Every Step She Takes (Who's Watching Now Book 2) (7 page)

“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.

“What’s so funny?”

Grace glanced up to find Travis watching her. He’d taken off his T-shirt, declaring it smelt worse than a high school gym locker, and stood with hands fisted on lean hips. His chest was broad and covered with a light sprinkling of dark hair. Her fingers twitched with the urge to stroke across the hard plains of his pecs down the intriguing trail of hair that crossed washboard abs and disappeared into his shorts. She gave herself a mental shake.

“Nothing’s funny.”

“You were smiling.”

Standing, she wiped her hands on the backside of her shorts. “I was thinking my own family wouldn’t recognize me. Who would have thought I could go from five-star hotels to a pup tent with such style?”

Surrounded by two-day-old stubble, his teeth gleamed white. “I’m willing to bet everything you do is accomplished with style.”

“I try. Is dinner ready?”

“Just about. Grab the mess kits, and I’ll dish it up.”

While they ate, she studied their surroundings. Camped in a wooded area near a narrow stream, skunk cabbage grew in profusion along the banks. Unfortunately, the water was only ankle deep, so she’d have to settle for a sponge bath after dinner instead of a swim. A stiff breeze fluttered the leaves of the birch and aspen over her head. She shivered.

“Cold?” He’d thrown on a faded blue cotton shirt but left it unbuttoned.

Just looking at him took away her chill.

“It’s cooler this evening, but that isn’t why I shivered. It’s this place. You can’t see between the trees, and I keep wondering what’s hiding in them.”

“No lions and tigers. Maybe a bear or two.”

“You’re a regular comedian.” Full, she set her dish on the ground. Wylie gulped down the remains in eight seconds flat. She glanced up from her watch and frowned. “I wonder when he last ate a bowl of kibble.”

“From the looks of him, it’s been a while. I’m amazed a pack of coyotes didn’t devour him.”

She scratched his ears. “Poor baby. I wish we had more food.”

Bending to pick up her empty dish, Travis stilled then swiveled to stare into the trees. When she opened her mouth, he held up a hand for quiet.

Ears straining, she couldn’t hear anything but the murmur of the creek and the wind rattling the aspen leaves. Taking one step, he grabbed her arm and pushed her toward a clump of bushes. The dog growled.

His lips brushed her ear. “Stay low and out of sight, and keep the damn dog quiet.”

With her arm around Wylie, she flattened on the ground. A branch gouged into her side. Biting her lip against the pain, she clutched the quivering dog. “It’s okay, boy.”

Heart pounding, she waited. The smell of dirt made her nose twitch. How long had Travis been gone? Five minutes, ten? She’d lost track of time.
Did the man following us find him? Is he lying on the forest floor bleeding with a knife wound to the chest?
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to erase the image, and choked back a sob.
Please, God, not that. Anything but that.

“You can get up now.”

Curled beneath the bush with her arms wrapped around the dog, Grace looked small and defenseless. Not the way he was used to seeing her. Her eyes popped open, revealing relief and something he couldn’t put a name to. She rose slowly, took a step forward and punched him in the chest.

Travis staggered backward. “What was that for?”

“For scaring me to death!” Hands balled into fists, her whole body shook. “I thought you were out there somewhere, maimed and bleeding—or worse.”

Warmth filled him. “Ah, shucks, I didn’t know you cared.”

She punched him again. “Idiot!”

“Hey!” When a throat cleared behind them, he remembered their unexpected guests. “Be nice, Grace. We have company.”

Pink crept up her neck and colored her cheeks. “Perfect.”

He turned and motioned the pair forward. “Grace Hanover, meet Brad and Wendy Gilbert. They’re on their honeymoon.”

She stepped toward them and held out her hand. “Congratulations. You’ll have to excuse my display of emotion. I thought Travis tangled with a—a grizzly bear. I may have overreacted a teensy bit.”

The man swung his arm around his wife’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sure Wendy can sympathize.”

