Josh Read online

  She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to see what these hills will look like by morning.”

  “Believe me, they’ll look a whole lot better from inside a snug, dry tent.” He set about assembling their campsite inside the shelter of the small cave, which gave them double protection.

  Sierra helped him finish setting up. While Josh adjusted the small heater, she began moving their supplies inside. In no time they were warm enough to remove their parkas and stretch out on their bedrolls.

  As Josh began to close the tent entrance, Sierra put a hand over his. “Do you mind leaving the flap open? Just until I’m ready to sleep? I want to watch the snow.”

  For the longest time they sat together, watching the snowflakes drifting past the entrance to the cave, until the ground outside their sheltered haven was no longer visible beneath all that white.

  “Why do you love the snow so much?” Josh watched her as she stared transfixed at the scene unfolding before them.

  She shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it. I suppose because I didn’t get to see much of it in England. Oh, there was snow. But it would fall and dust the grounds of our boarding school, and the next day it was melted. I have some vague memories of snowfalls from my childhood. Those deep, whipped-cream drifts that were such fun to jump in, while my father held my hand. There seemed to be a lot of snow at our Christmas reunions. I was always so happy then, just to be with both my parents. Whatever differences they had, they were able to put them aside for a few days while we felt like a family.”

  She turned pensive. “But it was all just an illusion. When the holidays were over, we’d go our separate ways. My mother with her latest guy, and my father with his latest love. Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from them again for months.”

  “Is that when you stopped believing?”

  His question had her turning toward him. “Believing in what?”

  “In love.”

  “Oh. That.” She dismissed it with a toss of her head. “My father said it’s like a snowstorm. All soft and pretty for awhile. But then it melts away, and all that’s left is a puddle that dries up until there’s no sign it was ever there.”

  She stifled a yawn. “I guess I’ve watched all the snow I can tonight. I just hope it’s still here in the morning.”

  “Trust me.” Josh watched as she secured the tent entrance before dropping down beside him. He gathered her close to whisper against her temple, “It’ll still be here for you to enjoy.”

  Weary from the climb, and sated from their earlier lovemaking, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms as they drifted into sleep.

  Josh listened to the soft, easy breathing of the woman beside him and lay watching her as his mind drifted back to her first night at the ranch. He’d thought at the time that she was a beautiful, carefree butterfly who had escaped her unusual childhood unscathed. Now he knew better. Though she hid her wounds beneath a cheerful façade, there was painful scar tissue.

  She had a real issue with trust. Obviously the ones she’d loved the most had let her down too many times. Now she was convinced that the only way to protect her heart was to lower her expectations.

  What must it be like growing up without anyone to confide in? He thought about his own childhood. Despite the terrible loss of his mother, he’d always had his father, his grandfather, and, later, Phoebe to turn to. And throughout the years, they had never let him down.

  Sierra had been completely alone. Through a troubling childhood, throughout the terrible teen years, she’d been forced to trust only her own instincts. Whatever mistakes she’d made along the way, there had been no one around to share the burden.

  No wonder she was so strong. So resilient.

  No wonder she was absolutely convinced that no man could ever be true to his word. In her young life, no man ever had. All she knew was abandonment.

  It was another reason why he wanted to hold her. To comfort her. To keep her safe.

  Sierra awoke to an eerie stillness. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised by the light flooding into their tent.

  She glanced at Josh, who lay beside her, his hands beneath his head, his gaze fixed on her.

  “How long have you been awake?”

  He smiled and reached for her, drawing her close. “Just long enough to watch you while you slept.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a slow, delicious kiss that had all his nerve endings humming with need.

  Suddenly she pushed free of his arms to sit up. “What’s that strange glow?”

  His smile was quick and mysterious. “What was it you were wishing for when you fell asleep?”

  “Oh.” She unzipped the flap and stared at the scene outside their tent. “Look, Josh. Snow. Tons and tons of glorious snow.”

  “Yeah.”

  He lay back and watched as she sprang up and lifted her arms wide, trying to take it all in.

  “Look at these hills. Aren’t they a picture?”

  “Not nearly as pretty as the one I’m looking it.”

  “Oh you.” With a laugh she snatched up her camera and began snapping off pictures of the pristine snow stretching as far as the eye could see. “Look at it.” She motioned toward the trails, now covered completely, and the mounds of snow that topped every tree, shrub, and rock. “Come on. We have to walk in it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there isn’t a single footprint in it yet. No bird tracks. No rabbit prints. No deer or fox or elk. We’ll be the first creatures in the universe to leave our prints in this brand new snowfall.”

  She lowered her camera and began pulling on her hiking gear.

  “Wouldn’t you like some breakfast before you venture out into the cold?”

  “How can you think about eating at a time like this?” She slipped her arms into her parka. “I don’t want to waste a minute.”

  “What about our camp? Do you want me to pack it up, or would you rather spend the day hiking and return here?”

  She paused to give it some thought. “Why don’t we leave our gear here, and hike to the next peak before turning back? Then maybe we could spend tonight here again before deciding whether to hike some more or head down.”

