“Sure you don’t need help?”
He glanced over his shoulder before throwing the end of a rope over a stout branch on the cedar tree. “I’ve got it.” Hoisting the stuff sack full of food high above his head, he tied off the rope, leaving their supplies dangling.
“I would never have known to hang my food. Bears would probably have eaten it—and me—before the first night was over.”
Travis wandered back to the fire and studied her across the leaping flames. “I’m surprised Guthrie rented you a pack. How in the world did you convince him you could be trusted alone in the backcountry?”
She smiled. “I told him I was with you, that we’d had a lover’s quarrel and I was determined to patch up our relationship. Worked like a charm.”
His disbelieving expression morphed into one of pure admiration. “Wow, you’re good.”
“I have my moments.” Reaching down, she stroked Wylie’s rough fur. The dog lay next to the rock where she sat, his eyes focused on the shadowed forest beyond their camp.
“I was hoping a day on the trail would change your mind about this little adventure. Any chance I can convince you to head back to the lodge in the morning?”
Her hand stilled then continued stroking. “I’m afraid not.”
Planting his feet further apart, he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s what I figured. You don’t look like you give up easily.”
“Not on a story.”
He raised one brow. “I hear a but in there.”
She sighed. “When it comes to work, tenacious is my middle name. With relationships, I flee at the first sign of trouble, which is probably why I’m thirty-four and still single.” She stared into the glowing fire and wrinkled her nose. “My mom is afraid at the rate I’m going, I’ll wind up a lonely old maid.”
His lips twitched. “You may have a few good years left.”
“What about you? I think you mentioned something about an ex-wife when we were driving up to the lodge.”
“My marriage didn’t last long. If you ask Val, she’ll tell you I’m the worst sort of workaholic.”
“Would she be right?”
“I’m afraid so.” He shifted and jammed his hands in his pockets. “My marriage ended years ago. Lately I’ve been thinking it’s time to make a change.”
“Easier said than done, I suspect.”
“I imagine so.” The frown lines on his brow smoothed. “I took a first step in that direction before coming up here. I gave my second-in-command a list of new responsibilities and a hefty raise to go with it.”
“That really is progress. When good intentions hit you in the wallet, it means you’re serious.” She hesitated for a moment, picked up a rock and tossed it from hand to hand. “I made a promise to myself not long ago.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“No more relationships doomed to failure before they even get started. No more dating just for the sake of having fun.”
“Is that what you do—did?”
“Pretty much.” She threw the rock and dusted her hands on her shorts. “Rachel says I discard men faster than empty pizza boxes.” Her laugh lacked any hint of amusement. “I live on take-out pizza.”
“Rachel is your sister?”
She nodded. “All my siblings are happily married with kids. I’m the misfit at family gatherings, the cool aunt. After years of holding the title, the novelty has lost its charm.”
“So do something about it.”
“I intend to.”
His eyes widened. “Sounds like you have something specific in mind.”
“I do.”
“Dare I ask what?”
“Sure. I’m going to start by not sleeping with you.”
He cleared his throat and gave her a feeble smile. “Well, that sucks.”
“Doesn’t it? I have a feeling we could have had one hell of a good time.”
Chapter 6
Something shook the underbrush near the tent. A branch snapped. At her feet, Wylie growled low in his throat. Goose bumps pebbled Grace’s skin.
She lifted her head. “Do you think it’s a bear?”
“Sounds more like a raccoon. If we’d left the dog outside like I wanted, we wouldn’t have to worry about wildlife wandering through the camp.”
“He looked so sad.”
Travis snorted.
“Well, he did.” She moved her feet in the sleeping bag, planting them more firmly beneath the dog’s welcome warmth.” Pressed against the tent wall on one side and Travis on the other, space was limited. Between fear of the unknown outside the thin nylon and the threat to her peace of mind on the inside, she’d probably never fall asleep.
“Relax, even if it is a bear, it won’t bother us. I’d back your furry champion against the meanest grizzly.”
Some of the tension drained out of her. “There’s a reason I gave him half my stew.”
“I thought reporters were tougher than old jerky. You’re a marshmallow, Grace.”
Warmth flowed through her at his teasing. In the tight confines of the tent, she could hear every breath he took, smell the scent of his soap, feel each tiny movement. She wanted to roll over and snuggle even closer. Gritting her teeth, she resisted the urge.
He turned on his side and stoked one finger across her cheek, the pad rough against her skin. “I’m not going to put the moves on you, so relax.”
Her heartbeat quickened. “I know you’re not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I wish you’d stop being so damned nice. It makes sticking to my plan twice as hard as it should be.”
In the dark, she felt more than saw his smile.
“Maybe you need a new plan.”
She let out a long sigh. “I don’t sleep with all the men I date.”
“I wasn’t assuming you did.”
Ignoring his interruption, she continued. “I have a five date rule. Most guys never make it past the third.”
“Sounds like you date the wrong sort of men.”
She squirmed onto her side. Their noses were inches apart, his fresh breath fanning her face. “You’re probably right. The thing is, you’re not my type.”
