Sam didnt say anything when he got back. His body language was closed, his mouth set in a hard line.
She took a sip of water to ease her parched throat before sharing the latest news. The attendant at Kaweah hasnt seen any suspicious characters, but one of the campers reported a stolen backpack, and a sheriffs deputy found a strange set of clothes in the mens room trash can.
Strange how?
Business attire, soaked in bleach. They cordoned off the bathroom in hopes that evidence can be collected. Tomorrow, investigators would retrieve the illegal cargo, process the crash site and launch a park-wide manhunt.
You think hes still in the area?
She shrugged. They hadnt seen any sign of him. He might have reentered the wilderness to hide, but there was no way he could have caught up with Faiths rafting group on foot. She breathed a little easier, knowing that.
What about his friends?
Theyll be looking for the cargo. They might not know where it is, or even where the plane crashed.
Theyll know if he tells them.
Hope wasnt sure he would. Thered obviously been a conflict between the suspect and the pilot. It was possible that he wasnt on good terms with the rest of his crew. Someone had been trying to contact him on the planes radio. He must have fled the scene in haste, without relaying any information.
Lets make camp under that tree, away from the trail, he said, pointing to a more secure location.
If we push, we could reach Kaweah by midnight.
Youre exhausted.
She couldnt deny it. Ill be fine.
Youll be unconscious in another mile.
Okay, He-Man, she shot back. Clearly you never get tired, so you can go on ahead without me if my company offends you so much. Ill catch up tomorrow. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. The stress and muscle strain had really done a number on her. All of the hurt shed bottled up inside had risen to the surface.
She was usually more upbeat.
Im tired, he said, walking away from the trail and removing the tent from his backpack. He didnt bother to deny that he found her company offensive. She followed him, finding another rock to sit on. With a heavy sigh, she stared into the distance, determined to enjoy the play of light in the clouds as the sun dipped below the horizon.
The next thing she knew, it was full dark, and he was shoving a tin cup into her hands. She must have dozed off.
Drink, he said.
It was chicken noodle soup from a freeze-dried packet. He molded his hands over hers as she took a tentative sip. The liquid was hot and tasty, reviving her senses. She drank half the cup before he moved away, trusting her to finish it herself.
Thank you, she said.
He grunted a dismissal and made another cup of soup. While she was sleeping, hed set up the tent under a tree and built a small fire.
How long was I out?
Ten minutes.
She drained her cup, suddenly ravenous.
You should drink some water, too.
Hope did as she was told, because dehydration was no joke, and she was showing signs of serious fatigue. When shed stopped moving, her body had shut down. Her core temperature had also dropped considerably. She was cold.
They shared several packets of soup, a powdered drink that tasted like hot Tang and a bag of roasted almonds.
Once her hunger was satisfied, she became very sleepy again. She yawned behind her hand, catching his watchful gaze from across the campfire. He looked ready to point to the tent and order her to go to bed, like a dog.
Are you going to stay out here all night? she asked.
He poked a stick at the fire, contemplative. No.
I only brought one sleeping bag.
You can have it.
Ill use my blanket.
He didnt argue, so she took that as an agreement. She removed her shoes and crawled inside the tent, bringing the space blanket with her. It was a shallow, narrow space, designed to hold in heat. Once he joined her, theyd be like two sardines in a can. She zipped up the door and scooted to one side, leaving room for him. Then she wrapped her body in the crinkly, aluminum-sided blanket, rested her head on the crook of her arm and closed her eyes.
Sleep was elusive because her mind wouldnt rest. She couldnt stop second-guessing her interactions with Sam. Shed replayed their night together a thousand times, wondering what had gone wrong. He didnt seem like the type of man to discard a woman after one use. Well, three uses, but who was counting?
He seemed even less like that type now. He was irritable and short-tempered, not deliberately cruel. A man without a heart wouldnt follow her down the mountain or feel responsible for her safety. She knew why her presence made him uncomfortable: guilt. She reminded him of his worst behavior.
She rolled onto her side, frustrated. He hadnt planned to throw her out. Shed bet her Patagonia backpack on it. The action was too bizarre, too abrupt.
