by Lara Lacombe
Once again, he marveled at her strength. Not a lot of people would be able to function in the wake of their child’s kidnapping, much less drive several hours alone and strong-arm someone into mounting a search.
He felt a twinge of guilt at the way he’d initially treated her. At least he’d kept the worst of his doubts to himself. He might have thought she was crazy at first, but he was glad he hadn’t shown it. The more he got to know Emma, the more convinced he became that she was someone special.
He was a bit surprised to find himself wanting to get to know a woman better. It wasn’t just sexual attraction driving him, though he had to admit she was quite pretty. He let his gaze drift across her body to land on her rear, and for a split second, he wondered what it would feel like to cup her there. She’d been a tangle of heat and curves in his arms when he’d caught her earlier, but he hadn’t really registered the contact between their bodies until after it was over. And while he certainly hadn’t meant to cop a feel, he wouldn’t object to getting his hands on her again.
Not gonna happen, he told himself silently. Emma was searching for her lost baby—no way in hell was she going to be interested in anything but finding her daughter. He felt a little skeevy for even considering it, but he’d never been good at controlling his imagination.
He cleared his throat. If they kept talking, he wouldn’t have to worry about his fantasies taking over his thoughts.
“I just realized,” he said as they rounded a bend in the trail, “I don’t know what you do for a living.”
“Oh.” Emma sounded surprised, as if she hadn’t realized she hadn’t shared that information with him yet. “I’m a nurse.”
Her answer didn’t surprise him. She had a no-nonsense vibe that likely served her well in the job. But he knew underneath her tough exterior she had a caring heart.
“What kind of nurse?”
“Emergency room,” she replied.
No wonder she was so calm under these trying circumstances. That explained her stamina, too—she probably spent her entire shift on her feet or running from one place to another. It was no mystery why she was in such good shape.
“I bet you’ve seen some interesting stuff,” he said.
She smiled briefly. “I’ve had my share of entertaining patients. It’s the funny or strange cases that help get me through the tragic ones, you know?”
“Kind of,” Matt said. “I saw some pretty messed up things while I was deployed, but there were also a few absurd situations where I just had to laugh or I’d go crazy.”
Emma nodded. “That’s exactly it. You take the humor where you can find it, even if it’s pretty dark at times.” She smiled at him, and he felt a moment of true understanding pass between them. For the first time in years, he felt like someone else got him on a visceral, soul-deep level. It was a kinship he’d found in the army but had missed after returning home. Even the park rangers, while a close-knit community, were missing that vital spark he’d shared with his fellow soldiers. He was a little surprised to feel that connection now, of all times, but he wasn’t about to dismiss it.
The question was, did Emma feel it, too?
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her, but how could he phrase it so he didn’t sound creepy? He didn’t want to give the impression he was trying to hit on her. He just wanted to know if this sensation was all one-sided, or if she shared it.
But before he could find the right words, she darted off the trail like a bloodhound who’d found a scent. Matt hurried after her, pushing past bushes and wading through a bit of tall grass until she stopped in a small clearing a few feet away.
She stood in the middle, eyeing the ground intently. He followed her line of sight, but saw nothing. Why had she suddenly veered off to this spot? Was this one of the places she’d camped as a child?
“Emma?”
She ignored him and began to slowly turn in a circle, her gaze locked on the grass and dirt as she moved. It was clear she was looking for something, but what?
After a moment, her shoulders relaxed and she frowned. “Sorry,” she said. “I could have sworn I saw a glint of something from the trail.” She sounded dejected, and he could tell she was getting discouraged.
He glanced around, hoping to see something she had missed. But all he saw was dirt and gravel and a bit of grass—nothing that would have gleamed in the light of the afternoon sun.
“I’m sorry,” he said, stepping forward. “Is this close to where you camped a lot as a child? Is that why you thought to look here?”
She shrugged. “We did camp nearby once, but it wasn’t one of our regular spots. I really did think I had seen something, though. That’s why I left the trail.”
“We can stay and search if you want,” he said. It was getting too late in the day to go much farther. Might as well go through this spot carefully so they could mark it off their list.
“That’s fine,” she said. But she didn’t sound enthusiastic.
“I bet you did see something,” he said, trying to boost her spirits. “People leave trash behind a lot.”
“Yeah, but it’s probably just an empty chip bag or something equally generic,” she said. “That won’t help us.”
“No.” He began to walk in an ever-widening circle, scanning the area near his feet for debris of a man-made variety. “But at least we’ll know.”
They were quiet a moment as they worked, moving in opposite directions so as not to step on each other’s toes. He’d just about completed his circuit when he heard Emma suck in a breath.
“Matt,” she said, her voice tight. “Look at this.”
He turned to find her holding up what looked like an empty foil pouch. A plastic nozzle stuck out of one end and as he moved closer, he realized it was a squeezable yogurt that had been left behind.
Emma’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement. “This is what I saw—the light reflecting off the foil.”
