seen in Breezewood, but she admired the simplicity and the beauty of the design.
She drank in the sight, marveling that this home sat alone in the middle of the woods. Apparently, Talon wasn’t worried about soldiers or the police attacking. Of course, there had been the shots in the dark last night. But Talon had seemed surprised by the incident.
Sighing, she turned away from the house and hurried toward the woods, stopping when she reached the area where the giant tree had gone down. She didn’t know what kind it was because she had encountered few trees in her life. She only saw that it was big and that it could easily have crushed her.
Beyond it was a blackened patch where the fire had burned. Thank the gods Talon Marshall had put it out before it had reached the place where she was pinned.
After contemplating her narrow escape, she took a deep breath and clambered into the branches. But she was coming at the tree from a different angle, and she wasn’t sure where she’d been when the monster had pinned her.
Frantically, she began to search among the branches, looking for the place where she’d been lying, but there were so many leaves that she couldn’t find the right spot.
The need to hurry made her clumsy, and she tripped over a bough, sprawling in a tangle of leaves. Picking herself up, she wormed her way farther into the mass of limbs and leaves, sweeping debris aside as she searched for the knapsack.
“Looking for something?”
She jumped, losing her balance. She would have fallen off the branch she was on if a strong male hand hadn’t whipped out and caught her arm. As the hand steadied her, she twisted around to stare into Talon Marshall’s face. Although his expression gave nothing away, she was sure that he was wondering why she had come out here so early in the morning.
“I was looking for my carry bag.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to change my clothes.”
He tipped his head to one side, regarding her. “The clothes you had on are still wet?”
She hadn’t even checked the jeans and shirt in the bathroom, so she raised one shoulder.
“Let me help you find the knapsack.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You seem to be having trouble.”
“Yes.”
He let go of her arm, sat down on a bough, and closed his eyes. She watched as he breathed deeply. After about a minute, he looked to his right.
Without speaking, he stood up and worked his way to a dense section of foliage. Reaching down into the leaves, he moved his hand around. When he brought it up again, he was holding the knapsack.
“How did you find it?” she asked.
“I followed the scent,” he answered, as if there was nothing unusual about the talent. Was that true—here?
She could only stare at him. “You smelled it?”
As she had done before, he shrugged. “One of my woodsman talents.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s take it back to the house and get those clothes.”
Her nerves were jumping as he helped her clamber back through the foliage to solid ground.
She wanted to run into the woods and disappear, but she knew he’d simply catch up with her and haul her back.
With no other option, she walked beside him, stealing glances at the carry bag slung over his shoulder.
In the dining room, he dumped the contents of the main compartment onto a large table. Then he riffled through the small pockets, taking out the objects he found there.
“What is it you didn’t want me to see?” he asked in a conversational voice.
“Nothing,” she managed to answer as she watched him emptying the bag.
When everything was on the table, he began sorting through the items. He picked up the clothes first, shaking out the shirt and pants before pushing them toward her.
She clutched the fabric of the shirt and stood with her pulse pounding, watching as he inspected the contents of the knapsack.
He
She drank in the sight, marveling that this home sat alone in the middle of the woods. Apparently, Talon wasn’t worried about soldiers or the police attacking. Of course, there had been the shots in the dark last night. But Talon had seemed surprised by the incident.
Sighing, she turned away from the house and hurried toward the woods, stopping when she reached the area where the giant tree had gone down. She didn’t know what kind it was because she had encountered few trees in her life. She only saw that it was big and that it could easily have crushed her.
Beyond it was a blackened patch where the fire had burned. Thank the gods Talon Marshall had put it out before it had reached the place where she was pinned.
After contemplating her narrow escape, she took a deep breath and clambered into the branches. But she was coming at the tree from a different angle, and she wasn’t sure where she’d been when the monster had pinned her.
Frantically, she began to search among the branches, looking for the place where she’d been lying, but there were so many leaves that she couldn’t find the right spot.
The need to hurry made her clumsy, and she tripped over a bough, sprawling in a tangle of leaves. Picking herself up, she wormed her way farther into the mass of limbs and leaves, sweeping debris aside as she searched for the knapsack.
“Looking for something?”
She jumped, losing her balance. She would have fallen off the branch she was on if a strong male hand hadn’t whipped out and caught her arm. As the hand steadied her, she twisted around to stare into Talon Marshall’s face. Although his expression gave nothing away, she was sure that he was wondering why she had come out here so early in the morning.
“I was looking for my carry bag.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to change my clothes.”
He tipped his head to one side, regarding her. “The clothes you had on are still wet?”
She hadn’t even checked the jeans and shirt in the bathroom, so she raised one shoulder.
“Let me help you find the knapsack.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You seem to be having trouble.”
“Yes.”
He let go of her arm, sat down on a bough, and closed his eyes. She watched as he breathed deeply. After about a minute, he looked to his right.
Without speaking, he stood up and worked his way to a dense section of foliage. Reaching down into the leaves, he moved his hand around. When he brought it up again, he was holding the knapsack.
“How did you find it?” she asked.
“I followed the scent,” he answered, as if there was nothing unusual about the talent. Was that true—here?
She could only stare at him. “You smelled it?”
As she had done before, he shrugged. “One of my woodsman talents.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s take it back to the house and get those clothes.”
Her nerves were jumping as he helped her clamber back through the foliage to solid ground.
She wanted to run into the woods and disappear, but she knew he’d simply catch up with her and haul her back.
With no other option, she walked beside him, stealing glances at the carry bag slung over his shoulder.
In the dining room, he dumped the contents of the main compartment onto a large table. Then he riffled through the small pockets, taking out the objects he found there.
“What is it you didn’t want me to see?” he asked in a conversational voice.
“Nothing,” she managed to answer as she watched him emptying the bag.
When everything was on the table, he began sorting through the items. He picked up the clothes first, shaking out the shirt and pants before pushing them toward her.
She clutched the fabric of the shirt and stood with her pulse pounding, watching as he inspected the contents of the knapsack.
He
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