Backwoods

Abby read the article out loud to Brooke and Leo. “You’ll have to be careful swimming. There are obstacles in the water. Sunken logs.”

“We’ll use the buddy system,” Leo said.

Brooke handed him a plate to dry. “Stop reading that stuff, Mom. You’re going to get all worked up.”

Abby flipped through the pages with a sigh. Near the back, there was a photo of a smiling young woman hugging a terrier mix. Both were missing. She was last seen at a pet store, buying a leash for the dog.

Maybe she’d gone hiking.

Pulse racing, Abby returned to the Echo Lake article and noted the victim’s name. Then she picked up her cell phone and did a quick search for the drowning victim’s name plus the missing girl’s name. They were connected, but only as former residents of Monarch. Both were young, blonde and pretty.

Curious, Abby looked for more information about missing girls and women in the area. There were dozens of articles about the college student who’d been murdered on the Pacific Crest Trail. He’d been shot in the chest with an arrow from a crossbow. His girlfriend—young, blonde and pretty—had never been found.

If Abby hadn’t seen the first two women in the same newspaper, she might not have noticed the similarities. She skimmed the other articles for evidence that law enforcement officials were investigating a link between them. They weren’t even trying to find the drowning victim. The woman and the dog could have gone anywhere. Forest rangers and volunteers had combed the woods for the college student’s girlfriend, to no avail.

What if all three women had fallen prey to a killer?

Abby didn’t voice this concern out loud. It was far-fetched, she supposed, and Brooke would accuse her of obsessing over nothing, which Abby did often. She continued to browse for clues, mapping the distances between the pet store, hiking trail and lake. They were located within a twenty-mile radius.

When Brooke clapped her hands for attention, Abby glanced up, startled. Brooke and Leo had finished with the dishes. Nathan had just come back inside with his cell phone. Leo was sitting on the couch, disentangling the cord to his earbuds.

“I’m calling a family meeting,” Brooke said.

Leo snorted at the announcement. “We’re not a family.”

“For the next four days, we are,” she said, gesturing for Abby to join them. “Bring it in, Mom.”

Nathan sat down on the couch next to Leo. Abby took the space beside Nathan. Brooke’s assertion that they were a family, if only for a few days, made Abby’s chest tighten with an unknown feeling. It was a warm sort of discomfort, like...longing.

She hazarded a glance at Nathan, whose throat worked as he swallowed. He wasn’t immune to the lure of togetherness, either. He seemed to want to repair his relationship with Leo. Abby understood that desire; her life would be empty without Brooke.

“Say goodbye to your cell phones,” Brooke said. “They aren’t going to work in the backcountry, anyway.”

“What about emergencies?” Abby asked.

“I have one with GPS, just in case. But I’ll keep it turned off to save batteries.”

Nathan set his phone on the coffee table. “Fine.”

“I need my music,” Leo said.

“Don’t you have another player?”

“Not with me.”

Abby didn’t want to give up her phone, either. She was ten times as attached to it as her makeup case. Her cell phone was her crutch, her comfort, her only connection to civilization. The last time she’d left it behind, she’d become physically ill. Abby still wasn’t sure if she’d been seasick from kayaking or if crossing open water had triggered an anxiety attack.

“I’ll sing you songs by the campfire,” Brooke said, fluttering her lashes.

“Right,” Leo scoffed, but he couldn’t resist her flirty smile. Shaking his head, he placed his phone on the table.

Abby had no choice but to follow suit. Nathan was studying her with interest. Stomach churning, she surrendered her cell phone to Brooke. She felt like a police officer being divested of her badge and weapon.

“Okay,” Brooke said, clasping her hands together. “I want everyone to wear a hat and drink lots of water during the hike. It’s going to be hot out there. I know we’re all at different fitness levels so I’ll try not to go too fast. Don’t be afraid to ask for a break, Mom. Tomorrow will be more difficult if you overexert yourself today.”

Leo squinted as if her sunny enthusiasm hurt his eyes.

“Any questions?” Brooke asked.

“I have one,” Leo said. “How much coffee did you drink this morning?”

“None, smart-ass. I stay away from mood-altering substances.”

“You should try that,” Nathan said to Leo.

Although Leo and Brooke had been joking around, Nathan’s comment was dead serious. And it didn’t go over well.

“Fuck you,” Leo said, rising from the couch. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

Nathan rubbed a hand over his mouth, not responding to the provocation. He seemed perplexed by Leo’s attitude. Maybe it hadn’t occurred to Nathan that criticizing his son in front of Abby and Brooke would embarrass him.

Abby felt bad for both of them. Nathan obviously had no idea how to deal with Leo, and she couldn’t blame Leo for acting out. He was a troubled kid from a broken home. His father was a recovering alcoholic, his stepfather was a jerk and his mother had probably faked a sprained ankle to avoid conflict.

“Chill out, Leo,” Brooke said. “At least your dad is here, making an effort. Mine didn’t even bother to show up.”

Abby watched a mixture of emotions cross over Leo’s face. He didn’t want to spend time with Nathan. She suspected that he was being forced to by his mother. Otherwise, he’d leave. Brooke was the only highlight of the trip, but he didn’t have a chance with her because of their family connection.

At least, Abby hoped he didn’t have a chance. She assumed Brooke was too smart to get involved with her stepbrother.

Leo’s gaze moved from Brooke to Abby. “Excuse my language,” he mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it,” Abby said, standing.

“She says fuck all the time,” Brooke added.

Leo looked impressed. “She does?”

Abby glanced at Nathan, feeling her cheeks heat. His lips quirked with amusement. Again, she noted how handsome he was. She admired his concern for Leo, and she liked what she saw in his dark eyes.

“Oh sure,” Brooke lied. “It’s her favorite word. Right, Mom?”

“Right.”

Nathan studied Abby’s mouth for several seconds, his interest clear. She bit her tongue to keep from giggling, aware that Brooke and Leo were watching them. Brooke appeared pleased. Leo’s brow furrowed, as if he couldn’t fathom his father’s appeal to women even while witnessing him in action.

“Are we ready?” Abby asked.

They picked up their backpacks and headed out the door. The trailhead was only a short walk from the cabin. It was cool and overcast now, but the sky would clear and the clouds would give way to relentless sunshine soon enough. A fine mist coated her face, lending truth to Brooke’s claim that hiking and makeup didn’t mix. The Pacific Crest Trail, which ran from the Mexican border all the way to Canada, was marked with a triangle-shaped sign depicting a green pine tree and white mountains.