“Surely a point in my favor.”
She shook her head, her hair sticking to the fleece jacket she was using as a pillow. “We don’t even live in the same state. If we start something, it’s doomed from the beginning. Bad idea.”
“You’re right.”
“Then what are you doing?”
His lips grazed her jaw. “One good night kiss seems reasonable.” Inching upward, his mouth settled over hers.
She opened to his invading tongue, tasting him. Her skin flamed as his hand cupped her head, holding her in place. When he finally drew back, she gasped for air as desire burned deep inside her.
“Satisfied?”
“Not exactly.” He flopped onto his back, his chest rising and falling. “But I’m convinced.”
Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she steadied her breathing. “About what?”
“I need to concentrate on finding Sutton. Maybe after we’re all safely out of Alaska, we could have dinner or something...”
“Sure.” The chances of that happening were zip, zero, nada. They both knew it. A little ache settled in her chest. “Good night, Travis.”
“’Night, Grace.”
They didn’t speak, but she knew he wasn’t sleeping. With a sigh, she flipped onto her other side, facing the tent wall. This was a smart decision, so why was she struggling to hold back tears. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She was exhausted and out of her element. Tomorrow, in the light of day, everything would look much brighter.
* * * *
Someone was following them. Travis knew it in his gut, though he hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of the man. The hair at the back of his neck prickled. Damn, he wished Grace had gone back to the lodge. He didn’t want her in harm’s way. But he did want her. After a sleepless night, he was tired and on edge. Not
to mention horny.
“What has your shorts in a bunch this morning?”
He glanced over at her. They traveled side by side on a relatively flat section of trail through an alpine meadow. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and no makeup, she looked closer to twenty than thirty. Which made him a dirty old man.
“My shorts are just fine, thank you.”
“Could have fooled me. You’ve been scowling since we left camp.”
“Someone’s following us.”
She spun and stared, squinting into the sun. It was another beautiful day, but he wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.
“Geez, why don’t you hold up a sign telling him we know he’s back there?”
“I don’t see anyone.”
“Of course you don’t. I’m counting on the fact that he wants to stay hidden.”
Turning, she ran a few steps to catch up. “Then how do you know someone’s there?”
“I just do.”
She was quiet for a moment. “All right, you’re the trained professional, so I assume you know what you’re talking about.”
He rolled his eyes. “Thanks.”
“What do we do?”
“Nothing right now. I don’t anticipate a problem until we hook up with Sutton.”
“And after that?”
Running a hand through his hair, he resettled his Mariners ball cap. “Let’s play it by ear. Based on Sutton’s itinerary, it’ll be another day at least before we run into him. If all goes well.”
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Maybe it’s just a random hiker back there.”
“If you’re right, we’ll either leave him behind, or he’ll catch us.”
“Good point.” Their rhythmic footfalls on the trail and the whisper of tall grass blowing in the breeze were the only sounds in the vast meadow. Grace broke the silence. “Who do you think it is?”
Travis raised an eyebrow. “The man following us?”
She nodded.
“Someone Estrada hired to eliminate Sutton.”
“I know that. I meant who in particular.”
“A guest from the lodge. One of the people who arrived with us. Based on when Sutton’s girlfriend blabbed his location and the flight schedule into Moose Flat, I don’t think anyone could have gotten here sooner unless they were already in Alaska.”
She let out a long breath. “You said he. Does that mean the sisters are in the clear?”
“Alma might be able to handle the job, but what would be the point of dragging Judith along with her? She’d only be in the way.”
“Maybe she’s using her for cover.”
He swatted at a mosquito. “Doubtful.”
“Lou Russo just had heart surgery.”
“So he says.”
She frowned. “You don’t believe him?”
“You lied about writing a travel article.”
“Never trust the word of a hit man. I guess lying would be the least of his faults. So, what about frat boy, Archer, and fisherman, Andy. Are they lying, too?”
“Not necessarily. Assassins can have hobbies.”
She laughed out loud, her amusement ringing in the morning air. “Honey, I’ll be home late tonight. Gotta whack this guy after I catch our dinner.” She shook her head. “None of this seems real.”
“Which is why I don’t want you involved. There isn’t anything funny about what Sutton witnessed.”
Her smile disappeared. “You’re right.” She spread her arms wide. “Drug deals and murder just seem so far removed from this.”
“Maybe that’s why the feds let Sutton come up here without someone to keep an eye on him. Hiding in plain sight with zero chance of running into anyone who’d recognize him.”
“Until he opened his big, fat mouth. What an idiot.”
“I couldn’t agree more. How’d you hear about it?”
“One of my sources was at the party when Sutton’s girlfriend spilled the beans.”
“Terrific. A dozen people could have overheard her, and if they all told a few friends...”
“Snowball effect. Why’d the government send you to fetch their star witness?”
“A friend of mine is working on his case.”
She frowned. “So he called his buddy Travis instead of using one of his own men?”