Another ugly suspicion reared its head. Obviously, he liked her looks, or he wouldnt have taken her home with him. Her personality wasnt a major considerationthey hadnt done much talking. And shed never been more responsive or uninhibited, so he couldnt fault her sexual performance.
What did that leave? Her body.
Hope had a nice enough figure. She was strong, but naturally slender, with curvy hips and small breasts. Although she hadnt stripped in front of a man in years, shed felt no attacks of shyness that night. He certainly hadnt voiced any complaints. Shed been tipsy, and hed been downright drunk. His eyes had darkened with appreciation when he saw her naked. If she remembered correctly, hed kissed her all over.
But maybe, during that final session of foreplay, when hed gotten up close and personal with her private parts, hed noticed the marks on her lower abdomen.
Her biggest flaw. Her darkest secret.
This was why she never slept with strangers. She didnt want to explain the telltale signs of pregnancy. The story was too painful to share with a casual acquaintance. Sometimes it was too heavy for a steady boyfriend.
Sam hadnt said anything, so she didnt know if the sight had triggered him.
Hope smoothed a hand over her flat stomach and blinked back the tears of remorse, pressing her lips together tightly.
She didnt want him to hear her cry.
CHAPTER FIVE
HOPE AWOKE WITH a start.
Shed been dreaming about falling. It was a repeat of yesterdays close call on Angel Wings. Only this time, her harness hadnt held. The nylon had snapped, sending her hurtling toward the ground, her arms and legs flailing.
The nightmare faded and she let out a slow breath, trying to orient herself. She was in a single-man tent. With Sam.
He hadnt kept his distance; it was impossible in the cramped space. He also hadnt kept his sleeping bag to himself. The thick, down-filled fabric covered them both, so he must have unzipped it to share with her. Underneath that layer, she had the safety blanket, which wasnt big enough for two.
She felt cozy, insulated from the chilly morning air. And a little guilty, because hed put her comfort above his own.
Theyd been sleeping spoon-style, with her back to his front. Her head was pillowed on the crook of his right arm. His left was locked around her waist in a manner that could only be called possessive.
She felt cozy, insulated from the chilly morning air. And a little guilty, because hed put her comfort above his own.
Theyd been sleeping spoon-style, with her back to his front. Her head was pillowed on the crook of his right arm. His left was locked around her waist in a manner that could only be called possessive.
He stirred behind her, mumbling something in his sleep. His lips brushed against the nape of her neck.
Shed always melted when a man kissed her there. Sam had paid special attention to this erogenous zone during round two on that ill-fated night. Hed dragged his open mouth all the way down her tingling spine.
Hope forced the memory aside and tried to ignore the feathery sensation, to no avail. Her skin prickled with awareness and her nipples tightened in the cups of her sports top. She had to extricate herself from this predicament ASAP. When she touched his arm, attempting to remove it from her person, his muscles tensed. He tightened his grip on her waist and brought her closer, aligning her bottom with his lap.
Oh no. Was he awake?
She couldnt tell for sure, but the quickening of breath, along with an obvious erection, indicated some level of awareness.
The best strategy at this point would be to say something and move away from him. But she stayed right where she was, her mouth closed and her body humming with arousal. He rewarded this choice by lifting a hand to her breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple. When she didnt protest, he buried his face in her hair.
She gasped as he nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear. His heartbeat thumped against her back and his erection prodded her buttocks.
Melissa, he groaned, smoothing his hand down her belly. He traced the cleft of her sex with his fingertips.
And then the name registered.
She shoved his arm away and scrambled upright. Melissa?
He blinked at her in confusion. His eyes were bloodshot, dark with desire, and there were sleep lines on his lean cheek.
You just called me Melissa, she prompted.
Youre...Hope.
She couldnt believe he had to reach for the information, as if they hadnt spent the past twenty-four hours together. As if he didnt know her. Are you sure? Because you thought I was someone else a second ago.
He stretched out on his back and looked up at the ceiling of the tent, raking a hand through his hair. The sweatband he always wore on his right wrist was pushed up over his palm, revealing a piece of tattooed script. They both noticed it at the same time. As he read the insignia, his eyes filled with anguish and his throat worked in agitation.
She grasped his forearm, holding it still.
