“Here. Keeps the scurvy away,” he explained with a grin.
“Oh, nice!” Amy exclaimed, biting into it eagerly before adding with her mouth ful , “Now I real y want to see where you live! We don’t get a lot of these.”
“Thanks,” Jack and Loraine said together.
Selena cast a glance at the other woman, but was interrupted when she realized that Jack was watching her again. She tried to focus on the food but she couldn’t help her eyes from darting up to see if he was stil looking at her.
Most of the time he was, and with a subtle smile that everyone else seemed to miss but was clearly meant for her to see.
She tried hard to distract herself by examining the clothes they were wearing. The girls were both in long cotton skirts. They looked casual and the prints were simple, but they did have a few ruffles. Jack wore jeans and a long-sleeved, brown button-down shirt. Their clothes were unusual y nice, but the familiar tan dust that clung to them lent some normalcy to their appearance. Selena supposed that they could afford to dress fancier than others because of their unique lifestyle. She was suddenly glad to be able to provide them with clothes they could real y use, that would last a very long time.
“So how
is
life on the road? Shane asked Jack as he chewed.
“Suits us just fine,” Jack answered.
Amy scoffed.
“Wel , most of us,” he amended with a guilty half-smile. “At first we were just looking for anyone who had their shit together but that little effort was doomed to failure.
We wound up in the habit of staying on the move because we didn’t real y want to live like any of them did. Most places where people settled, they’re breaking their backs and barely getting by. Can’t seem to stay organized. Either there’s a leader the others hate or there’s no leader and nothing gets decided without a twelve hour meeting.”
“Sounds awful,” Selena muttered with a little smile.
“Sorry. Meant no disrespect.”
“No, it’s not the way things are where we live,” she explained.
Jack waited a moment for her to elaborate, but once again he was disappointed.
“Where are your people from Selena?”
“
My
people?”
“Your parents. Their parents. I can’t figure out your ethnicity,” Jack said as he began exploring her with his eyes once again.
“Oh,” she said, feeling immediately self-conscious and hoping the long word meant what she thought. She dropped her eyes to her food again and answered, “My mother was Spanish and my father was Asian, with a bit of European mixed in.”
“Asian? Which country?” he pressed.
“Korea.”
“Ah.”
As she’d been told, the combination was quite lovely. Her skin was a rich, almond tan and her deep brown eyes had just a hint of exotic curve to their shape. Her build was slim, but not lacking in curves.
“So what is your last name?” he continued idly.
She hesitated. “Cartwright.”
Jack lifted a brow. “I could be wrong, but that doesn’t sound terribly Korean.”
“He was adopted,” she clarified, hoping he wouldn’t ask about her grandparents. She knew their blood was European, but had never asked about their origins more specifical y. Fortunately, his curiosity seemed satisfied.
A few moments of quiet passed as Selena finished the last of her food. She didn’t want to look at Jack and she didn’t want to see him looking at her.
And how on earth did you get that rig?” asked Shane, breaking the silence.
Jack smiled, looking like the cat that swal owed the canary. “No one thinks to go exploring museums for some reason.”
“No way,” Shane laughed. “Real y? I didn’t think they had anything functional. Thought they were al replicas or something. Damn. I mean, if we had one in that useless town over the hil s we’d have had ourselves a look, but there’s nothing like that there.”
“Wel , this was a very lucky find. Had a col ection from the Old West. You know, the whole cowboy thing. The reason it was stil in working condition was because the whole town was a tourist attraction where they liked to reenact the old western way of life. I think they built this one new, but they made it the old-fashioned way. We found some real useful stuff there. I figured a lot was left behind early on because there was no water in the area.”
“That’s great,” Shane said, thoroughly entertained.
“Whereabouts was that?”
“Just a little town somewhere in Arizona. Doubt I could even find it again, to be honest.”
Shane stood and stretched, grabbing up his pack and lying out his bedrol .