He nodded. “Probably so. You look like you recognize it?”
She grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet a little as she held it up for his inspection. “Yes, I do. I give them to Christina all the time. She loves them—can’t get enough.”
And you think your brother left this trash behind. It was clear Emma had made that assumption, and Matt’s heart ached a bit for her. While it was technically possible her brother and baby had camped here, it was a lot more likely the wrapper had been left behind by a random innocent hiker. Who knew how long the trash had been here?
“It might not be from your brother,” he said, trying to manage her expectations. He understood her need to believe they were on the right track, but he didn’t want to see her get her hopes too high. Even if the wrapper did turn out to be from Joseph and Christina, there was no way of knowing where they had gone after leaving this site. Assuming he had brought the baby here in the first place, he might be long gone by now. Perhaps he’d crossed into Mexico and had disappeared in one of the border towns? It was a possibility he didn’t dare bring up to Emma, but one he had to consider nonetheless.
“It is,” she said with certainty. “I’m sure of it.”
“How do you know?” He was curious to hear her logic, to assess if she was merely engaging in wishful thinking, or if she had a solid reason for believing this particular piece of trash had been left by her brother.
“This is Christina’s favorite flavor,” she said.
Matt smiled sadly. “How would your brother know that?” he asked gently.
Emma’s confident expression faltered a bit, but then she shook her head. “He took some food from me when he kidnapped her. I didn’t notice it until later, after the police had left. But there were several baby food and yogurt pouches missing. This was one of them.” She shook the wrapper slightly in emphasis.
Matt held up a hand. “Okay,” he said, conceding the point. He knew no matter wha
t he said, Emma believed the trash in her hand had been left behind by Joseph. And maybe that was the truth. But her brother wasn’t around now, and that was the most important point.
He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Any idea where he might have gone now?”
Emma shook her head, a troubled light chasing away the gleam of excitement in her eyes. “No. But I have to think we’re getting close.”
Maybe, Matt thought.
For her sake, he hoped she was right.
Chapter 4
“We need to stop soon.”
Matt’s words filled Emma with dismay. “But we just got started—we can’t quit now!”
“It’s getting late in the day,” he said.
She glanced at the sky. The sun was sinking lower, but there was still plenty of daylight left. Enough to suit her, anyway.
Matt followed her gaze. “There’s maybe two hours of full light left,” he said. “That gives us enough time to get back to the station before night sets in.”
She couldn’t argue with him on that point, but a sense of desperation rose in her chest at the thought of stopping. She couldn’t shake the feeling they were getting close to finding Christina and Joseph. If they went back to the ranger station, it would give her brother even more time to take her baby farther into the park. She hated the thought of losing his trail when they might be over the very next ridge.
“Can’t we make camp somewhere?” She sounded desperate, even to her own ears. But she had no pride when it came to finding Christina. “It’ll save us having to retrace our steps in the morning.”
Matt looked reluctant. “We can...” He trailed off, let out a sigh. “But my tent isn’t very big. It’ll be cramped quarters.”
“I don’t care,” she said reflexively. Matt didn’t look thrilled at the thought of sharing a small space with her, but she truly didn’t mind. She’d sleep with the devil himself if it meant getting her baby back.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” he muttered.
“If you don’t want to camp with me, just leave the tent and come back for me tomorrow.” It wouldn’t bother Emma to stay out here alone. She’d continue to hike until dark, then settle in for a sleepless night of worrying. Neither activity required company.
“I will not.” Matt looked mildly scandalized at her suggestion. “I told you I’d search with you, and part of that job involves keeping you safe while we look. I’m a park ranger—I’m not going to leave you out here by yourself. Besides, you’d probably spend all night looking, and wind up getting into trouble because you stepped on a snake you didn’t see until it was too late.”
She had to smile at his imagination. “It’s a distinct possibility,” she admitted.
“Okay,” he said. “We can make camp tonight, but we need to head back to base tomorrow to restock our supplies.”
“After we spend the morning searching,” Emma said quickly.
Matt nodded. “Yes. After we spend some time looking for your baby.”
It was a fair compromise, even though Emma would prefer to stay on the trails until they had success. But logically she knew they had to be careful. She’d be no good to her daughter if she let herself go hungry and get dehydrated.
“There’s a flat stretch not far ahead,” Matt said. “It’ll be a good spot to set up the tent for the night.”
“Sounds good,” she replied.
They hiked in silence for a few more minutes, rounding a bend that skirted the bottom of a large hill. As Matt had promised, the ground leveled out, and she spotted a clear expanse bordered by a line of cactus and scrub.
“This looks like a nice spot,” he said.
“Sure.” Emma knew she didn’t sound enthusiastic, but it was hard to switch gears from actively searching for Christina to settling down for the night.
Matt knelt and placed his pack on the ground. Emma stood nearby, feeling out of place as he began to unstrap the tent from his bag.
“I’ll go gather some kindling for a fire,” she said, needing something to occupy her hands and mind.