  He shrugged. “That makes things easy. I’ll just secure our gear so we don’t return to find some hungry bears enjoying all our good food.”

  A short time later, as he joined Sierra outside the tent, with a pocket full of dried beef and some corn bread tucked in his pocket, he shot a last, hungry look at the portable cooker and thought about the breakfast he’d planned.

  There was always tomorrow, he consoled himself.

  “Come on.” Sierra was already sprinting ahead. “Last one to the top of that peak fixes supper tonight.”

  Josh led the way up the trail and caught Sierra’s hand as he helped her over a snow-covered log.

  “You getting tired yet?”

  “Not at all. Oh.” She pressed a finger to his lips and pointed toward the herd of deer feeding from the low-hanging branches of a stand of evergreens.

  With a smile she snapped off several pictures before one of the deer alerted the others to their presence. Within minutes the entire herd had blended silently into the surrounding woods, leaving only their deep prints in the snow to show that they’d been there.

  Sierra took aim and captured the prints in several more quick shots.

  “Why do you want pictures of deer tracks?”

  At Josh’s question she turned. “I can see this in my mind. First I’ll show the prints leading to the woods, and then some pictures of the herd, and then another photo of the prints leading away. I think I’ll label the entire set of photos ‘Guests On The Mountain.’ ”

  He could see it exactly as she described it, and nodded in approval. “You have a gift, Sierra. A clear vision.”

  She felt such a warm glow of pleasure at his words. “Do you really think so?”

  “I do.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “And whe
n your agent sees these, he’ll have no trouble getting a gallery to showcase that talent.”

  “Oh, Josh. From your lips…”

  As she continued moving out ahead of him, he felt a sudden tingling at the base of his skull. As though someone were watching.

  He turned and scanned the frozen landscape.

  Except for their footprints in the snow, there wasn’t a single sign of another human.

  Footprints.

  This snowfall had made them as transparent and vulnerable as if they were holding up flashing neon signs. Anyone interested in tracking them needed only to follow their trail in the snow.

  Still, if someone were tracking them, there would be other footprints in the snow.

  And who would be tracking them?

  Josh struggled to shake off the feeling of dread that had taken over his mood. It didn’t make any sense. After all, weren’t they free of any worry? Everett Fletcher had assured them that Sebastian Delray was thousands of miles away from here.

  Still, the feeling persisted as he followed Sierra higher into the hills.

  Over the years, whether climbing a mountain in search of a lost hiker, or charting a trail of his own, Josh had come to rely on his mental agility as much as his physical prowess. Early in life, he’d learned to follow his instincts. And right now, all of his instincts were telling him that there was some unseen danger lurking. If not human, it could very well be animal. There were countless animals in these parts that could pose a threat to unsuspecting hikers.

  Up ahead, Sierra’s laughter rang out on the clear, crisp air.

  Her mood was as light as his was dark.

  Despite his misgivings, he vowed to do or say nothing that would spoil her obvious joy.

  But, he reminded himself, as long as this feeling persisted, he intended to remain alert and vigilant.

  He found himself wishing he hadn’t left the rifle back at their campsite.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Cole stepped from the barn and into the blinding blizzard. The same storm that had blanketed the mountains had now descended to rage around their ranchland, the snow piling up faster than the crew could remove it. The only thing to do now was to handle indoor chores until the storm passed and they could begin the cleanup.

  He walked into the mudroom and hung his wide-brimmed hat and parka on pegs by the door before prying off his dung-spattered boots and hosing them down. Then he rolled up his sleeves, moved to the big sink, and began scrubbing. He snatched up a towel and dried before tossing it into a basket.

  He was just walking into the kitchen where the rest of the family had gathered for lunch, when his cell phone rang.

  He flipped it open. “Cole Conway.”

  “Cole. Everett Fletcher.”

  Cole noted the gruff tone that indicated this was a business call, not a personal one. “Hey, Chief. What’s up?”

  “Just got a call from the state boys. As I explained to Big Jim, I’d asked them to track Sebastian Delray.”

  “Right.” Cole pulled out his chair and settled himself at the table as Phoebe and Ela began serving up platters of steaming beef stew and crusty rolls still warm from the oven.

  After a morning round of chores, Cole’s stomach was grumbling. He switched his phone to speaker and set it on the table to free his hands before reaching for a platter and filling his plate.

  The chief’s voice could be heard clearly by everyone around the table.

  “Chalk it up to my years of dealing with bad guys. When Delray showed up at my office after I contacted his lawyer in Paris, he played it very cool. He was all stiff and formal and polite, but I could see the absolute fire in his eyes when I presented him with Ms. Moore’s restraining order. He reminded me of a guy just itching for a down-and-dirty fight. I had a hard time accepting the fact that he would meekly head home without the opportunity to face her and unload all that fury and frustration.”

  “Yeah. I had a hard time swallowing it, too. It seemed almost too easy. But you said the state police saw him leave.”

  “Yeah. That’s why I asked them to track him for the complete flight. Since there was a scheduled change of planes in San Francisco, I wanted to be sure he didn’t pull a fast one there, so the state boys alerted the California guys.”

