Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) (11 page)

*****

“Goddamn that stubborn fool of a woman!” Daniel pounded his fist on the table when he found her message. He had gone out early to scout the area, and thought about what he wanted to show Aimee today. He had finally come to the conclusion that she did need to know certain things, and if he kept her close by it would hopefully keep her safe as well. He returned to his cabin later than he had anticipated, after an unexpected detour around a large bison herd. 

Taking several calming breaths, an uneasy feeling crept up his spine. What trouble would she get herself in now? Her message said she was heading south. Yesterday she had asked to see the boiling pools and mud. What had she called it? He couldn’t remember the words she used. Was it too much of a coincidence that south of here were many such pools and shooting water? Daniel mentally shook his head. He had found her northeast of his cabin. It was impossible for her to know that heading south would lead her directly to these hot pools.

He hastily grabbed some supplies and headed out. It didn’t take him long to pick up her trail. She’d crossed the Little Buffalo River at a shallow spot. Squatting, he touched one of her foot prints made by her odd boots. Why would she not wear her moccasins? Some rocks had scuffmarks on them, and the grasses were still bent. He guessed she must have a couple of hours’ head start on him. God! The woman left a trail any blind man could follow! She sure made it easy for him, and he was confident he could make up her head start rather quickly.

 He realized that she was once again following the river, this time the one the Shoshoni called the Burning River. Again, he had to shake off the coincidence that by following this river, she would find her hot water pools.

He bent down to examine her footprints along the banks of a small tributary that flowed into the Burning River. She must have stopped here to rest, perhaps eat something. Her boots had scuffed some lichen off a large boulder. A squirrel ran past him, chatting loudly, and fled into a hole in the ground. Some grasses were bent a short distance away, and the squirrel hole looked as if someone had stepped on it recently. The squirrel hadn’t yet repaired the damages. Examining the spot more closely, Daniel counted the tracks of several pairs of moccasins, perhaps five or six. They could have only been made by Blackfoot. The Shoshoni didn’t frequent this particular area this time of year.

Daniel tensed. He scrutinized the tracks. The disturbed earth from Aimee’s prints was still moist in some places, whereas these prints were dry. They had come across this area shortly before Aimee. She had to be behind them if everyone followed their present course, but for how long? An uneasy feeling crept up his spine, and his heart rate increased. Out of habit, Daniel checked his rifle to make sure it was loaded and ready to fire. He tucked it securely under his arm, then hurried off at a fast jog, and followed Aimee’s tracks, keeping a close eye on the set of Blackfoot prints.

*****

Aimee reached her destination, an area that would be known in her time as Midway Geyser Basin. It contained the world’s largest hot spring – Grand Prismatic Spring. Excitement built in her, and she sped up. The thought that she would be one of the first white people to see this natural wonder sent a chill down her spine. All she had to do was find a place to ford the river. She stared at the wide expanse of the water, and realized she should have crossed further back.  Shallow enough that she wouldn’t have to swim, she guessed the water would definitely come up past her waist. At least the water would be warm. She gazed across the river at the steep bank. Unlike this side of the river with its lush grasses, the other side was devoid of most vegetation, and appeared mostly gray and white in color, and was shrouded by gusts of steam – a telltale sign of the geothermal activity there.

She watched the steaming hot water runoff from Excelsior Geyser plunge loudly down the embankment into the Firehole. Brilliant colors of yellow and orange framed the runoffs, created by the heat-loving bacteria that lived in the geysers. She shielded her eyes with her hand, and watched this wondrous display of nature’s awesome forces. Without sunglasses, the colors were almost blinding against the contrast of the bright gray earth. 
There is so much more runoff here than what I remember.

An uneasy thought entered her mind. While Excelsior was an inactive crater in her time, in the 1800’s, it was a very active geyser. Hadn’t she read that it could shoot water over 300 feet into the air during eruptions?  What if it erupted now, while she was here? As awesome as such a sight would be, she didn’t relish the notion of being sprayed with 200 degree hot water.

She leaned her backpack against a tree, and contemplated what to do. Should she chance it and find a place to cross, or abandon her idea altogether? If she did cross, should she take off her clothing, or just let it get wet? She would dry quickly enough, but she also knew the risk of hypothermia in this mountain climate.

Movement in the trees further downriver caught her eye. Or had she imagined it? Her heart quickened with the thought that it might be a bear. She inched closer to a tree and steadied herself. Adrenaline flooded her system, and her legs turned to rubber. Peering out from behind her hiding spot, she scanned the trees where she thought she’d seen movement. She caught a flash of tan behind a group of sapling lodgepoles. Several figures moved like stealth commandos through the forest. Another wave of adrenaline shot through her, and her heart pounded in her chest. All this time, she was concerned about bears. She never considered the Indians who inhabited this area. 

She didn’t dare move out from behind the tree.  It didn’t appear as if those Indians had noticed her presence. They continued moving in the opposite direction. She clamped her hand over her mouth, sure that her breathing was so loud she’d be heard. She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, and wondered how long she should hide. Daniel had told her that Blackfoot Indians were not friendly, but the Shoshoni were. But she had no idea how to tell one Indian from another.

