Excerpt:

Suddenly, Brandon was there beside her, his hand on her shoulder, and his lips captured hers in a crushing, demanding kiss. She drew in her breath as excitement filled her and her arms reached up to pull his head more firmly against hers.

"I was afraid you decided to leave me behind," she whispered when their mouths parted.

"I will never leave you, Meredith."

She loved the way he pronounced her name, making the sound of it so beautiful. "Truly? I seem such a burden, but really, I'm strong. If we need to climb, I can climb. Swim, I can swim. I'm small, I know, but I'm strong."

His smile was radiant as he bent her head upward. "I should not have kissed you, I know. I probably frightened you more than the enclosed cave."

"It's all right. We're drawn together because of the situation. Touching, kissing, somehow gives some comfort." She ran her fingers over his lips. "You probably have someone waiting for you on the outside."

"No."

Meredith sighed. "I haven't either."

"There must be men who admires you." When she did not answer, he said, "I admire you. You are very brave, strong for a female."

Meredith laughed, her voice echoing in the cavern. "Ever a male qualifying strong with a reflect on my gender. I'm strong, period, Mr. Battlesworth."

"I have offended you?"

"You get me out of here, I'll forgive you. If you take off and leave me, I'll find a way out myself." She softened then. "But it's nicer with company, Brandon."

"I have discovered another grotto. We have only to climb up to that opening." He pointed it out to her and her eyes, now adjusted to the dark with him so near, saw the slit above.

"Yes, I see it. When you are near, I somehow see."

"After you crawl through, there is a long, low, narrow passage. Keep crawling as it veers downward. I will be directly behind."

"Brandon, I don't think we're alone. All the while you were gone, I felt eyes looking at me. I'd turn but not see anything, but I'm sure we're not alone."

Chuckling, he squeezed her shoulder. "Hodags."

"Hodags? An animal? A cave-dweller?"

"Not quite. Let's sit for a moment." He drew her down with him. "Hodags feed on fear." He placed his arm lightly around her shoulders. "Do not show fear and they will not hurt you, but if you panic, hodags surround you, suffocating you."

Meredith's mouth arced in a small smile. "Oh, they're not real then."

"To some, they are very real. I do not fear them or the cave so I never see them, but I have heard people cry out in fear, and to them a hodag is very real. They are a myth, but do not myths sometimes come from reality? I'll bet you have heard a lot of stories about such things, and sometimes, truth stranger than fiction. Isn't that what people say?"

"Yes, that's what people say." Meredith leaned her head on his shoulder. "When you are near me, I'm not afraid. When you are with me, I can see in the dark, but when you leave, I'm alone in a dark void, seeing nothing."

"I only leave you when it is necessary. I promise, I will always return. Truly, I have seen no one here. There is only us."

"I've never had to depend on anyone before. I plotted my own path. Oh, I felt lost for a few weeks after my folks died in a senseless automobile accident. My friend, Tom and his family, were supportive, helped me through, but mostly, I coped on my own. I hold an important job in a world of men, competing with them on equal terms." She was proud she had always been independent, and she admitted, it was hard for her to accept her fear and Brandon's leadership. She never completely relied on anyone, not even her parents. "But down here I'm entirely out of my element." She clasped his hand. "I'm so glad you're here to lead me."

"And it is time for me to do so." He stood and pulled her to her feet.

Brandon boosted Meredith so she could get a handhold and climb to the opening, then shinnied through it, following his directions. The going was incredibly hard, and many times, Meredith doubted she would be able to squeeze her body through the narrow space. Brandon's earlier exploration and return did not take half the time, and she wondered how it was possible. He was larger than she, yet he seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her, always just behind her even in the smallest of places. When they reached the end of the tunnel, she planned to ask him, but at the moment, she doubted she could crawl another foot.

Breathing hard, she stopped and lay still.

"Keep moving, Meredith," Brandon ordered.

Meredith wanted to retort that he sounded like a drill sergeant, but she did not have the energy. Her body was sweaty and dirty, her hands sore and her nails were broken. Her mind began playing tricks on her, telling her that she was crawling to nowhere, reminding her of the minuscule space she was in, even doubting Brandon was behind her. All she heard was the scraping her own body was making. In spite of herself, she sobbed, and let her fear run rampant.

"Do not cry. We are almost there.

Author BIO: Jeannine Van Eperen is a member of South West Writers, RWA, Land of Enchantment Romance Authors, EPIC, and a past member of WisRWA. She and husband, Lou, enjoy travel and have visited about twenty-five countries and all fifty states. Her favorite state is New Mexico where she resides. Much of TRAIL TO BLISS's setting is on or near her nephew's ranch in Arizona. Her other published books are Love and All That Jazz, Hearts in 3/4 Time, Albuquerque, and The French Physician. She was the editor of  the LERA Lyrics for two years. Visit her website http://jvaneperen.tripod.com