father, it would have been immediate. She stood her ground and waited, but the battle never came.
Stoney looked at her for a long agonizing moment, regret etched in his features. “You’ve got it all wrong, Sunshine,” he said in a low voice. Turning away from her, he grabbed the hatchet by the fire and started walking out into the darkness.
Her bottom lip started to tremble. Damn, she didn't want to cry, but the tears were already coming. “Where are you going?” she called out.
He didn’t say anything. He just kept walking until she couldn’t see him any longer.
Picking up the pan and dunking it in the water, Melanie fought to see the basin of soapy water through her tears as she scrubbed the pot. Damn Stoney Buxton. Damn her for caring so much. What was it about this man that drove her insane? She’d met challenge head on her whole life. But with him, she just felt like a failure. Did he want to see her fail? Would that prove to him that he was right about her all along?
She sniffed back a few tears and chided herself silently for them. She wouldn’t give Stoney the satisfaction of getting her down. She’d come to Wyoming with one thing on her agenda. But now she realized there was more she’d been seeking. She’d been in search of the freedom she never had in her life back in Long Island. Something about the Wyoming mountains felt like home to her. She felt like she belonged here. Why couldn’t Stoney see that?
When she was finished drying the dishes and putting them back in the pack, she found a spot to dump the basin of dirty water. She was physically and emotionally drained, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed on a nice firm mattress with cool crisp sheets. She’d settle for her bedroll and decided that she wasn’t going to notice the difference given her fatigue.
She wasn’t sure just how long Stoney had been gone. As she placed her wet clothes by the fire to dry overnight, her imagination began to run away from her. The sounds of the forest were soothing during the day, but alone at night, everything seemed ominous. She recalled a story she’d read in the newspaper a few years back about a hiker who’d been attacked by a mountain lion while he camped. They’d taken all the necessary precautions by tying their food pack in a tree far enough away from their campsite and burning all the package remains in the campfire.
Stoney was out somewhere in the forest. She wanted him to come back. Not just because she was alone. His aloof behavior for the past few days made her feel like she was alone with the horses anyway. But she wanted him there with her. No matter how much they fought, she felt safer with Stoney, as if nothing could touch her if he was with her.
The higher elevation lent itself to colder nights. She stoked the fire, wishing she had a big log to put on it instead of small twigs. Stoney had taken the hatchet when he’d stormed off. Although she didn’t hear him, no doubt he was out combing the woods for more downed tree limbs.
When he finally returned to camp, he had an armful of wood. Without a word, he dropped the logs and kindling to the side of the campfire and added a few pieces until the fire came to a roaring flame.
Melanie welcomed the heat, but she welcomed his presence more. He didn’t say a word, and she finally decided she was too tired to try anymore. She lifted to her feet, rubbing her hands together near the fire once more before turning to the tent.
“Goodnight.”
Stoney grasped her hand and swung her around to face him as she moved past. She glanced up and saw the same war raging in him that she’d been battling the past few days. “I haven’t been fair to you,” he began. “I didn’t know how to handle the way I’ve been feeling, so I took my frustration out on you. That was wrong of me. I’m sorry.”
She was still hurt and angry and didn’t
Stoney looked at her for a long agonizing moment, regret etched in his features. “You’ve got it all wrong, Sunshine,” he said in a low voice. Turning away from her, he grabbed the hatchet by the fire and started walking out into the darkness.
Her bottom lip started to tremble. Damn, she didn't want to cry, but the tears were already coming. “Where are you going?” she called out.
He didn’t say anything. He just kept walking until she couldn’t see him any longer.
Picking up the pan and dunking it in the water, Melanie fought to see the basin of soapy water through her tears as she scrubbed the pot. Damn Stoney Buxton. Damn her for caring so much. What was it about this man that drove her insane? She’d met challenge head on her whole life. But with him, she just felt like a failure. Did he want to see her fail? Would that prove to him that he was right about her all along?
She sniffed back a few tears and chided herself silently for them. She wouldn’t give Stoney the satisfaction of getting her down. She’d come to Wyoming with one thing on her agenda. But now she realized there was more she’d been seeking. She’d been in search of the freedom she never had in her life back in Long Island. Something about the Wyoming mountains felt like home to her. She felt like she belonged here. Why couldn’t Stoney see that?
When she was finished drying the dishes and putting them back in the pack, she found a spot to dump the basin of dirty water. She was physically and emotionally drained, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed on a nice firm mattress with cool crisp sheets. She’d settle for her bedroll and decided that she wasn’t going to notice the difference given her fatigue.
She wasn’t sure just how long Stoney had been gone. As she placed her wet clothes by the fire to dry overnight, her imagination began to run away from her. The sounds of the forest were soothing during the day, but alone at night, everything seemed ominous. She recalled a story she’d read in the newspaper a few years back about a hiker who’d been attacked by a mountain lion while he camped. They’d taken all the necessary precautions by tying their food pack in a tree far enough away from their campsite and burning all the package remains in the campfire.
Stoney was out somewhere in the forest. She wanted him to come back. Not just because she was alone. His aloof behavior for the past few days made her feel like she was alone with the horses anyway. But she wanted him there with her. No matter how much they fought, she felt safer with Stoney, as if nothing could touch her if he was with her.
The higher elevation lent itself to colder nights. She stoked the fire, wishing she had a big log to put on it instead of small twigs. Stoney had taken the hatchet when he’d stormed off. Although she didn’t hear him, no doubt he was out combing the woods for more downed tree limbs.
When he finally returned to camp, he had an armful of wood. Without a word, he dropped the logs and kindling to the side of the campfire and added a few pieces until the fire came to a roaring flame.
Melanie welcomed the heat, but she welcomed his presence more. He didn’t say a word, and she finally decided she was too tired to try anymore. She lifted to her feet, rubbing her hands together near the fire once more before turning to the tent.
“Goodnight.”
Stoney grasped her hand and swung her around to face him as she moved past. She glanced up and saw the same war raging in him that she’d been battling the past few days. “I haven’t been fair to you,” he began. “I didn’t know how to handle the way I’ve been feeling, so I took my frustration out on you. That was wrong of me. I’m sorry.”
She was still hurt and angry and didn’t
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