fully now, and the clearing looked oddly desolate and menacing in the shadowy guardianship of the trees.
O’Brien took off the parachute pack when they reached the clearing and dropped it on the ground. “Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll go gather some wood and build a fire.”
“I’ll go with you and help,” Kelly said in a determined tone. She might as well start out as she meant to continue. O’Brien needn’t think that he was going to treat her like some helpless little clinging vine. She would carry her full share of the work and responsibility in this situation.
In the darkness she couldn’t see the expression on O’Brien’s face, but his voice was rich with amusement. “I think I detect the signs of women’s lib surfacing. All right, Goldilocks, I wouldn’t dream of suppressing that independent spirit.”
It appeared that he meant exactly what he said. He not only let her help gather wood and carry it back to the clearing, but also set her thetask of finding stones to bank the flames while he busied himself with the actual building of the fire. When she had finished encircling the burning wood with several large, flat stones, she sank down beside it and sighed in contentment.
She watched O’Brien lithely move about, first stacking their reserves of wood in a readily accessible pile near them, and then unpacking the parachute and spreading it on the ground before the fire.
When he’d finished, he sat down on the brilliant nylon and patted the place beside him. “Come over here and join me, Goldilocks, and we’ll fire-gaze together,” he invited.
“Fire-gaze?” she asked, getting up and moving slowly to join him on the chute. “I’ve heard of star-gazing but never fire-gazing.”
“Fire-gazing is much more interesting,” he said, as he put an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. “You can almost hypnotize yourself into seeing any shape or image you want to see.”
“Like seeing a camel in a bank of clouds?” Kelly asked, her green eyes sparkling.
He shook his head reprovingly. “You’re wanderinginto an entirely different field,” he said sternly. “Now cease your flippancy and apply yourself, woman.”
“Yes, sir!” she said meekly, and settled herself more comfortably in the curve of his arm. She had an idea that obeying Nick’s invitation to join him was going to prove a serious mistake, but for the moment she was too content to move.
She soon found that Nick was right about the magnetic effect of gazing into the fire. She was in a state of drowsy bemusement sometime later when Nick stirred himself to get up and throw more wood on the fire. She hadn’t been aware of Nick’s hand toying idly with her curls, but she missed the feel of those lazily caressing fingers when he moved away. She shook her head as if to clear it. She was already feeling cold and lonely without his sheltering arm, and she knew that this sort of dependence was extremely dangerous.
When Nick returned to his place beside her, she shifted a discreet distance away and turned to face him. “Perhaps we should start trying to find our way out of these hills tonight,” she suggestednervously. “We don’t have any food or water, and there’s no telling how long it will take us to find help.”
O’Brien’s blue eyes narrowed in thoughtful appraisal at her change in attitude. “Tomorrow will be soon enough,” he said slowly. “We can’t do much but stumble around in the dark until we get our bearings. Once it’s light, I’ll set about canvassing the area for water and food to supply us for our hike. We’ll be in much better shape after a good night’s sleep. And speaking of sleep,” he continued silkily, “I think it’s time we retired, sweetheart.”
Before she could reply, he had pushed her gently back on the nylon chute and was bending over her, laughing down into her startled face. “Shall I help you undress?” he asked politely. Then as she shook her head firmly and
O’Brien took off the parachute pack when they reached the clearing and dropped it on the ground. “Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll go gather some wood and build a fire.”
“I’ll go with you and help,” Kelly said in a determined tone. She might as well start out as she meant to continue. O’Brien needn’t think that he was going to treat her like some helpless little clinging vine. She would carry her full share of the work and responsibility in this situation.
In the darkness she couldn’t see the expression on O’Brien’s face, but his voice was rich with amusement. “I think I detect the signs of women’s lib surfacing. All right, Goldilocks, I wouldn’t dream of suppressing that independent spirit.”
It appeared that he meant exactly what he said. He not only let her help gather wood and carry it back to the clearing, but also set her thetask of finding stones to bank the flames while he busied himself with the actual building of the fire. When she had finished encircling the burning wood with several large, flat stones, she sank down beside it and sighed in contentment.
She watched O’Brien lithely move about, first stacking their reserves of wood in a readily accessible pile near them, and then unpacking the parachute and spreading it on the ground before the fire.
When he’d finished, he sat down on the brilliant nylon and patted the place beside him. “Come over here and join me, Goldilocks, and we’ll fire-gaze together,” he invited.
“Fire-gaze?” she asked, getting up and moving slowly to join him on the chute. “I’ve heard of star-gazing but never fire-gazing.”
“Fire-gazing is much more interesting,” he said, as he put an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. “You can almost hypnotize yourself into seeing any shape or image you want to see.”
“Like seeing a camel in a bank of clouds?” Kelly asked, her green eyes sparkling.
He shook his head reprovingly. “You’re wanderinginto an entirely different field,” he said sternly. “Now cease your flippancy and apply yourself, woman.”
“Yes, sir!” she said meekly, and settled herself more comfortably in the curve of his arm. She had an idea that obeying Nick’s invitation to join him was going to prove a serious mistake, but for the moment she was too content to move.
She soon found that Nick was right about the magnetic effect of gazing into the fire. She was in a state of drowsy bemusement sometime later when Nick stirred himself to get up and throw more wood on the fire. She hadn’t been aware of Nick’s hand toying idly with her curls, but she missed the feel of those lazily caressing fingers when he moved away. She shook her head as if to clear it. She was already feeling cold and lonely without his sheltering arm, and she knew that this sort of dependence was extremely dangerous.
When Nick returned to his place beside her, she shifted a discreet distance away and turned to face him. “Perhaps we should start trying to find our way out of these hills tonight,” she suggestednervously. “We don’t have any food or water, and there’s no telling how long it will take us to find help.”
O’Brien’s blue eyes narrowed in thoughtful appraisal at her change in attitude. “Tomorrow will be soon enough,” he said slowly. “We can’t do much but stumble around in the dark until we get our bearings. Once it’s light, I’ll set about canvassing the area for water and food to supply us for our hike. We’ll be in much better shape after a good night’s sleep. And speaking of sleep,” he continued silkily, “I think it’s time we retired, sweetheart.”
Before she could reply, he had pushed her gently back on the nylon chute and was bending over her, laughing down into her startled face. “Shall I help you undress?” he asked politely. Then as she shook her head firmly and
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