The Trouble With Angels Page 0,43

became a tad stronger.

"This way," she shouted a second time, louder. A beam of light appeared, and Maureen carefully scooted down the rock and headed toward it.

"Maureen?"

"Here." The beacon was much brighter now and the voice recognizable. Thom. She should have known he'd be the one to find her. Her treacherous heart reacted with a solid jolt of happiness.

As she approached, he lowered the flashlight to the ground. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice gentle with concern.

"No, no, I'm fine." She longed to rush into his arms, bury herself in his warmth, but she managed to restrain herself. Instead she waited for the well-deserved lecture about wandering off without telling anyone where she was going.

It never came.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you," she said, genuinely apologetic. It had been foolish and risky. She should have known better.

"If you're going to apologize to anyone, try Karen. She's nearly frantic."

"Oh, no." Maureen had warned her daughter against doing this very thing countless times. Her own actions had been stupid and irresponsible.

"I had to leave Midnight back on the trail." He shucked off his lambskin-lined jacket and draped it over her shoulders. It felt warm against her chilled skin. His scent circled her like the smoke from a lazy fire, and it felt as if his arms were around her, comforting her.

Taking his time, his fingers holding hers, Thom carefully guided her over the rocky path toward the trail. She held on to him firmly, afraid to let go. With her hand in his she felt secure and safe.

"Aren't you angry with me?" she asked when the silence grew too much for her. Heaven knew he had every right.

"Should I be?"

"Yes," she said crossly. "I was reckless and foolish, and it seems to me - "

"It seems to me," he interrupted, "you're angry enough with yourself. You don't need me lecturing you when you're doing such a fine job of it."

They reached the narrow trail. Midnight, his dark gelding, was tied to a tree, waiting impatiently. Thom smoothed his hand down the horse's long, sleek neck and spoke soothingly to the gelding. Maureen recognized the same calming, comforting voice. It rankled her pride that he spoke to his horse in the same gentle tones as he did her!

With an ease and grace she envied, he lifted himself onto the saddle. The leather creaked as it accepted his weight, and Midnight sidestepped twice, seemingly eager to head back to the barn.

Maureen wondered exactly what she was supposed to do when Thom slipped his foot free of the stirrup, leaned forward, and offered her his assistance.

She studied his extended hand for a moment. "You want me to climb on behind you?" she asked, and grimaced at the squeaky, nervous way her voice reverberated into the night. She'd never ridden horseback in her life.

"Yes." She noticed he didn't offer her any advice or instructions.

Luckily she had on a pants suit. She lifted her left foot and placed it inside the stirrup, but it was so high off the ground that it would have taken a forklift to heave her all the way up to where Thom was.

With one foot trapped three feet off the ground, she hopped around on her good foot in an effort to gain her balance. "Don't you dare laugh," she admonished.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

But she could already hear the amusement in his voice.

"Give me your hand," he instructed, and when she pressed her smooth palm in his callused one, he hoisted her upward. Her one foot flailed in midair for a moment or two before she was able to boost it over Midnight's back.

Thom sat forward in his saddle, giving her just enough space to rest her buttocks.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"No problem," she assured him, gripping the saddle behind her in an effort to keep from wrapping her arms around his waist. Their positions were intimate enough. She wore his jacket, and that alone felt as if she were in his arms. If she touched him, she might have to deal with the emotions his kisses had roused. To the best of her ability, she pushed every thought of his kiss from her mind and settled as far back in the saddle as was possible.

Thom pulled on the reins. "You might want to hold on to my waist."

"I'm fine," she said confidently. Her fingers bit into the hard leather saddle.

Midnight took off in an easy trot. Within the first few seconds Maureen recognized it was either hold on to