Danny lifted the top cover and pushed Mandy under it. He climbed in with her and wrapped the down snugly around them both. Her shivering body clung to his bare chest.

Really, she probably could have warmed up all by herself, but after her tumble-and-dangle act over the water, he needed to hold her. He wrapped his arms around Mandy’s body. Her softness fit his hard angles just right. Breasts squished against his ribs. Maybe the wilderness didn’t suck as badly as he’d thought, even in the rain.

Her shivers faded. Danny remembered her turning down peanut butter sandwiches. “Did you eat dinner?”

“No. I was too worried.” She sat up. Too bad.

Keeping the blanket around their shoulders, Danny reached into his pack and pulled out the M&Ms. “Quick carbs first.”

“I brought plenty of trail mix.” She opened two packs of candy while Danny cracked out the beef jerky and a bottle of water. Slim Jims and chocolate were surprisingly good together.

“Your cut is bleeding.”

Danny held up his hand. The thin latex glove hung in shreds around his hand. Blood seeped through the soaked bandage. “Must have torn the stitches.”

“Let’s get it cleaned up. Hand me the first aid kit.”

Miraculously, only two of the stitches were ripped free. Mandy did her best to close the wound with butterfly strips. She covered his hand with fresh gauze and tape. Watching her, it occurred to Danny that if he hadn’t rested his hand all day, he might not have been able to save Mandy.

The radio crackled. “Mandy? Are you OK?”

Mandy picked up the receiver. “We’re fine, Jed. Just holing up under some rocks until the storm passes.”

“The weatherman says this front will take a couple of hours of clear out.”

“Got it. Thanks. We’ll hang tight.”

She tossed the receiver back into her pack and finished off a handful of candy. Her eyes were bright, her color back to normal, but her expression was still tight.

“What’s wrong?” Danny added a few skinny branches to the fire. Damp wood popped and crackled.

“I’m worried about the girls.”

“We’re doing all we can to find them.”

“I know.” A tear trickled down her cheek.

“Come here.” Danny tugged her back into his arms. “We’ll find them.”

Thunder boomed. Mandy jumped. “I hope they’re not out in this storm. They could be hungry and cold—”

“Shhh.” Danny tilted her chin up and silenced her with a kiss.

His mouth was hot and tasted of chocolate. Mandy wanted more. Heat sprinted through her veins to her core, fueled by adrenaline overload from her near plunge into the river. The turmoil of the past four months had intensified from fear to terror with the disappearance of the girls. Were they lost or was Danny right? Was Nathan out there, gathering a fresh crop of victims?