by Connie Mann
He waited for her to say more, but she didn’t.
“How did you like school? Were you a bookworm?”
She laughed. “How did you guess? I’ve always been a big reader, and I enjoyed homeschool, enjoyed learning new things.”
“What made you become a monkey researcher? Besides growing up out here?”
She didn’t answer for a long time, and he wondered if he’d crossed some boundary he shouldn’t have.
“I was fascinated by the monkeys, especially the way they interact with each other. Mary was too. Some of their behavior seems very human. I liked watching the mamas handle their young. They are tough, and they don’t put up with any shenanigans.” She smiled. “When I needed to choose a major at FSU, this seemed like the logical choice.”
He heard something in her voice. “Is it still the logical choice? Or are you rethinking your future plans?”
“I will always want to work outside with animals, especially monkeys. I’d love to do more teaching, especially with children, sharing my love of the rhesus macaques with them. It’s the research part I’m second-guessing. I’ve discovered I don’t really like spending days on end by myself. I guess I’m more of a social animal than I realized.” She sent him a rueful smile. “This grant research study is my final project. Then I’ll have to figure out what’s next.”
“Would you ever come back here? To live?” The question popped out, and he froze, waiting, feeling like his future hinged on her answer.
She met his gaze for long moments, and he saw longing, attraction, and regret swirling in the blue of her eyes. “No. I can’t stay here. Not ever.”
Despite the finality in her tone, he turned on the charm. “You know the old saying, Xena. ‘Never say never,’” he teased.
She shook her head and opened her mouth to argue, but then they spotted lights approaching on the river.
He pulled out his night-vision goggles and handed her the binoculars. “Not sure how much you’ll be able to see, but it can’t hurt.”
The sound of an outboard motor pierced the quiet. Instead of the usual running lights, it looked like someone was sitting at the bow of a small johnboat, shining a flashlight into the water ahead of them. Josh could make out a second man at the stern, hand on the tiller, guiding them through the water.
As they watched, a light flashed on and off from the opposite bank, almost directly across from their location. Josh went on alert, and he felt Delilah stiffen beside him. They waited as the boat slowly made its way toward them and then pulled into a small natural alcove where the light had been.
Josh wished there were a way to get close enough to hear what was being said. He glanced up into the tree canopy. Though the trees met halfway across the river, he could never cross from one to the other without anybody hearing or seeing him.
The two men climbed out of the boat, tied the bowline to a tree, then disappeared several paces into the forest. The light came on, and Josh could make out two additional men. There were stacks of boxes on the ground, and he leaned forward, straining to see, when one of the men used a crowbar to pry open the lid on the first box. Unfortunately, from this angle, he couldn’t tell what was inside, but the crates looked the right length to hold guns. Of course, they could be filled with something completely innocuous, like canned goods, but you didn’t schedule a clandestine meeting to hand off SpaghettiOs.
He reached for his phone, knowing he wouldn’t be able to zoom in far enough, when he heard the soft click of a shutter beside him. Delilah was busily snapping pictures of what was happening. He hoped she could capture their faces, but he knew it was a long shot. They were all wearing ball caps pulled low.
They heard the quiet murmur of conversation, and then the men picked up the boxes, two people per box, and loaded them into the boat. Josh shifted, trying to get a better look, and knocked his backpack out of the tree. He lunged for it and almost lost his balance. Delilah grabbed the back of his shirt and held tight while he caught his balance.
They both froze, horrified, as the heavy pack landed with a thump. He winced as his metal water bottle clanked against a rock below. The sound carried across the water, and the men’s heads snapped up. Josh clasped Delilah’s hand as one of the men turned on a powerful spotlight and scanned the area. When the light hit the ground beneath their tree and started moving higher, Josh whispered, “Close your eyes.” The reflection could give away their location.
They sat, hands clasped and hearts pounding as the man shone the light around for what seemed like hours. He finally turned it off, and they let out a sigh of relief. The men quickly loaded the rest of the boxes, and less than ten minutes after they’d arrived, the boat pulled away and headed back the way it had come, sitting much lower in the water.
Josh and Delilah stayed where they were until the sound of the motor faded in the distance. When she would have started down, he put a hand on her arm and whispered, “Give it a few more minutes. In case the guys on shore haven’t left yet.”
She nodded and tucked her camera away while they waited. Sure enough, several minutes later, Josh saw the light flash on and off once more, and a few minutes after that, they heard the sound of a truck starting off in the distance.
To be safe, he waited another ten minutes before he said, “We should be okay to leave now.”
If they were lucky, Hunter would have intercepted the truck near the paved road. Delilah nimbly climbed back down the tree and waited for him at the base. As they headed toward the truck, he admired her sure steps in the dark. She was a mass of contradictions but definitely a woman who could take care of herself and knew her way around a forest. The thought made him grin.
* * *
Delilah hurried toward Josh’s truck, eager to see if she had caught anyone’s face. She wavered between hoping it was Aaron’s and hoping it wasn’t. The whole crazy merry-go-round made her feel seasick, but she was determined to get answers. No matter what they were.
