resort?” He gave a low laugh.
She reached up, catching his hand, kissing the back of it. “Total five stars, Chase. How long are you going to be gone?”
“Probably half an hour. I need to scout around. Make sure we’re in a safe place. I think we are, but I want eyes on it. Okay?” He reluctantly released her long, slender fingers, hurting for her because they were blood-encrusted and dirty. He didn’t like that Cari was in pain and suffering. He’d do anything he could not to have had this happen to them. And she was so damned brave, rallying, not helpless at all. She was a lot stronger than she looked, and he was proud of her spunk.
“Okay. I’m just going to sit here, rest, and let this shock leave me. I feel better already.” She held up the bottle, half the water gone from it.
“Good. Drink up, sweetheart. I’ll be back. You get your Nature bath while I’m gone.”
She managed a partial smile. “I will. You can take one when you get back.”
He winked at her, slinging the go-bag across his shoulder. “You can watch if you want . . .” he teased, and turned to follow the stream.
This wasn’t the first time she imagined what Chase would look like without clothes.
It hurt to move. Every joint in her body ached like fire itself. But they were alive. Looking up through the wiry green fronds of the juniper, the sky was a light blue with gathering clouds, and they seemed to be coming up from the south, from Mexico. Was there a storm coming in? Sighing, she looked at her hands and arms. So much blood, most of it dried now, and how dirty she was! Tears jammed into her eyes. They could have died. The thought hit her so hard, she suddenly burst into tears and Cari covered her hands across her mouth, sobbing.
For the next five minutes, she cried, her head buried against her knees, shaking and trembling. Death. Chase could have died. And so could she. And Valkyrie was gone. Her heart ached for all of them. Finally, the tears trailed off and she tried to wipe her eyes, only to see dust turned to mud. Opening the go-bag, she dumped everything out beside her to see what, exactly, Chase had packed in there. The Glock she carefully laid aside, next to the trunk of the tree, more afraid of it than anything else.
Little by little, feeling like a child that had been given gifts at Christmastime, she realized the go-bag was like a hardware store in miniature. She found in one ziplock bag a bar of scentless white soap, a dark green wash cloth, and a towel of the same color, the size of a large hand towel, to dry her off fairly well. There was antiseptic ointment, which she laid out, also, to salve all her cuts and gouges. There was a homeopathic ointment in a small tube called Arnica montana, good for bruises on uncut skin, too. Even better, there were some packets of scentless shampoo, soda powder, and a toothbrush with floss. Right now, these items seemed to be like the greatest treasure she’d ever found. Chase had thought of everything.
The burbling, singing of the creek over the graveled yellow, brown, and cream-colored smooth stones was like a balm to her shock right now. There seemed to be a pleasant breeze that wound through this deep grove. Cari guessed the grove had sprung up because of the water flowing through the bottom of the canyon.
She drank the rest of her water, got to her hands and knees, and pushed to her feet. Taking a purification tablet, she dropped it in and mimicked what Chase had done. Capping the bottle, she shook it and then set it against the trunk of the tree.
Looking around, she saw little birds flitting here and there. Other than that, the place was silent. She heard nothing but the sounds of Nature, and maybe that was good. She reminded herself that Chase had lived like this in enemy territory for five years, alone, without immediate help, and risking his life.
Pulling off her T-shirt, she dropped it and her bra on the bank. Sitting down, she unlaced her boots, pulled off her socks, and then stood, shimmying out of her jeans and cotton panties. Placing the soap, wash cloth, shampoo, and towel in a line, she eagerly stepped into the water, testing it. Surprisingly, it was very cold