THURSDAY, 6:15 P.M.
EMERALD M RANCH
Willow picked her way around the biggest sagebrush she’d ever seen. Heath had given them the long tour of the Emerald M Ranch. He’d parked his shiny blue extended cab truck at the back of the permittee property in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and they’d walked from there.
Now Heath and Austin took turns throwing knives at a fence post that had taken a thousand hits in the past. Maybe knife throwing was a required skill living in Wyoming, though she wasn’t sure what use it would have since they weren’t living in the Wild West anymore. Heath guffawed, and the two men suddenly looked like young boys again, just killing time. Laughing together, they made their way back to Willow. She’d stood a few yards away from the circus act.
“A stay at the Emerald M will get you private cabins. Three meals a day. Canoes, kayaks, hiking, and fishing. Trail rides and a backcountry pack trip into the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Guests can take in views of the Teton and Wind River ranges. The Grayback River headwaters and canyon. And I can manage all this with only a handful of employees.”
“You’ve done well for yourself,” Austin said. “Dad made the right decision giving this to you.”
Heath stared off into the distance, where a significant barn stood next to a corral. A beautiful black horse and an appaloosa grazed in the meadow. He scraped a hand over his jaw and around his neck. “I sold off a few acres to the west, and from that money I was able to improve the property. I would have sold all of it and shared the proceeds with you and Liam, but you wanted no part of it.”
Austin shook his head. “To think, Dad could have done this. Made something of this place. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
That put a huge grin on Heath’s face. He had dimples like Austin’s. “It’s good to see you. Don’t be such a stranger from now on, okay?”
“Okay.”
While the brothers talked about the horse barn and stables, Willow watched them together. It had been right and good to come here. She’d love to come back and visit the region some time when it had nothing at all to do with finding Jamie before her birth mother died. For the moment she allowed the scenery—the evergreens on the mountain peak lifting their arms to praise their creator, the sky and mountain reflecting in the pristine lake, the beautiful horses grazing in the meadow, woodsy cabins nestled in the trees, and majestic mountain ranges in the distance—to whisk her away to another world, and almost another time.
The place was beautiful and dreamy and wild. She sensed some part of that remained in Austin, no matter that he’d chosen to make his life far from Grayback.
JT’s voice resounded crisply in her thoughts. “Willow, we’re branches on a tree. We grow in many directions, but we’re always connected to our roots, whether we’re aware of it or not.”
As much as the brothers were different, they were the same. The Austin she knew was a professional, a former FBI agent, but here with his brother, he morphed into a man who looked like he belonged in the mountains of Wyoming. Why shouldn’t he? This had been his home, and no matter how much he wanted to escape his past, this setting stayed with him.
She followed the guys down to the barn, leaving the truck behind. Inside the barn, the musty smell of horses and hay met her. Austin stepped up to an old-looking brown horse in a stall and pressed his hand against the horse’s muzzle. “Hey, Jinx. It’s been much too long since I’ve seen you.”
Realization slowly dawned.
Austin . . . he was a cowboy. Her heart rate kicked up a few notches and the barn tilted, but she put her hand against a wooden rail to steady her fluttering nerves. This guy she once thought she might have loved . . . who was he?
As if to underscore her slow comprehension, Heath strolled up behind him and placed a tan cowboy hat on Austin’s dark-haired head. He startled and stepped away from the horse. Put his hand on the hat. “What?”
“It’s yours. Your saddle’s back there too.”
“You didn’t get rid of them?”
“Of course not.”
The two brothers shared a look—they had an understanding between them. No matter what, they were always brothers. Heath would never give up on that and neither would Austin. Willow had to look away. Maybe she shouldn’t be there. They needed time to reconcile on their own about whatever it was that had driven them apart to begin with. But she was here, so she steadied her runaway emotions while she took in the sight of the brothers.
When it came to appearances, Heath was a slightly older version of Austin. And they were very much alike in other ways. On the surface, Heath appeared to put on a good show. No doubt he had his act together. But she had this uncanny sense that he had the same way of holding it all inside—keeping his secrets close.
What had happened in their family to make them this way?
With darkness approaching, they hiked back to the truck and got in. During the bumpy drive to the cabins, Heath and Austin talked about old times. The breeze filtered through the cracked window, bringing the heavy scent of pines, sagebrush, and horses.
Heath steered up to the first cabin situated twenty-five yards from the next one. “Here you go. These are the two new cabins I mentioned, in addition to the six already on the property. I haven’t named them yet. I could call them ‘The Austin’ and ‘The Willow.’ How about that?”
Willow laughed. “I’m good with that.”
“These are closer together than the other more private cabins in case a group of guests wants to stick close. Take a look and see what you think. I’ll bring up fresh towels and sheets.”
A new thought hit her, bringing along panic. “What about internet?”
His deep laughter could mean only one thing. “Are you serious? People come out here to unplug.”
Shoot. She should have stayed in Jackson. Both Austin and Heath had already climbed from the truck cab, and she slid across the seat and hopped onto the hard ground. She might need to get a pair of boots for this stay.
Heath waited while Austin went ahead to the newly built, rustic-looking cabin. “You can come back to the house if you need internet. I hope that won’t be too inconvenient for you.”
“Of course not. We won’t be staying that long. But I appreciate your hospitality. I’m sure Austin does as well.”
“I hope you stay longer than you planned.”
He hitched his cheek, revealing a half grin and a knowing look in his blue eyes, and she averted her own before he read the truth. One she knew he already suspected. The man was no fool and had seen through them. Sure they were there on business, but they’d had a relationship before—and now they were both pretending they’d moved on and let go. But their past together hovered over them, closing in on them, threatening to drag them down—and deep. Problem was, she wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing.
