A Rare Breed Read Online Free Page B

twice a week."
    "How long have you been down here?"
    "Almost a month."
    "Whoa!" Yolanda exclaimed, making a mug for the others. "I’ll bet your wife loves this summer vacation."
    "No wife. Just work," he said.
    "That's it? No more contact with the outside world?"
    Jake nodded, tight-lipped.
    "What about a shortwave radio? Can't you just call someone?"
    "A shortwave is too heavy. I didn't want to bother with it. Figured I wouldn't need it."
    "Wrong! What if you got injured?"
    "If I missed picking up my supply drop, they'd send someone to check on me."
    "So you're saying that we have to spend the night down here?" By her expression, Yolanda
    was clearly amazed at the concept.
    Jake swung the cooler to his shoulder. "Looks that way. Follow me."
    "This is crazy," Yolanda objected. "I'm not camping. Just get me out of here, but I'm not sleeping on the ground."
    Jake ignored her and, with no apparent alternative, Brit followed him. She admired his lean masculine form as he strode sure-footed and confident over the rocks. He wore thick-soled hiking boots that secured his tight-fitting jeans above the ankles. His hips were slim and his back, straight and sturdy. The pale blue shirt hung from broad, angular shoulders. Dark hair, needing a trim, barely brushed his slightly frayed shirt collar.
    Brit stumbled and noticed for the first time that her expensive Italian shoes were ripped beyond salvation. They barely stayed on her feet. Then she saw that her dress, too, was virtually ruined. The exquisite silk with its tiny hand-painted flowers looked like something a shipwrecked character in a B-movie would wear, including an uneven tear that revealed a nice expanse of one thigh.
    Yolanda didn't look much better. Of course, she still wore her diamonds, but both knees of her silver lame jumpsuit were ripped and one sleeve flopped beneath her armpit. Rudi still had his Rolex and gold chains, but his shirt had a couple of bloodstains and a large rip in back from the fight. Frank stumbled along, somewhat dazed, his shirt torn, also. The only one who was strong and sure was Jake Landry, striding confidently ahead of them.
    Brit concluded that she couldn't possibly dream up a more unusual or potentially exciting situation. Jake Landry was better than a dream, actually. He was real; or, at least, she thought he was. To make sure she could relish him a little longer. Brit decided to wait awhile before she pinched herself to see if she were awake.
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Jake sat on the cooler and propped his elbows on his widespread knees. This was their second rest stop in the last half hour, and he wondered if they'd make it to camp before dark. This group obviously was not in very good physical condition. He knew the terrain was rough to the uninitiated, but this bunch of prima donnas was getting to him.
    "These things cost nearly two hundred dollars and aren't worth two cents!" Brit exclaimed unexpectedly, her voice shrill and echoing against the towering canyon walls. She flung the tattered shoes as hard as she could into the rocks. Sitting on flat sandstone, she cradled one foot tenderly and massaged it.
    Jake gazed at Brit for a long moment, thinking about taking matters into his own hands and massaging her feet himself. No, they needed to be on their way. And she would need those shoes. He drew on his rapidly dwindling patience and retrieved the flimsy items she had thrown, examining them as he made his way back to her. At first, he had thought she might be resilient and spunky enough to cope with the hardships of this wilderness. But apparently he had been wrong. With this latest outburst, she had fallen into line with the rest: complaining, miserable, and difficult.
    "I'd hang onto these if I were you." He held them out to her. "They could come in handy."
    She leveled her sparkling green eyes at his face. "Handy? For what? Knocking off lizards? They're torn and won't stay on. What good are they?"
    "Well, the leather soles are still okay.