Beck (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey Book 4) by Becca Fanning Page A
Authors: Becca Fanning
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Hart asked. “Do you see her anywhere? I tried to follow the awful scent of the smoke.”
Jane peered through the leaves, looking at the gathering carefully. Plenty of them appeared to be stoned, which made Jane wonder if Hart had actually tracked down yet another group which had got their supplies from the Boys in the Wood. There were almost a dozen people, smoking and enjoying themselves in a lazy, giggling fashion. Jane watched one of them drop a smoldering joint to the ground.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” she whispered to Hart. “I mean, you get forest fires here, right?”
“Right,” Hart answered. “Not to mention the legal issues. The whole park could be shut down if anyone found out there was a farm here.”
The park was more than just a job to Clan Best, jane knew that all too well. It was their way of a life, and a sanctuary where they could safely transform. She couldn’t bear the thought of little Isaak having to grow up anywhere else, where he could be persecuted just for being who he was.
“Look,” Jane said, pointing suddenly, “there’s more of them approaching, over there.”
Hart stepped close, following Jane’s gaze over her shoulder. She listened to his breathing, long and low, and heard her own tense, stunted breaths in return. Even now, he was so much calmer than she was, and she envied that feeling of calm.
“Hey guys!” a woman called as she approached the clearing. “Guys, it’s Linzy. We found her down by the water. I… I think she’s dead.”
Jane clasped a hand to her own mouth to stop her gasp from escaping. Sure enough, the woman and a man were carrying another woman into the clearing. She was soaked to the skin and dreadfully pale, but Jane recognized her shabby clothes and long hair at once. Linzy was the woman she’d met the day before, who’d seemed so oblivious and happy whilst riding her high. Now, she was limp and pale where her friends laid her down on the ground.
“Oh…” said one of the assembled stoners. “Um… So what do we do?”
They were detached from the moment, struggling to get their brains back into gear at the sign of a crisis. Jane was about to turn and ask Hart what they should do, but the tall, striking ranger was already moving past her. As he went, he took hold of her hand firmly and guided her through the final branches into the clearing.
“Everything all right here?” Hart asked the people. “Does this woman need help?”
Some of the gathering scattered at once, grabbing at their joints or hastily trying to blow away the smoke. They sloped off towards the path that would lead them back to the main park, leaving only the original pair who had carried Linzy to the group. Jane noticed that they seemed fairly sober, though shock had rendered them pretty useless.
“She…” the woman stammered. “I don’t know. We just found her down there.”
Hart dropped to his knees and put his ear to Linzy’s chest. Jane watched for a long, tense moment. Her phone was buzzing in her pocket again, but this time she let it go. She might need to call an ambulance at any moment. There were more important things right now than work.
“Well?” Jane pressed. “Is she…”
“No,” Hart said after a moment’s thought. “She’s breathing, but she’s struggling. Her heartbeat is very slow. I think it must be hypothermia. If she got herself soaked and passed out, it can be mighty cold up here at night. Call back to the lodge for a car. We need to get her warm.”
It was fascinating to see Hart work. Despite the terror of the situation, he was methodical and organized. Once Jane had made the call, he told her to put Linzy into the recovering position, and he covered her over with his shirt. Jane took her coat off and put it over the poor woman’s legs, watching as Hart coerced her shocked friends into donating parts of their clothing to keep her warm too. Soon, Hart and Jane were crouching either side of the suffering
Jane peered through the leaves, looking at the gathering carefully. Plenty of them appeared to be stoned, which made Jane wonder if Hart had actually tracked down yet another group which had got their supplies from the Boys in the Wood. There were almost a dozen people, smoking and enjoying themselves in a lazy, giggling fashion. Jane watched one of them drop a smoldering joint to the ground.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” she whispered to Hart. “I mean, you get forest fires here, right?”
“Right,” Hart answered. “Not to mention the legal issues. The whole park could be shut down if anyone found out there was a farm here.”
The park was more than just a job to Clan Best, jane knew that all too well. It was their way of a life, and a sanctuary where they could safely transform. She couldn’t bear the thought of little Isaak having to grow up anywhere else, where he could be persecuted just for being who he was.
“Look,” Jane said, pointing suddenly, “there’s more of them approaching, over there.”
Hart stepped close, following Jane’s gaze over her shoulder. She listened to his breathing, long and low, and heard her own tense, stunted breaths in return. Even now, he was so much calmer than she was, and she envied that feeling of calm.
“Hey guys!” a woman called as she approached the clearing. “Guys, it’s Linzy. We found her down by the water. I… I think she’s dead.”
Jane clasped a hand to her own mouth to stop her gasp from escaping. Sure enough, the woman and a man were carrying another woman into the clearing. She was soaked to the skin and dreadfully pale, but Jane recognized her shabby clothes and long hair at once. Linzy was the woman she’d met the day before, who’d seemed so oblivious and happy whilst riding her high. Now, she was limp and pale where her friends laid her down on the ground.
“Oh…” said one of the assembled stoners. “Um… So what do we do?”
They were detached from the moment, struggling to get their brains back into gear at the sign of a crisis. Jane was about to turn and ask Hart what they should do, but the tall, striking ranger was already moving past her. As he went, he took hold of her hand firmly and guided her through the final branches into the clearing.
“Everything all right here?” Hart asked the people. “Does this woman need help?”
Some of the gathering scattered at once, grabbing at their joints or hastily trying to blow away the smoke. They sloped off towards the path that would lead them back to the main park, leaving only the original pair who had carried Linzy to the group. Jane noticed that they seemed fairly sober, though shock had rendered them pretty useless.
“She…” the woman stammered. “I don’t know. We just found her down there.”
Hart dropped to his knees and put his ear to Linzy’s chest. Jane watched for a long, tense moment. Her phone was buzzing in her pocket again, but this time she let it go. She might need to call an ambulance at any moment. There were more important things right now than work.
“Well?” Jane pressed. “Is she…”
“No,” Hart said after a moment’s thought. “She’s breathing, but she’s struggling. Her heartbeat is very slow. I think it must be hypothermia. If she got herself soaked and passed out, it can be mighty cold up here at night. Call back to the lodge for a car. We need to get her warm.”
It was fascinating to see Hart work. Despite the terror of the situation, he was methodical and organized. Once Jane had made the call, he told her to put Linzy into the recovering position, and he covered her over with his shirt. Jane took her coat off and put it over the poor woman’s legs, watching as Hart coerced her shocked friends into donating parts of their clothing to keep her warm too. Soon, Hart and Jane were crouching either side of the suffering
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