by Cassie Miles
“Sorry,” Liam said.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t a good marriage. We did a lot of fighting.”
Unpleasant memories flowed like a river across the parched surface of her mind. She and Jonathan had seldom seen eye to eye. He’d coped by shutting down and refusing to speak, except to criticize.
She had a very clear image of herself and Jonathan sitting at opposite ends of a long, ornate table. Neither of them said a word.
“The divorce,” she said, “was practically the only thing we agreed about. He still works at RMS. In fact, he’s the CEO.”
Liam gave her a disbelieving look. “Are you telling me that your ex-husband runs the Carradine family business?”
“He’s good at his job, and I hardly ever see him. Jonathan handles the business and development projects. My work is on the charitable side.”
As she focused on a photograph of herself and a Little League baseball team, a pleasant warmth rose inside her. She enjoyed working on fund-raising events, many of which were athletic in nature since Rocky Mountain Suppliers was, essentially, a sporting-goods company.
Pointing to a group photo, she picked out a face. “This is Rachel Robertson.”
“You mentioned her before,” Liam said.
“She runs a homeless shelter, and she’s helping me with plans to set up a mountain camp for disadvantaged kids. Some of the money from the RMS summer gala was going to finance it.”
“The summer gala?”
“It should be happening in a couple of weeks.” If the plans for the gala had been derailed by her absence, Kate would never forgive herself. Several charities depended on contributions raised by the formal dinner, dance and silent auction. “It’s a black-tie event.”
“Not my style,” he said.
“Maybe it should be. You’d look great in a tux.”
Actually, he’d look great in almost anything. As Liam gazed down at the faxed pages, she studied his profile. Dark stubble outlined his firm jaw. Beneath his rugged brow, his deep-set, hazel eyes glowed with health.
He pointed to a picture. “Are these the Williams sisters, from tennis?”
“Venus and Serena,” she said. “Right.”
“And you’re standing between them. You were in good shape.”
The photo showed her as a sunshine blonde in a white tennis dress. Her teeth were perfect. Her skin was perfect. She wondered if she’d ever be so carefree again.
With Liam, she sorted through other photos of celebrity golf tournaments and tennis matches. For nearly an hour, she stared at picture after picture, waiting for a memory revelation that simply wouldn’t come. “It’s no use,” she said. “I can’t remember why I needed to stay in hiding.”
“Maybe more food.”
“Always a good solution.”
They took a break and made hamburgers. Liam took his turn in the shower.
Then, it was back to the photos. Kate picked up another wedding photo. It was her mother with her husband of two years, Peter Rowe.
Liam said, “It might help you remember if you talk your way through these pictures.”
She nodded. “This is my mother, Elizabeth. She remarried two years ago. His name is Peter.”
“And?”
“He’s a handsome guy, kind of reminds me of Robert Wagner. He seems to make my mother happy, but I never really liked him. Probably, I resent him because nobody could ever take the place of my father. Especially not Peter.”
“Why not?”
“Dad was totally into the outdoors. Peter is all about designer shoes and monogrammed shirts. He’s happiest with a crystal champagne flute in his hand. He used to call me The Brat.”
“You don’t seem bratty to me,” Liam said.
“I have a temper,” she admitted. “A legendary bad temper.”
“Like when you took a shot at me?”
“I wasn’t angry then,” she informed him. “Shooting trespassers is practical.”
His grin was ironic but also charming. And she was comfortable enough to respond with a smile of her own. Comfortable. Peaceful.
She glided a fingertip across the smooth maple of the tabletop. She liked being here. His cabin was cozy and quiet. She’d forgotten how pleasant it was to be inside a warm house, sitting on a padded chair, drinking soda pop. Nice and normal.
She exhaled a sigh. “Before you came along, I had convinced myself that I’d never leave the forest. Now, here I am. In a cabin. With you.”
He reached across the table. His large hand rested atop hers. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Though she suspected that Liam was only being kind and reassuring, she couldn’t help wondering if a deeper relationship was possible. She wouldn’t mind if he pulled her close in an embrace. It wouldn’t hurt her feelings if he kissed her.
Oh, good grief! Was she falling for the man who had rescued her? Wasn’t that the biggest cliché in the world?
“I still can’t believe it,” she said. “Yesterday, the most important thing was to catch a fish.”
“Tomorrow will be harder,” he said. “You’ll have to face the media.”
“And my family.”
“You don’t sound happy about that.” His eyes were curious. “Does meeting your family worry you?”
“I feel terribly guilty. They’re going to be angry and…” Her voice faded as a prickle of fear teased the edge of her consciousness. Why would she be scared of her own family?
“Back to the memories,” she said, picking up a picture of herself with her stepbrother. “This is Tom. Peter’s son. He’s gotten interested in the family business, attends board meetings and usually is on my side.”
“Does the board have a lot of disagreements?”
“Of course we do. RMS has a lot of money.”
“Tell me about Tom. Is he athletic like you?”
“There’s only one sport he excels at. Tom is an expert marksman.”
