Daddy to the Rescue by Susan Kearney

Author:Susan Kearney
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781459240773
Publisher: Harlequin

Chapter Eight

Kirk had asked her to go up the mountain for another hour before they traversed sideways over rocky terrain. He’d seemed pleased that they could walk for a long time without leaving tracks in the snow. Sara had just been glad not to have to pick her feet up so high with every step.

But in the open rocky spaces, the wind had ripped into her, eating up more energy reserves as her body fought to stay warm. Kirk had finally taken Abby inside his coat jacket to protect the baby from the chilling wind.

Finally they’d headed back down the mountain, but this time in a new direction. Sara concentrated on staying upright, and, when Kirk finally called a rest, she slumped into the snow exhausted. He handed her the baby, and she barely had the strength to hold and feed Abby.

Kirk built them a shelter out of his tarp, a snowbank and two pines, similar to her original snow hut, only slightly larger. He gathered firewood and started a fire, while she took care of a now-very-awake baby.

Abby, refreshed from sleeping all day, wanted to get down and explore, crawl and play inside the shelter. Sara set her down next to Pepper. As Sara had hoped, Pepper kept Abby away from the flames just as protectively as she’d kept her own pups away from a fireplace in a house Sara and Kirk had once rented.

Kirk was making camp, and Sara knew she should help, but even the thought of shoving back to her feet required too much effort. As if sensing she’d come to the end of her stamina, Kirk crawled into the snow hut and sat beside her.

“How about some pine needle tea?”

He’d gathered handfuls of pine needles, and after melting snow in his pot, he tossed in the needles. A pleasant aroma filled the space. The heat combined with the pleasant scent must have made her nod off.

When she awakened, her head rested in Kirk’s lap. Abby was playing with Pepper, safely away from the fire, and Kirk was holding hot food to her mouth. Without thinking, she parted her lips to eat, suddenly ravenous.

With hunger pangs came the awareness that she shouldn’t have been sleeping at all, never mind with her head resting on Kirk’s muscular thigh. She sat up slowly, still slightly groggy.

“How long did I sleep?”

“A few hours.”

She glanced at the darkened walls and realized the sun had set hours ago.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been that tired in my life.”

“I figured you needed rest more than food, but now it’s time to eat.”

“Thanks.” She took the fork and the hot meal, grateful for the few hours of uninterrupted sleep. As tired as she’d been, she’d never have been able to sleep if she hadn’t known that he’d care for Abby.

Cheeks flushed and healthy-looking, Abby stood next to Pepper, holding onto the dog’s neck, her balance unsteady. “Dog. Dog. Dog.”

“Good girl,” Kirk told her with a proud smile. He must have noticed Sara’s raised eyebrows.

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