Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
I doze off with him, fully expecting to sleep all day.
But three hours later, he’s up, dressed, fed, and ready to take on the world.
“I saw moose tracks a short distance from here.” He pulls on his gloves.
If he can hunt one of those beasts without getting hurt, I’m all for it. By the time we return to Leo, we’ll be out of bear meat. I’d rather not live on pemmican for the remainder of winter.
He tosses my gear at my feet.
I guess I’m going with him.
“How much longer before the thaw?” I pull on my snowshoes, my pulse drumming with nerves and anticipation.
“Two months, give or take.” Kody straps a quiver of arrows onto his back.
“Are you sure you want me to go with you? Won’t I scare away the moose? I mean, stealth isn’t exactly my thing.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
A thrill shivers through me. I’ve always wanted to watch him hunt, to see him in action. I’ll just stand on the sidelines and try not to drool.
“What?” He tips his head.
“Huh?”
“You’re staring.”
“Can you blame me? Look at you. You’re sexy as hell.”
He glances down at himself, layered in thermals, insulated pants, heavy boots, and a fur parka that screams rugged mountain man. The scowl beneath his rustic beard and the crossbow in his grip take his dangerous aura to another level.
“See what I mean?” I bite my lip.
He shakes his head. “This gear ensures I remain warm and dry for the long stalks and waits during the hunt.”
“Never mind.” I rise to my feet, wearing similar clothing.
So why do I feel like an overstuffed penguin? Is it the waddle?
I step toward him, short steps with short legs, rocking side to side.
Yep. Definitely the waddle.
I’ll never understand how he and Leo move so gracefully beneath all this gear.
He watches me with an arched brow.
“Stop looking so hot.” I scoff. “Let’s go.”
With a sparkle of laughter in his eyes, he opens the door and leads the way.
I have no idea where we’re going or what we’re looking for, but he seems to have no trouble scenting or tracking or doing whatever stalkers do to pick up the trail.
His confidence in navigating the terrain is infectious, his protectiveness a constant reassurance. He moves with such certainty, his steps deliberate and sure. I trust in his knowledge of the land and find myself relaxing enough to let my mind wander.
“Who named you?” I grip his offered hand and let him help me scale a slope.
“I don’t know. Watch your step.”
As the ground levels out, I look around at the stark beauty of pristine white. “What am I watching for?”
“We’re standing on a lake. It stretches from this hill to that one.” He points. “It’s frozen right now, hidden beneath all the snow.”
“Really?” I scrape my snowshoe against the hard-packed ice. “It won’t break?”
“Not this time of year.” He lifts his face to the dark sky. Scenting the air? Listening for cracking ice? “It’s too cold. But I’ve never traveled here this deep in winter, so I only have Denver’s word on it. Just…don’t leave my side. Step where I step. Understood?”
“Got it.”
“The moose went that way.” He gestures toward the farthest hill and sets off in that direction on silent feet. “It’s a male. Should be a big one. And aggressive.”
“How do you know?”
“The size of the hooves.” He points at a scuff mark in the snow. “I found scratches on the cabin from antlers. Also, bulls travel alone. And I hear it. The grunts and bellows in the distance.”
“Right.” I haven’t heard or seen a thing.
And that’s why I’m a nurse, not a moose hunter.
As he follows the tracks across the snow-laden lake, my thoughts circle back to the meanings of names.
“Who named your brothers?”
“No idea.” He casts me a sidelong glance. “Why?”
“Hear me out. Denver and Monty are brothers. Denver and Montgomery. Both refer to well-known U.S. cities. Leo and Wolf refer to animals. Wolf was born here. Leo arrived when he was three, but he could’ve arrived with a different name.”
“You think Denver changed his name to Leonid?” He surveys the horizon, expelling white clouds from full, pouty lips.
“Yeah, I think he could’ve named Wolf and Leo.” I release an exhale. “Then there’s you.”
“My name also refers to an animal. But my mother…”
“What about her?”
“The address on her license is Barrow, Alaska.”
“It’s not called Barrow anymore. The name changed to Utqiagvik.”
“I know.” He halts, his brown eyes ensnaring mine. “But that’s not where she’s from.”
“It’s not?”
“No. For some reason, Denver wanted me to know that she grew up in Port Lions, Alaska, wherever that is.”
Ice creeps across my scalp.
“Kody…” I brush my fingers against his. “Port Lions is a town on Kodiak Island.”
Surprise flickers across his face before he clears it.
“So she named me after an island.” He starts walking again.