The feeling only lasted a moment however, since the top of the fence was decidedly uncomfortable to sit upon. Cautiously, she swung her leg over and stared at the ground below. It suddenly seemed much farther away now that she had to jump down. Mel wasn’t overly fond of heights and while six feet wasn’t that high, her stomach still gave a funny little lurch as she contemplated her next move. Realizing that delay wouldn’t make things better, she took a deep breath and jumped.
The landing was less than stellar and she wouldn’t get any points for form or grace. She ended up on her hands and knees in a muddy patch on the driveway. Wincing, she got to her feet and brushed ineffectively at the mud on her pants. Her hands were filthy and her efforts at removing the mud were only making matters worse. Looking around, she decided to make use of the remaining snow and scooped up a handful using it to wash off the mud. It was cold and stung, but at least the filth was gone from her palms.
Drying her hands on her coat sleeve, she hitched her purse over her shoulder and happily set off down the driveway. At least the hard part was over. Walking to the house and talking Taylor should be a breeze in comparison.
Chapter 5
Twenty minutes later, Mel hobbled over to a fallen log and sat down not even caring if the crumbling mossy surface stained her pants or not. Her optimistic spirits were seriously flagging. The fashionable knee high boots, which had seemed eminently suitable in that they made her look taller, were not designed for long walks down an unpaved driveway. She couldn’t even begin to count the number of times she had twisted and wobbled as her four-inch heels made contact with lumps of gravel, throwing her off balance.
Rubbing her sore ankle, and wiggling her protesting toes, Mel frowned, wondering how much farther she’d have to walk before reaching the house. She peered ahead but the drive twisted around yet another bend, obscuring her view of what might be ahead. Compressing her lips, she shook her head. There was obviously something strange about this man. No one in their right mind had this long of a driveway.
When she had first started walking, Mel had taken interest in her surroundings. She had no great knowledge of nature but even she knew that the trees were mostly evergreens with a few deciduous varieties thrown in for good measure. They grew close together, their branches stretching and blending, partially blocking the view of the sky and shading the ground below. Because of this, the temperature seemed much cooler than it had in the more open, sun-drenched space of the road. Still, her coat, combined with the exercise of walking along quickly, had kept her sufficiently warm.
Now that she was sitting, the cold was beginning to seep in, rising up from the cool surface of the log she was perched on, while the dampness of the air began to penetrate through her layers of clothing. Mel rubbed her hands together briskly as she looked around and tried to gain her second wind. Now that she was deeper into the forest, there was considerably more snow lingering on the ground, though some bare patches did exist. Little animal footprints could be seen here and there and she wondered what type of wildlife lived in the area. Nothing too large, she decided based on the size of the tracks.
It was quiet, and beyond the occasional chirping of a bird, the only sound Mel could hear was her own breathing. She inhaled deeply, appreciating the crispness of the air, the scent of pine, and the faint mustiness of the damp ground. The peacefulness seemed to engulf her and she could feel her earlier tension and frustration slipping away. Maybe Taylor wasn’t so crazy. There was a certain sense of calmness, of being one with nature, when you sat in a place like this. She wondered if he’d taken many pictures of the woods yet and if this was where the wolf photograph had originated.
This thought reminded her that she had a job to do and Mel heaved herself up from her temporary seat. Her feet protested, but she promised them a nice long soak in a hot tub if they’d just carry her a little farther. She’d only walked a short distance when she sensed something different. A feeling of unease washed over her; a certain prickling of her skin, an awareness that the atmosphere of the forest seemed to have changed suddenly. The birds were quiet now and the air seemed charged.
It was a ridiculous thought, considering she was in the middle of nowhere, but it felt like something was watching her every move. Looking around, she peered into the depths of the trees, but only saw trunks and underbrush, patches of snow and muddy ground. Nonetheless, she hurried her pace. Years of living in the city had ingrained in her the idea that walking alone in deserted parking lots or alleys was a bad idea. The concept probably transferred to forests as well.