Evidence of Trust (13 page)

Joel took the camera for a closer look. Crimson stains marred the white hair around the cat’s nose and mouth, as well as the cinnamon-colored fur of its chest and massive paws. Apprehension shimmered along his spine as he raised his gaze to scan the ridge Brittany had been climbing toward earlier.

“Now you going to tell me what’s up there?”

After a slight hesitation, she gave a soft sigh. “A small meadow where the big horn like to graze in the spring and summer.”

More lies of omission. At least she had the grace to look slightly guilty this time. “That’s where you were really headed, isn’t it?”

“
After
the sunrise, yes. We don’t bring the guests up here, so I was hoping to get some pictures on this trip.”

He took another look at the photo of the cougar before handing the camera back. “Well, it’s your lucky day. Let’s go.”

“We’re going up?”

The hope in her voice reminded him of a kid at Christmas. “We’re going up,” he confirmed. “I want to see if I can find whatever that cougar had for breakfast.”

“Why?”

“To see if he made the kill, or someone else made it for him.”

Her expression sobered. He gestured for her to lead and they made their way up the boulder field. At the ledge, she struggled to pull herself over the edge. He allowed one moment to enjoy the view of her denim-clad backside in the light of day, then laced his fingers together to give her a boost onto the ledge.

After pulling himself up, he dusted off and joined her next to a boulder a couple feet taller than him. She put a finger to her lips and motioned him forward. He pressed against her back to view the large meadow that stretched about a hundred yards deep and maybe thirty yards wide. A small herd of bighorn sheep grazed on the spring grass at the far end.

To most people, the sheep themselves weren’t the most beautiful animals, but the power and strength of the older rams commanded attention and respect. There were a couple of young males play-fighting off to one side and she snapped some shots of them horn to horn. A few more photos of the rest of the herd was all she managed before one of the ewes sensed their presence and alerted the others.

Joel became aware of how close he stood to Brittany and moved away from her as the sheep bounded up the rocky slope in an impressive display of agility. “How did you know about this place?”

She snapped a few more photos before lowering the camera. “Casey and I discovered it by accident when we decided to do some climbing after scouting the trail my second summer out here.”

The thought of her and Fuller up here alone brought a frown. Were they such good friends because they had a history? Like her and Mitch Levins? He shouldn’t give a shit about her romantic history, yet the thought of her with either of those guys stirred up an emotion he hadn’t felt in years.

Refusing to acknowledge it, he gestured toward the camp below. “From down there, a person would never know this meadow existed.”

“Which is exactly why we don’t bring guests up here. The sheep remain undisturbed.”

“The
Wildlife
Ride doesn’t include a viewing of the sheep?” He didn’t bother to hide his skepticism.

She frowned. “There’s other places to spot them along the way. In addition to elk, mule deer, and other animals, our guests see plenty.”

“Any specific reason you wanted to keep the meadow a secret from me?” He watched close for her reaction, but all she did was shrug as she fiddled with the camera hanging around her neck.

“Casey and I agreed not to tell anyone about it.”

He had to consciously keep his fingers from fisting at his sides. “Special place for the two of you?”

Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “Not in the way you’re implying. He’s been married since the day we met. We’re just friends.”

“You’re friends with a lot of guys,” he pointed out as he turned to start scanning the ground for telltale signs of the poacher.

“Yeah? So? I told you I don’t date here.”

“You said you have
fun
.”

“Yes. As
friends.
There are no benefits,” she insisted. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who think men and women can’t be friends.”

“In my experience, they can’t.”

“Based on what you told me last night, your experience is severely limited.”

“I have experience,” he assured her, glancing back with a grin. “Unlike you, I do date.”

“A week or two with someone new at each park?
That
is not dating.”

He shrugged, but didn’t tell her it had been more than a couple cases since his last ‘date.’ “Everyone knows the score going in.”

“Sounds great.”

Her voice said the opposite of her words. He chanced another glance back and she stiffened when he caught her watching him. When her gaze flicked to the camera in her hands, for a second, he’d swear she looked disappointed. But then she raised her head and gave him a challenging smile.

“We could be friends.”

“You and me?” He let out a short laugh. “Yeah, right.”

“Why not?”

His gaze flicked down to her mouth and he turned away
. That’s
why. Because he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about benefits since he’d met the darn woman. What would she say to that?

Deciding he’d had enough of the conversation, he steered things back to business. “Do you know if this is a well known area? For locals, I mean.”

“Um…”

So much confusion in that one little sound. Got him wondering about her offer of friendship. She’d asked,
why not?
He wondered,
why?

“I wouldn’t think so,” she finally replied. “I don’t even know if Mark knows about it.”

He turned to face her dead on. “Do you know if Casey’s been up here lately?”

It only took a second for comprehension to wipe everything else from her expression. “Casey is not the poacher. Surely you saw his background check. He went to school to be a ranger, just like you. He would never—”

“You also thought Levins was a nice guy.”

Her gaze narrowed. “The Mitch
I
know
is
nice.”

Great, she was still defending the convicted felon.

“At this point, I can’t afford to discount anyone completely,” he advised. “Not even nice guys or wannabe rangers. Now, if you’re done taking pictures, I’m going to start looking for that kill.”

Chapter 16

Britt swallowed hard as Joel turned away. After he’d scoffed at her desperate suggestion for them to be friends, he might as well have tacked on the part he was surely thinking.

