Going to Extremes

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Eden looked flabbergasted. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten him. Because if you have, I’d say you need to have your head re-examined.”

She hadn’t forgotten him exactly, Kaitlyn realized, as that same image came back to her. The whirring blades, the strong arms, those eyes staring down at her.

“I think he has blue eyes.”

“Blue eyes?” Eden gave a little laugh. “That’s like saying Montana has a lot of trees. Yeah, he has blue eyes. Crystal clear and surrounded by lovely, dark lashes…I could go on, but I won’t. Let’s just say the man has the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen and leave it at that.”

“Wait a minute.” Kaitlyn turned to glare at her. “How do you know what he looks like?”

“Because I met him last night. He came by the hospital to see how you were doing. You were resting so we didn’t want to disturb you, but we had a nice little chat before he left.”

“You were here last night? How in the world did you find out so quickly?” Kaitlyn asked in astonishment.

Eden merely shrugged. “You forget, my dear, I now have contacts all over the state. That and the fact that when I called the paper yesterday afternoon looking for you, the receptionist told me that you were missing. I came as soon as I could.”

“You really didn’t have to do that. I know how busy you are these days.”

Eden waved a dismissive hand. “You’d do the same for me.” She pulled up a chair and sat down. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Gorgeous, blue eyes.”

Kaitlyn was amused by her friend’s rather obvious segue back to the subject of her rescuer. She’d never heard Eden sound quite so effusive. “So tell me about the rest of this guy.”

“Oh, the rest of him isn’t too shabby, either, if you like wide shoulders and sun-bronzed skin. A Mr. December if ever I saw one,” Eden said, referring to the pinup calendar she and Jenny and Kaitlyn had drooled over one year in high school. Mr. December had been by far the hottest month and remained, to this day, the standard by which Eden judged all men. At least in her more shallow moments.

“A Mr. December?” Kaitlyn laughed. “I think you’re exaggerating again.”

“Oh, really? Why don’t you judge for yourself then? He’s in the waiting room even as we speak.”

Kaitlyn glanced up at her in alarm. “He’s been here all night? Why?”

“No, relax. He came in right after I did this morning. He said he wanted to check in and make sure you’re okay.” Eden paused. “Do you want me to go get him?”

Kaitlyn ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t know. I must look like—“

“A hag? Yes, you’re positively hideous,” Eden agreed dryly. “But as luck would have it, I’ve brought you a care package.” She placed a bag from Ferguson’s drugstore on Kaitlyn’s bed. “Hairbrush, lipstick, mascara. And if you’re good, I’ll go by your apartment and pack a few things for you before I leave today.”

“You wouldn’t mind? Hospital gowns can get a little drafty if you know what I mean.” Kaitlyn rummaged through the bag. “You’re a real lifesaver, Eden.”

“Yes, that’s me,” she said airily as she headed for the door. “But a word to the wise…” She paused and glanced over her shoulder. Mischief glinted in her eyes. “You may have seen Aidan Campbell first, but I’ve already picked out a name for our firstborn.”

EDEN REALLY HADN’T exaggerated, Kaitlyn realized when her rescuer walked into the room.

Aidan Campbell was about as dreamy as a man could get, but his rugged features kept him from being too dreamy.

But, boy, oh boy, did he bring the shivers.

Wide shoulders…sun-kissed hair…bronzed skin. Eden had described him to a T, and his eyes—gorgeous indeed—had the unique ability to appear warm and cold at the same time.

He had the look of a man who could turn a woman inside out, and Kaitlyn’s stomach fluttered with awareness as their gazes met.

A dozen images flitted through her head. His blue eyes staring intently into hers. His deep voice commanding her not to panic. His callused hands moving skillfully over her bare skin to warm her up.

And then she thought, quite inanely, Why, this man has seen me naked. We haven’t even really met yet and already he knows what I look like without my clothes on.

She couldn’t look at him without thinking about it.

“Kaitlyn?”

The sound of her name on his lips sent another shiver up her spine and a sophomoric blush to her cheeks. Kaitlyn wasn’t the type to be swept off her feet by a good-looking man, but for the life of her, she couldn’t seem to remember her own name.

An apologetic frown flickered across his brow. “I’m sorry. I’ve obviously come at a bad time. I can stop by later—”

“No! I mean, uh, that’s fine. This isn’t a bad time. It’s a perfectly fine time. I’m…fine…” And obviously babbling. She stopped and drew a breath. “You must be Mr. Campbell,” she said in a more poised tone.

“Aidan.” He let the door close behind him as he crossed the room to her bed.

