Snakes? I’m not a fan. In fact, my Kribsdom is kind enough to refer to them as “sneks” so that I don’t even have to hear the word. I would never have been able to handle this scene as well as my characters did. Read on for a sneak peek at the newest installment of the Wolf Creek series, coming out on August 15, 2019.
~Excerpt:
It didn’t take long for Luke to descend the steep, tree-studded hillside. And then he was on his knees beside her. His hands were steady and solid, moving and squeezing along her arms and legs. He rubbed his fingers over her skull and around to the back of her neck. “How badly are you hurt, baby?”
Bailey wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, the result coming out like a hiccup.
“Hi.” She took a slow breath. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Luke sat back on his haunches for a moment, a smile playing around his lips. “So am I, babe. So am I.” Turning serious again, he looked her over, his flashlight scanning the area surrounding them. “How badly are you hurt?” He asked again.
Bailey looked up at him, trying to study his face in the dark. “I wrenched my back or something when I fell. And I landed wrong on my knee. I don’t think anything is broken, but my back hurts too bad to sit up. I can’t walk.”
“Do you think you can handle it if I roll you over?”
“No!” Bailey moved her arms to stop him.
“I need to know what we’re dealing with here.” His voice was calm and reasonable, almost as if he found humor in the situation, though she knew he didn’t. No, his calm façade was likely part of his job.
“Snakes, Luke.”
“Sorry?”
“That’s what we’re dealing with. Snakes.”
Luke moved his light around slowly, searching the ground around her.
“I don’t see any snakes, hon.”
She gritted her teeth, really, really not wanting to say it aloud. “It’s, um, cuddling with me.” She could see Luke’s lips twitching. “Don’t you dare laugh!”
Luke lost control and laughed aloud. “I’m sorry. I swear.”
“Just get him–it, out of my shirt. Now, Luke.” She wailed when he continued to chuckle.
“Okay. Let’s roll you onto your side.”
“No!”
Luke paused, his hands outstretched a few inches above her. “I promise not to hurt you.”
“It’s not that. I trust you.”
“Umm?” He drew out the sound, apparently at a loss for what her problem was.
“If I move, it’ll move, and I’ll feel it. I don’t want to feel it, Luke.”
God love the man, this time he didn’t laugh.
Annie J Kribs 