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He glanced at his watch, then slumped back against the seat and shut his eyes. They’d only been driving for a few minutes. He’d either passed out or fallen asleep as soon as they’d left the cabin.
But where was Jordan? And why weren’t they moving? He jerked his eyes open again. This was a hell of a time to take a break. They needed to get out of here before the wind picked up and pushed the fire to the road.
Stifling a groan, he reached over with his left hand and shoved his door open, then swung out his legs and stepped down. Dizziness swamped him, and he hung on to the door to catch his balance. Several breaths later, the ground steadied and he slowly straightened.
“Don’t shut the door,” Jordan said, her voice low.
Startled, he turned toward the back of the Jeep. Jordan knelt in the road facing the woods. His gaze followed the curve of her slender back to the lush flare of her hips. Her faded blue jeans were covered with dust.
“What are you doing?”
“Sshh.” She rose to her feet and backed toward him. “I’m trying to catch a dog.”
“What?”
“Quiet! You’ll scare him off.”
He frowned at the bowl of water she’d set on the road next to what looked like pieces of sandwich. He followed her line of vision to the trees but couldn’t see anything.
He massaged his eyes. “How long ago did we stop?”
“I don’t know. Maybe fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes?” Hell. They were far too close to the cabin. “Listen—”
“Shh. Here he comes.”
A clump of ferns edging the road swayed, and then a dog slunk out. At least he thought it was a dog. It was the scrawniest thing he’d ever seen, with wary, desperate eyes set in a gaunt face hollowed by hunger.
“I almost hit him,” she murmured. “He was sitting right in the road.”
The dog limped closer, favoring his right front paw, then stopped several yards away. Trembling, his tail tucked to his belly and dark ears flattened, he again inched cautiously forward. His eyes darted from them to the food and he let out a pitiful whine.
“I thought he was a coyote at first,” she said, her voice low.
“Coyotes are fatter than that.”
“That’s why I decided he was a dog. Either he’s lost or someone dumped him off in the forest. As if a pet can survive out here by instinct.”
Her indignation didn’t surprise him. She’d always had a soft spot for animals, even wild ones. When they’d lived at the cabin, she’d hung bird feeders in the woods and set salt licks out for the deer.
He turned his attention back to the dog, who was creeping toward the food. He was some sort of shepherd mix, with a matted, tawny coat and dark gray mask and ears. The dog reached the food and stopped. Then suddenly, he bolted back to the woods.
Cade glanced at his watch again. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Go?” Jordan frowned. “But what about the dog?”
“He’ll eat as soon as we leave.”
“And then what? Where’s he going to get more food?” She planted her hands on her hips. The motion tightened the white T-shirt over her breasts. “You saw how skinny he is. And he needs to get to a vet. That front paw doesn’t look good.”
“We don’t have a choice. We need to get out of here before that front hits.”
“But we can’t just leave him here alone.”
That figured. She cared more about leaving a stray dog than she once had about her husband. “For God’s sake—”
“Forget it, Cade. I’m not leaving that poor dog behind. He’s already been abandoned once, and believe me, that’s enough for anyone.” Her dark eyes flashed. “Not that you’d understand that.”
Not that he’d understand what? “What the hell does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“The hell it doesn’t.” His irritation surged.
She lifted her hands and sighed. “All right, fine. I’ll tell you. It’s just that you’re always flying off and traveling somewhere. Having adventures and putting out fires. You don’t know what it’s like to be left behind, to be sitting at home waiting, day after lonely day. But I do. And believe me, I’m not doing that to the dog.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “What are you talking about? You’re the one who left me.”
“Only because you’d already gone.”
Incredulity flooded through him. He would have laughed if his ribs didn’t ache so much. “Hell, that’s rich. You walk out without even a note. I come home to an empty house and a goddamn letter from your lawyer. And you accuse me of abandoning you?”
“You went to Alaska.”
He stared at her. “I was working. Earning money. You know, trying to support my wife?”
Her brows rose. “You’re not seriously saying you were doing it for my sake?”
“Hell, yes, I was doing it for you. Wasn’t I supposed to work?”
