The more you trust, the more you risk
When plans for a wilderness retreat with her teenage daughter Brooke go awry, Abby Hammond reluctantly pairs up with Brookes stepbrother and his dad, Nathan Strom, for the weeklong trek. The only thing Abby has in common with the bad-boy former pro athlete is that their exes cheated with each other. Thatand a visceral attraction thats growing more complicated with every step through the picturesque woods.
Nathans wild-card reputation lost him his career and his family. After years of regret, hes ready to fight for what truly mattersand that includes Abbys hard-won trust. When Brooke goes missing, Nathan knows hes her best and only hope of rescue. But the deeper into the rugged mountains they go, the more dangerous the territory will provefor their safety and for their hearts.
Praise for Jill Sorenson
Sorenson makes her characters realistic, flawed, and appealing. Deftly handled violent action and red herrings rush this thriller to a believable ending.
Publishers Weekly on The Edge of Night
This goes down as one of the best Ive ever read. Bar none.
New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks on Dangerous to Touch
Taut with emotion, suspense and danger. Sorenson expertly weaves the two stories into a heart-wrenching conclusion.
RT Book Reviews on The Edge of Night
One of the best books of the yearnonstop, heart-pounding excitement.
RT Book Reviews on Stranded with Her Ex, Top Pick! 4.5 stars
[A] high tension romantic thriller...culminating in a page-turning climax. Despite the mystery, the real tension comes from the emotional relationships, full of explosive sex and terrible secrets.
Publishers Weekly on Crash into Me
It was definitely hot. Sooo hot. Jill Sorenson is my new favorite romantic-suspense author!
USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl on Crash into Me
Backwoods
Jill Sorenson
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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To Stacy
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER ONE
ABBYS ANXIETY INCREASED with every mile she drove away from the main road.
She tightened her hands around the steering wheel, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Only twenty minutes had passed since shed exited the freeway, but it seemed like longer. Her daughter, Brooke, was sitting in the passenger seat. She yawned into her hand, unfazed by the increasing remoteness and looming trees. At dusk, the branches took on menacing shapes, forming an oppressive canopy overhead.
You didnt have to come, Brooke said.
Abby rolled her neck to relieve tension. I wanted to.
Mom.
Abby studied her daughters pretty face. It was hard to believe Brooke was almost nineteen. She was a young woman now, strong and confident. Abbys heart ached to look at her. What?
You dont like hiking.
I love hiking.
Backwoods hiking?
Abby made a noncommittal sound. She didnt like backwoods camping because it meant being cut off from modern amenities, but shed travel to the ends of the earth for Brooke. Ill stay in the cabin. We can go on a few day hikes.
Youll be bored.
Never, Abby said, lifting her chin. Shed brought plenty of reading material, only half of which was work-related.
Just dont try to coordinate activities, okay?
Abby was the wellness director at Seaside Retirement Center in San Diego. She planned exercise classes, therapy sessions and outdoor excursions for the residents. It was a challenging job that required close attention to detail. Brooke had often complained of Abbys tendency toward scheduling every moment. OCD, she called it.
You wont even know Im there, Abby promised.
Brooke sighed, shaking her head.
They didnt discuss the main reason Abby had tagged along. She didnt trust her ex-husband to show up. Hed canceled last years trip at the last minute. Ray Dwyer was a successful plastic surgeon, always running late or flaking out. He showered Brooke with expensive gifts instead of giving her his full attention.
Ray was supposed to arrive tonight with Lydia, his current wife, and Leo, her son from a previous marriage. Leo was about Brookes age. The combined families would spend a week at the cabin, hanging out and exploring the wilderness. Brooke got along well with Lydia and Leo. She was an easygoing, well-adjusted child of divorce.
Abby wasnt so well-adjusted. Shed been coparenting with Ray for seven years, and they were civil. Under normal circumstances, Abby wouldnt impose on their vacation. She didnt try to limit his visits or interfere in his relationship with Brooke. Hed taken her to Hawaii two summers ago. Ray was a good fatherwhen he made the effort.
But if something went wrong and Ray changed his plans, which happened all too often, Brooke would be on her own. Abby didnt want her daughter traveling through the High Sierras by herself or hanging out alone at the cabin. It was easy to get lost in this area, by vehicle or on foot, and there were innumerable dangers. Last fall, a young couple had disappeared while camping in these woods. The boyfriend had turned up in a shallow grave. The girls body was never found.
Abby shivered to think of what might have happened to her. A lost child was a mothers worst nightmare. Abby had been separated from Brooke for several days after the San Diego earthquake. The agony of not knowing if her daughter was dead or alive still haunted her. She continued to struggle with anxiety and overprotectiveness.
Abby had missed Brooke terribly since shed gone off to college. They were still going through an adjustment period. Abby had been looking forward to reconnecting with her over the summer. Instead, Brooke had been traveling with friends and jumping from one activity to the next. Abby wanted to sit her down and hold her close, but Brooke seemed determined to maintain her newfound independence. Maybe she thought keeping her distance would make it easier to leave again.