  “And…?” Cole prompted.

  “The passenger continued on to Paris.”

  “That’s good to kno—”

  “But my gut was correct. It wasn’t Delray.”

  Cole’s head came up sharply.

  The movements of the rest of the family seemed to freeze in midair. Even Ela, pouring coffee, sloshed some over the rim of the cup before setting the carafe down with a clatter.

  “What’s that supposed to mean, Everett?” Big Jim’s voice rolled around the room like a thunderclap.

  They heard the chief suck in a deep breath before saying, “When the authorities in Paris checked the identification of the passenger claiming to be Sebastian Delray, they discovered it was one of the wranglers from the Brady ranch. Vic Bremmer’s a tall, good-looking guy with black hair, going gray at the temples. He claims he was approached by a stranger in the saloon who offered him five thousand dollars to use the stranger’s ID to fly to Paris. The guy said he was playing a joke on a buddy. All the wrangler had to do was land in Paris, call a number, and say, ‘I’ve landed.’ Then he could either stick around and see the sights of the city, or fly back home and bank the money. Either way, the wrangler figured it was too good to pass up, so he agreed. When the authorities checked the number he was given, it turned out to be Delray’s cell phone here in this country. It was probably his cue that his little plan had worked, and the wrangler had landed in Paris.”

  Big Jim broke in to ask curtly, “Where is Delray now, Everett?”

  Another long, deep sigh. “That’s the million-dollar question. He hasn’t been spotted since pretending to leave for that flight to Paris. His cell phone isn’t sending out a signal. I figure he discarded it as soon as he got the call. But now that we know about his little scheme, it’s just a matter of time before we find him. In the meantime, as long as Ms. Moore stays there with all of you, I can breathe easy knowing that she’s safe while I do my job.”

  Cole’s tone was as weary as the police chief’s. “Sierra isn’t here, Chief. Neither is Josh.”

  Everett Fletcher’s voice sharpened. “Where are they?”

  “Somewhere on the mountain. They left right after they heard that Delray was gone.”

  The chief swore. “Okay. I’ll call Josh right away to warn him. As soon as they get their hides back to your place, see that they don’t leave until this matter is resolved.”

  “Have you looked outside your window, Everett?” Cole pushed aside his chair and walked to the windows, staring bleakly at the clouds hiding the mountain peaks in the distance. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a blizzard.”

  “I know. I know. I’ll call you right back.”

  After the chief rang off, the family members pushed aside their plates, their meal forgotten.

  Just as they began to voice their concerns, Cole’s cell phone rang again.

  He glanced at the number before saying, “It’s Everett.” He turned on the speaker, and the chief’s voice filled the room.

  “No signal. That means they’ve climbed too high, or it may be because of the storm. Whatever the reason, I believe they’re in grave danger. And the worst part is, if we aren’t able to make contact with them to warn them about Delray, they won’t even know they’re in danger.”

  “We’ll keep trying on this end.” Cole glanced around at his family, whose faces reflected the seriousness of the suddenly grave situation. “We won’t be able to take up the plane until this storm passes. How about the state police helicopters?”

  “They’ll be grounded as long as the snow continues. But you can be assured that as soon as the weather clears, they’ll be up and searching. In the meantime, I’ll alert the rangers.” He paused
a beat before saying, “Josh has faced plenty of dangerous situations in the past, Cole. He’s smart and strong and cautious, and he knows those mountains better than anyone.”

  “I know that.” Cole’s voice lowered with emotion. “But it seems to me that Sebastian Delray has put a lot of planning into this. It doesn’t sound like just a guy who wants to take back his woman. It sounds like this has become something bigger.”

  “I agree.” The police chief’s voice thickened. “This has become a game of revenge. And since Delray has already crossed a line, he doesn’t care how many more laws are broken. I’d bet all my money on the fact that he’s playing for keeps.”

  “There has to be something we can do.” Jake was nervously pacing.

  “Look out the window.” Quinn stood watching the snow. “Until that storm blows over, we wouldn’t get past the barn.”

  Phoebe and Ela, needing to be busy, silently cleared the table and began tidying the kitchen. Phoebe scrubbed the table, the stovetop, the counters, viciously rubbing at every little spot. Old Ela was on her hands and knees, erasing any marks on her already spotless floor. It had always been their way of coping with stress. Big Jim headed for the back door.

  Cole swung around. “Where’re you going?”

  “Out to the barn. I need some thinking time.”

  “Don’t you even think about trying any heroics.” Cole’s voice was rough with emotion.

  Big Jim opened his mouth, but no words came out. Then, thinking better of it, he swung away and slammed out of the house. Minutes later he could be seen, bent nearly double against the swirling snow, heading toward the barn.

  Cheyenne stood beside Quinn, her hand squeezing his, her gaze fixed on the snow falling on the mountain peaks in the distance.

  So close, and yet so far.

  It was the thought that tantalized all of them, and had terror constricting their hearts.

  “Oh, Josh.” Sierra stepped out of a wooded area and came to an abrupt halt. She was standing on a promontory that overlooked the land below, which was shrouded in snow.