Rock and A Hard Place (Cascade Brides Series) by Bonnie Blythe Page B

all the wild
appeal of the cathedral pines and painted hills of Wheeler County.
He wanted to explore every inch of her personality, get to know all
the zones and climates, finding the hidden places tucked away off
the beaten path. Of course, people were usually trickier terrain
than...well, terrain. He smirked at himself, pressing the gate
buzzer.
    Of course, he probably had no business assuming he was the one to do
the exploring. But he couldn't seem to help himself. Just the
thought of Faith's flashing hazel eyes sent his pulse quickening.
    Shane made a concerted effort to let none of his discombobulation
show as he introduced himself to the rancher who met him at the
gate. After a twenty minute chat, he headed back to the Jeep where
Faith sat fulminating. Shane could almost see steam coming out of
her ears when he climbed into the truck.
    “That went well,” he said in a pleasant tone. “Now to Bear
Creek.” A peek from the corner of his eye caught Faith lifting her
stubborn chin.
    “That sounds wonderful,” she said with saccharine sweetness.
    Shane suppressed a grin. Hostility and sarcasm he could deal with.
He'd take it over apathy any day. The drive lasted about an
hour—everything was far-flung in eastern Oregon—and he took the
opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather. The sky was a deep blue.
The golden mellowness arching overhead was not usually seen until
summer. Looking into the forests on either side of the road, he saw
signs of abundant wildlife. It seemed all the woodland creatures
were out enjoying the weather too.
    They came to a spot just outside the border of the Warm Springs
Indian Reservation. Shane pulled off the road into a graveled area.
He wanted to avoid the trail head where people might be fishing and
instead find a less populated trail.
    Faith exited the Jeep and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Her
expression was blank, but he could still discern annoyance in her
eyes. They headed down the pine needle trail, not speaking, just
putting one foot in front of the other. Jay birds swooped through
the pines and baby chipmunks scattered at their presence. He inhaled
the tangy scent of the trees. Being in the woods never failed to
calm his spirit. Hopefully it had the same effect on Faith.
    After about half a mile, they broke through the trees to a rocky
area leading down to a wide, sparkling creek, bubbling with mini
whitecaps. Maidenhair ferns sprang intermittently from the rocky
soil, and tree saplings grew along the bank, shadowed by their
larger counterparts. It would be a great place for a picnic. He
glanced at his recalcitrant partner. Someday maybe.
    Now to business. Shane walked along the length for several hundred
feet, looking for evidence of erosion on either side. From the
corner of his eyes, he saw Faith setting up her camera equipment on
a large flat rock. He fished a water sample kit from his own
backpack and dipped it into the rapids. From this spot check he
didn't see any obvious problems. He hoped that held true for the
rest of the creek.
    Shane crouched down and jotted some descriptions in his notebook,
surreptitiously keeping one eye on Faith. She had found a fragile
flower struggling up from between boulders and was trying to frame
the shot. He decided it was a good metaphor for her. Fragile yet
tough enough to blossom in improbable circumstances.
    After she was done capturing the flower, along with a curious
chipmunk, she loaded her equipment back up, keeping out her camera
for snapshots. As they hiked back up to the road, Faith in the lead,
the pines towered above them, allowing a bit of dappled sunlight to
create lacy patterns on the delicate underbrush below. Nearing the
trail head, Faith stopped and turned back to him.
    He paused in mid-step and tried to read her closed expression.
    “Tell me something, Shane. Do you feel closer to God in church or
out here?”
    He regarded her, sensing the weight of her question, yet at the same
time, feeling unbalanced by her