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She looked up into his eyes, and a throbbing heartbeat stretched between them.
He would take care of her, but he would not let her get to him.
He took her by the upper arm and lifted her to her feet. She staggered slightly—her feet were probably just as frozen as the rest of her—and he held her steady.
“There’s a cave. We can shelter there, and I’ll make a place for the animals. Can you lead my horse?”
She nodded. He peered at her closer. Her silence worried him.
Taking hold of her horse’s reins, he guided it with the cow it was attached to toward the site he had already mentally set up as their camp.
Every few steps, he threw a look over his shoulder to make sure Meadow was still back there—and on her feet. Assured that she was, he led the ragtag party to the spot.
When she saw the cave, her expression didn’t change, which caused him even more worry.
He let go of the horse’s rope and hurried to Meadow. “Come on. Let’s get you out of the rain.”
She refused to budge. “I’m not going in there.”
He stared at her. Rain sluiced over both of them. “Why not? Are there wolves or bears?”
“Probably. I’m more worried about rattlesnakes.”
“Damn. I need to get something out of my coat pocket.”
She looked up at him, her eyes luminous with an emotion he couldn’t read.
Making a slow move, he reached for the coat she wore. She let him peel open the front. When he reached into the inside pocket, he felt her shudder.
At least she was reacting to something, even if it was the wrong thing.
He pulled his phone out. Somehow, it had remained safe and dry in that pocket. Using the light, he aimed it at every corner of the cave, looking for snakes or any other unwelcome inhabitants.
Satisfied that it was all clear, he waved Meadow forward. She moved as slow as an old lady.
“Sit here. Stick your hands under your arms or between your legs to stay warm.” His instruction made her lift her eyes to his.
Their gazes held.
Then he twisted away and went back out into the pouring rain to save the animals from the brutal storm.
Lightning streaked through the sky. Occasionally, it landed a target and he’d hear the faint cracking noise of a tree falling. As long as it didn’t strike the trees he was using as supports for the tarp, they were fine.
Pulling out a rope, he lashed the tarp to the tree and led the horses and cow beneath it. Seeing that the cow wasn’t willing to stay put, he tethered her to the tree too.
Since there was nothing dry within a fifty-mile radius, there was nothing to burn and would be no fire tonight.
He found a slightly damp blanket in his saddlebag and used it to wipe down the backs of all three animals. It would have to be enough for now.
When he returned to the cave, he found Meadow…taking off her clothes.
Chapter Ten
Growing up in the mountains had taught Meadow a lot about survival, and rule number one was hypothermia was a bitch. If she didn’t get out of her drenched clothes fast, she was going to be found frozen stiff in this cave.
Colton’s stare washed over her. She could see by his face that she’d shocked him with how easy she was willing to shed her clothes, and she braced herself for his comment.
When it never came, she continued to peel the wet fabric off her skin. Her jeans were most difficult, though they weren’t as tight as some she wore. Once she was stripped to her birthday suit, she grabbed for Colton’s drover coat.
