Rocky Mountain Manhunt

“Nice to meet you, Rain. I’m Liam.”

When he took another step, she growled, “Didn’t you hear me? I have a gun, and I shoot trespassers. Now, back off. Walk away.”

“It’s not safe for you to have a fire out here.”

As if he cared. If he was one of the hunters, he would burn her alive. Panic crashed inside her head. “I told you to stop moving.”

“It’s okay.” He took another step toward her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Like hell he wasn’t. She aimed high and pulled the trigger. The gunshot exploded.

Chapter Two

Liam hit the dirt. This crazy woman was shooting at him! He sure as hell hadn’t bargained for this.

“Hey, mister,” she called out. “Liam? Are you all right?”

Cautiously, he raised his head and looked up. She stood on top of the boulders, only twenty feet away from him. A bizarre sight. She was skinny as a bone. Her jeans were torn at both knees, and she wore a baggy black T-shirt over a blouse with a blue collar. Blue silk? Her blond hair with dark roots stood out in wild spikes. Her face was darkly tanned, emphasizing her blue eyes. There was something about those eyes. A clarity. A steadiness that told him she wasn’t really crazy after all.

She squatted on her rock perch, limber as a gymnast. “I couldn’t have hit you. I aimed high.”

“I’m okay.” As he rose to his feet and brushed off his jeans, he continued to study her. Though she barely resembled the woman in the photograph, Liam knew he’d found Kate Carradine.

“It’s you,” he said. “You’re Kate.”

“I’m not. I already told you my name.”

“Rain.” It suited her. She was wild as a lightning storm across the Rockies. He couldn’t believe Kate Carradine had managed to survive in the wilderness. This was tough, rugged country, and she’d been here almost a month.

Finding her alive was some kind of miracle, and he was determined that he wouldn’t leave without her. Though she looked wiry and strong, she might have been injured. Must have been. Why else would she stay here?

His first obvious step was to gain her trust so she’d allow him to come closer. If he could get her talking, he could convince her to leave. Feigning nonchalance, he said, “You’re cooking something.”

“I caught a fish.” She sounded proud of herself. “That’s my dinner.”

“I’m hungry, too. Maybe we could share.”

A frown creased her forehead. “I suppose I should offer my hospitality. That’s the proper thing to do, to share whatever is mine.”

“You’re right,” he said. “That’s proper.”

But when he took a step closer, she raised her gun again. Her attitude changed. “Normal rules don’t apply out here.” Her voice was firm. “I advise you not to come any closer.”

Looking down the barrel of her handgun, he planted his feet and took root. “I’m not moving.”

Her gaze darted as though searching for something. “I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.”

Approaching her was like trying to get close to a wounded mountain lion. She needed his help but refused to take it. She was scared. And, therefore, dangerous.

“I don’t mean any harm.” He needed to convince her that he was a friend. Reaching into the pocket of his flannel shirt, he took out the candy bar and held it up so she could see. “I’ll make you a deal—put down the gun, and you can have this.”

“Chocolate,” she whispered. “Oh, how I’ve missed chocolate.”

Her mouth watered. Her stomach growled. Never in her life had Rain wanted anything more than she wanted that candy bar. She wanted to inhale the sugary cocoa fragrance, to feel the gooey texture as it melted on her tongue.

This man—Liam—held the candy bar toward her. He was calm, unaware of the treasure in his hands. She swallowed hard, remembering her father and the candy bars he’d carried.

But she wasn’t ready to entrust her hard-won safety to Liam. Though he said he was alone and worked for CCC, she didn’t know for sure. He could be one of the hunters.

Still keeping watch on him, she glanced toward the meadow and the stream. The sound of her gunshot should have summoned other searchers, other hunters.

But she saw no one else.

Was it safe to take the chocolate?

No way would she allow Liam to come closer. He was a big man, over six feet tall. Though he was lean, his shoulders looked muscular inside his red-and-black plaid flannel shirt.

Her gaze zeroed in on the candy bar. “Do you have any credentials from CCC?”

“Nope. It’s a volunteer organization.”

“Then how do I know you’re working with them?”

“You have to trust me,” he said.

Not a chance. Not so easily. What if he was armed? She certainly couldn’t get close enough to frisk him. Gesturing emphatically with her gun, she said, “Take off your shirt.”

He set the candy bar down on the pine needles and did as she asked, peeling off the plaid flannel. A white T-shirt fit snugly across his chest. His upper arms were sinewy and strong. There wasn’t an ounce of flab on his frame.

“Now,” she said, “put your hands over your head and turn around in a circle. Real slow.”

Though she should have been looking for a handgun or a holster fastened to his leather belt, she was distracted by his tapering torso and his tight, round bottom. She wanted to believe that he wasn’t one of the men hunting her. But how could she be sure?

When he faced her again, she studied his features, looking for a reason to trust him. Or to know he was the enemy. He had a good, strong nose and firm jaw that made her think he was either stubborn or arrogant. What about his eyes? Eyes were the clearest indicator of temperament. His were deep-set, hazel in color. Though she was holding a lethal weapon, his eyes showed no fear. Instead, there was…determination? Curiosity?

“Empty your pockets,” she ordered.

A muscle in his jaw twitched, and she could tell that he was irritated. But he did as she asked.

The contents of his pockets included a Swiss Army knife, but nothing else that could be considered dangerous.

Satisfied that he was unarmed, she said, “Okay, I’ll take that chocolate now.”

“It’s my dinner,” he said. “Do I get some of your fish?”

When she’d been a little girl, camping with her father, Rain had learned to share her bounty with anyone who showed up at the campfire. Wilderness hospitality meant looking out for each other.

Obviously, such protocol didn’t apply to someone who meant to do you harm. Though Liam said he was on a search-and-rescue mission, she still wasn’t convinced. She wouldn’t give up her edge, no matter how attractive his butt. “Toss the candy bar over here, close to these rocks. Then, step back five paces.”