“Fritz trusts me. We were on a SEAL team together back in our younger days, and being in Seattle, I was relatively close.”
“You were a Navy SEAL?”
“Yep.”
“Very sexy.”
His stomach lurched. The teasing light in her eyes did something to him. He cleared his throat. “Any chance it’ll cut into your five date rule?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Risking your life for your country doesn’t count for one measly date?”
“Nope, but I’ll give you yesterday since you cooked my dinner.”
“I made breakfast, too.”
Her smile tugged at his nerve endings.
“Handing me an energy bar doesn’t count as meal preparation.”
“I let your flea-ridden companion sleep in the tent.”
She glanced down at the dog walking by her side. “If Wylie had fleas, you’d be scratching more than mosquito bites. All that proves is you’re a nice guy and deserving of a second date.”
“I suppose that’s something.” He kicked a rock out of the path. “Ever been married?”
“No.”
“Engaged?”
She shook her head. “For about two months a couple of years ago I thought a detective I was dating might be the one.”
“What happened?”
“It was around the time my sister met her future husband. When I watched the two of them together, saw the love in their eyes...” She sighed. “What I had with Nolan wasn’t like that.”
“So you dumped him?”
Her voice took on a defensive edge. “I was nice about it.”
They left the meadow for a steady hike upward through a grove of western hemlock. With his sweat-dampened T-shirt sticking to his back beneath the pack, the shade was a welcome relief. “No serious relationships since then?”
“Not really. I considered starting something with Rachel’s brother-in-law. Since Kane makes her so happy, I thought maybe Jed—” She bit her lip.
“Don’t tell me the guy wasn’t interested.”
“I decided holidays would be awkward if it didn’t work out. And with my track record—” She broke off and shrugged. “Anyway, Jed isn’t really my type.”
“I like the man already.”
She laughed. “Now that you mention it, the two of you have a lot in common. Outdoorsy, take charge, alpha males.”
He pounded his chest with his fists. “Woman cook food, stay pregnant. Me hunt.”
She snickered. “You definitely don’t want me. I specialize in take-out pizza.”
“I like to cook.”
“Hmmm, that might get you a third date. What about kids?”
“I’ve been too busy to give fatherhood any serious consideration. My older brother has a pair of adolescent boys, and my younger one has two cute little girls who adore their Uncle Travis.”
“Aren’t we just two peas in a pod? Did your ex-wife want a baby?”
“We didn’t get to that point. Looking back on it, I think Val saw only the glamorous Navy SEAL, not a regular guy working his ass off to make his fledgling company a success. When she realized she wasn’t living in a romance novel, she bailed faster than a sailor in a sinking life boat.”
They’d had a few other issues. Nothing he wanted to get into. He didn’t want to think about the way Val had betrayed him ever again.
Pulling a water bottle from the side pocket of her pack, Grace drank a few swallows then squirted a stream of liquid over her head. Drops ran between her breasts and soaked her tank top. He pried his gaze away and realized he’d lost track of the conversation.
“Huh?”
“I
asked why you married her in the first place.”
“Truthfully, I think I was too preoccupied with work to realize what was happening until the invitations were ordered and the church booked. Val is like a tsunami, swallowing up everything in her path. Before I knew it, I was walking down a church aisle, wondering if I’d ever actually proposed.”
She smirked. “Jane, queen of the jungle, captures her man.”
“Not even close. Val is this petite little blond thing. Don’t get me wrong, I was crazy about her. But we were horrible as a couple.”
She stopped and laid a hand on his arm. His skin burned beneath her slim fingers.
“You really are a nice guy. Not a single snarky comment about your ex.”
He moaned. “The kiss of death.”
Her smile morphed into a frown. “What are you talking about?”
“The nice guy label. Nice guys don’t wind up with the hot girl.” His gaze drifted down to the dog, hind foot raised to scratch furiously behind its ear. “Nice guys spend lonely nights in a tent with nothing but a mangy mutt for company.”
She covered her mouth but couldn’t hold back a laugh. “You’re funny, too, a trait not to be taken lightly. I think our true confessions session qualifies as a second date.”
“Yeah?”
Nodding, she squeezed his arm again before heading up the trail. “At this rate, we’ll be on date number five before you know it.”
* * * *
Grace pumped until she was certain her arm would fall off as the purified water ran into a plastic bottle. Capping it, she grabbed the next one in line and set to work. Across the clearing, Travis stirred some sort of chicken and rice dish studded with veggies. Her lip curled. What the freeze dried food lacked in flavor was made up for in nutrition. As hungry as she was, she’d eat just about anything.
When the bottles were full, she carried them up from the creek. Funny how they’d fallen into such an easy routine, working together to prepare a meal and set up camp. After two days on the trail, she felt like a backpacking pro. A smile stretched into a broad grin. If Rachel could see her, sweat-stained and dirty, spreading sleeping pads in the miniscule tent, she’d wonder who the impostor was who’d stolen her sister’s body.
Every Step She Takes (Who's Watching Now Book 2) Page 5