Josh held the door for her, and she climbed inside. Once he slid in, he pulled up a map on his phone. “Nothing from Hunter, so I don’t know if he got my text, but I’ll try again. Hopefully, he can find that spot across the river. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a match to the tire treads or find some other evidence at the site of the meeting.”
As he drove toward their campsite, Delilah scrolled through the photos, hope sinking as they confirmed what she already knew. Everyone had kept their heads down, making it impossible to see past the bills of their caps. She sank back with a sigh.
“Nothing?” Josh asked.
“No. They were very careful.”
“I’ll still send the pictures to Byte, our tech wizard, see if he can get something.”
When they pulled up to the camper, Josh put a hand on her arm to stop her from sliding out immediately. “Let me check it out first, okay?”
She watched him step inside, gun drawn, completely calm, and her heart rate settled. His confidence bolstered her own. They were going to figure this out.
Once he gave the all clear, they sat side by side on the sofa as she showed him the photos. They hunched over the small screen, desperate for some clue, some small movement that would help them identify the four men, but found nothing. Delilah handed him the SD card, and he sent the images to Byte, then emailed Hunter whatever info they had.
“I asked Hunter to check if anyone has a permit for trapping rhesus macaques out here, just in case. We’ll also see if the gum wrapper turns up anything.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I know the monkeys aren’t your favorite thing.”
“I never said that. I don’t know what the answer is, but the increasing cases of aggression mean there has to be some kind of management plan.”
Delilah didn’t like it, but a part of her understood. She slumped back against the sofa. “What do you think was in those boxes?” They looked similar to the ones sh
e’s seen in Aaron’s pickup.
He looked up from the computer. “Based on the weight and size, my money’s on guns.”
“Who were those men? Since Mary wrote about the place in her journal or at least about some sort of meeting, this has happened before. But is it connected to this militia meeting Kimberly mentioned?”
Josh sent her an admiring glance. “That’s what we have to find out.”
Delilah leaned her head back and closed her eyes, trying to put the pieces together, but the picture wouldn’t come clear. None of it seemed to fit together, and none of it made sense. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to. Maybe none of this had anything to do with her family or with Mary. And maybe there really was a Santa Claus.
Her eyes popped open when Josh took her hands and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He steadied her and then tucked her hair behind her ears, making her glad she’d pulled off the wig as soon as they’d gotten back. He cupped her cheeks and smiled gently. “We’re getting closer. And we’re going to find your sister. Don’t get discouraged. And don’t give up.”
His eyes flicked to her lips, and Delilah licked them self-consciously, drawing his eyes again. He leaned in slowly, and so did she, his breath warm on her face. He stroked his thumb over her cheek, and awareness rippled through her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, desperate suddenly to feel his lips on hers.
“If you don’t want me to kiss you, now’s the time to say so.” His voice was low, but his eyes blazed green fire.
Delilah’s stomach swooped at the look in his eyes, and she smiled as she pulled him close, sighing as they fit together, curves and angles meeting at just the right places. She sent him a saucy smile. “What took you so long, Hollywood?”
He was smiling as his lips closed over hers, warm and featherlight as he ran his hands over her back and down the curve of her backside. She tunneled her hands into the hair at his nape, enjoying the feel of the soft strands.
He pulled back slightly, and they studied each other before he leaned in slowly and kissed her again, soft and tempting, nibbling at her lips as though he had nothing more important to do for the next millennia.
After a while, impatience got the best of her, and she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth, and the passion he’d kept banked till now burst into flame. The kiss went deeper, hotter, the glide of teeth and tongues sending a shock of pleasure to her very core. Her hands reached up to tangle in his hair again as she plastered herself against his rock-hard chest, wanting to get closer, ever closer.
His hands tightened on her waist, and he bit down lightly on her lower lip. She moaned and ran her hands under his shirt while his lips blazed a trail from her neck to the vee of her blouse. His eyes blazed fire as he unbuttoned first one button, then another, until they were all undone and he pushed it from her shoulders.
“You are so beautiful.” He trailed kisses over her collarbone, then across her chest and between the cups of her white cotton bra. He looked up, grinned. “Very practical. But in the way.”
His hands left a trail of fire everywhere he touched, and she arched her back, wanting more.
The world tilted suddenly as he scooped her into his arms, heading for the bedroom.
“I’m not staying.” The thought screamed through her head, a loud screech reminding her to stop and think. To decide. Instead of getting swept away by passion.
He froze, and his eyes shot to hers.
Her face heated like it was on fire. Had she really said that out loud?
Apparently, she had.
He slowly lowered her to her feet. “Then it’s better we don’t start something that isn’t going anywhere.”
She wanted to argue, say they’d just enjoy the moment and not worry about tomorrow, but the words wouldn’t come. It wasn’t that simple, and they both knew it.
He leaned in for one quick kiss, then smiled at her. “Off to bed with you, woman. I’ll take the bunks.”