Abby smothered the urge to ask Brooke how things were going at school again. Every time she reached out, Brooke retreated a little more.
Where is this cabin, at the edge of nowhere? she asked.
Practically, Brooke said with a smile. Its tucked right up against the mountains, close to the trailhead.
Brooke lived for adventure. She had the temperament of an extreme athlete, always pushing herself physically, game for any challenge. She was a track star at Berkeley. Whenever Brooke wasnt making Abby proud, she was driving Abby crazy with worry.
The cabin at the end of the road was no rustic shack, thankfully. It was an impressive getaway, sturdy and sprawling. Abby knew it boasted a full kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There was a fireplace and a stocked fridge. Ray might not be reliable, but he didnt skimp on luxuries.
She parked next to a beat-up motorcycle in the driveway. Whose is that?
It must be Leos, Brooke said, her eyes bright with excitement. Not bothering to bring in her bags, she hopped out of the car and bounded to the front door.
Abby followed Brooke up the walk, pocketing the car keys. She was relieved that Ray and Lydia hadnt arrived yet. It had been a long drive. She needed a few minutes to collect herself, to take deep breaths and smooth her hair.
When Leo answered the door, Brooke tackled him with an exuberant hug. He stumbled backward, laughing in surprise. Although she was tall for a girl, almost his height, he didnt drop her or fall down. She clung to him for a few seconds and let go, squeezing his shoulder for good measure. Is that your motorcycle?
His lips curved into a smile. Yeah.
Take me for a ride.
Abby had never met Leo before, and he wasnt quite what shed expected. He had a mop of jet-black hair, in dire need of cutting, and ragged clothes. His Green Day T-shirt, torn jeans and high-top sneakers gave him sort of a punk-rock edge. Although he didnt look like a jock, his physique appeared strong and lean.
Instead of agreeing to mount Brooke on his death machine, he cleared his throat and glanced at Abby.
You must be Leo, she said, stepping forward. You look exactly like your mother.
He didnt seem embarrassed by the comparison, as some boys might have been. But then, his mother was beautiful. Thanks, he said easily.
I think he looks like his father, Brooke said.
Leo frowned at this comment. Abby had only seen Leos father in photographs, and in the infamous video clip that Leo had uploaded to YouTube. The pro baseball player had been falling-down drunk in the footage. It hadnt cast him in a very flattering light.
Your dad is seriously hot, Brooke added.
He grimaced in distaste.
Will your bike hold both of us?
Sure.
Abby studied the motorcycle with trepidation. Brooke was an adult now, so she couldnt forbid this activity. Theres only one helmet?
She can wear it, Leo said.
Brooke let out a squeal and ran toward the motorcycle, hair flying.
Abby rubbed her temples, trying not to visualize deadly accidents. Maybe she shouldnt have come on this trip. It was bound to be one anxiety attack after another. Brooke, you should put on real shoes. Flip-flops arent safe.
Shes right, Leo said.
Sticking her tongue out at Leo, Brooke opened the car door and grabbed her hiking boots. She sat down in the driveway to put them on quickly. Her jeans offered minimal protection against injury, but her tank top left her arms bare.
And a jacket, Abby said.
Oh my God, Mom. Were not going on the freeway.
Leo sided with Brooke this time. He was a teenage boy with a motorcycle, so his judgment was questionable. Ill keep it under fifty, Miss...
Abby, she murmured, waving her permission.
He climbed aboard the bike and released the kickstand, passing the helmet to Brooke. She tugged it on and settled in behind him, curving her arms around his trim waist. With a loud pop, he started the engine. Seconds later, they were off.
Abby stood in the driveway for a long time, listening for the sound of screeching tires. Dark crept into the corners of the balmy evening, bringing a chill that only Abby could feel. Brooke and Leo, with their superior circulation and raging hormones, would be warm enough. Shed never considered the possibility that the stepsiblings might have romantic feelings for each other. Not that Brookes overzealous embrace indicated as much. She was friendly with everyone, and often seemed unaware of her effect on men.
Abby unloaded her bags from the vehicle and went inside the cabin, sighing. The interior was beautiful, with high ceilings and exposed wood beams. A bouquet of purple wildflowers rested on a glass-topped coffee table in front of a leather couch. Abby found a room with a worn duffel bag on the bed, obviously Leos. Bypassing that and the master suite, she retreated to the opposite end of the cabin to stake her claim.
In the bathroom, she washed up and scrutinized her appearance. She was healthy. She ran five miles on the treadmill every other day. Her figure was still good.
Since the divorce, work and motherhood had taken up most of her energy. Shed dated a physical therapist for several years, but their relationship had fizzled in recent months. Her daughters absence had made her realize that something else was missing in her life. Shed rather be alone than settle for the wrong person.
It was a little embarrassing to be the fifth wheel at Rays cabin, single and unattached. His betrayal with Lydia had devastated her. Maybe the missing piece was inside Abby, and shed never be able to give herself completely to a man again.