Giddon paused at a mud hole and pointed at a track. "Bear."
It wasn't the first time she had seen a bear track, but it was the first time she had seen one that fresh. As a girl, she had wandered the woods with friends. It was always exciting in an alarming way. But then so was the scream of a mountain lion, and she had never seen one of those, either. Like an Avon notice on a doorknob, the tracks in the mud were proof of an unobserved visit. It was a sobering reminder that a bear had been on this spot - possibly only minutes earlier. She scooted closer to him, frightened and yet intrigued.
After what seemed like hours of traveling down trails that were little more than rockslides, Giddon stopped the ATV and shut off the engine.
"End of the trail. We'll have to walk from here." At her anxious look, he smiled. "It isn't far."
It wasn't the distance that alarmed her. It was the fact that she had no idea where they were. He could have led her deep into the woods with intent to harm. She glanced around for some kind of weapon as they walked, and soon came up with a walking stick. He looked it over and commented on the sturdy quality and length. It occurred to her that he knew her intended use for it. His expression was nothing if not amiable, yet there was a twinkle in his eyes that belied the surface calm. It was as if he was mocking her. Maybe he thought the stick would be useless. Maybe it would, but it was something.
The country was wild and beautiful. Monstrous gray rocks jutted up from the earth and found themselves entwined with honeysuckle and briar vines. The steep slopes gave way to ravines where water had carried away the soil, leaving wide trails of flat stones.
"There's enough rock here to build a housing development," she commented as they worked their way across a jumble of flat red rocks.
He nodded. "Yes, but this is park land. You're not allowed to take as much as a plant from it."
"It must be nice having your land so close to the park."
He grunted. "I planned it that way. The park borders my land on three sides."
"You must like seclusion." She was walking behind him, trying unsuccessfully to keep up with his long strides. He didn't respond, and she thought it best to direct her energy to walking rather than talking.