R.I.P., Melissa.
Who is she?
He tried to speak, but the words were strangled. Shaking his head in apology, he covered his face with one hand and rolled onto his side, shutting her out.
Hope couldnt bear to watch him cry. It seemed like a foreign level of emotion for a controlled risk taker who never even flinched. He clearly didnt want her to witness this breakdown, or to offer him comfort in any way. So, instead of staying with him, she unzipped the tent and walked away.
It was a chilly, misty morning. Her muscles groaned in protest as she sat down to put on her boots, so she did some yoga stretches.
Hope didnt feel good about leaving him alone. Hed taken care of her and kept her warm last night. On the other hand, hed thrown her out of his bed after their first encounter, and added injury to insult by forgetting her nameagain.
She owed him nothing.
When he emerged from the tent a few moments later, his eyes were red-rimmed, but clear, and his mouth was set in a tight line. He laced up his hiking boots in silence. Im sorry, he said finally. I didnt mean to touch you.
A hint of indignation seeped back in. Did you mean to touch me that night you took me home from the lodge?
He flashed a sardonic smile. Yes.
Apparently she wasnt worth a repeat performance. He didnt offer any further explanation, and she couldnt bring herself to ask.
Shed done a Google search on him the morning after their one-night stand, struck by the awful suspicion that he was married or in a serious relationship. The internet search had brought up articles about his business endeavors, his climbing feats and his entrapment in San Diego. Hed been linked to various women, including an Italian supermodel, but she hadnt found any information about wives or current girlfriends. Not even on Facebook.
Shed closed her laptop, resolving to forget about him. Faith was the only person shed mentioned his name to. The female rangers she worked with were friendly, but asking them about Sams love life would only provide gossip fodder. Rumors that he was gay, or unable to perform since the coma hed suffered during the San Diego earthquake, were baseless. She just wanted to put the humiliating experience behind her.
Sam broke down camp while Hope ate her last granola bar, her thoughts churning. Together, they set off toward Kaweah.
Her stiff muscles loosened up and her resentment faded. Hed lost a woman he loved. If he wasnt over her, he shouldnt have taken Hope to bed, but whatever. Hed been drunk. Hed made a mistake.
She knew how hard it was to let go. Better than anyone.
By the time they reached the base of the mountain, shed brushed off her hurt feelings. She wasnt the type to hold a grudge, and his apology seemed genuine. She suspected that he was struggling with severe depression. Anyone who free-soloed at night had one foot in the grave.
Hope had worked a number of suicide scenes. Sierra National Park was a popular place for cliff jumpers. It was wide open, with few witnesses and many high points to leap from. Often the bodies were unidentifiable, and it was difficult to distinguish between a purposeful death and a falling accident.
The thought of finding Sams body at the base of a cliff, his internal organs obliterated and bones crushed, chilled Hope to the core.
At midmorning, the sun was burning through a haze of clouds and the air felt heavy. They might be in for rain, another complication she didnt need. Instead of moping about it, she put a spring in her step, following her mantra to stay positive.
Kaweah was bustling with activity. As they arrived, a team of investigators headed up the path to Angel Wings.
She stopped to speak with Deputy Phillip Meeks, the leader. He was a young man, former military, kind of a hotshot. A more experienced deputy wouldnt be amiss, but at least Meeks was strong and fit. She showed him the pictures on her camera, pointing out the exact location of the drug stash.
Youll want to take East Slope, the trail on the left. Its faster.
Ten-four, he said, wearing the ghost of a smirk.
Meeks had been at the bar the night shed gone home with Sam. He might have seen them leave together, but he hadnt run his mouth about it, as far as she knew. Long Pine was a small community, and members of local law enforcement were a tight-knit group. If Meeks had talked, shed have heard.
She said goodbye to the team and continued to the ranger station with Sam. Ranger Cordova, who usually worked at another region of the park, was in the back office. She offered them a seat and cold sodas.
Thanks, Hope said, cracking hers open. Wheres Kruger?
He called in sick today.
Bill Kruger was the head ranger at Kaweah. Hed gotten the job through a family connection with the park manager, and he shirked his duties on a regular basis. She was glad he wasnt here to screw anything up.