by Carol Ross
His eyes were almost as piercing as Jonah’s and Shay could see the tightness in his jaw. She’d heard the determination in his voice.
But still, she had to try. “Tag, that was more than ten years ago. I’m a thirty-two-year-old woman who doesn’t need my big brother to protect me anymore. And I wouldn’t exactly call it a disaster, and this time we’re not alone in case you haven’t noticed.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said stubbornly and Shay knew that she would not win this argument with her big brother. “I made a promise to myself—and to you—ten years ago, and I’m keeping it.”
She thought about negotiating like she’d done when they were younger, but it was too late; Jonah, Caleb and Doc were already approaching with their packs and gear.
* * *
SHAY DID LOVE to fish.
If there was anything that could snap her out of a funk, it was fishing. Even if the feeling didn’t last, she was grateful for the respite. She couldn’t think of another activity that equaled such a perfect mixture of relaxation and excitement. And when the fish were biting, like they had been today, there wasn’t much in life that she enjoyed more.
The day’s catch included king salmon, dolly vardon, grayling, whitefish and rainbow trout. After landing the largest trout, she opted for a break, to sit back and take in the scenery. The air was still cool but the sun was bright in the nearly cloudless sky.
She’d seen this gorge many times, but still marveled at how the river had managed to cut a path so dramatically through the mountains. The channel was narrower here, which caused the current to run faster. A hundred-foot-high wall of rock rose straight up out of the river on one side. Birds flitted in and out of the holes and ledges weathered into its face.
Shay adjusted her sunglasses and watched Caleb fight yet another monster on the end of his line. A flash of silver broke the water’s surface and then disappeared again. He let out a whoop. She smiled. He and Doc were both clearly having a ball.
This made it all worthwhile she reminded herself—leaving the inn, camping with five men—one of whom she’d once been engaged to, and her over-protective brother who, silly as it was, blamed himself for Shay getting pregnant in the first place.
Tag had covered for her and Jonah. It was that simple; the reason for his guilt and this hyper-protective stunt. It had been a little later in the year, but with weather every bit as glorious, bright and sunny yet still plenty of morning coolness, when she and Jonah had taken off for a short camping trip.
They were celebrating. And they had so much to celebrate: they were engaged, they’d earned their undergraduate degrees—hers in business administration and his in pre-law. They’d come home to enjoy one last Alaskan summer—or what they’d believed would be their last summer at home for a long time before they eloped and moved to Connecticut together.
They’d both made excuses to their families about where they were really going for those three days. Jonah had told Gramps he was off to Glacier City to visit with a friend, and Shay had told her parents that she and Tag were flying to Anchorage to visit cousins and do some shopping.
She and Jonah had borrowed a boat from Bering and disappeared up the Opal River for three nights. Tag had even flown to Anchorage alone to make their story believable. Shay wasn’t sure there was anything that could have kept them apart at that point—camping unaccompanied in the wilderness or not.
By late afternoon on the present trip, they were approaching their stop, and Shay was beginning to worry about Caleb and the hike to the cabins. If he did have a heart problem, would the hike be too strenuous for him? What if he had a heart attack? At least they had Doc, and Tag was a paramedic. That was the first good reason she’d thought of for her brother coming along.
A short time later, Shay felt herself beginning to relax again. Caleb didn’t seem to be struggling at all as they traveled along the trail. After a while Bering stopped so they could take a rest and drink some water.
Shay pulled her camera out of her pack and snapped a couple photos of Caleb and Doc. Then she walked a ways off the trail to check out the view. The light was stunning and perfect for some photographs.
“Bering,” she called out. “I’m going to go along farther and take a few photos for our websites. Out on that bluff up there around the bend.”
Bering raised a hand in acknowledgment. “Sounds good—it’s been a while since you’ve been up here, Shay. I don’t need to remind you that it’s bear country, do I?”
Shay patted her side where the short-barreled .44 Ruger Blackhawk was secured in a shoulder holster under her zip-up sweatshirt. She gave him a thumbs-up.
