Deception

“For waiting. For taking me there.”

“Of course. You’ve saved my skin countless times. You were the one to figure out who had put Tracy in danger.”

All part of the job. “Still, I appreciate it.”

“I knew you’d want to help find Jewel.”

The wind whipped over his face as the boat sped away from Mountain Cove. Colin stared ahead, going through all the possible scenarios in his mind, except the worst-case scenario. He couldn’t think about finding Jewel’s body.

The boat ride took far too long, and he was glad others had gotten to the trailhead and started the search before he and David arrived. Kayaks and other boats rested along the shore, all empty, all except one. Cade Warren—David’s brother—stood on the deck hovering over maps. Colin followed David over to the boat and climbed aboard to speak to Cade, who was in charge of the search at the ICC, or Incident Command Center.

“Anything?”

“Nothing yet.”

“Tracy’s here with Solomon,” Cade said. “You knew that, right?”

David straightened. Grinned at his brother. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Jewel means the world to Tracy. Solomon’ll find her.”

Colin wasn’t surprised to hear the news. David’s wife, Tracy, was trained at search and rescue, as was her dog, Solomon. Plus, she used to work for Jewel at the B and B until the twins came along, and had a close relationship with her employer. It made sense that she’d rush out to help as soon as she learned what had happened.

“Where are they?” Colin asked.

Cade pointed at the map. “Sent them off here to search the riverbank. Later, we’ll be looking...”

When Cade glanced up at Colin, he let his sentence trail off. He was glad Cade decided not to finish. He didn’t want to think about dredging the river or this channel for a body. He was glad he wasn’t in charge of the search.

Hopping off the boat and onto the small deck, he left David and Cade behind.

“Winters! Where are you going?”

“What do you think? I’m going to look for Jewel.” He marched up the trail.

He didn’t have time for pleasant conversation.

“Hold up.” David left Cade behind to follow and jogged up to him.

Colin didn’t wait for him, hiking up a few yards, then veering off into the forest to the left toward the river. That raging, deadly river.

David gripped his arm. “We’ll find her, Winters. Though I have to say,” he added with a frown, “I didn’t realize you were in this deep.”

“What are you talking about?”

Tracy rushed up to her husband. Breathless, she pointed. “I think Solomon’s found something.”

Colin and David followed Tracy through the woods, around trees and fallen trunks, over rocks and boulders to Solomon’s bark and whine. Colin tensed at the dog’s signals. He knew Solomon had finally gotten certified as a cadaver dog.

He braced himself, unsure what they would find—a living, breathing Jewel or her body.

TWO (#ulink_fa5a0bd3-82e0-523a-a17b-62cd104848af)

Something wet slid across her nose, eyes and mouth. Jewel stirred and tried to turn over to defend herself, but a bone-piercing throb coursed through her wrist.

A dog’s whimper and continued licking steadied her breathing. Calmed her fear. She recognized the animal.

“Solomon.” Her voice didn’t sound like her own.

Footsteps, twigs snapping and breaking, resounded through the undergrowth on the river’s edge.

“Jewel,” Tracy said. “Are you all right?”

Relief swelled inside. “Depends on your definition.”

Tracy spoke to someone nearby and then radioed others that Jewel had been found.

“Shouldn’t you be home with your babies? Your twins?” Jewel managed.

“Grandma Katy needs her time with them. Besides, you had to know I would come looking for you. Solomon and I.”

“Jewel!” A familiar, masculine voice joined Tracy’s.

Jewel heard the immeasurable relief in his tone. That ignited her heart. She was alive. She had survived.

“Chief Winters,” she croaked. Colin. She had always called him by his official title to keep personal feelings out of it. To keep her distance. Otherwise, the man could undo her resolve to protect her heart.

Her bruises throbbed with any movement or effort on her part. She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to look at him.

“We’re here now, Jewel. You’re going to be okay. You just rest now.”

As other SAR members arrived and focused in on Jewel, they crowded him out and away.

“No! No... Chief Winters.” She reached for him.

He stepped forward, closer again.

“I’m here, Jewel. I never left.” His electric blue eyes pierced hers, concern and relief spilling from them. “What is it? What do you need?”

“Someone pushed me into those falls.”

Anger rose in his gaze and maybe a little disbelief. “Can you describe him?”

“No... I...”

Chief Winters grabbed her hand. “Whoever it was, we’ll find him, Jewel. Don’t you worry. You’re in good hands now. I have to go and make sure nobody else gets hurt.”

Then he slipped out of the way of her search and rescue friends. Jewel endured the poking and prodding and assessing and finally the hefting and assisting her back to civilization.

On the helicopter ride back to Mountain Cove, Jewel closed her eyes, wanting to forget what had happened, wanting to pretend it had simply been a bad dream. Wanting to wake up with a body free of pain and evidence of the nightmare. But she couldn’t let go of the blurred image of the person she’d seen standing at the top of the falls.