Page 115 of Turn the Tide
Chapter 11
Marco fired up the ATV and raced back toward the cabin. He had a bad feeling about leaving Sarah alone for too long.
He scanned the Forest as he dodged trees and fallen tree trunks, thankful that the rain had finally stopped.
Just in case Freddie had doubled back, Marco stashed the ATV out of sight of the cabin. Then he made his way to the front door, his weapon drawn and a careful eye on the surroundings. But there was no sign that anything had changed since he’d left.
He eased up onto the porch, then slowly opened the door in case Sarah was sleeping.
Before he stepped into the room, her soft voice said, “Stop. Bobcat.”
He froze, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. And then he saw it. An obviously lactating mama bobcat, sitting not three feet from Sarah, eyes flicking back and forth between him and Sarah. Or, more accurately, the beef jerky he’d left for her.
She’d obviously opened the bag, and the smell must have attracted the cat. He looked across the room at the missing pane of glass in the grimy window.
“You okay?” he asked calmly.
“Yep,” she answered. Though there was a definite quaver in her voice.
“How long has she been here?”
“Since not long after you left, I think. Do I give her the jerky?”
“I’ll do it.” He eased farther into the room, kept his gun trained on the animal. Then he slowly sank down on his haunches by the jerky.
The cat let out a warning growl.
“It’s okay, mama. I don’t want your food,” he said soothingly. He picked up a piece of jerky and tossed it toward the cat. It hissed and jerked back out of reach. Marco threw another piece. And another.
Then they waited. Sure enough, she inched closer, sniffed, and grabbed the first piece, watching them while she chewed. Then she took the second, and the third, watching them without blinking.
Finally, she gave them one last haughty stare and disappeared back through the cracked windowpane.
The moment she disappeared, Sarah let out a shaky breath. “Wow. That was terrifying.”
Marco was beside her in an instant. “You don’t like cats?” he teased. He sat down beside her and pulled her close. When she snuggled into his chest as if she belonged there, he kissed her fiercely, worry and relief all tangled together.
She reached up around his neck and pulled him closer, her fingers gripping his hair. Past and present collided as the sure knowledge that he still loved her, had never stopped loving her, shot through him, shocking him to his core. This was what was missing with every other woman he’d ever met, that indefinable something that was uniquely Sarah. Her voice, her taste, her heart. Compared to her, no other woman had ever come close. Was it possible he might get another chance with her? Then reality slapped him, hard, and he slowly pulled back and stood.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, or touched you earlier—” he began.
“Why shouldn’t you have done that?” she asked, head cocked to one side.
He stopped, unsure what to say. “We’re in the middle of a stressful situation, and I don’t want you to think I was taking advantage.”
She paused. “So when we get out of here, will you take advantage then?”
He studied her for a moment, not sure he’d heard right, but then he saw the smile spread over her face and felt his own lips curl in response. “Only if you ask nicely.”
She threw her head back and laughed, and he felt it all the way to his toes. This sassy, snarky Sarah was the girl he remembered, the one he’d fallen headlong for.
“We’ll have to table this discussion for now, okay? But trust me, we’ll get back to it. In the meantime”—he hitched a thumb outside—“I found the ATV. We should be able to get you out of here if we go slow.”
She waved that away. “I’ll be fine. You have to find Donny.”
“We will.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you stared down a bobcat, Princess. I’m taking you with me. I might need you.” He shot her a quick grin before he pulled out his cell phone. Still no service. He cursed and shoved it back in his holster. “I’m hoping by the time we get there, Josh will already have Freddie in custody, but we can’t be sure.” He eyed her carefully. “Rattling around on this ATV is not going to be fun.” He paused. “I can still leave you here.”
“And wait for Mama Bobcat to come back? I don’t think so.” She got to her feet and hobbled to the door.
