Call It Destiny

for the past couple of years. He knew about it from the days when he and I used to ride the motorcycle up to the place. He knew then that dad hardly ever used it and probably guessed it had been used even less during recent years. He was fairly startled to find me there.“
    „I’ll bet,“ Jake muttered laconically.
    „He wasn’t exactly delighted to find me at the cabin,“ Heather went on doggedly, her breath coming in quick gasps as she struggled through the darkened terrain. „But I think he saw, uh, possibilities in the situation.“
    „I can guess.“
    Heather ignored the savage tone of voice. „But when you showed up he really had no use for you at all. He… he threatened to kill you if I didn’t get rid of you, Jake.“
    „So you acted out the big rejection scene? Watch out for that soft sand. I just put a foot in it and it felt almost like quicksand. Keep a little more to the right.“
    „I didn’t have much choice – about the rejection scene,“ Heather said pleadingly. „It was the only thing I could think of on the spur of the moment.“
    „You do have a flair for drama.“
    „That’s what Rick said,“ she admitted miserably. Actually, she was feeling more and more miserable by the moment. Although the desert night was not really cold, she was beginning to feel chilled in her wet clothing. The rain seemed never ending and the dull roar of the stream made her uncomfortably aware of how close it still was. The only source of comfort was Jake’s firm grip on her hand.
    „Did you think I’d just meekly walk out the door the way I did?“ Jake sounded almost curious.
    „Well, to tell you the truth, I was hoping you’d figure out that something was drastically wrong. I told myself you might realize that even if I was going to spend a few days with another man, Rick Monroe would hardly be the one I’d choose!“
    „What did you expect me to do?“
    „Go for help.“
    „There wouldn’t have been time to get down out of this canyon, convince someone you needed help and get back. Not with the way this storm was breaking.“
    „By the time night had fallen I figured that much out for myself. I was contemplating throwing a pan of hot soup at Rick when you came charging through the window. The only trouble was, I couldn’t see who it was coming through that window. I was afraid it might be Rick’s partner. Jake, how did you know something was really wrong?“
    She thought he turned back briefly to look at her with an expression of amazement, but it was difficult to tell. The amazement was definitely in his voice, however, along with a few other emotions such as scorn, disgust and a not-so-subtle masculine comment on her intelligence.
    „I find you blithely declaring you’re going to spend a few days with another man within twenty-four hours of having been in my bed, and you wonder how I knew something was wrong?“
    Despite the increasing chill of the night air on her damp body, Heather warmed. Her smile wasn’t visible in the darkness but Jake probably sensed it.
    „Yeah, I thought that might tip you off,“ she murmured with sweet satisfaction. „But how did you know he had a gun and that the situation was so dangerous?“
    „I didn’t. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I only figured you wouldn’t have the nerve to pull that dramatic milady-dismissing-her-lover scene on me unless there was a lot more going on than appeared on the surface. I decided to drive the car out of sight and then hike back to get a better look at the situation. By then it was growing dark. I saw Monroe go out to get a lamp from his jeep and realized he had a gun. So I decided to wait until it was really dark before trying to take him.“
    „Which you did very efficiently. Jake, where on earth did you learn to fight like that?“ Heather demanded.
    „I didn’t grow up with your advantages, remember? I had to compensate,“ he told her dryly. But he gave her hand a warm squeeze. „Where did you learn to hang on in a situation where you should have had sense enough to let go?“
    „I was always a little on the stubborn side. Just ask my folks.“
    „Stubborn and rebellious, and much too headstrong for your own good,“ Jake agreed softly. „And I owe my life to all those rather unmanageable qualities.“
    „We’re even. I owe you mine.“
    „A real team, hmm?“
    „Yes, Jake.“
    „Well, teammate, I think I see something that looks as if it could be that cabin you mentioned. The one