She opened her mouth to say more, to try to explain, but he stopped her with a finger on her lips. “Go to bed, Delilah. Or we’ll both regret it in the morning.”
Heat and want still blazed in his eyes as he stepped out of the camper and closed the door behind him.
She tugged her shirt on, heart still pounding. She had her hand on the knob to burst through the door and tell him she’d changed her mind, but she pulled it back. It was better this way. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall in love with the green-eyed lawman.
She ignored the little voice in her heart that told her she already had.
Chapter 21
Delilah woke just past dawn the next morning, disoriented. She raised up on her elbows and looked around. Tiny windows, built-in cabinet, small television mounted to the wall. The Tanners’ camper. Got it.
She’d slept better last night than she had in a very long time, which surprised her. After that epic faux pas, she’d expected to stay awake, obsessing and replaying the embarrassing scene. Maybe the exhaustion of the past week had caught up to her, or maybe it was knowing Josh was nearby.
As she slid out of bed, she decided she’d pretend nothing had happened. After a quick stop in the bathroom to get dressed, she tiptoed into the kitchen and quietly searched the cabinets, looking for coffee.
“I’m up. No need to be quiet.”
Delilah spun to find him lying on the couch, the blanket low on his hips, bare chest and washboard abs on display. He had one arm tucked behind his head, and between that and the low rumble of his voice, her mouth went dry. Be still my heart. “I, ah, thought you were sleeping in the bunks.”
The camper had one bedroom plus a built-in set of bunks at the other end. “I had planned to. But I fell asleep before I made it that far.” He tossed the blanket aside and stood, and Delilah swallowed hard at the sight of him wearing nothing but a pair of blue plaid boxers. Boxers that were tented in front, she noticed.
“You sleep okay?” he asked.
It took a moment for his question to register, and when her gaze slid up to his face, his twinkling eyes said he’d caught her staring.
“Ah, yes. Thanks. You?”
“As well as could be expected. Considering.”
She stiffened. “Considering what?” Her hands fisted on her hips.
“Considering my feet hang off the end of the sofa and the cushions are lumpy.” He cocked one eyebrow. “What did you think I meant?”
Oh, she so wasn’t going there. As he walked by, he chuckled as he cupped her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
She had toast going, coffee ready, and was whipping a few eggs by the time he reemerged, fully clothed, the spicy scent of whatever soap or aftershave he used drifting in his wake. He reached around her for a mug, purposefully crowding her, and poured coffee.
She looked over her shoulder, and their eyes met, his lit with a teasing glint. “Cut it out,” she warned, carefully pouring the egg mixture into the frying pan. The man was making her crazy. She let out a sigh of relief when his cell phone rang.
“Tanner.” He glanced at the clock. “We can be there in about thirty minutes. 10-4. See you then.” He set the phone on the counter. “That was Hunter. He’s got some new information.”
Delilah scrambled the eggs while he sent a few emails. Then, while he did dishes, she put on her wig, reminding her reflection to quit thinking about Josh’s gorgeous body and focus on finding her sister.
* * *
As Josh drove toward Tanner’s Outpost, he searched for a way to dispel the lingering awkwardness. He’d tried teasing Delilah, but that hadn’t worked, especially since his first thought was to yank her into his arms for a repeat of last night. Just thinking about it had kept him up far too late—and had woken him up hard as a rock this morning.
But that was his problem and one he needed to deal with. Fast. Though he was technic
ally “on vacation,” he was still an FWC officer. And she was still tied to a current case.
“I’m not staying.”
She hadn’t meant to say that aloud, given her shocked expression, but the reminder had knocked him upside the head. He didn’t do casual sex or halfway relationships, and he was pretty sure she didn’t either. If he was in, he was all in. Which meant he shouldn’t start something with a woman who’d be leaving in a week or two. That was just stupid. He wasn’t looking for more heartache, thanks very much. He still had the scars Elaine left behind.
When they reached Charlee’s cottage, Delilah pulled a ball cap over the blond wig she’d braided on the drive and added glasses, ready to hop out of the truck.
“Look, Delilah. About last night—”
She aimed an impersonal smile over her shoulder. “We should get in there.”
Guess she didn’t want to talk about it.
He kissed Charlee’s cheek, and they joined the squad in her small living room. Pete, in his green sheriff’s deputy uniform, stood off to one side in a heated discussion with Fish, who was dressed in FWC khaki. He towered over her, but that didn’t stop her from propping her hands on her hips and giving attitude right back. Josh’s eyes met Hunter’s, and the other man rolled his eyes. Pete and Fish were like oil and water, forever arguing about something.
“Did Byte get anything from Delilah’s pics?” Josh asked.
Hunter shook his head as he scrolled through the photos. “These guys were really careful. He’s hoping to enhance the images enough for facial rec, but…” He shrugged. “I did find the meeting place, though. Good directions, Hollywood, and Pete had the sheriff’s techs take tire impressions and search for any other evidence. They’re also combing databases for folks with militia leanings, any mention of an alliance, and comparing notes with Byte.”