Staring at the slightly blurred fax, she remembered a site trip with Tom. They had been looking at several mountain acres proposed for development. Her stepbrother had insisted on bringing his rifle, a Remington. In her mind, she saw him bracing the stock against his shoulder. Peering intently through his shaggy, dark brown bangs, he’d aimed and…
Gunfire rattled through the forest behind her. The shooters came nearer and nearer, but she couldn’t see them. An oppressive weight pressed down upon her. Her arms were heavy. She couldn’t carry on. Not one more step. Her legs ached. She sank to the earth, beaten. Sweat poured down her forehead. She couldn’t move but she had to go forward. Into the flames. Into the searing fire.
“Kate, what is it? What do you remember?”
“A forest fire.” Her memory faded. “It seemed like I was in the middle of it.”
“Go on,” Liam encouraged.
“I was carrying something.”
“Your backpack?” he suggested.
“Heavier.” She shook her head. “I can’t see it. This is more like a feeling.”
“What else?”
“The hunters,” she said. “I don’t know why they’re after me. Damn it, why? What did I do wrong?”
“You didn’t do anything,” Liam said.
But her backpack held stacks of hundred-dollar bills and a pouch of jewelry. She remembered a man being shot. In her mind, she saw his blood. “What if I did? What if I’m a criminal?”
“I’d be surprised,” he said. “You don’t fit the typical profile for a perp.”
“A perp? How do you know about perps?”
“Remember, Kate, before I moved to Grand Lake, I worked for the Denver D.A.’s office.”
He’d been a prosecutor—not the best person to tell about possible criminal activities. Nervously, she asked, “What’s the perp profile?”
“Not you,” he said. “You’re from an upper-class background, haven’t been in trouble with the law before and you’re socially active.”
She took a potato chip from the bag on the table and studi
ed it before nibbling at the edge. “None of those things are a guarantee that I wouldn’t do something I might regret.”
“Everybody is capable of lapses in judgment.” He tipped back in his chair. His arms folded across his chest. Those sexy hazel eyes steadily regarded her. “You’ve brought up the topic of criminal behavior a couple of times. Why?”
Because I might be a thief. Or a murderer. She looked away; it wasn’t easy to withhold information from him. “I can’t tell you.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?”
“Both,” she said. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
“I can’t answer that question until you tell me the whole truth.”
She wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not until she was certain that she hadn’t shot Wayne Silverman or stolen the loot that was now buried in her cave. “I’m not lying to you.”
“But you’re holding back.”
His scrutiny made her nervous. She got up from the table, walked a few paces, then turned toward the front windows. “I need to go outside. I’m feeling cooped up.”
“Holding back information will do that to you.”
Liam shoved back his chair and rose from the table. Her refusal to come clean was beginning to tick him off. What was she hiding? He wanted to help her, to believe her. But he didn’t have the patience to play evasive games.
On the front porch, he leaned against the railing and looked out on his land. Lazy clouds drifted across the afternoon skies. At the end of the day, the pace of life slowed to a crawl. Even in the mountains, where there were no time clocks, the squirrels took a recess from their constant foraging and the birds returned to their nests.
Liam glanced toward his Super Cub, gleaming white in the sunlight. Probably, he ought to move it inside the shed. But it didn’t look like rain. The Cub would be okay for the night.
Besides, they’d be taking off early tomorrow, heading back to Denver. Kate had to return to her family. He’d probably never see her again. In the life she’d been describing, there was no place for a man like him.
“It’s odd,” she said. “We’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours, but it feels like a lot longer.”
“A lifetime.” Long enough for him to be annoyed with her.
Her sharp chin lifted as she stared straight ahead, concentrating on an unknown future beyond the horizon. Her short hair ruffled in the breeze, and the corner of her mouth pulled into an adorable little frown.
His irritation faded. He’d known her long enough to forgive, to accept her shifts in attitude. Long enough to know that he liked this woman.
“Can I ask you a favor, Liam?”
He nodded.
“When we get to Denver,” she said, “promise me that you won’t leave me alone.”
“You don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“I’d feel safer if you stayed with me.”
He couldn’t deny her request. If she truly was in danger—a possibility that he was beginning to doubt—he would protect her. Grudgingly, he promised, “I’ll stay at your side. For a while.”
But not for long. His place was here, in the mountains. Once they got to town, she’d slide back into her upper-class life. Kate Carradine would be fine. Just fine.
Suddenly, her back stiffened. Her thin neck craned. “Someone’s coming.”
He glanced toward the road. “I don’t think so.”
“Listen. They’re getting closer.”
“Kate, you’re mistaken.”
She grasped his arm and tugged at his sleeve. “Can’t you hear the birds? We need to get out of here. We’ve got to run.”
Chapter Five
When he looked into her wide blue eyes, Liam saw fear that bordered on panic. Unreasonable fear. Terror.
Kate wasn’t playing games anymore. She had sensed the approach of danger. After twenty-eight days in the wilderness, her instincts were honed.
But this time, Liam thought, she had to be wrong. He tried to explain. “Even if there is a car on the road, they aren’t coming after you.”
“We haven’t got time to talk.”
Rationally, he continued, “Kate, I only made one phone call to CCC. Nobody else knows you’re here.”
