Wild Within (Wild at Heart #1) Read Online Free PDF

be there forever if I don’t get back to it as soon as I can. I’ve just got to skedaddle.”
    He cares more about his work than he does about me.
    She fought back tears and willed her voice not to crack. “Okay. I understand. You’ve got your…priorities.”
    Lone Star reached for her chin but she jerked it away.
    He let his hand drop. “Don’t be that way, Just Grace. You’ve got to have a little faith.”
    “Faith in what?”
    “Faith in us.” He rubbed his hand against her cheek. This time she leaned into it.
    “There’s an us?”
    “There’s an us now. I’m fixin’ to make sure there’s an us for a good long time.”
    Grace’s heart exploded with a warmth that shot through her. She unzipped the bag and flipped over, propping herself up on her elbows.
    Lone Star stroked her hair. “You take a day or two of rest. Get going again when you feel strong and secure. Take lots of water, you hear? I think you learned your lesson yesterday, but be careful.” He jerked his thumb behind him. “It’s so dry out there, even the catfish are carrying canteens.”
    Grace raised her eyebrows, feeling suddenly playful. “I think I saw some of those yesterday.”
    “They’re out there if you look for them.”
    “Are you done with the advice?”
    “No. When you meet more experienced hikers, listen to what they tell you. You’re still green.”
    She wriggled partly out of her bag. “Why don’t you just slow your pace a little? I’ll hike faster, I promise.”
    “Whoa, there.” Lone Star held up his hand. “I thought we had that settled. On the trail, your legs and mine aren’t constructed to go the same speed. Listen, Just Grace. There’s something on the trail called magic. Like when a man with water finds a woman with none. But the thing about trail magic is that you can’t hold on to it forever. On the trail, you sometimes have to let go.”
    A tear escaped the corner of Grace’s eye.
    Lone Star swept it away with his finger. He rubbed his nose, blinked, and pulled the blue bandana from around his neck, using it to wipe his eyes. “Darn dust.”
    He held out his hand. Her tiny fingers disappeared in his. His long, unblinking look telegraphed strength, comfort, and something else.
    Passion?
    “Look for my name in the hiker registers in the towns up the trail. I’ll leave you a note in every one. And, who knows? Maybe down the road a bit, I’ll take a couple of days off, and you’ll catch up with me.”
    “You promise?”
    “I promise. Nothing will keep me from seeing you again.”
    He squeezed her hand and rose.
    A tiny drum beat a strong, persistent rhythm against the wall of her chest. From her sleeping bag, she watched his hiking shoes disappear from view. Only exhaustion prevented her from jumping up and clutching him to her.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
     
     
    Lone Star’s stride intermittently quickened then slackened for the first hours after leaving Grace that morning. At points he turned around and retraced his steps for a few yards before turning again and surging forward.
    What am I doing leaving her back there alone? She needs me. Heck, I need her.
    He swung south toward Lake Morena.
    But this ain’t my first rodeo. I know how this goes. Getting back together will be all the sweeter because we’ve been apart for a while.
    He reversed direction and headed north again.
    His mind ricocheted between two warring impulses such that the scenery, normally an integral part of his awareness, could have changed to skyscrapers, icebergs, or rocket ships. He wouldn’t have noticed.
    Why didn’t I meet her back in Texas? Sure, I’m always at work. Could have met her at a trial, though. Grace Mori, public school psychologist, sued for encouraging kids to bother their parents with questions instead of keeping quiet in front of a video game.
    Something bumped his arm, jerking his mind back to the desert.
    “Excuse me.” A teenage girl with a blonde pixie cut held up her hand in