“I’ll be right back in a few minutes with towels and sheets. The kitchen is already stocked with a few dishes and utensils. But it’s BYOF—bring your own food. I can grab a few things from the big house for tonight if you need anything.”
“That’s all right. As long as I can get a glass of water tonight, I’ll be fine. We’ll figure out something tomorrow.”
Supper was good and meeting him was important, but she was growing anxious to get back to the whole reason she’d come to Wyoming. She wanted to call Dana and see if she’d learned anything. Still, she couldn’t deny that seeing Austin in his element, getting a glimpse into his past and his life and who he really was meant more to her than she could fully comprehend at the moment.
Heath marched back to his truck and drove off. He ran a big outfit here. One he’d practically built himself. She hoped Austin wasn’t jealous of his success. She found him looking out a panoramic window at the dense greenery in which the cedar cabin was nestled. Funny, he hadn’t taken off that cowboy hat. She kind of liked it on him. He appeared lost in thought. Had he even noticed her approach?
“And you were so worried about seeing him,” she said. “It all worked out, Austin.”
Willow didn’t know what exactly had caused a rift between them to begin with, or had she misunderstood? Was it all to do with their father? She wanted to ask him. “Whatever differences you had between you, it appears you’ve put them aside. I’m glad for you.”
Now she was talking out of turn.
If he and Heath could move on from whatever dark past haunted them, could she and Austin put their differences aside too and perhaps capture what they’d once had together? No. She wasn’t sure they could. She could too easily let the hurt and pain of losing him resurface. She definitely wouldn’t risk going through that again.
Somehow she had to resist the current called Austin that threatened to sweep her up in him. They had to focus on their goal. Time to put some space between them.
She stepped back from the window while he remained, staring out into the forest.
“Where are you going?” He snatched her wrist and reeled her in.
Her determination went right through the window and disappeared into the woods. How could one simple touch so easily strip her of her resolve? “Nowhere. Just thought I’d look around the cabin.”
He pulled his attention from the window. It landed on her face, traveled down to her neck, then back up to her eyes. Her breath came in short rasps. What was he doing? He lifted a strand of her hair and gently pushed it out of her face. His eyes dropped to her lips.
Oh no. She would have taken another step back, but her feet had betrayed her. The real Austin—the man she’d wanted to know deeply, thoroughly, stared down at her now. She could see the truth in his eyes, and much more that scared her.
“Thank you for encouraging me to come here today. For coming with me.” The words came from some deep place in his heart. She could plainly see that. A place she’d longed to see before, but he’d hidden his true self. Why now? Why was he showing her now?
Her pulse edged up.
“Heath comes on strong at times. But don’t worry about him.”
Heath? Why would she worry about Heath? She was worried about Austin now. Her reaction to him. “Why were you scared to come here to begin with?”
“There’s so much you don’t know.”
Then tell me. I want to know. But she’d made that mistake before. He’d revealed a portion of himself tonight, even if only in a look. Could she wait on him to share more when he was ready?
She heard Heath’s heavy, booted footsteps approaching the cabin. Austin released her, the haunted look returning to his eyes.
What had happened here?
Heath entered the cabin. “I brought towels and linens. Some for each cabin. And your bags.” He set the two duffels on the floor and the sheets and towels on a chair.
“What about the Jeep?”
“It’s fine sitting at the main house tonight. I’ll bring it up in the morning.”
Heath opened a case. He pulled out a large canister. “Bear mace. Just in case.” He handed a canister to each of them.
Then he pulled out a handgun. With a glance at Willow, he offered the weapon grip first. “Austin tells me you know how to use one of these. A Sig Sauer P328 .380. You can use this one while you’re here if there’s a need. It won’t kill a bear, but it’s for protection in general.”
Willow looked from one brother to the other. “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t get me wrong. You should be perfectly safe here. Austin explained you’ve had some trouble and that he’s here to protect you as much as help you investigate.”
Austin must have told Heath while they walked to the barn and she wasn’t paying attention.
She took the weapon, wishing she hadn’t needed the stark reminder of potential danger. “Is it legal for me to have this?”
“Wyoming doesn’t require a permit. If you’re a law-abiding citizen, you can carry a gun even in the national forest.”
“That’s good to know.” Willow examined the gun. “My grandfather taught me. I lost my weapon in the fire.”
Lines creased Heath’s forehead, but he didn’t ask her about the fire. How much had Austin shared with him?
“All right. You ready to head to your cabin, Austin?”
He crossed his arms. “I’ll stay here for a while. I can walk over with my things.”
“Not a problem. You know where to find me if you need me.” Heath left them alone in the cabin.
Austin pinned her with his eyes—the intensity holding her hostage. “Are you going to be okay?”
“What? You mean alone in a cabin in the woods? I can rough it like the best of them.”
That earned her a laugh. “You call this roughing it?”
“Yes. Yes I do.”
His dimpled grin beneath that cowboy hat sent tendrils of warmth curling around her heart.
She was in so much trouble.
Her cell rang. Surprised she got a signal, she glanced at the screen, then up at Austin with a smile. “It’s Dana.”
Willow answered. “Hey. What have you found out?”
“I’ve called Katelyn. The news isn’t good.”
“Oh?” Willow eased into the padded maple rocking chair. “What is it?”
“She’s in the hospital. Taken a turn for the worse.”
Willow lifted her face to Austin. “We’re running out of time.”