Chasing the Tumbleweed Read Online Free

dashed it away. What else did she think she would get? No one expected her to amount to much and she was good at meeting expectations.
    Except I want to live, dammit!
    About a half hour later Jeff said, “We should be far enough away from the road.  Let’s camp here.”
    She looked at the barren ground in dismay. At least her tote could serve as a pillow.
    Jeff went to a scrub pine and cut a lower branch with his knife.  “A few of these will give us a cushion from the ground.” He gestured to a nearby boulder.  “Feel free to take care of business while I do this.”
    Her cheeks flamed. He was so matter-of-fact.  I guess it comes from living in the middle of nowhere.
    Lugging her bag with her, she went where he’d indicated and began her nightly rituals as best she could surrounded by miles of emptiness. Clean teeth revived her spirits, as did a few quick swipes with her disinfectant wipes. She grabbed some tissues, took a few steps farther into the wilderness to “take care of business,” and buried the tissues in the forest duff.
    After she’d wiped her hands once more, she returned to the clearing.
    Jeff finished arranging the bower and stood.  “Your bed, milady,” he said with a grin.
    How odd. A sense of humor.
    She smiled back and looked into his eyes.
    Something stirred in her heart.
    Quickly looking away, she moved to the far side of the branch bed. “Where are you going to sleep?”
    “Um...next to you, I’m afraid. We need each other’s body heat. Don’t worry—I’m not going to try anything. I realize after what you’ve been through that doesn’t mean much, so here.” He held out the hilt of his utility knife to her.
    She shook her head. “I’ve had enough of knives, thanks.” She smiled again. “I do have karate training, so you’d better be good. A-n-d…” She raised her eyebrows. “I do know how to kick you where it hurts.”
    He laughed. It was a great big belly laugh.
    “What happened to being quiet?” she asked.
    He stopped laughing, but the smile remained.  “Sorry. I guess I sounded a little harsh back there. And we do need to be quiet. It was just the idea of you...” He indicated her small stature. “…attempting to overpower me...” He straightened and then immediately slumped back with laughter, quieter this time, but just as intense.
    How can he laugh at a time like this?
    But then the bug caught her and she doubled over, the stress of the past day transforming into gut-cleansing laughter. Soon they were both on the forest floor, gasping for breath.
    When she finally began to recover, she said, “I guess I needed that.”
    He nodded.  “We should get some rest, though.”
    She eyed the bower. Not high on the comfort scale, but it’ll have to do.
    Gingerly, she lay down and felt the stir of the branches as Jeff settled in next to her. 
    The heat from his body was intimate in a way warmth had never been with Brent.
    “Aren’t the stars amazing?” He stared up at the sky.
    She looked up. “Yes.” She wondered about the man lying next to her. “Why did you decide to become a forest ranger? Doesn’t it get lonely?”
    “No, it’s not lonely. Lonely is when you’re in a crowded place and no one knows who you really are.”
    “Forest ranger philosopher, then?”
    “Hard not to be when there’s this entire expanse around  me. Instead of feeling all puffed up by sycophants, I became aware of how insignificant I really am. I became a forest ranger so I could help protect places like this so more people could experience it.”
    “But what about love? A family? Who’d want to live out here in the middle of nowhere?”
    He shrugged. “People do. Families happen. But I’m not interested. Love is too much like chasing a tumbleweed. The wind blows it about and when you do finally catch it, you’re covered in thorns.”
    “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
    “’Fraid so.” He was silent for a while. “Let’s get some sleep.” He rolled