“Don’t bother,” Matt said. “There’s a burn ban in effect in the park.”
“Oh.” Now she felt even more useless.
Matt glanced up, his gaze assessing. “Here.” He rummaged in his pack and tossed something at her. Emma reflexively caught it and looked down to find it was a jar of peanut butter.
She held it up. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
He fished out a sleeve of bread and a bottle of honey. “I figured you could start on dinner.”
“I see.” It was something to do, but the thought of making sandwiches in the dirt was less than appealing.
Matt picked up on her hesitation. “Would you rather set up the tent?” He placed the supports in a pile and began to unroll the fabric.
“No, I’ll make sandwiches.” She slipped off her pack and placed it on the ground to use as a sort of table. She plopped down and reached for the food, then grabbed a knife from her own bag.
They were quiet for the next few minutes, each focusing on their respective task. Emma tried to push her worries to the back of her mind, but Christina dominated her thoughts. They should have gone farther, walked a bit longer before stopping for the night.
A gust of wind rustled the bushes nearby, and for a second, Emma swore she heard the faint cry of a baby. “That’s her!” She jumped to her feet, the sandwiches forgotten. She started down the trail, determined to find her baby.
She didn’t make it more than twenty feet before Matt dashed past her and stopped, forcing her to either halt or run into him. She skidded on the loose gravel, hitting his chest as she came to a stop.
Matt’s arms wrapped around her before she could change direction. “Let me go!” She struggled to break free from his hold, but he didn’t release her.
“It’s not her,” he said.
“It is,” Emma insisted. Panic clawed up her throat, and she redoubled her efforts. Her baby was crying nearby—she had to get to her!
Matt drew her closer, pressing her against his chest. “That wasn’t a baby,” he said. His voice was calm, his hold firm but gentle. “It’s not Christina. You have to believe me.”
She heard the sound again and tensed her muscles, preparing to kick her way free. Matt’s arms tightened around her. “Listen closer,” he urged. “That’s a mountain lion.”
Emma stilled, straining to listen. The cry reached her ears once more, and this time, she heard a strange note that sounded more animal than human.
All the fight left her, and her muscles went limp. If it weren’t for Matt’s grip, she would have fallen to the ground. He adjusted his hold, taking her weight as she dropped her head to his shoulder.
Sobs rose in her chest, breaking free with great, heaving bellows. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, soaking into the fabric of his shirt. She hadn’t meant to cry, but once she started she wasn’t able to stop. Emotions poured out of her—all the stress, anger, worry and terror she’d been holding inside finally breaking free. She sobbed until her lungs ached and her eyes were swollen and gritty.
She wasn’t sure how long she cried. Matt held her through it all, his chest absorbing the sound of her sobs along with the flow of her tears. Gradually, she became aware of his hand stroking up and down her back in a comforting caress. His touch was gentle and unobtrusive; she focused on the feel of his hands on her body, using the sensation as an anchor in her emotional hurricane.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, his voice close to her ear. “I should have warned you.”
Emma leaned back to wipe her cheeks and found the skin clammy from her tears. “It’s not your fault,” she said dully. She felt empty now, like a hollowed-out log left to rot. “I’ve heard mountain lions before. I just forgot how much they sound like a baby.”
“Especially wh
en you’re searching for your own.” His tone was gentle, understanding even.
Matt loosened his grip and Emma stepped back, putting some space between them. She looked up to meet his face, her gaze catching on some red marks marring the skin of his arms.
Her lips parted as shame filled her. “Did I do that to you?”
Matt tilted his head to the side. “Do what?”
She pointed at his forearms, and he looked down. “Oh.” He blinked at the scratches, apparently noticing them for the first time. “It’s no big deal.”
“It is to me,” she said. Guilt filled her as she studied the evidence of her struggles. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have fought you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Matt said, brushing aside her apology. “I understand why you did it.”
She appreciated his quick forgiveness, but still felt bad. “At least let me take care of those scratches. I’d hate for them to get infected.”
“That sounds a bit dramatic,” he said.
“I insist,” Emma said. “Take it from me—fingernails are filthy. You’d be surprised how many people wind up in the ER with an infected scrape because they didn’t clean it properly.”
He nodded. “I’ll defer to your expertise then.” He held up his arm, indicating she should precede him back to the campsite.
Emma started down the trail, embarrassed over her actions but oddly grateful to have something to do. Once back at the bags, she knelt and began to rummage through her pack for her first aid kit.
Matt stopped nearby, waiting patiently while she gathered her supplies. She dressed his scratches quickly and competently, relieved to find they weren’t too deep. She felt his gaze on her the whole time, watching her hands as she worked.
She considered stalling so she wouldn’t have to meet his eyes yet. The last time she had cried like that was after getting the news that Chris had died. It felt cleansing in a way, the release of all those pent-up emotions. But she also felt a little uncertain and insecure. She hadn’t meant to break down in front of Matt. He’d handled it well, though. If her tears had bothered him, he showed no sign of it.