Page 3 of Pining for the Ranger
“No worries, we’ll go your speed and I’ll be with you the whole way to help. Your clothes aren’t completely dry, so you’ll have to wear damp pants, but you can wear my jacket on top at least to help keep you warm.”
He hands me his jacket, then reaches to retrieve my pants from where they lie on the ground. As he turns away, I pull on the jacket. I can’t help but deeply inhaling the heady, manly scent lingering on the fabric before zipping it. The scent sending tingles to places which shouldn’t be active at the moment. After it’s zipped, he spins back towards me as if he was waiting for me to cover myself.
When I push myself up, I’m thankful he grabs my arm to help steady me.
“Here, hold on to my shoulder while I put your pants on.” He squats and I rest my hands on him as instructed.
Lifting my left leg, he slides the pant leg on before we repeat the process with the right. Chills form on my legs where his knuckles trail my skin as he pulls the material up. I’m so distracted by the sensation I don’t even notice he’s buttoning and zipping my pants for me until he stands back up. I guess it’s not like he didn’t see it all when he undressed me.
He turns to his pack and pulls out a pair of thick gray socks. “These will be nice and dry.”
I lift my feet one at a time so he can put them on as well. Then he does the same with my hiking boots. Once they’re secure, he points to a nearby large flat rock.
“How about you sit here while I pack up and put out the fire?” Digging in his pack once again, producing a half filled ziplock bag before handing it to me. “Here are some snacks for you to eat while you wait.”
Holding my elbow, he keeps close as I move to sit on the rock he indicated. Rifling through the bag, I pull out a brownie protein bar and a bag of mixed nuts. Peeling back the wrapper,I bite into the chewy bar. Not my favorite, but it helps with the hunger pangs. Again, the familiarity of the thought has me pausing. I have a favorite peanut butter protein bar.
Looking down at my boots, I see they have scuffs from use. Given the fact we have to hike a few miles must mean I walked here, so I must be a hiker. Which makes sense because it felt familiar waking up on the ground.
Munching on the provided snacks, I ponder how I ended up in the river while watching Boone roll the sleeping bag up and scoop water from the river to put out the fire.
It doesn’t take long before he is turning back to me. “Ready?”
I hand him the ziplock bag, “As I’ll ever be.”
He plucks out some jerky and nuts before stowing it in his pack and slinging it on his back. Grabbing my arm, he helps me over the rocks and through some brush back to the trail, where true to his word he goes my speed the entire way.
He doesn’t hurry me, and his hands never stray far from my body. I can’t say it bothers me in the least. In fact, he makes me feel more safe and cared for than I have in a long time. I don’t know how I know this, but again, there’s an innate feeling telling me it’s true.
Chapter Three
Boone
Pacing back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital, my hand spears through my hair as I check my watch for the umpteenth time. It’s been over an hour since they took her back.
Exhaustion had overtaken her by the time we made it back to my truck at the trailhead. I was practically carrying her at the end. She slept most of the hour-long drive to the hospital.
Her hesitation was palpable as she chewed her lip when they took her back. She was as reluctant to leave me as I was to let her go. Right now I’m the only thing familiar she knows, a lifeline in a world of unknown.
My reluctance to let her go has to do with this damn feeling which came over me the second I found her, as if she was mine to protect. It’s not only the unfamiliar need to make sure she is safe and taken care of, though. The way she has handled waking up most likely from death’s door without a clue of who she is or what happened to her is admirable.
Most women would’ve dissolved into hysterics, given the situation. I could tell she was battling panic on more than one occasion, but she fought it each time. On top of that, she walked out under her own power without a single complaint. I have seen stronger men fold under lesser circumstances, but she has refused to break.
It makes me want to be there for her even more. To make sure she is okay and support her if and when the break happens. I don’t know how anyone couldn’t admire such perseverance under such inconceivable stress.
“Hey, Boone. Everything okay?”
My head jerks up, a frown overtaking my face when I see my brother and his girlfriend standing there. “Mitch. What are you guys doing here?”
He looks at Tessa for a moment. There’s no containing his grin at her nod. “We’re going to have a baby.”
My eyes widen in shock. “No shit? Congratulations. Happy for you guys.”
“Yeah, we are too. So, what are you doing here?”
My head whips around when a nurse in blue scrubs calls, “Mr. Jennings?”
“That’s me.” I confirm.
