AFTER THEY ATE, AND Hunter went off to wash up, Melony sat in front of the fire. Not only did it warm her body, but the smell of the burning wood and the colors of the flames as they danced about were also food for her soul. It struck her as odd that she hadn't once thought about her practice back home since arriving here. Well, not in any great detail, anyway. No, her entire universe now was focused on Alaska and Hunter McFadden. Her life was simpler than it had ever been, yet highly complex at the same time, mostly because of her twisting and turning thoughts where Hunter was concerned.
She poked at the fire with a long stick, mesmerized by the glow of the burning wood. The day was unusually short, and long before it was time the sky had changed color from saffron to a deep blue. The mo