Up close, he seemed even taller than she’d first thought. Toned and athletic, he walked with the kind of easy grace that came with confidence and accomplishment. A man who knew how to get what he wanted and almost always did.

Kaitlyn suppressed a shudder as he extended a hand and took hers.

He smiled.

She smiled.

And fireworks exploded all around them.

Oh, wait…that was just inside her head, she realized.

She drew back her hand. “I’m not sure what to say to the man who saved my life. A mere thank-you seems a bit lame.”

He shrugged. “It’ll do just fine, but I don’t think I saved your life. You strike me as pretty resourceful. Not many people could have survived a tumble like that, much less the kind of exposure to the elements you had to face. I have a feeling if we hadn’t come along when we did, you would have clawed your way off that ledge.”

“You think so?” Kaitlyn was foolishly flattered by his praise. “But then…I might have broken a nail or something, so it’s just as well you saved me the trouble.”

He said quite seriously, “Have you checked your nails lately?”

She glanced down at her hands and winced. “You weren’t kidding about the clawing, were you?” She hid them under the cover.

He grinned. “In any case, I’m glad you’re okay.”

We just have to get you warmed up.

Why couldn’t she stop thinking about that? Especially now, when she felt quite toasty. And that smile! Where had this man been all her life?

How was it that their paths had never crossed in a place as small as Ponderosa?

His expression sobered. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

“I will be.” She adjusted the blanket. “No serious injuries, I’m happy to report. The doctor says I’ll probably be getting out of here in a day or two.”

“That’s good news.” He glanced around. “Mind if I sit?”

“Please.” Kaitlyn motioned to the chair Eden had vacated. Now that she’d managed to regain her equilibrium, she was in no hurry for Aidan Campbell to leave. No hurry at all.

He pulled up the chair and sat down at her bedside. “Are you up to answering a few questions?”

“You sound like a cop,” she said in surprise.

He shrugged. “I’m just curious as to what you were doing out in the middle of nowhere alone in a rainstorm.”

“That seems to be the question of the day,” Kaitlyn muttered. “I’m a reporter for the Ponderosa Monitor. I was on my way to Warden Green’s press conference…” She trailed off. “You’ve heard about the prison break, I assume?”

“It’s been all over the news for the past two days.”

She nodded. “Anyway, I was on my way to the press conference when I got caught in the flood. I had to leave my vehicle and head for high ground. I was hoping if I kept walking, I’d be able to get a cell-phone signal. And I knew if I headed north, I’d eventually reach Eagle Falls.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “And then you what?…walked off the edge into that ravine?”

“Well, see, that’s where things get a little screwy,” she admitted. “I can’t seem to remember what happened. I must have stumbled in the dark. Or maybe I got caught in a mudslide.” She lifted her shoulders helplessly. “I don’t remember what happened. I only have a vague recollection of the rescue. I heard the helicopter and then I saw you staring down at me…the next thing I know, I’m in the hospital.” She paused. “If you hadn’t come along when you did, there’s no telling how long I might have been on that ledge. I don’t know who sent you and your friend out to look for me, but I’m grateful to everyone involved.”

“Actually, we were already out there searching when we got the call that a woman was missing. But if you hadn’t had the presence of mind to use your flashlight to send up a signal, we’d never have spotted you.”

“It was the only thing I had in my pocket,” Kaitlyn said. “I must have lost my cell phone when I fell. Anyway, when I heard the helicopter, I started clicking the light on and off and praying that whoever was up there would see it.”

“And we did.”

“And you did.” She eyed him for a moment. “But now I have a question. You said you were already out there searching when you heard about me. Who were you looking for?”

“We were looking for the fugitives.”

Kaitlyn frowned. “But…you said you’re not a cop.” Her tone sounded vaguely accusing.

“I’m not.”

“A fed, then?”

“I’m a bounty hunter.”

“A bounty hunter?” Kaitlyn would never have guessed that. Bounty hunters were oily little men who crept around in dark, sleazy places, weren’t they? Aidan Campbell didn’t fit that image at all. She bit her lip. “Wait a minute. You must work for Cameron Murphy.”

It was Aidan’s turn to seem surprised. “You know Murphy?”

“Only by reputation,” Kaitlyn admitted. “His apprehension of Boone Fowler is practically legendary around here. I’ve been trying to get an interview with him for years. I’d give anything to know what his reaction is to the prison break. Maybe you could put in a good word for me.”

She regretted the request the moment the words were out of her mouth, especially when she saw the shutters drop over Aidan’s blue eyes. His expression, friendly before, became remote and chilly, and he stood abruptly. “I should get out of here and let you rest.”