Page 42 of Muskoka Blue
Boyd sent him another considered look. “She seems a little flaky.”
“I don’t think so.” Dan shrugged. “She’s passionate, but I think that shows something good about her.”
“What?”
Dan stared across the flames at the woman with fiery hair. “She cares.”
Boyd snorted.
“And yeah, maybe she can be a little temperamental, but at least I always know where I stand with her.” Why did that sound so defensive?
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to see you getting involved in a rebound that can only lead to heartbreak.” Boyd frowned. “You don’t want to go back there.”
He certainly didn’t. Dan slumped back against the log as painful memories floated up from the past.Lord, I don’t want to live with any more regrets.
Boyd leaned closer. “Just make sure you’re leading with your brain, not anything else.”
Dan bit his lip, trying not to let the frustration show. He didn’t like hearing what his heart already suspected. Especially when he’d thought maybe God was finally answering his prayers. He flicked a final glance at Sarah, sitting across the other side of the campfire as she watched the flames crackle and spark into heaven, then stood and walked away to the lake, trying not to notice how the stars and soft wash of the water made the evening resonate with romance. What was the point? Was he destined to be alone forever?
* * *
Sarah frownedas the two men conferred briefly before Dan set off. He didn’t seem too happy. From Boyd’s quick glance, it probably had something to do with her, but what? Apart from the ring incident, she’d been nothing but pleasant—as much as a sleep-deprived, non-camping person with bruises and a giant headache could be. And considering her previous behavior toward Dan, this definitely counted as pleasant. So what was the problem?
The evening chilled. She made her excuses and disappeared inside her tent, trying to snuggle down in the tattered sleeping bag John had found for her. She closed her eyes, but the questions persisted. Several times during the day she’d noticed Dan’s attention on her—even the kids had commented. She’d laughed it off, saying something to the effect that she was just the camp clown and he had to keep watch to make sure she didn’t hurt anyone else. That was all, wasn’t it?
She shifted over, the air mattress protesting her every move. How did people ever sleep when camping? Maybe sleep came from utter exhaustion. Nights were so noisy, with creaky mattresses, snapping tent flaps, and sleeping bags constantly zipping open and shut. Then there were all those noises she just didn’t want to know about. Canada had bears out there somewhere. Her heartbeat quickened.God, don’t let them smell tonight’s chocolate. Please keep us safe.
Georgia’s snores indicated she was out. Sarah sighed. If only she could be, too. She heard a rustle and tried to cover her ears with the pillow. Ugh. How could she be so tired and still unable to sleep? A groan escaped. Surely part of today’s overreaction was due to tiredness. A hollow ache in her heart still throbbed each time she thought about how she’d hurt Dan. She just wanted to see him smile, really smile at her, like he used to. She loved his smile. It made her feel all floaty inside.
She frowned in the darkness. What had Stephen’s smile looked like anyway? He’d never been much of a smiler—that had always been her domain. She touched the ring, now safely back on her right hand, and her heart filled with warmth. How amazing Dan and Travis had spent so long looking for it. The fact that they’d do that for her made her feel…special.
Another rustle. Her skin prickled. She opened her eyes and found the small torch stowed near her pillow, but despite flashing the light around, she couldn’t see anything other than the ordinary, now-familiar shadows.
She switched it off and closed her eyes again, tugging her T-shirt down and her shorts up to cover that cool patch on her back as she tried to snuggle down in the ratty old sleeping bag. It smelled musty, and the scent made Sarah long for the surprisingly pleasant wood smoke of the campfire. Maybe some things about camping weren’t so bad after all. Like roasted marshmallows, or how big the stars were out here, or staring across glowing embers to encounter expressive eyes the color of molten chocolate…
There was that noise again. She opened her eyes and snapped on the small torch again. A pair of dark eyes gazed at her. Panic roared up her throat and she screamed.
Chapter 10
The noise was enough to wake the dead. As he scrambled from his sleeping bag, Dan’s foggy brain somehow registered that the scream had come from the girls’ tent. Thank God he’d gotten back so late from his walk last night he’d simply tumbled into bed in his track pants and T-shirt. He unzipped his tent, his heart hammering hard at the thrashing movement in Sarah and Georgia’s tent.
“Sarah? You okay?”
“Help! Get it off me!”
Oh, God!Dan ripped open the girls’ tent flaps, screamed the zipper down. In the darkness, he could just make out Sarah frantically trying to escape her sleeping bag. She was moaning.
“Sar?”
Georgia was still asleep, which was strange, and he couldn’t see anyone else. What the—?
Finally free of her bedding, Sarah lurched toward him, bumping his head with a loud crack. “Ow!”
Dan winced, stumbling out of the way as Sarah staggered upright and outside. “What happened?”
Gasping, rubbing at the bump on her head, Sarah’s frantic eyes found his. “It was on top of me! It was horrible!”
Her eyes were wild, hair mussed, and she was shaking. He stepped closer, stroking her upper arms to calm her. There were still no sounds of stirring in the other tents. Boyd’s plan for exhaustion seemed to have worked a treat. Georgia snored on, oblivious. “Sar?”