Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Dana Mentink (e books free to read TXT) 📖

“Yes.” She hiked the bags over her shoulder. It felt a little childish finding a place to hide, but she recognized the wisdom in the event the gunman returned. She stepped into the foliage, careful to watch for the various plants in the region that could cause rashes and itching. Normally, they had permits that allowed rafting guides to weed those types of plants at their stopping points, but this place was designated to remain wild.

She walked right up to the canyon wall and turned around so she could keep an eye on all her surroundings. There was maybe a hundred feet of land, jam-packed with foliage and trees of all sorts, before a dead end at the rock wall. Henry’s voice carried through the wind, but the filtering effects of the leaves kept her from hearing everything. He was likely talking to Zach or Perry. Her shoulders tensed.

Wasn’t the gunman’s rifle the same type of rifle that Perry secured to his ATV? And Zach had been adamant about insisting Dexter’s death was a suicide instead of a murder. How could Henry trust either of them?

She pulled the guide bags off her shoulder. Dexter’s name, written in black marker, demanded her attention. Henry had wanted her to hide because he was worried about more drug runners out there. If they caught her and Henry, the gunmen would have no reason to keep them alive…unless she told them she knew where the drugs were. Hiding the drugs hadn’t worked for Dexter, but he had been demanding more money.

Nora searched the area. A few boulders the size of garden sheds and evergreen trees that reached past the cliff side begged to be considered, but one of the dead logs caught her eye. To the right was a six-foot-tall shrub, a manzanita, if she wasn’t mistaken, its pink buds hanging down in the same manner as the bleeding heart flowers. The shrub would make a perfect memory marker to help her find the log again if she needed to. The other end of the log was lodged between two boulders.

She looked in all directions, careful to make sure that no one could see her actions as she stepped between the boulders and the rock wall. She bent and stuffed Dexter’s bag inside the end of the log. A rock the size of a football worked perfectly to block the opening. Too bad her phone didn’t have a signal so she could properly mark the GPS location, almost like a cache to find later.

Shuffling leaves caught her ear. She popped upright and slid out from behind the rock, with only one guide bag on her shoulder now.

“Nora?” Henry called. His eyes landed on her. “Oh, good. Perry was nearby. He’s on the opposite side of the river and, at least for the next mile, thinks we’re safe to get to Sangster Creek. He’s got someone watching from the bank as we move on.”

Or, she wondered, was it a trick to make sure they came out into the open so he could shoot them?

“I think we can trust him,” Henry said softly, as if he understood her facial expression. He patted his holster. “I’m still on guard. And I have good news.” He grinned. “The gunman left so quickly, he left behind casings. They would’ve likely been washed away if Perry hadn’t gotten there so quickly. He’s rushing them to the lab.”

Nora exhaled. Maybe Perry really wasn’t a bad guy, after all. Her eyes drifted back to the boulders, the log and the manzanita shrub. Deputy Zach O’Brien would still be waiting for them at the take-out point, though. For now, she’d leave the drugs hidden. Just in case.

“Ready?” Henry held out his hand.

Without thinking, she accepted his hand to step over the rocks. Their eyes met and her mouth went dry. “It’s been a long day.”

He didn’t let go, but only stared into her eyes, and she faltered. Maybe she should tell him that she’d hid the drugs, that she thought it would be a good test to see Zach’s reaction and to keep the evidence safe for now.

“Let’s get you home.” He released her hand almost as if in slow motion, and Nora couldn’t help but remember the last time he’d held her hand and let go like that. It had been the night they’d said goodbye to each other after breaking off the engagement. Her heart squeezed with fresh sorrow all over again.

She pressed her lips together and strode past him. “Yes. Home.” Though she’d never felt so lost in her life.

* * *

Something had changed. Perhaps Nora was more frightened than she let on, but Henry had the same uncomfortable sensation he’d had in the days leading up to their breakup. She was keeping something from him. Again.

He stared after her as she strode ahead and prepped the kayak. Nora always had to take care of others, make everyone happy, as if it were her sole responsibility. Admittedly, when they were first dating, he’d loved that about her, but it had taken a whole lot of time to really get to know her and what she wanted. The same walls that he’d torn down seemed higher and thicker than ever, and yet something was off. He felt certain.

He joined her in the kayak and grabbed the paddle.

“It should be smooth sailing, as long as no one shoots…” Her voice caught. She cleared her throat and her paddle sliced through the water at a faster speed until the current caught.

“Thanks, but I’d like to keep the paddle handy in the event we need to flip over again.”

“I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I know your leg—”

“If I’m being honest, I’ve had some phantom pains, but I’m fine. Nothing you did.” His heart sped up from the admission. She’d told him the truth the night before, hadn’t she? The only way she would trust him is if he trusted her.

Facing forward, the trees