Caleb by Cindy Stark

surprised you’re not having constant headaches.”
    She gave a sarcastic snort. “Who says I’m not?” She gathered her hair and pulled it to the side, out of his way.
    “That’s no good.” He increased the pressure of his thumb into a large knot in the center of her right shoulder.
    She winced. “Oh, geez. That’s...”
    “Sorry.” He eased off. “You’re a mess, you know?” He rubbed the opposite shoulder which hurt almost as bad.
    “Don’t I know it.” She exhaled and closed her eyes, trying to relax. As his hands warmed and stretched her muscles, her mind wandered to the feel of his fingers touching her skin, to how close his body was to her.
    She wanted to turn, wanted to explore another kiss with him and bring back the feelings of excitement she’d experienced that morning.
    When the temptation became too much, she twisted away and faced him.
    He widened his eyes in concern. “Did I hurt you?”
    “No. You were great.”
    “Then why did you stop me?”
    Why, indeed. “My shoulder feels much better and…” She glanced toward the gurgling river, her mind racing for an answer. Quickly, she bent to pick up a small stone. She turned it over in her hand and then looked to him. “I wanted you to show me how to skip a rock instead.”
    He studied her for a moment, and she prayed the heat in her cheeks didn’t show. Instead of questioning her further, he smiled. “It’s not hard, but it does take practice, and you’re better off trying it at a lake where the water is smooth.”
    “You did it here,” she challenged.
    “All right,” he said with a laugh. “First you need to find a flat rock about the size of your palm.” He glanced about their feet.
    She dropped the small one in her hand and searched for another. “Like this?” She retrieved a dark-gray rock that fit his description.
    “That’s perfect.” He moved closer to her. “Now turn sideways with your shoulder toward the water and squat down. Then bend your wrist and snap it forward.” He mimicked the actions he wanted her to take.
    She did as he said and released the rock. It hit the water and immediately sank to the bottom. “Oops.” She didn’t have anywhere near the finesse he did.
    He laughed. “That’s a good first try. If you shift a bit, it might help.”
    She adjusted her stance and look to him for approval.
    He shook his head. “Like this.” He gripped her hips from behind and moved her into position.
    She closed her eyes and took one second to appreciate his nearness.
    “Hold that stance, and let me find you another rock.”
    He found a couple more suitable stones and returned to her. “Watch me.” He squatted next to her, bent his wrist and flung. The stone skipped four times before disappearing from view.
    “Oh, nice.” She held out a hand. “Let me do another.”
    He put a rock in her palm and moved out of the way. She tried again with failing results. He scooted closer, giving her another stone. “Bend your wrist a little farther, like this.”
    She focused on her wrist and practiced the movement a few times.
    “You need to relax and just kind of go with the flow.”
    She was alone in the wilderness under the big Wyoming sky with the sexiest man alive standing far too close to her. How the hell was she supposed to relax?
    “Sorry.” Her weak laugh exposed her edginess. “Maybe I should try later.”
    “It’s okay. Everyone sucks the first time.” He loaded her palm with the rest of the stones and moved away to lean against a tree. “Give it a few more tries.”
    This time, he moved completely away from her. She inhaled and focused on her goal. A few more sinkers embarrassed her before she finally made one skip once. “I did it!” A proud thrill zipped through her.
    He chuckled. “You sure did.”
    The man looked like he belonged on her land. Many men wouldn’t withstand the sometimes brutal Wyoming winters along with the never-ending workload. She didn’t doubt Caleb would hold his