bucked once hard, then collapsed on him weakly. An instant later, with one last upward jolt, he followed her.
He hadn’t even started to catch his breath when the radio across the room started crackling, Lucy calling his name impatiently.
* * *
The sound of the radio was an unwelcome, unwanted intrusion. Sky straddled Craig’s lap, sated, wanting to melt into him again, amazed that they had visited such heights in such a hurried fashion. Cripes, like kids in the back of the car, she thought. She might have been embarrassed except that she hadn’t gone there alone. Craig had been right with her.
And that warmed the kernel of hope in her heart even more. The most basic of sex, and it had been good for both of them. No wine, no roses, no dinner, little foreplay, no romance and it had been exquisite.
Then the radio. She didn’t even bother to stifle a groan of protest as she tried to find strength to lever herself off him. Long-ago training rose to take over: you didn’t ignore a radio call. Ever.
He seized her waist and helped her to stand, standing with her at the same time. Then he eased her back into the chair.
“I’m going to kill Lucy,” he remarked.
“Don’t bother. She doesn’t know.”
He paused long enough to brush her hair lightly and drop a kiss on her mouth. “Wonderful,” he said. “More later, unless you object.”
Her cheeks flamed but she smiled. He returned the smile then headed for the radio, which sat on the shelf next to his hat and gun belt.
“What’s up, Lucy?”
“Something’s going on, Craig. Don is on his way. You’re still at the cabin, right?”
“I was taking a comp day.”
“Sorry, it’s over. I’ll let him know where to find you. Out.”
He put the radio down and looked at Sky. “The comp day was over, except for you, since Micah showed up.” Walking over to the window, he stood looking out at what had become a steady rain. “I wonder what the hell is going on.”
“She didn’t seem to want to say on the radio.”
“No, she didn’t.”
They both understood what that meant. Whatever the news was, it wasn’t meant to be overheard.
* * *
“There’s too many forest service guys in the area,” Cap said.
Buddy shrugged. “They’re looking for a blocked stream. It’s important.”
“Well, we blocked the stream, so how do you think that’s okay?”
Buddy bridled a bit. Sometimes he didn’t like the tone Cap took with him. “This is my land. I can do whatever the hell I want on it. Those rangers can’t even cross my boundary without my permission.”
“You were sure eager enough to show that sheriff around.”
Buddy glared at him. “You want to draw attention? The best thing to do when the sheriff pays one of his courtesy calls is to act like everything’s normal. Be friendly. If I stop doing that, he for sure knows I’m up to something. Cut it out, Cap. He didn’t see a damn thing he doesn’t always see.”
“You hope. He saw the new barracks and he didn’t look like a dope to me.”
“I told him it was because I needed more storage. There’s no reason on earth for him not to believe that. He knows I got a lot of food stashed out here. Never made a secret of that.”
“Well, maybe you should have.” Cap frowned at him. “You’re a little too open for a prepper, Buddy.”
“I’m also too far out for anyone to care when the stuff hits the fan.”
“You can’t be sure of that.”
“Well, that’s what you’re here for, right?”
Cap didn’t answer immediately, which made Buddy nervous. He was seriously wondering if he’d made a mistake by inviting the man here. The questions seemed to grow by the day. Before Cap, he hadn’t had any trouble with anyone.
“My men are out there working, Buddy. I told you that. The day is coming. They’re already starting to come this way as they finish their jobs. But in the meantime, we’re going to have to keep an eye on those rangers. If they find out we’ve diverted most of a stream to make a reservoir, they can tell you to remove the dam, right?”
“It’s my land,” Buddy said stubbornly. “They can’t tell me anything.”
“They’re the government. I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Anyway, we need to keep an eye on them so they don’t get too close. What’s going on here needs to be absolutely secret.”
“What we need to do,” Buddy said off the top of his head, “is make