“I’ll go with her,” Jonah volunteered.
Tag stood up and glowered. “No, I’ll go.”
Shay stalked off up the trail, not bothering to wait for either one of them.
* * *
TAG STARED JONAH down and then followed his sister.
Jonah took his exasperation out on Bering. “It’s been ten years. Don’t you think Tag could ease up a little? I mean I understand to a point, and I’ve always been patient about his anger with me. I get it—I’d be angry, too.”
Bering adjusted his cap and looked over to where Caleb and Doc were seated on some rocks a good distance away talking and munching on trail mix.
“I’m not...sure.”
“What?” Jonah asked.
Bering looked over Jonah’s shoulder for a few seconds before he answered. “What’s going on with you and Shay? Are you guys...”
Jonah started shaking his head. “No—nothing—I mean other than our combined interest in Gramps. And I guess we’ve kind of been working things out as much as we can. Shay refuses to talk about the past and I’m trying...but no, nothing like that, Bering. I would never make that mistake again—even though I don’t believe that anything that happened between Shay and I was a mistake.”
Bering nodded slowly. “I think Tag is worried that you’ll break her heart again.”
Why, Jonah wondered, in this tragic tale was it always he who had done all the breaking of hearts? Shay had had a choice in the matter, too, and she’d chosen the inn. She’d chosen her career just as much as Jonah had.
“I understand, but if things had happened differently, we’d be married right now with a few kids—probably eight or ten if Shay had had her choice.”
Bering focused on the ground. He’d picked up a stick and began tapping it on the rock beside him. Jonah could tell he was figuring out what to say. Surely he couldn’t agree with Tag?
“Tag’s behavior is over the top, Bering. It’s comical, in fact.” He let out a frustrated laugh and added, “No wonder she never dates.”
Bering turned his face up toward the sky and muttered something. Then he sighed and looked in Jonah’s direction. “Jonah, for pity’s sake, man, Tag’s protective big-brother thing is not the reason Shay doesn’t date.”
The tone of his voice, the tension in his body, told Jonah there was definitely something he was missing. But before he could ask for any more information, which he felt sure wouldn’t be forthcoming anyway, Bering stood up, hurled the stick he’d been holding and strode away.
* * *
CALEB AND DOC watched Shay head up the trail with Tag following close behind.
“Is Tag going to ruin this whole thing, you think?” Caleb asked Doc as he munched on some tasty mix of almonds, dark chocolate and other unidentifiable nuggets that Doc had packed for them.
“I don’t know, maybe.” Doc glanced over to where Jonah and Bering were seated. “That boy is plum ticked at Jonah. You gotta give him credit for staying power though, right? Ten years is a long time to stay mad at someone.”
“Well, he’s got a reason.”
“You’re not supposed to know about that reason, remember?”
“I’m not an idiot, Doc.”
“I’m beginning to think this scheme is idiotic.”
“You’ve mentioned that already, you know? More than once in fact and
it’s been duly noted. So let’s stay focused. Do you think I should say I don’t feel well and then ask Tag to take me back to town?”
“No, I do not. You say that, and then we’ll all be going back to town and I’m having a good time. Fishing was great today.” Doc removed his camouflage bucket hat, smoothed a hand through his puff of unruly white hair, and then readjusted the hat on his head.
“Sure was,” Caleb said with a grin. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can catch tomorrow. I love fly fishing in these streams. I sure would like to hook another big grayling or two.”
“No one would believe the size of that one you caught this morning if Shay didn’t have that camera of hers. She sure is handy with that thing.”
“Doc...I might have an idea.”
Doc sighed wearily. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
* * *
THEY SOON CAUGHT up to Shay and Tag who were standing several feet off the trail near the edge of a cliff. Jonah could see why Shay had wanted to take some photos. The valley opened down below and the Opal River widened and flowed through a flat expanse of grass and vegetation. The trees were wearing too many shades of green to count and the river shimmered in the middle like the gem that shared its name. In the background, rocky snowcapped peaks reached up into the sky.