She grabbed his hand, dragging him down the stairs and off the porch. “We’ve got to hide.”
Though he could have argued, it was simpler to let her have her way. If, in fact, someone was driving up the road to his house, he and Kate could watch from the hillside. When the visitors arrived, he’d show her it was safe. Then, they’d come back to the cabin. No harm done.
“This way.” He took the lead, hiking up a pathway that wound through the boulders to an overlook. Most people would have been winded by the swift, steep ascent, but Liam knew the land. And Kate was agile as a mountain goat.
They reached a ledge where they were hidden in the trees. “Better?” he asked.
“Higher.” She peered up the hillside. “We should go higher.”
Liam heard the sound of a vehicle on the graded gravel road leading to his house. Damned if she hadn’t been right! “No time. Lie flat on your stomach across this rock. We can see the house and the field from here. Nobody will see us.”
She stretched out beside him. Side by side, they watched as a pickup truck pulled up in front of his house. Two men sat in the back. Both carried rifles.
Another two emerged from the cab and strode toward the house.
“Anybody home?” one of them yelled.
The others laughed raucously, as if he’d said something clever.
Liam didn’t recognize these men, but they looked like they could have come from a local tavern in Grand Lake or Eldora. All wore jeans and boots. All were armed.
They sure as hell weren’t trying to be subtle. They swaggered. They yelled like schoolyard bullies who were all talk and no action.
The tallest guy, a redhead, turned to the others. “I’ll do the talking.”
“Aw, man! If you get revved up, we’ll be here all damn day.”
The redhead snarled back, “Are you saying I got a big mouth?”
“I’m saying you ain’t the boss.”
Their voices carried on the thin air. Though Liam and Kate were over fifty yards away, they could hear every word.
The sound of stomping came from Liam’s porch. “Kate Carradine!” he yelled. “We know you’re in there!”
The redhead lowered his rifle, sighted down the barrel and blasted a hole in Liam’s front window. The glass shattered.
“Bastards,” Liam muttered.
He glanced toward Kate. Her thin shoulders trembled. These were the hunters, the men she feared. Seeing them had to be her worst nightmare come true.
Painfully, Liam realized there was no way he could stop them. He hadn’t taken her seriously, hadn’t bothered to arm himself.
The only way they’d be safe was to stay hidden. But how? Those rifles had scopes. If these guys had half a brain, they’d scan the hillsides.
When all four disappeared into his cabin, Liam tapped her shoulder and whispered, “You were right. We need to go higher.”
Kate didn’t need further encouragement. She was on her feet, following him into the trees. Liam moved at a quick pace, dodging between the tree trunks as he traversed the slope, putting distance between them and the house. This rugged hillside was his backyard, and he knew the quickest routes, the best vantage points. When they emerged from forested land, he guided her higher. Loose gravel crumbled beneath their hiking boots. Too much noise! They were making too much noise.
“Up here.” Clinging to the edge of jagged, lichen-covered boulders, they climbed. Though they couldn’t see the house from here, they were directly above the shed he used as a hangar for his Cub.
Nestled against the boulder, he held her close and whispered into her ear. “Do you recognize them?”
“Hunters.” Her breath came in ragged gasps. “They’re coming for me.”
“Have you seen them before? These specific men?”
The blast of a rifle shot echoed through the forest like a shock wave. What the hell were they shooting at? Another window? The cabin walls?
A whimper escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth with both hands.
Until now, he’d only seen her terror in momentary flashes. He’d heard it in the way she spoke of the hunters. But her fears hadn’t seemed real to him. There was no longer reason for doubt. Kate’s mysterious hunters had set upon them, loudly and violently.
He encircled her slender body with his arms. Silently, he vowed to protect her with his last ounce of strength.
From the direction of the house, one voice sounded more loudly than the others. “Where the hell are you, Kate Carradine?”
“They must’ve took off for Denver,” one of them remarked.
“Damn straight,” another one said. “They ain’t here.”
Through the trees, Liam saw a flash of red hair as two men approached the shed he used as a hangar. He turned slightly, shielding Kate with his body.
“I’m telling you,” one voice said, “they ain’t here.”
“Damn it all. If we don’t bring her back, we don’t get paid. They’re here. Hiding someplace.”
“I ain’t climbing all over looking for them.”
The redhead let loose with a string of profanity. “Hey! You think if I shoot this airplane it’ll explode?”
“Always does in the movies.”
“Let’s do it.”
Liam’s muscles tensed. As the rifles popped and bullets pinged, rage exploded behind his eyes. These braying jackasses were shooting up his Cub.
If Kate hadn’t been with him, Liam would have charged down the hill and torn these mindless, vicious idiots limb from limb. Not the Cub!
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Shh.”
The worst thing that could happen now was if the gun-toting morons found them. But Liam didn’t think that would happen. These guys didn’t have enough brain-power to organize a search. The real villain was whoever had sent them—the person who promised a payoff if they brought Kate to him.
The foursome tromped around in circles, yelling back and forth, unable to figure out any sort of strategy. Idiots! Bastards! Mindless, ass-brained, flea-infested good old boys!