“Wel it’s definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen since the Crash,” he said as he lay down.
Selena happily fol owed his example and was glad to hide under her blanket where Jack’s eyes couldn’t fol ow.
fol ow.
He was unusual y wel spoken and she guessed that had something to do with al the books she’d seen in the wagon, but didn’t plan to ask him about it. That playful twinkle in his eyes made his age hard to guess at, although Selena felt sure he couldn’t be over thirty. With these little mysteries in her mind, she fel into a restless sleep.
The next day passed much like the first. They were making progress at the pace they’d estimated.
Shane and Selena had discreetly agreed that the meeting place should be at Dead Tree Hil , named after a dead tree on a hil by some creative genius from Brian’s Crater. It was just the right distance away.
That night, the two men talked a bit about Shane’s life as a trapper and he readily passed on some valuable tips. The two seemed to be getting on famously, Selena thought. She stayed out of the conversation and just listened. She caught Amy looking her over a couple of times, but every time Selena glanced her way, the other girl’s eyes would dart off as though she’d actual y been looking at something else.
Selena wondered what it was that she was so interested in. Amy looked to be in her late teens and there was nothing malicious in her gaze, so eventual y Selena chalked it up to curiosity.
On the third day, when the sun was directly overhead, Shane brought the procession to a halt.
“Wel , I’m going to be off now. I’l go round up the others and we should al be able to meet up by this time tomorrow.”
Selena felt the blood drain from her face, but before she could protest, Shane went on.
“Selena knows how to get to where we’re going.”
“Don’t you think I should go?” she suggested quietly.
“Nah. You ride fast but I know the quickest way back.
Wouldn’t want you rushing and getting your directions turned around. Al right then! See you al tomorrow. Jack, you take care of Selena for me.”
“I promise,” he answered.
Four
Selena chewed her lip as Shane waved and took off down the hil . It had al happened so fast, she thought miserably, as his form disappeared into the trees.
Apprehension gnawed at her, but she urged her mount forward while frantical y assessing the situation.
At least she could say that she was not afraid for her safety. She guessed Amy wouldn’t tolerate any risky misbehavior on the part of her older brother.
As for Loraine, who knew? But Jack was clearly the type to use persuasion to get what he wanted. While this was not as frightening as Dan’s aggressive approach had been, it was equal y unsettling and much less familiar.
Selena reluctantly led them onward but hated to ride in front. She couldn’t help but feel as though Jack’s eyes were always on her. The sensation was maddening, especial y because she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t her imagination.
Their trek continued without incident as she tried to pick out the easiest path for the wagon. The chattering of the girls and the breathing of Selena’s mare began to soothe her discomfort as the early evening set in.
Jack chose a good, flat spot to make camp as the day grew dim. A little stream lay nearby and although the banks were too steep for the wagon, it was easy to access on foot.
“We’l have to walk the horses down,” Jack told the girls as he hopped out of the driver’s seat.
Selena set about laying out her bedrol and helping the others do the same when he handed each of their horses to his sisters.
“You guys take them down. I need to stretch,” he said.
The girls obliged, leading the animals down the hil .
Selena guessed that he wanted to be alone with her, at least long enough for more flirting, probably, but she wasn’t going to give him any opportunities. She took Star and hurried after his sisters before they’d reached the bottom.
The other horses had drunk their fil by the time Selena and Star joined them. Amy and Loraine were fil ing a pair of water bottles and with a pang, Selena realized she’d been so intent on avoiding Jack that she’d left her water skin with her bedrol .
As the girls turned to go, Selena saw Jack coming down the hil with her forgotten skin in hand.
“Shit,” she muttered, turning her back to him and trying to mental y prepare herself for whatever he might say.
She’d hoped to avoid this for the next several days, or even forever, but she’d failed miserably in the span of one evening.
“You forgot this,” he announced, when he was close.
“Thanks,” she answered in a careful y even tone. Her eyes flicked to his for a second, but the eager interest that she saw there made her blush again.
