Lion?
Katie wished she was back in London. She was never, ever, complaining about the city again. “We should run.”
“Do not run.” His hand closed over her shoulder. “Are you going to accuse me of going all macho on you if I step in here?”
“Please—” Her mouth was so dry she could hardly speak. “Step anywhere, preferably in front of me.” She could have sworn she heard him laugh, and then he did step in front of her.
His bulk blocked her view, but she saw him spread his arms and heard him shout at the lion. For a moment it stood, all coiled muscle and strength, and then it vanished into the forest.
Katie thought her legs might give way.
Jordan turned and closed his hands over her arms, as if he realized she needed holding up. “We were lucky.”
“Yes.” She tried to smile, but it didn’t happen. “I’m relieved you arrived when you did.”
“I meant we were lucky to see the lion. They generally try to avoid humans.”
“I wonder why this one decided to make an exception?”
“You’re a lone hiker, which makes you more interesting. He was probably fascinated by the difficulties you were having walking through the snow.”
“You mean he was waiting for me to fall down so that he could eat me?”
“I doubt he would have eaten you.” He let go of her but only to zip her jacket up to the neck. “Keep this closed. It’s no wonder you’re shivering. What are you doing all the way out here?”
“Taking a walk.”
“This isn’t a marked trail. You were lost.”
“Not exactly lost. More freely walking wherever the impulse took me.”
“The impulse took you into the path of a mountain lion. And if you’d carried on walking to the left you would have fallen off the mountain. It’s steep, and the trail ends at a big drop-off.”
“Good to know.” She licked her lips. “Should we get away from here, in case that lion has friends? And shouldn’t he be hibernating or something?”
“Mountain lions don’t hibernate, but it’s rare to see one in the middle of the day. They tend to be more active at dusk and dawn. The heavy snowfall we’ve had the last couple of weeks has probably driven him down from the mountains. Or maybe he followed his prey, a deer or an elk, and then came across you.”
“Great.” Katie shivered. She’d been prey before, and it wasn’t an experience she was in a hurry to repeat.
“They’re not usually interested in humans. It’s food they’re after, but it’s good to be alert. You didn’t answer my question. What were you doing all the way out here?”
She hadn’t even realized she’d come this far. She’d been so upset she’d walked without thinking. “I needed time to myself. I didn’t realize it was dangerous.”
“There’s other things more dangerous than that mountain lion.” He shifted his backpack. “You could find yourself up to your neck in snow, or you could slip on the ice and bang your head. Take someone with you when you hike. And if you meet a mountain lion, make yourself look large. Look it in the eye so that it knows you’re not afraid.”
“I wasn’t afraid. What makes you think I was afraid?” She saw a gleam in his eyes.
“Great. In that case I’ll say goodbye.” He turned and started to walk up the path away from her and she stared after him in disbelief.
Was he really going to leave her here? No, he was trying to annoy her. Making a point. Any moment now he’d turn round and walk back to her.
But he didn’t. He kept walking, his long powerful legs making it look easy.
“Jordan!” She wasn’t proud that her voice shook.
He turned. “What?”
It almost choked her to say it. “Don’t leave me.”