“But you were gone all the time. You hardly came back. You even joined that booster crew to Alaska.”
“That was my job,” he said tightly. “You knew that when we got married. The Forest Service owns you in the summer. They send you wherever the fires are. You can’t control where you go. And you can’t just turn work down.”
“You could have found a different job.”
“Right.” That was their problem, right there. Ten years ago, he’d idolized this woman. Worshipped her. Given her his heart, his soul. Everything he owned and every damned cent he earned. And she still hadn’t been satisfied. She’d wanted him to change who he was.
She bit her lip. Her dark eyes widened with that vulnerable look that always made him want to protect her.
His jaw flexed. She knew exactly how to play him, all right. Even knowing the truth, how she’d ripped out his heart and screwed him over, he had the ridiculous urge to console her.
Well, she’d suckered him in once with that helpless act. Damned if he would fall for it again.
She sighed. “Look. Can we just forget it? I don’t want to argue all the way to Missoula.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t need this aggravation. He had enough problems to deal with. He needed to hightail it back to Missoula and get himself checked by a doctor so he could return to the jump list.
“Catching the dog won’t take that long,” she added. “I’m sure he was somebody’s pet.”
“We’ve already stayed here too long. That road’s going to close any minute.”
“Is the fire really that close?”
He glanced at the thrashing treetops. “It depends on the wind speed, but yeah, it’s almost here.”
“But what’s the dog going to do in the fire?” Her dark eyes pleaded with his. “He can’t run with that hurt paw. And he’s so hungry.”
“He’ll get away.” He returned his gaze to the dog skulking from the safety of the trees. Despite his assurances, they both knew that he wouldn’t make it. He was far too weak to escape a wildfire.
“Just give me five more minutes.” Her soft brown eyes met his again, and despite the urgency, he felt himself waver. “Please?”
He pulled his gaze from hers and back to the swaying pine trees. He was a damn fool, risking his life for a stray mutt and a woman who had betrayed him. But crazy or not, the sooner they captured that dog, the faster they could leave the forest.
“Three,” he told her. “And not a second more.” Resigned, he opened the rear passenger door and riffled through his PG bag. He found his supply of beef jerky in the side compartment, removed several strips and handed them to Jordan. “Here. If this doesn’t get him, nothing will.”
“Thanks.” Her full mouth softened into a smile, and he felt the tug to his heart.
He was a fool, all right. Annoyed by his weakness for this woman, he strode to the front of the Jeep. Then he propped himself against it to wait.
Jordan walked to the edge of the road, broke off a piece of beef jerky and tossed it to the dog. The dog eyed it and scented the air. The warm wind blew dried pine needles across the road and lifted the fur on his ruff. After several seconds, he padded forward and licked the jerky, then finally gulped it down.
Jordan held out another piece. “Come on, sweetie,” she cooed. “Come here. We won’t hurt you.”
Without warning, Cade felt the caress of her soft voice, remembered it sliding over him in the dark, along with her lips and body. His gaze roved her tiny waist, the curve of her bottom encased in tight blue jeans, the pale patch of skin exposed beneath the T-shirt. He wanted to run his hands up that silken skin, taste her heat, her desire. Hear that low moan she made when he stroked her naked breasts.
He dragged in his breath. This was a hell of a time to remember their sex life—the one thing they’d gotten exactly right.
He forced his attention back to the dog. Looking as mesmerized as Cade had once been by Jordan’s voice, the dog crept cautiously closer. But he stopped a few feet from her hand.
Cade’s admiration rose. The dog was smarter than he’d ever been. That sexy voice wouldn’t trap him.
“Come here,” Jordan wheedled. The dog whined, and she tossed him another piece of jerky. Still trembling, he again inched forward. Then he snatched up the jerky and ate it.
“That’s right,” Jordan encouraged. She held out another piece. “You’re such a sweetie. Such a good dog.”
The dog moved even closer. Just inches from her hand, he stopped, plopped his hindquarters in the dust and craned his neck toward her hand.
“Look, he has a collar. He really was someone’s pet.”