Not even nice guys or wannabe rangers…or wranglers like you.

The guy didn’t make friends because the people in his life were all suspects. And the women, it seemed, had the added
benefit
of being a fun way to pass the time.

Ironic, considering she’d only suggested friendship in an attempt to ward off the growing attraction that had her rethinking her No Casual Sex rule. He’d told her he didn’t do relationships. He warned her he always moved on, so she figured if they were friends, she’d have a clear line drawn in the sand. Thinking about kissing him, or how his rough, warm hands would feel skimming every inch of her body would definitely be on the
other
side of that line.

Well, she knew where she stood now, didn’t she? He didn’t trust her, and the fact she hadn’t told him about the meadow didn’t help her case. She was way on the other side of the line. Problem solved.

You wish
.

Britt ignored the annoying inner voice that knew too much and asked, “What can I do?” No matter what he thought of her and her friends, she did understand where he was coming from in relation to the job he had to do, and helping was better than standing there wallowing in frustrated resentment.

“I’m searching for either footprints or cougar tracks. If you want to check that way, we’ll see what we can find.” He pointed her in the opposite direction he’d been heading. “Go slow so you don’t accidentally step on anything, and if you spot something, let me know.”

She began a sweeping search like he’d been doing, moving back and forth with her gaze glued to the ground. About twenty minutes in, her neck and back were getting sore. She paused, straightening so she could stretch before moving on.

“Got something over here,” Joel called. “Bring that camera over here.”

She turned around to see him on the far side of the ledge. After she snapped a couple pictures of a hiking boot imprint in the dirt, she followed Joel as he tracked the trail down the mountain.

She realized they weren’t far from where the cougar had disappeared when he straightened and drew his gun. The sight of the weapon made her tense, and then he gave a terse order for her to stay right at his back.

Didn’t need to tell her twice.

She’d thought the cougar sighting was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but had she been alone, she’d have been scared out of her mind. Joel’s protection, gruff though it was, was more than welcome, especially since they were heading into the lion’s den, so to speak.

He came to a stop, gun ready in front of him. “The carcass is up ahead. Cougars are known to stay with a big kill and feed for several days, so keep a sharp eye out for him.”

“Okay.” Her nose wrinkled as the smell of decomposing flesh began to register.

“I’m going to need your camera.”

“It’s not your standard point and shoot.”

“I’m familiar with DSLR.”

She handed the camera over without taking her eyes off the wilderness around them. Her heart raced at the thought of the lethal cat stalking them from the shadows. “If he just ate, it’s not likely he’d attack, is it?”

“He may decide to defend what’s his. I don’t like this either, but I just need to verify the kill, get a few pictures, and then we’re outta here.”

“Sounds good.”

“Cougars are the opposite of a bear, so if you do spot him, be big, be loud. Look him in the eye and yell.”

The hairs on her arm stood on end. “Got it. Now hurry up.”

She followed Joel toward the site, but faced away from him to watch their backs. His muttered curse made her pulse skip a beat. She sidled closer until her leg brushed against him, suddenly needing physical contact for reassurance. “What?”

“Head’s gone.”

One glance over his shoulder and she wished she hadn’t looked. He’d cleared the debris the cougar had raked over the kill to lay claim, and though the cat had clearly feasted on the carcass, it was obvious the animal’s head had been cut off. Her stomach churned, and she returned her attention to the forest as Joel began taking pictures.

“Judging by the smell, it’s at least a couple days old. The cat eating on it may have sped up the rate of decomp, so it’s hard to know for sure.”

“So, the tracks on the trail were probably the poacher’s. He knows about the meadow.”

Joel didn’t confirm or deny. A minute later, he finished with the photos and rose to his full height. “This is going to have to do. Let’s get out of here.”

She happily followed him back to the overnight camp, then found herself constantly looking over her shoulder as they completed the work necessary to get the site ready for ranch guests. She wasn’t sure if she expected to see the cougar or the poacher, but both were equally unnerving.

By early afternoon, they were able to pack up the horses and head back to Highlands. During the ride, she kept seeing the bloody, headless sheep in her mind. Her usual pristine Rocky Mountains had received an ugly stain, and she really hoped Joel caught the sonofabitch soon.

And then he’ll move on.

The dismay that accompanied the thought confirmed she’d better tread carefully.

They reached the trailhead near sunset, and she pulled her horse to a stop when Joel rode past his truck and trailer. “I’ll be fine from here, it’s only about three miles to the ranch.”

“I need the photos off your camera, and I want to talk to Mark.”

“Mark won’t be there, so just take my SD card with you. I can stop by the station to pick it up tomorrow when I’m in town.” The less time in his company, the better.

“Is Fuller working today?”

“Yeah, but he’s probably gone by now. If it’s about the investigation, you can tell me and I can—”

“No and no. Let’s go.”

She clamped her mouth shut and urged Paelo into a trot until they reached the barn. It was dark by then, just after eight-thirty, and she was surprised to see light spilling from the office window. Casey stepped out into the barn aisle as she led her stallion to a stall.

“Hey, Sunshine, everything go okay?” His voice was casual, but with his pointed glance outside where Joel was tying his horse to the hitching rail, Britt understood what he didn’t ask out loud. Understood and avoided.

“The trail’s all clear,” she said. “What are you still doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

She jerked her chin toward the door behind him. “Well, good thing, because Joel needs to talk to you.”