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

Nora popped the last bite of scone in her mouth and took a sip of tea. “Thank you for this, but we should get going. Bobby will only take a minute to get ready. We’re wasting daylight.” She walked around the counter, her red guide bag over her shoulder. “Why do you need another guide?”

“I thought it would be best to go in groups of two. I meant what I said about wanting to cover more ground. More eyes on this means more chances we’ll find something. We have one day, Nora. We need to stop at as many sites as possible and hope we find another lead for the town’s sake. You know what happens once this hits the news tonight. If we don’t have it solved…”

“Tourism will take a huge hit.” She bit her lip. “The whole town might as well file for unemployment at that point.”

“It won’t be pretty.” He accompanied her outside as she locked the office door. The sound of an engine approaching caught her attention, and she looked over her shoulder and stiffened. “Bringing Perry along, I understand. Deputy Carl Alexander knows his way around the river. But Zach?” Her eyes narrowed. “Is this a ‘keep your enemies close’ thing?”

Henry straightened but kept his surprise muted. Maybe she understood him better than he’d realized. Bobby approached with a two-person kayak lifted high over his head, fully decked out with tie-dyed swim shorts and a shirt with a funny image of a river otter in rafting gear. The man had been known to wear wigs and tutus, if necessary, to get children smiling on a rafting trip. But today wasn’t about having a good time.

Henry’s legs took on a will of their own, slowing the pace to the dock. Even with the warm clothing, he didn’t want to ever have to flip in a kayak again. Having no control and wondering if another boulder was going to appear at any moment, this time to shatter his skull instead of his leg, replayed in his mind too often.

“I chose a raft for us this time,” Nora said softly. “I figured we’d have an easier time taking cover if necessary. That flip under water…”

“It’s forgotten.” Henry exhaled, not realizing until now that he’d been holding his breath, but the idea of a raft instead of a kayak eased his mind slightly. As long as he didn’t have to straddle the outside edge with his leg exposed. “Let’s just pray we find what we need today, for everyone’s sake, and stay safe while we do it.”

CHAPTER NINE

Nora tried to act as carefree as Bobby but found it impossible. She knew too much.

Carl waved at Bobby, clearly having picked his rafting partner, and pointed to the back seat of a kayak. Zach O’Brien stood with Perry next to a two-person raft. The two men she trusted the least standing side by side brought her an odd sense of comfort. If Henry wanted to keep potential enemies close, then having them in one boat made it easier to keep an eye on them.

Henry put his fists on his hips, ready to give out orders. He was like a force of nature, prepared to confront challenges head-on and expecting everyone to attack life with the same level of passion. She both admired and feared the tendency. Sometimes he pushed too hard, not realizing his plans weren’t always best.

She surveyed the river. The currents had shifted ever so slightly, an indication of changes to watch. Somewhere along the river, the overnight rain had loosened muddy banks. Bobby knew what to watch out for, and Carl seemed to have experienced enough with kayaks to be a good partner in the rougher waters. Perry was her only concern, but he’d been the one to warn her about the change to the whitewater near Garnet Rapids.

Her neck prickled with unbearable tension. How many days had she been trying to get one uninterrupted trip all the way to Garnet to see what they were dealing with? Yet another reminder of what was at stake if Henry didn’t solve the murders today. If she had to tell her aunt to come home, that would be like admitting failure, something Bobby didn’t seem to understand. Aunt Linda would be coming home to see the business she’d started close its doors. Nora would never share a home with Maya again.

“So, we’ve already paired off,” Henry said. “We’ve got an officer able to cover each guide. We don’t expect any problems today with such a show of force.”

Nora’s chest fluttered. If they didn’t expect force, then why did each guide need cover? She pointed at Perry. “He’s not a guide.”

“I’ve kept my certifications up.” Perry crossed his arms across his chest. “Zach just needs to do what I say, and he’ll be fine.”

Henry clapped his hands. “Okay. Nora will lead the way, but we are going to stop at every site possible with a perspective the FBI didn’t have last time. Think like a guide.” His eyes turned to her. “That’s how we found the package yesterday. Let’s see if either Tommy or Dexter left us more clues than that.”

Bobby frowned hard but didn’t ask questions.

She stepped closer to Bobby. “I didn’t know what I was allowed to share,” she said softly so only he could hear. “Now that you know that there might be danger today, you can back out. I can get a bigger boat and take Carl with us, too.”

“Don’t worry about me. One cop is enough, but we’ve got four. I like those odds against anything man can throw my way.” Bobby nodded at the river. “Now the river is another matter, but you know that’s why I like it.”

Bobby had actually been the one to lead her to Christ when she was in her late teens. She’d come back from her first year of college a mess. He’d told her he loved riding the river’s waves because,