Chapter Nineteen

"This is amazing," Polly breathed as they picked their way across the driveway and into the edge of the woods. "This is one of those moments where I wish I could draw instead of write so I could capture this."

"It is beautiful," Chase agreed, his eyes on her and not the scenery.

She met his gaze and gave him a sweetly shy smile before taking another step forward onto the walking trail nearby that led deeper into the woods running parallel to the lake. "Which way, gillie?"

Chase gestured ahead of them. “Let’s just follow the trail for a bit – a little further along is a way to get down to the beach for a nice view.”

They walked deeper into woods, Jack barking happily, running back and forth between them and the woods ahead. "It's so still," Polly said after several minutes of silence between them. "It's like we're behind the world's back."

Chase nodded, reaching out to steady her as she wobbled on a hidden tree root on the trail. "That’s why I like it. It silences all the chatter in your head, and in day to day life. I got so tired of hearing orders, and commands, and mission scenarios, that out here, I relish the quiet."

Polly nodded, understanding but saying nothing.

Chase smiled at her softly. “Sometimes you need to take a step back and just… breathe."

Polly giggled suddenly. "Well, I'm definitely breathing heavy,” she said, hoping to break the serious tone between them.

Chase's eyes snapped up and met hers, surprised, making Polly laugh harder.

"Wow, isn’t our mind in the gutter," she teased. "I meant from the hiking and everything."

"Yeah, I knew that," Chase said with a toss of his head. 

"Suuuure you did," Polly grinned, grabbing his shoulder for support as she climbed over a fallen tree trunk in their path. "Don't you have women willing to breathe heavy for you up and down the coast?"

Chase blushed slightly, carefully climbing the same tree trunk. "It's not… I'm not… It's not my scene, really."

"Hot and heavy women aren't your scene?"

“They used to be, don’t get me wrong, but after a while, you want a deeper connection that a nice rack or all her teeth. A gun rack, I mean. Obviously.”

Polly giggled. “Yeah, sounds like it would be a drag after a while.”

"Exactly."

"Plus, I'm sure Jack wouldn't approve of that man-whore lifestyle," Polly said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Absolutely not. Jack's very puritanical," Chase said with a grin.

Polly laughed, zinging Chase's heart at the sound of it and took another step forward.

Before falling to the ground with a cry of pain.

**

"Ow…ow…ow…"

"Saying ow over and over isn't going to help," Chase said, struggling to take all of Polly's weight off her injured ankle.

"It's better than what I want to say," Polly said through clenched teeth.

"Which is?"

"Fucking Jesus fucking Christ this fucking ankle fucking hurts, fucking ow!" Polly said, her voice echoing in the trees, followed by the sound of Chase's genuine laughter.

"Shh…" He said, "You'll hurt Jack's virgin ears. In my own opinion, though, that is some spectacular cursing for such a demure young lady."

“Bite me, Colton.”

Polly managed to remain fairly quiet and curse free as Chase navigated their way back through the woods and towards the cabin, Polly's arm slung across his shoulder as he balanced her weight and watched his own footsteps for hidden dangers.

Whistling to Jack, Chase managed to get the door open and ushered Polly inside, carefully depositing her on the couch before returning to shut the door and give Jack a quick rub behind the ears.

"Ow…ow…ow…" Polly whispered, gingerly elevating her foot to rest on the coffee table in front of her.

Chase knelt in front of her, seeking out her eyes. "If we take the boot off, it's going to swell. And hurt. A lot."

Polly nodded, gritting her teeth. "I know."

"I think we should take it off anyway to see if you broke anything. Do you have any bandages or anything?" Chase asked, glancing around the cabin.

Polly shook her head. "I don't, but you might check upstairs to see if Parker has anything stocked. If not, maybe an old tee shirt…"

Chase was already up and vaulting upstairs in search of something to wrap her ankle in. 'So stupid,' he berated himself. If he'd been paying attention, Polly wouldn't have fallen, wouldn't have gotten hurt…

Moments later he was downstairs, having found a small first aid kit in the upstairs bathroom with an Ace bandage inside.

"You ready?" He asked, his voice gentle.

Polly nodded bravely.

"You can scream if you want to," Chase said, unlacing her boot and delicately beginning to remove it.

"I don't want to…" Polly said, taking in a sharp breath as Chase pulled her boot free and began peeling her sock off. Two tears slid down her cheeks from the pain, and Jack trotted over, pushing his nuzzle under her hand. She gratefully sank her fingers into his soft fur, concentrating on the feel of it and not the pain radiating from her ankle.

Chase gently moved her foot one way, then another, testing for a break and thankfully, seeing none.

"I think it's twisted, but not broken," Chase declared after a long moment. "I'm going to wrap it tightly, see if we can keep the swelling down with some ice. I'm sorry, Polly," he said, wrapping her ankle as tenderly as he could while trying to ignore the look of pain etched on her face. Working quickly, he wrapped the ankle then stood to root around in the kitchen for a plastic bag.

A minute later, he returned and placed the bag full of ice on her ankle, wincing when she hissed in pain.

"I could go for a shot of Jack right now, for medicinal purposes," Polly said, her teeth still clenched.

"Do you have any?"

"No."

"I'm sorry…" Chase said, still kneeling at her feet.

"Not as sorry as I am. I feel like an idiot."

Chase shrugged playfully. "I wouldn't. All the hot celebs are wearing ankle wraps this season. It's like legwarmers, but so much better."

Polly barked out a laugh, shifting her weight a bit. "Well, I do like to be trendy. I just wish I had a more fetching color than 'nude' or whatever this is."

Chase momentarily closed his eyes at the word 'nude', willing his mind back to the present problem at hand.

"What can I do?" Chase asked plaintively.

"You've done enough…really." Polly said gratefully. "Thank you."

Chase shifted the ice bag slightly, his hand warm on the backside of her leg as he braced her ankle. "You're welcome."

She hissed again as she moved her ankle a fraction, and Chase's eyes clouded with concern.

"Did I not do the bandage tightly enough? Do you have any painkillers?" He asked worriedly.

"I guess this needed a little more than a Band-Aid and a kiss, huh?" Polly said with another forced giggle. "I do injuries right."

Chase glanced up at her, meeting her eyes, then slowly lowered his head, pressing his lips to the side of her ankle, so softly she could barely feel the pressure through the bandage, his warm hand gripping her leg just a fraction tighter, then releasing to caress her skin softly. "Better?" He asked, his voice shy, husky.

Polly's breath caught in her throat at the contact, then reappeared in a whoosh moments later. "Better." She nodded, blushing furiously.

21639/50000