wasn’t one of those available from the forest station of nearby wilderness areas. The initials across the top of the first page gave that away. NRCS. What the hell would she be doing with maps from the soil conservation agency?
Because he knew she wouldn’t tell him if he asked—and damned if he’d ask—he kept his mouth shut. Before the end of the day, he’d figure it out on his own.
Pulling off the highway to the access road, he took the quarter mile drive up to the Springs Resort before coming to a stop. “This is it.”
“I may be a while.” She gathered up a bag, smaller than the backpack she’d had the last time they’d been together, and went to open the door.
“Listen . . .Caitlin.”
“It’s Cait.” Her backward glance over her shoulder was half wary, half quizzical.
He had a feeling he was going to regret what he was about to say. “I might be more help if I knew what it was you were looking for.”
“Thanks, but I can’t tell you that.” As if in afterthought, she scooped up the maps she’d been studying earlier and got out of the Trailblazer.
Zach studied her retreating figure through narrowed eyes. She was dressed as casually today as she’d been when he’d taken her to the cave. The difference this time was he was pretty sure she was carrying. His time in the military had taught him to spot weapons wherever they might be hidden on a person. Her gun was at the small of her back, beneath her T-shirt. And no matter how many times he told himself to let it go, he couldn’t quite stop wondering why Caitlin Fleming felt the need to carry a gun to a popular tourist resort.
Almost as much as he wondered how good she was at using it.
With a hissed-out breath, Zach powered down his window and propped an elbow on the sill. He much preferred action to cooling his heels. Pulling out his cell phone, he spent fifteen minutes checking in with the guides he had on various outings—outings he could have been leading himself if he hadn’t received the summons from Andrews last night. Since their reports indicated everything was going fine, he flipped the phone shut and tucked it away again. And checked the entrance of the resort.
No sign of Caitlin. Cait .
Drumming his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel, he scanned the drive in front of the resort. Looked like business could be better. The parking lot to the side was less than half filled with cars bearing out-of-state plates. Tourists usually flocked to this place, looking to escape the tedium of their lives by immersing themselves in the natural beauty of Oregon’s countryside. He could understand the need. There was something healing about spending time in the forests. In the mountains. On the rivers. Something that could always make him forget for a while exactly what had sent him back here.
Zach actually got a fair amount of business from the Springs Resort. The owners allowed him to display his business brochures and recommended his outfit to their guests. After another five minutes crawled by, he gave a mental shrug. As long as he was here, he may as well check at the front desk and see if more brochures were needed. Grateful for the excuse to move, he opened the door and got out, stretching his legs thankfully. Ducking back inside the Trailblazer, he pulled some pamphlets he always carried from the holder on the visor and headed for the front doors.
He nodded at Jim Lancombe, one of the groundskeepers, who was watering the beds and barrels spilling with flowers. The man was kept busy all summer and fall, but come winter he’d occasionally call Zach for some snowshoe hiking in the mountains. He was good company for two reasons. He knew when to keep his mouth shut, and he was as much an expert in the outdoors as Zach was himself.
A blast of air-conditioning hit him as he pushed open the front doors to the rustic log exterior of the resort. He spotted Cait right away, standing off to the side a few yards away from the front
Because he knew she wouldn’t tell him if he asked—and damned if he’d ask—he kept his mouth shut. Before the end of the day, he’d figure it out on his own.
Pulling off the highway to the access road, he took the quarter mile drive up to the Springs Resort before coming to a stop. “This is it.”
“I may be a while.” She gathered up a bag, smaller than the backpack she’d had the last time they’d been together, and went to open the door.
“Listen . . .Caitlin.”
“It’s Cait.” Her backward glance over her shoulder was half wary, half quizzical.
He had a feeling he was going to regret what he was about to say. “I might be more help if I knew what it was you were looking for.”
“Thanks, but I can’t tell you that.” As if in afterthought, she scooped up the maps she’d been studying earlier and got out of the Trailblazer.
Zach studied her retreating figure through narrowed eyes. She was dressed as casually today as she’d been when he’d taken her to the cave. The difference this time was he was pretty sure she was carrying. His time in the military had taught him to spot weapons wherever they might be hidden on a person. Her gun was at the small of her back, beneath her T-shirt. And no matter how many times he told himself to let it go, he couldn’t quite stop wondering why Caitlin Fleming felt the need to carry a gun to a popular tourist resort.
Almost as much as he wondered how good she was at using it.
With a hissed-out breath, Zach powered down his window and propped an elbow on the sill. He much preferred action to cooling his heels. Pulling out his cell phone, he spent fifteen minutes checking in with the guides he had on various outings—outings he could have been leading himself if he hadn’t received the summons from Andrews last night. Since their reports indicated everything was going fine, he flipped the phone shut and tucked it away again. And checked the entrance of the resort.
No sign of Caitlin. Cait .
Drumming his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel, he scanned the drive in front of the resort. Looked like business could be better. The parking lot to the side was less than half filled with cars bearing out-of-state plates. Tourists usually flocked to this place, looking to escape the tedium of their lives by immersing themselves in the natural beauty of Oregon’s countryside. He could understand the need. There was something healing about spending time in the forests. In the mountains. On the rivers. Something that could always make him forget for a while exactly what had sent him back here.
Zach actually got a fair amount of business from the Springs Resort. The owners allowed him to display his business brochures and recommended his outfit to their guests. After another five minutes crawled by, he gave a mental shrug. As long as he was here, he may as well check at the front desk and see if more brochures were needed. Grateful for the excuse to move, he opened the door and got out, stretching his legs thankfully. Ducking back inside the Trailblazer, he pulled some pamphlets he always carried from the holder on the visor and headed for the front doors.
He nodded at Jim Lancombe, one of the groundskeepers, who was watering the beds and barrels spilling with flowers. The man was kept busy all summer and fall, but come winter he’d occasionally call Zach for some snowshoe hiking in the mountains. He was good company for two reasons. He knew when to keep his mouth shut, and he was as much an expert in the outdoors as Zach was himself.
A blast of air-conditioning hit him as he pushed open the front doors to the rustic log exterior of the resort. He spotted Cait right away, standing off to the side a few yards away from the front
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