Search and Rescue by April Wilson

Chapter 11

Hannah McIntyre

Despite the fact that my bladder feels like it’s about to burst, it’s not coming easily. Nerves probably. That and the fact that I can’t stop shaking. It’s hard to relax enough to pee when your body is shivering so violently your teeth are chattering.

It’s also damn cold in here. After coming out from beneath the warm wool blanket, my skin feels like I just took a dip in an icy pond.

Maggie rubs my back. “Try to relax.”

I glance toward the door, thinking Killian could return any moment and catch me with my underpants down. Maggie said he left the cabin to investigate after hearing some gunshots. I doubt he’ll be out there long.

Finally, through force of will, my body relaxes sufficiently that I can pee. “This is so embarrassing,” I mutter at the sound of the waterfall hitting the bucket.

Maggie chuckles. “I’ve raised two boys, Hannah. Trust me, this is nothing.”

Once I’m done, Maggie hands me a sheet of paper towel and I wipe myself. Then she helps me stand long enough for me to pull my clothes up and crawl back into bed.

“I’ll be right back,” Maggie says as she removes the bucket. “You just rest.” She dons her coat and removes the bar from the door. Just as she’s about to step outside, a gloved hand reaches in and grabs the handle from her.

“I’ll do it,” Killian says in a low voice.

Oh, my fucking god. Just kill me now.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so embarrassed in my life.

Maggie closes the door and turns to me with an amused expression. “It’s official, Hannah. He’s a keeper.”

Mortified, I press my hot face into the pillow.

But Maggie just laughs. “I’m serious. Doing what needs to be done without complaint—that’s hot as hell.”

A moment later, the door opens again and Killian walks inside saying nothing about the fact that he just dumped my pee bucket. I swear, if he makes a joke about yellow snow, I’ll clobber him.

But he doesn’t. He bars the door, then retrieves the portable potty chair and takes it back to the closet where it came from. He’s incredibly circumspect, which I appreciate.

“Thank you,” I say when he returns to sit on the edge of the bed.

He pats my leg. “Anytime.”

“So, who fired the shots?” Maggie asks him.

“Someone’s firing in the ravine. They haven’t come into the valley, so we’re fine. Owen’s monitoring their location.”

Maggie glances out the window, a worried look on her face. “He must be so cold.”

Killian shrugs. “He’s a tough one. I offered to trade places with him, but he said no.” He glances down at me. “How are you feelin’?”

“About the same. My head hurts, my arm burns, and my ankle is throbbing.”

“Let me take a look,” he says as he lays the covers aside. He unwraps my ankle, studying it with a neutral expression. He checks the splints to make sure they’re holding.

I have to admit, the splints do help. “How bad is it?” I ask him.

“About the same. Maybe a bit more swollen.”

Maggie comes over to look, too, but she’s not as good at schooling her features as he is. She winces just before she looks away.

“That bad?” I ask her.

She gives me a guilty smile. “Hopefully it’s just a bad sprain.”

Killian wraps my ankle once more and covers me with the bedding. Then he checks beneath the bandage on my arm. Studying the flesh wound, he frowns.

The bitterly cold wind outside rattles the glass panes of the window and shakes the door on its hinges.

I shudder and pull the blanket tighter around me. “Is it still snowing?”

Killian nods. “But don’t worry. Come morning, if the snow has stopped, we’re getting you to a hospital.”

“How? I can’t walk off this mountain.”

“Micah’s going to fly his chopper up here in the morning,” Maggie says. “There’s a flat area just down the stream.”

Wincing, I laugh. “Micah’s been pestering me to take a ride on his precious helicopter since I moved here. Now he’s going to get his way.”

Frowning, Killian moves to the stove and adds more wood. “Want more tea? Or some water?”

“No, thanks,” I groan. “What goes in must come out.”

He grins. “Don’t let that stop you. You need to stay hydrated.”

I follow Killian’s gaze as he notices Maggie nodding off on the rocking chair.

Killian walks over to her and touches her shoulder. “Why don’t you lie down with Hannah? I’ll keep watch.”

Maggie stands and nods, looking guilty. “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted.”

“No need to apologize,” Killian says. “Go rest. Share your body heat with Hannah.”

After Maggie climbs in bed with me and we huddle together, both of us shivering, Killian takes a seat in the rocking chair, gun perched on his lap. “Get some sleep, ladies. Sunrise will be here before you know it.”

He glances toward the bed and catches my eye. I meet his gaze head-on, and we watch each other for several long moments, neither of us looking away. There’s so much emotion there in his dark eyes. I think I see yearning and longing, but it might be wishful thinking on my part. I don’t know what to make of him. He’s bigger than life. He’s courageous, kind, and selfless.

“Need anything?” he asks quietly when I continue watching him.

When I shake my head, he nods and then turns to watch out the window.

Once in the night, I wake from a fitful sleep to find Killian stoking the fire in the woodstove.

After he closes the stove door, he walks over to press his palm to my forehead and frowns. “Need anything?”

“A drink of water?”

He hands me my water bottle and, while I take a few sips, he shakes a couple of pain pills into his palm and offers them to me. “You can take more now.”

I swallow the pills and hand the water bottle back to him. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

As Killian returns to the rocking chair—and his look-out post—I close my eyes and find myself wishing he was the one in bed with me, sharing his body heat. When he lay with me before, I dozed in and out of sleep, and I was fully aware of his presence. I felt his hard body pressed up against mine. I sensed his heat. I felt his warm breath on the nape of my neck. I smelled him—his maleness—and it did wonderful things to my body. His nearness made my belly flutter. And despite all my aches and pains, I felt a rush of desire coursing through me. My breasts felt heavy, and tingles rippled down my spine. My sex felt flushed and aching.

I don’t know how long he’ll be here in Bryce, but when he leaves, it’s going to hurt.

After this closeness—after what we’ve shared—I don’t know how I’ll manage without him.