“I’d
die
if Brad was in danger.” The short, dark-haired woman pressed her cheek against her husband’s arm and smiled at Grace. “Love does that to you.”

Travis could almost hear her teeth grinding.

“Yeah, love, sure.” She took a deep breath and stepped away from him. “I’m impressed you caught up to us. We set a stiff pace today.”

“We didn’t.” The man’s brown eyes glowed as he gazed down at his bride. “We’ve been camping in the area for a while now, enjoying the scenery.”

Travis’s interest in the pair escalated. “A friend of ours is out here, hiking. Maybe you’ve seen him?”

“Forty-something with longish brown hair and a tie-dyed T-shirt?”

His pulse quickened. “That sounds like Mark.”

“We talked to him early this afternoon. He left the main trail a couple of miles north of here. Said he had an itch to climb Mount Snow.”

“Mount Snow?”

Brad grinned. “Not officially. It has some Inuit Indian name I can’t pronounce that means snow. At least I think that’s what it means.”

“I’ve seen it on the map. Is there a trail?”

“Not much of one, but if you keep your eyes open, you’ll notice it.” He glanced down at his wife. “We were just out for an evening stroll and should head back to our camp. Nice meeting you both.”

“Our pleasure.” Grace’s eyes were sober as she gave the couple a half-hearted smile. “Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.”

“We definitely will.” Wendy giggled, and with arms entwined, the two disappeared into the trees.

Travis kicked a rock. Pain shot up his leg, and he winced. “Well, that bites.”

“What’re we going to do now?”

“We’re going to follow Sutton and pray he isn’t hiking faster than we are. Damn. I’d hoped to run into him early tomorrow. His detour is likely to add days to our time out here.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re sure it was Sutton they saw?”

“The description fits.” He scratched the back of his neck and stared down at the dog, who stared back through liquid brown eyes. “Actually, this might work to our advantage. If we get an early start, maybe we can lose our tail and avoid a confrontation that could turn very ugly.”

“Exactly how early is early?”

He smiled at her wary expression. “First light, four-thirtyish.”

Grace’s sigh spoke volumes. “The good news is I’m finding you less of a temptation by the minute.” Turning her back, she marched to her pack and pulled out a handful of clothes and a toiletry bag. “After I clean up, I’m going to bed.”

“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can always head back to the lodge, maybe tag along with the honeymooners.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “Not a chance. I’ve come this far, I won’t turn around now.”

* * * *

Something brushed her face. Grace slapped at it without opening her eyes, too tired to care what it was.

“Time to get up.”

Ignoring the voice, she burrowed deeper into her sleeping bag. Lips tickled her ear then trailed across her cheek, sending a shiver through her. She touched a whisker roughened jaw.

“I’d rather stay right here.”

His mouth closed over hers. On a scale of one to ten, she’d give him a twelve in the kissing department. Her head spun. Heat flowed through her, curling her toes. She responded with enthusiasm.

With a groan, he pulled away. “We have to get moving.”

Grace opened her eyes. Above her, Travis was a dark shadow. “It’s still the middle of the night.”

“The sun will be up before we’re on the trail.” He bent and kissed her again, a hard brush of his lips. “As tempting as you are, my immediate concern is losing the guy following us. Up and at ’em.”

“My dad used to say that when we were kids. I hated it then, too.” Unzipping her sleeping bag, she crawled out into the chilly morning air. Teeth chattering, she pulled on a sweatshirt. “Coffee. I need caffeine.”

“No time.” He chucked their sleeping bags out of the tent and started dismantling it. “Get your stuff packed. We’ll eat while we walk.”

The thought of breakfast at this ungodly hour held little appeal. She loaded her sleeping bag and pad into her pack then headed for the bushes to pee. Taking a moment at the creek, she splashed water on her face. The bracing chill snapped her into wakefulness. Leaning back on her heels, she stroked Wylie with a damp hand. “We’d better get back up there before Travis comes looking for us.” When the dog licked her wrist, she smiled.