“Jordan—”
“I know. We’re almost there. Such a good dog,” she continued cooing. Seconds later, the dog scooted forward and took the beef from her hand. “Good boy! Now let’s get you in the car. Come on, sweetie. Come on.” Holding another fragment of jerky, she backed slowly to the Jeep. The dog glanced at Cade and yawned.
“Look away,” she said.
“What?”
“You’re stressing him out. Don’t look him in the eyes. And yawn if you can. That will make him feel safer.”
Skeptical, but willing to do anything to hurry them out of the forest, Cade turned his head and faked a yawn. In his peripheral vision, he saw the dog creep toward the Jeep, and his respect for Jordan grew. So she could manage dogs.
“Okay, this is the test.” She set the jerky on the floor of the Jeep and stepped back. “Come on,” she urged.
The wind creaked the pine branches in the silence. The dog limped forward, then stopped. Seconds ticked by, and Cade’s impatience mounted. But just as he opened his mouth to protest, the dog jumped into the Jeep.
Jordan closed the door. “Got him.” She whirled around and beamed up at him, and he felt the kick to his heart. “That beef jerky was perfect. What a great idea.”
“I guess he just needed the right enticement.” His gaze slid over her creamy face to the pale smattering of freckles on her nose, over soft, full lips and down to her breasts. His pulse leaped. He knew what had motivated him.
Until she’d gutted his heart and stomped out his illusions. His jaw hardened. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Sure.” Hurt flashed in her eyes and she turned away.
Hell. He hadn’t meant to sound rude, but he didn’t have time to mince around her feelings. They had to get out of this forest fast.
While she retrieved the bowl she’d set in the road, he climbed into the Jeep and closed his door. The movement sent pain shooting through his shoulder and he struggled to breathe. As bad as he ached, he must have cracked his collarbone, maybe even a couple of ribs. Jordan slid in beside him and slammed her door, and the sound throbbed through his skull. He probably had a concussion, too. He just hoped it wouldn’t keep him off the jump list long.
She cranked the engine and they lurched forward. Unable to buckle his seat belt, he planted his feet wide against the floorboard to steady himself in the seat. Fighting off another bout of dizziness, he closed his eyes.
For several moments, they drove in silence. Warm air rushed through the open windows. The Jeep bounced down the dusty road, eating up the distance toward the front. Like any seasoned smokejumper, Cade used the spare time to rest.
“Do you smell something?” Jordan asked.
He blinked open his eyes and sniffed. “Yeah. That damn dog stinks.”
She shot him a wry smile. “I mean besides the dog. I could smell him out in the open.” Her smile faded, and worry crept into her eyes. “I think I smell smoke.”
He inhaled deeply this time, ignoring the ache in his ribs. The faint scent of burning pine filled his lungs. “Yeah, I smell it.”
“Do you think we’re too late to get through?”
“We’ll find out.” He scanned the thick trees lining the road but didn’t see signs of the fire.
“I’ll go faster.” She accelerated, and the Jeep leaped forward. Dirt spun under the tires and kicked up clouds of dust. They hit a hard bump, jarring his shoulder, and he choked back a groan. He didn’t care how much the damned thing throbbed. He’d have to wait and deal with it later, after they got past the fire.
The Jeep rocketed down the road and the smell of smoke grew stronger. Jordan stared straight ahead, her brow furrowed in concentration. Cade felt his own tension mount.
Then smoke drifted over the road and his stomach tightened. The fire was closer than he’d thought. And unless the front made a sharp detour, they’d be caught in its path.
They careened around a curve and up a knoll, and suddenly, the front appeared on the right. Deep-orange flames surged toward them. Dark, heavy smoke roiled over the road.
“Stop!”
Jordan slammed on the brakes. The Jeep skidded sideways, and Cade braced his boot against the dashboard to keep from hitting the windshield. They abruptly jerked to a stop.
The roar of the wildfire filled the forest. The wind whipped the tall flames skyward and curled them high through the trees. Dry branches exploded in brilliant bursts, shooting flames through the crowns.
