face flush and knew her thoughts were a long way from her duties as a park ranger.
Gabe’s eyes had never strayed from her. He watched as her face suffused with a lovely shade of pink. He remembered how he had adored watching her skin flush and change colors as he led her through different scenes. He had enough of this small talk.
“Jo, I don’t mind talking about my family, but how about we discuss the huge elephant in the room?” Gabe suggested.
Joanna immediately tried to pull her hand from where he had been covering it. Gabe only tightened his grip.
“Let me go,” she said, her voice barely audible. When he didn’t, in fact he began to stroke the palm of her hand with the tip of one finger, she shuddered almost violently. She wasn’t aware that she was whimpering, the sound tearing at Gabe’s heart.
“Jo, talk to me,” Gabe said softly. “Honey, what the hell happened that night? Why did you lie about…”
Joanna tore her hand from his and practically fell over as she tried to get her legs out from under the stone table and stand up.
She had taken two steps backwards before Gabe could also stand. She put her hands out in front of her, palms out. “Please…please, just let it go. I can’t…I won’t…” she started, but was interrupted by a sound coming from behind Gabe.
“I need to go to the latrine, Gabe….can you….” Amber broke off seeing the two of them standing across from each other, Joanna looking terrified for some reason. “Gabe? Joanna, are you okay? What’s going on?” Concern was evident in her voice. It had been quiet for a while and she thought that the ranger had left. Gabe managed to pull himself together. He started to step towards her, but Joanna moved past him to Amber’s side.
“I’ll be glad to walk you down,” Joanna volunteered, desperate to get away from both the situation and the man that was stirring up feelings she had suppressed for years. “I need to visit the ladies room myself and then I’ve got to get going.”
Gabe started to protest but she continued, “Thanks again for the coffee. Please make sure the fire is out.”
He understood her desperate need to get away from him even as he realized she had no desire to upset his sister. He cleared his throat to make sure he could actually speak. “I’ll take care of it now, Joanna. Take a flashlight, Amber.”
Amber ducked back into her tent and quickly emerged with a big flashlight as well as a drawstring bag. It was all Joanna could do not to bolt instead of waiting for the girl.
“I’d like to shower and change as well, if that’s okay, Gabe?” Amber asked. “I’d rather do it now then have to get up early before we go rafting.”
Gabe looked at his watch and then nodded. “Okay, but don’t be too long. I’ll walk down to get you in thirty minutes.”
“Gabe! I’m a big girl and don’t need…” Amber began.
Gabe’s voice was firm, “Don’t push me. Half–an–hour, Amber. You are to wait right there for me, understand?”
Both women shivered when they heard his tone. Joanna watched as Amber gave her brother a quick hug.
“Thanks, that will be perfect,” Amber answered, not wanting to add to the tension that she felt surrounding them. Amber turned to join Joanna and then giggled as she reached out and picked the paddle up off the table. “Miss Ranger, ma’am…how do you feel about a little search and seizure?”
Joanna gasped and then found herself relaxing from her earlier fight or flight response. “As much as I’d like to slap your brother into jail, I’m pretty sure it would be an illegal search as I have no probable cause,” Joanna said, looking towards Gabe. “It would be an unfair arrest unless they have concrete rules about paddles.”
Gabe’s lips compressed as he wondered what the hell she was inferring. However, hearing his sister giggle at the thought, he held out his hand to his sister. Two could play this game. “Even