Jonah was relieved that neither Shay nor Tag appeared upset. Shay wore a smile as she looked down at her camera. Tag was munching on a candy bar.
“There’s a nice bull moose in velvet down there, on this side of the river,” Tag informed them in between bites.
Gramps and Doc moved in closer for a look. Tag pointed the moose out to them and handed Doc a pair of binoculars. They oohed and ahhed and talked about moose hunting for a while.
Gramps asked if Shay could take a photo of the whole group. She loved the idea, so she set the camera on a rock and set the self-timer. She hurried over to join the group and then they laughingly repeated the process. Caleb offered to take one of Shay and Bering with the view of the valley in the background.
Then Gramps spotted a bear.
No one happened to see the animal and Jonah could only pretend to act interested. Soon they were back on the trail.
* * *
THE DAY’S HIKE ultimately ended when they reached a small open meadow where two cozy-looking cabins awaited them. Bering had pushed on ahead earlier to prepare camp and the smoky scent of a campfire filled the air.
Jonah paused and forced himself to take a minute to appreciate the stunning setting. Summer days were so beautiful. A buzzing sound in his ear reminded him that they were also insect-filled. He reapplied some bug spray and went to stow his pack in the cabin he would be sharing with Gramps and Doc.
Then he headed toward the fire where the rest of the group was already gathered. Jonah could see what he assumed were potatoes already foil-wrapped and nestled among the coals. A pot of something simmering along with the heavenly scent of bacon teased his senses. Fresh fish had been cleaned, filleted and readied for frying. His stomach growled and he realized he was famished. He’d skipped lunch; he’d been distracted all afternoon by his conversation with Bering. Beyond his comment about Shay not dating, lurked a bigger question that for some reason Jonah had never considered—why hadn’t Shay found someone else?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE NEXT MORNING Shay pulled her hair back and quickly got ready for the day. She only needed her daypack as they would be fly-fishing up one of the tributaries that ran into the Opal River, eventually reaching a sub-alpine lake. They would be hiking back to the cabins in the evening to spend another night.
Shay looked forward to hiking and photographing the rough and spell-bindingly beautiful terrain almost as much as the fishing. There was something awe-inspiring about being this close to the jagged mountain peaks. There were wildflowers in the midst of their too-brief blooms that she only had the opportunity to see here on the slopes of these mountains.
When she emerged from her room, she wasn’t surprised to find that both Bering and Tag were already up and out of the cabin she was sharing with them. She stepped outside and the heavenly scent of fresh-brewed coffee floating over from next door told her right where the guys would be.
She noticed Jonah sitting outside in a chair by the cold remains of last night’s fire. He waved and something propelled her toward him.
He sipped from a steaming cup, and when she walked up he held it aloft in offering. A part of her wanted to decline. Sharing a cup—that felt like such an intimate gesture, yet another part of her said that to decline would seem petty. Plus, it was coffee.
“Hot,” he said, when she reached out to take the cup. “I forget how good camp coffee is—and hot.”
“Thank you.” She lowered herself into the camp chair beside him.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Surprisingly, yes. I thought I would be up worrying about the inn, but I slept great. How about you?”
“Worrying about the inn?”
“Yeah, you know, thinking about the myriad of things that could go wrong in three days. Three days can be a long time.”
One side of his mouth tugged up, but it was only natural, she supposed, that he found her anxiety amusing. She highly doubted he’d ever had a law emergency that required him to use a sewer snake in the middle of the night to unclog an overflowing drain—or make a 911 call because a group of drunken rowdies wouldn’t settle down.
“What’s the worst you came up with?”
“The worst is always that it burns down. You know about that fear. I don’t think we need a psychologist to tell us where that one comes from.”
Jonah’s eyes lit with alarm. “Those fire nightmares still crop up?”