Her pack sat a few feet away from her, and she reached for it tentatively, when a large hand clamped down over her mouth. She was pulled roughly against a solid figure behind her. For a split second, she thought she would faint from shock. Then she started to fight. She squirmed to break free of the iron grip her captor had on her. The more she struggled, the tighter his hold became around her waist. She bit down on the hand covering her mouth. Nothing deterred him. The man dragged her silently behind a thick stand of young lodgepole pines. She dug her boots into the ground. Her heart was going to pound right up and out of her throat. She was no match for him.
First a bear, and now this!

The man stopped dragging her. Every inch of her backside was pressed against a solid wall of muscle. The pressure of his hand over her mouth increased, forcing her to lean her head back against his chest.

“Give me your word not to make a sound, and I’ll release you.” A familiar voice spoke quietly into her ear, and Aimee instantly relaxed.

“Not a sound,” Daniel whispered again, and Aimee nodded her head. Slowly, he removed his hand from over her mouth. She gasped and inhaled deeply, then turned in his arm, which was still wrapped around her middle. His face was inches from hers, and he put his finger to his lips in a gesture for silence. Aimee gave him a questioning look. He gestured with his chin in the direction of where she’d seen the Indians. They were still there, but had moved further along some imperceptible trail.

How had Daniel found her so quickly? How was it that he could sneak up on her so easily!

Although grateful for his presence, she was slightly annoyed that she depended on him so much. What would have happened to her if those Indians had seen her? If Daniel hadn’t come along? It seemed like all she did lately was get into predicaments, and Daniel came along for the rescue.
Dammit, I’ve never been this incompetent on a wilderness trip before.

After a few tense moments of silence, she whispered, “Are they gone?”

He didn’t look at her, nor did he answer. One glance at his face told her he was furious.

“Stay here, and don’t move, do you understand?” he growled.
Oh boy, he’s really pissed
.

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t move from this spot, no matter what.” Daniel gave her a hard stare in place of an answer. He silently moved out from behind the small trees, and used every bush and tree he could for cover. Making his way through the forest, he followed the group of Indians.

“If he gets hurt, it’ll be my fault,” she whispered. Her stomach twisted in knots, and she chewed nervously on her fingernails.  There were things here she couldn’t possibly be prepared for, regardless of her training back home.

She sat on the ground, her knees drawn up to her chest, and shivered. Bile threatened to rise in her throat. She had gotten herself into this mess, and it wasn’t fair that he be the one out there, putting his life on the line for her. Aimee rested her chin on her knees, and rocked quietly back and forth.

Daniel returned just as silently as before. He grabbed one of her arms and not too gently pulled her up from her sitting position, hauling her onto her feet.

“Get your pack,” he ordered.

He turned and headed in the direction they had come from. Aimee sighed, and grabbed her backpack, then fell in line behind him.

So much for seeing Grand Prismatic Spring
. It was best to keep quiet and not ask to stop.  Right now was not a good time to cross the line with Daniel and demand to see the hot spring. He looked murderous.

Without so much as a word or backwards glance to see if she followed, Daniel kept a brisk pace across the open grassland. By mid-afternoon, there was a definite change in the sky. Dark clouds rolled in from the northwest, and moved in their direction. The wind had also started to pick up, and it got rather cold very fast. 

The sky darkened and thunder rumbled. Wordlessly, Daniel changed direction away from the meadow and headed for the tree line. It was a bad idea to be out in the open during a mountain thunderstorm. The trees would offer some protection, but the possibility of lightning had Aimee worried. Thick raindrops pelted them. Daniel walked briskly until he found an area of dense young pine trees, and ushered her under the protective branches. Here, the rain was barely noticeable, although her t-shirt clung to her skin as if she’d jumped in the river with it on. Drops of water ran down her face. She wrapped her arms around her middle and sat on a thick bed of pine needles, and shivered uncontrollably. She flipped open her backpack and checked for her cotton sweater and blanket, thankful that they had stayed dry.

“Okay, I can’t take the silent treatment any longer,” she finally blurted out. “How long are you not going to speak to me?”

“I don’t think you will like what I have to say,” Daniel growled. His eyes smoldered with anger. “You are a foolish woman, and you’ll get yourself killed because you don’t listen.”

Oh my God, he’s gorgeous!
The thought jolted her as she met and held his dark eyes rather than cower from his gaze. She’d seen his stare often enough now, and it no longer intimidated her. Aimee studied his face. His wet hair glistened in the dimming light, and every now and then a water drop would run down the side of his handsome face. She tightened her hold around her middle to ward off the urge to wipe the water from his cheek. That would definitely not be appropriate. Clenching his jaw, Daniel broke eye contact with her and retreated out from under their protective canopy.

“Where are you going?” she asked, slightly alarmed.

“To find some dry wood for a fire.” He hurried out into the rain. She inhaled deeply.
Again, he’s out there in this weather because of me
. She ran a hand over her own wet face, and let out a loud breath.
Damn! What a mess I’ve gotten us into now!

He returned minutes later with an arm full of twigs and tree branches. He laid a small pile of kindling on the ground. Before he had the chance to reach for his flint, Aimee grabbed hers. She efficiently struck it against the hunting knife she had brought. Small sparks fell on the kindling, and ignited the dry twigs. Aimee blew air on the kindling with long breaths, and a fire crackled within minutes.

Daniel’s expression seemed to soften a bit, but the fire did little to warm her. She knew she had to get out of her wet shirt. At least her hiking pants were somewhat water repelling. She glanced at Daniel. His cotton shirt looked soaked as well.