of her provocative pose. She leaned back against the counter, her elbows bearing her weight. Her long, jean-clad legs stretched out in front of her and crossed at the ankles. Gloria took a deep breath, finding it difficult to keep her eyes off Kristine's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the fabric of her sweats.h.i.+rt pulled taut by her posture. She decided Kristine's last statement needed clarification. "You're drawn to people in terms of photography?"

Kristine's eyes were on Gloria's mouth when she answered. "Yes."

"Not drawn to as in interested in..."

"No." Gloria tried to hide her disappointment by turning back to the dishes, but Kristine grabbed her hand, stilling her. "Not to people. Just one person. Just you."

Relief that she wasn't alone in having difficulty managing Kristine's request flooded through her. "Good. Because it's getting harder and harder not to kiss you," she said, putting a foot on either side of Kristine's crossed boots.

"Is that so?"

Gloria's breath caught when Kristine took hold of her hips and pulled them to her own. She straightened, surprised by Kristine's action and needing to see her eyes. The hesitation she usually read there was replaced completely with desire. She waited a few heartbeats, giving Kristine ample time to move away if she needed to, before she leaned forward and kissed the lips that she'd been dreaming about for weeks. She lost herself in the give of Kristine's lips, in the inviting warmth and softness.