When she quickly knelt down to fil the water skin, he did the same with his canteen. A moment of silence passed and to Selena’s dismay, Star turned around and began walking back to camp.
Selena glared at the mare’s rear. It almost seemed like the animal was
trying
to cause mischief. She marveled at how much more exposed she felt now that she was truly alone with him. She hadn’t realized how much comfort Star brought her, which was sil y, considering that al their horses were trained to protect their riders.
“You’re not with him, are you?” Jack inquired quietly, as though he already knew the answer.
From the confidence in his voice, it was clear he found the question no more difficult than asking if it was going to rain. Selena marveled at how quickly he’d gotten to the point.
“No.”
She wasn’t going to lie, but she decided right then and there that she was not going to answer any further questions.
“You have someone.” It was not a question.
Selena didn’t like his presumptuousness, especial y because he was right and it was so personal. If he could figure out this much just by looking at her, what more information could he glean if she opened her mouth?
When she remained silent, so did he, but the air felt thick.
Selena was careful not to look like she was trying to rush, but when her skin was ful she closed it and stood, turning to go without ceremony. She hadn’t taken four steps when he spoke again.
“God, it’s amazing. It’s like you haven’t the faintest idea.”
When she stopped and turned to look at him, he was stil kneeling by the stream, but watching her with a gaze ful of obvious admiration.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know what? In this very rare case, I’m inclined to believe you,” he answered pleasantly.
Selena frowned as he stood.
What is it with all his
big words,
she thought with vexation, wondering how he’d learned to talk the way he did.
She could have walked away then, and wanted to.
So why don’t I?
Right away, she knew the answer. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her once again. She felt reasonably sure it would lead to her demise one day. With the world what it was, she knew it was an especial y dangerous weakness.
Jack ambled toward her with a meaningful little smile.
Her nervousness burgeoned as he approached and she wished she’d gone when she could have done so graceful y.
Soon, Jack was standing before her, between her and camp, eyeing her appraisingly.
“Selena,” he breathed, tilting his head down to draw her gaze to his intel igent blue eyes. They danced under the brim of his weather-beaten hat. “Do you have
any
idea how beautiful you are?”
Suddenly, she had to struggle to keep a straight face, which surprised her, especial y since her cheeks felt so hot they almost hurt.
“I’ve never seen anything like you,” he confided in deep, hushed tones.
She looked away and chewed her lip, stil fighting not to smile and wondering if she was going crazy. Why did she suddenly feel so giddy? No one had ever spoken to her like this before. She didn’t know what to do, but he couldn’t be al owed to think she was interested in him. It would take more than feisty flirtations to woo her away from Dan.
Before she could react, Jack had gently reached out and lifted her chin to make her look him in the eyes once more. She took a step back instinctively. He breathed through parted lips and squinted as if to see her better.
“Look at you, the way you blush,” he whispered. “It’s like this is the first time anyone’s talked to you like this.”
A moment of quiet fol owed. If his silken words were making her feel things she didn’t want to feel, his silence was much worse. He only looked at her now, searchingly, as his mischievous smile grew.
Selena knew she was way out of her depth here.
Somehow, he had made it final y impossible not to smile back, so before she could let that happen, she covered it up with a scoff and stepped around him to head back to camp. She had a feeling he knew he’d gotten to her, but she was determined to pretend he hadn’t. Her intentions were the thing that mattered most, weren’t they? So her long life of isolation made her il -equipped for this kind of thing. There was no reason she couldn’t make him think he was misunderstanding her.
Jack fel in step beside her as she walked up the hil .
“I’ve never met a woman so stunning, who didn’t know she was. Most girls act like they are God’s gift when they are only half pretty. How have you been living? Do you come from a smal family? Have you been alone your whole life?”
Selena halted to eye him suspiciously. His gaze explored her face again with the same look of fascinated delight.
He is so open and his feelings so unguarded.
It was strange and disarming.