Shay nodded, even as she felt this bit of concern tapping on the hard shell around her heart. “Occasionally, but now I also worry about things that are more likely to occur, like plumbing problems or the computer system crashing.”
Caleb and Doc came out of the cabin, daypacks strapped on, fishing poles in their hands. As they approached, their argument about the best fly to use to catch grayling could be heard loud and clear. Caleb looked happy and healthy and in that moment Shay found it difficult to believe that anything could be wrong with him at all. Please don’t let anything be wrong with him.
She headed back to her cabin to get her daypack and her camera, but the camera was nowhere to be found. She rifled through the contents of her pack to no avail. She reemerged and walked toward the group intending to ask if anyone had seen it.
Bering was busy outlining the day’s plan when she joined them. “Tag and I are going to take off for the upper cabin and get that window fixed. Hopefully bears haven’t been in there, but regardless, it should only take us a few hours. We’ll cut down the bluff and meet you guys at the lake. I’ll put one of the emergency radios in Doc’s pack to be on the safe side.”
They agreed and Bering and Tag set out. Shay knew Bering would never take off like this if he was guiding tourists, but as she, Caleb, Doc and Jonah—though it had been a while for him—were all experienced hikers and familiar with the territory and the dangers, it seemed a logical plan. Everyone had a canister of bear spray, while she and Doc, as well as Bering and Tag, were also carrying sidearms. Shay picked up her pack to strap it on when she remembered her camera.
“Oh, hey, has anyone seen my camera? I can’t find it.”
“Ouch,” Caleb cried.
“Sorry, Caleb,” Doc said. “I didn’t mean to smack you with that. You certainly didn’t deserve that, did you?”
Caleb rubbed his arm and scowled at Doc. “Well, Shay, you had it yesterday when we were taking that group photo, remember?”
“Yep.” Shay nodded and tried to think. “That was the last time I remember seeing it, now that I think about it.”
“Did you pick it up after Caleb was done fooling around with it?” Doc asked with his glare focused on Caleb.
“I don’t...know.” Shay remembered Caleb snapping
a few photos.
“Uh-oh,” Caleb said. “In all my bear excitement, I set it right on top of that rock next to the trail. The one you propped it on to take the group photos?”
The last thing she recalled was Caleb spotting the bear. She didn’t remember picking up her camera after that.
“Well, silly me,” she said. “I guess I’m hiking back down the trail a ways. I’ll catch up with you guys.”
“Not by yourself you’re not,” Caleb said. “I’ll go with you.”
“No, Caleb,” Shay protested. “I’ll be fine. You go fishing. I’ll only be a little ways behind you all.”
“I’ll go with her,” Jonah said.
“Great idea!” Caleb cried enthusiastically.
“No, Jonah, that’s not necessary. Go fishing with your gramps.”
“No—you’re not going by yourself. I’m going with you.”
“No, I can—”
Jonah sighed. “Please don’t argue, Shay, because it will be weird if I have to try and follow you like some stalker.”
“Perfect,” Caleb spouted happily. “So, we’ll be safe—you’ll be safe. We’ll see you in a couple hours. Come on Doc, let’s hit the trail. The longer we wait the more slippery those fish get.”
As she and Jonah began their treck back to the bear sighting, Shay tried to relax and focus on the scenery—the limited-edition wildflowers and the soft green of the trees—but it was impossible with Jonah breathing down her neck and making her skin tingle. She estimated they were about halfway there when the first question came.
“Shay, why haven’t you ever gotten married?”
“I planned to once,” she quipped, hoping without any real hope to keep things light. “It didn’t work out.”
“You know what I mean—after us. Why didn’t you find someone after we broke up?”
Here we go, she thought, the topic she’d been expecting and dreading at the same time. Yet in that moment she suddenly realized how emotionally tired she was of holding on to it.
“Because I can’t have children, Jonah.”
Shay had to stop and turn around when Jonah reached out and caught her by the elbow. She took a bit of satisfaction in the fact that for once his face seemed to wear more emotion than he probably intended—a mixture of shock and confusion.