Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) by Peggy L Henderson Page B
Authors: Peggy L Henderson
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display of muscle movement on Daniel’s back and broad shoulders that his shirt couldn’t disguise. Visions of his nude upper body from the day before shamelessly entered her thoughts.
“Damn.” She’d been too busy staring at Daniel’s backside to watch the ground beneath her, and carelessly tripped on a large rock, which caused her to lose her balance. Daniel’s reflexes were lightning fast. He wheeled around, grabbed her, and pulled her close before she tumbled into the river. Aimee held on to his upper arms and balanced herself. His eyes burned into her. He held her so close, it felt like a lover’s embrace.
“Easy,” he whispered as he steadied her. She’d regained her balance, yet he didn’t relax his hold around her waist. Aimee stared wide-eyed into his deep brown eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it wasn’t from the adrenaline of almost falling into the frigid water. She held her breath. No one had ever looked at her with such smoldering intensity before. It was as if he stared straight into her soul. Get a grip on yourself .
“I won’t fall, you can release me now,” she said softly. Daniel held her for a moment longer. His chest heaved, then he slowly loosened his hold around her waist.
“This has been too much for you today. I shouldn’t have brought you this far.” The frown was back.
“Are you kidding?” Aimee regained her composure. “I’m having a great time. I stepped on a rock is all.”
“We will rest here for a while, and for once you will listen to me.”
“All right, but will you take me out again tomorrow?” she asked eagerly.
“You need to give your foot proper time to heal.” His jaw clenched. He seemed eager to say more, maybe even scold her again, but he didn’t.
“My foot is fine,” she argued. “Look, I want to experience these mountains while I have the chance. Today has been wonderful, and I don’t want to just sit around that cabin all day. It’s boring.”
Daniel shook his head. “You are a stubborn woman.”
“Damn right I am.” She grinned. After a moment’s silence, she asked hopefully, “will you take me to a geyser basin tomorrow?”
“What is a guy soor basin?” Daniel’s perpetual frown deepened.
Oops, big slip up. Too late, Aimee realized that the term geyser had definitely not been in use in this time to describe the geothermal water features of this area.
“You know, the places where the water shoots out of the earth. And the hot pools and mud.”
“How do you know of these things?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I’ve seen a few before my accident, and I would like to see some more,” Aimee quickly said. It’s not really a lie . I have seen the geysers before now! She wished she could tell Daniel the other truth. All of it. Then he would really think she was lying.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t fall into one and burn to death,” he scoffed.
“Well, will you show me?” she prodded, ignoring his little dig.
Daniel met her eyes for a moment. “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
Well, that’s better than a no. Besides, if she wanted to, she could find her own way to the lower geyser basins. All she had to do was follow the Firehole River.
Daniel reached into his traveling pouch, then held his hand out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked, examining what looked like a piece of black rubber.
“It’s called pemmican. Eat.”
She had heard of pemmican. It was a mountain man staple – ground up meat and lard mixed with berries, or something like that. Kind of like a power bar. It didn’t look very appetizing. She sniffed it, then took a tentative nibble.
“Yuck! That is disgusting.” She spit it out. Daniel took a big bite out of a piece he held.
“It’s nourishment.”
“Well, I’m not eating that.” She handed her piece back to him.
“Another lesson about the wilderness.” He shot her a hard look. “Never refuse food or water when it is offered, because you don’t know
“Damn.” She’d been too busy staring at Daniel’s backside to watch the ground beneath her, and carelessly tripped on a large rock, which caused her to lose her balance. Daniel’s reflexes were lightning fast. He wheeled around, grabbed her, and pulled her close before she tumbled into the river. Aimee held on to his upper arms and balanced herself. His eyes burned into her. He held her so close, it felt like a lover’s embrace.
“Easy,” he whispered as he steadied her. She’d regained her balance, yet he didn’t relax his hold around her waist. Aimee stared wide-eyed into his deep brown eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it wasn’t from the adrenaline of almost falling into the frigid water. She held her breath. No one had ever looked at her with such smoldering intensity before. It was as if he stared straight into her soul. Get a grip on yourself .
“I won’t fall, you can release me now,” she said softly. Daniel held her for a moment longer. His chest heaved, then he slowly loosened his hold around her waist.
“This has been too much for you today. I shouldn’t have brought you this far.” The frown was back.
“Are you kidding?” Aimee regained her composure. “I’m having a great time. I stepped on a rock is all.”
“We will rest here for a while, and for once you will listen to me.”
“All right, but will you take me out again tomorrow?” she asked eagerly.
“You need to give your foot proper time to heal.” His jaw clenched. He seemed eager to say more, maybe even scold her again, but he didn’t.
“My foot is fine,” she argued. “Look, I want to experience these mountains while I have the chance. Today has been wonderful, and I don’t want to just sit around that cabin all day. It’s boring.”
Daniel shook his head. “You are a stubborn woman.”
“Damn right I am.” She grinned. After a moment’s silence, she asked hopefully, “will you take me to a geyser basin tomorrow?”
“What is a guy soor basin?” Daniel’s perpetual frown deepened.
Oops, big slip up. Too late, Aimee realized that the term geyser had definitely not been in use in this time to describe the geothermal water features of this area.
“You know, the places where the water shoots out of the earth. And the hot pools and mud.”
“How do you know of these things?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“I’ve seen a few before my accident, and I would like to see some more,” Aimee quickly said. It’s not really a lie . I have seen the geysers before now! She wished she could tell Daniel the other truth. All of it. Then he would really think she was lying.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t fall into one and burn to death,” he scoffed.
“Well, will you show me?” she prodded, ignoring his little dig.
Daniel met her eyes for a moment. “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
Well, that’s better than a no. Besides, if she wanted to, she could find her own way to the lower geyser basins. All she had to do was follow the Firehole River.
Daniel reached into his traveling pouch, then held his hand out to her.
“What’s this?” she asked, examining what looked like a piece of black rubber.
“It’s called pemmican. Eat.”
She had heard of pemmican. It was a mountain man staple – ground up meat and lard mixed with berries, or something like that. Kind of like a power bar. It didn’t look very appetizing. She sniffed it, then took a tentative nibble.
“Yuck! That is disgusting.” She spit it out. Daniel took a big bite out of a piece he held.
“It’s nourishment.”
“Well, I’m not eating that.” She handed her piece back to him.
“Another lesson about the wilderness.” He shot her a hard look. “Never refuse food or water when it is offered, because you don’t know
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