first time, Davis smiled.
Tony found it more intimidating than the staring. “Connor already told me that.”
“Did I?” he asked.
Tony stuck with the story because he refused to believe he’d messed up and not asked what would be the obvious question. This was a trap and he would not fall into it. “Yes.”
“I’ll call in a few hours.” After one last up and down, Connor left, taking Davis with him.
* * *
J OEL TRIED TO think of a way the past hour could have gone worse. Hope wanted to have “the talk” in the middle of a potential missing persons case. Add in bad weather, gunshots and no answers, and Joel wanted to yank all of them out of there and go home.
He might have done so if the flight wasn’t dangerous and he didn’t have a missing camper lost out in the unforgiving woods somewhere. Still, the idea of shoving Hope on the helicopter and telling Cam to fly her to safety was compelling. The fact that she would refuse wasn’t Joel’s biggest concern. He could—would—make her if that’s what he had to do to keep her safe.
He had left her to give her a normal life. Forfeiting that now was not okay with him. Not after all he’d lost.
They stepped into camp. When Joel saw the flat expression on Cam’s face, he knew something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” Joel called out.
Cam joined them at the line where the trees met the open space. “Perry’s officially missing.”
Hope let out a stifled gasp. “You’ve got to be kidding. We’re missing two now?”
“Charlie last saw him in the kitchen area around breakfast, but there’s no sign of him at all.” Cam kicked the dirt under his feet.
Joel tried to ignore the uncharacteristic shifting, but it made him nervous. “His bed?”
“Slept in and all of his stuff is in his cabin.” Cam looked up. “Good news is we don’t have blood this time.”
“I can’t believe that now qualifies as good news.” She leaned against Joel.
Cam shrugged. “Well, it’s not as bad as it could be.”
Without thinking, Joel put a hand against her lower back and brought her in closer to his side. Despite the warm weather, her skin felt cold and the chill seeped through his clothes to his skin. The wind had cooled, but not enough to explain the shivers running through her.
Cam’s gaze shot to the lack of space between Joel and Hope, then back up again. “Jeff and Lance are pretty jumpy. Charlie is on the side of that last cabin, walking them through some camping tips.”
As far as Joel was concerned, that was the sort of thing that should have happened before the retreat started. “Now?”
“I did that before,” she said.
Cam waved off the concern. “I think he’s trying to keep them calm.”
“Well.” Hope rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “Maybe I should listen in then.”
Joel knew she was suffering from a case of nerves. She didn’t need a class on wilderness survival. In their months apart she’d taken more and more risks, climbing higher mountains and guiding tours thousands of feet into the air. He hated the idea of her up there, but he knew she loved it. And they were no longer together, so he limited his complaints to her dad. Not that they worked.
The corner of Cam’s mouth lifted as his gaze wandered over Hope and Joel. “What happened to you two?”
“Get ready for more bad news,” she said.
Joel didn’t feel like playing games, so he skipped right to it. “Someone shot at us.”
Cam’s mouth fell into a flat line again. “What?”
She blew out a long, labored breath. “One shot but it had us ducking.”
Cam nodded. “I’d think so.”
“Well then.” She stepped out of Joel’s hold. “I should go do some work.”
Joel admired her courage to not sit in a corner and rock. Most people would, but not her. But he still worried about her shell-shocked expression and wavering voice. “You okay?”
Cam cut off any chance of getting her to stay. “I need to talk with you.”
Even though he
Tony found it more intimidating than the staring. “Connor already told me that.”
“Did I?” he asked.
Tony stuck with the story because he refused to believe he’d messed up and not asked what would be the obvious question. This was a trap and he would not fall into it. “Yes.”
“I’ll call in a few hours.” After one last up and down, Connor left, taking Davis with him.
* * *
J OEL TRIED TO think of a way the past hour could have gone worse. Hope wanted to have “the talk” in the middle of a potential missing persons case. Add in bad weather, gunshots and no answers, and Joel wanted to yank all of them out of there and go home.
He might have done so if the flight wasn’t dangerous and he didn’t have a missing camper lost out in the unforgiving woods somewhere. Still, the idea of shoving Hope on the helicopter and telling Cam to fly her to safety was compelling. The fact that she would refuse wasn’t Joel’s biggest concern. He could—would—make her if that’s what he had to do to keep her safe.
He had left her to give her a normal life. Forfeiting that now was not okay with him. Not after all he’d lost.
They stepped into camp. When Joel saw the flat expression on Cam’s face, he knew something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” Joel called out.
Cam joined them at the line where the trees met the open space. “Perry’s officially missing.”
Hope let out a stifled gasp. “You’ve got to be kidding. We’re missing two now?”
“Charlie last saw him in the kitchen area around breakfast, but there’s no sign of him at all.” Cam kicked the dirt under his feet.
Joel tried to ignore the uncharacteristic shifting, but it made him nervous. “His bed?”
“Slept in and all of his stuff is in his cabin.” Cam looked up. “Good news is we don’t have blood this time.”
“I can’t believe that now qualifies as good news.” She leaned against Joel.
Cam shrugged. “Well, it’s not as bad as it could be.”
Without thinking, Joel put a hand against her lower back and brought her in closer to his side. Despite the warm weather, her skin felt cold and the chill seeped through his clothes to his skin. The wind had cooled, but not enough to explain the shivers running through her.
Cam’s gaze shot to the lack of space between Joel and Hope, then back up again. “Jeff and Lance are pretty jumpy. Charlie is on the side of that last cabin, walking them through some camping tips.”
As far as Joel was concerned, that was the sort of thing that should have happened before the retreat started. “Now?”
“I did that before,” she said.
Cam waved off the concern. “I think he’s trying to keep them calm.”
“Well.” Hope rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “Maybe I should listen in then.”
Joel knew she was suffering from a case of nerves. She didn’t need a class on wilderness survival. In their months apart she’d taken more and more risks, climbing higher mountains and guiding tours thousands of feet into the air. He hated the idea of her up there, but he knew she loved it. And they were no longer together, so he limited his complaints to her dad. Not that they worked.
The corner of Cam’s mouth lifted as his gaze wandered over Hope and Joel. “What happened to you two?”
“Get ready for more bad news,” she said.
Joel didn’t feel like playing games, so he skipped right to it. “Someone shot at us.”
Cam’s mouth fell into a flat line again. “What?”
She blew out a long, labored breath. “One shot but it had us ducking.”
Cam nodded. “I’d think so.”
“Well then.” She stepped out of Joel’s hold. “I should go do some work.”
Joel admired her courage to not sit in a corner and rock. Most people would, but not her. But he still worried about her shell-shocked expression and wavering voice. “You okay?”
Cam cut off any chance of getting her to stay. “I need to talk with you.”
Even though he
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