For some reason he would never understand, Heath always ended up assisting someone in the direst of circumstances. Maybe that was the simple matter of him answering the call. Maybe his Green Beret training and the motto—de oppresso liber, to free the oppressed—kicked in, and he was obligated to respond.
Or more recently, his role as a reserve deputy added that extra assurance that he would step up to the task. While that remained the right thing to do, Heath still doubted he was the right person to do it.
Every time he tried to fix what was broken or to help people, things only got worse.
He should leave Harper while things were good. He didn’t have to stay with her. He wasn’t on duty now, but he could hardly stand back and watch from the sidelines. She’d appeared surprised that he’d stayed at the hospital with her. He’d done his duty as a Good Samaritan. Heard her call for help and brought her down the mountain and all the way to the hospital. He’d even made sure Sheriff Taggart was informed and talked to Harper. Heath could walk right out of this room and Harper Reynolds would be the sheriff’s problem.
Unless Heath was called in to assist as a deputy.
He hoped Taggart wouldn’t need help with Harper now. Heath had other matters that needed his attention. The Emerald M Guest Ranch campers trusted their guide to provide a unique wilderness experience and get them home safely. Sure, Leroy and Pete could manage things, but it was best if Heath returned as soon as possible. He was usually only needed by the sheriff for special events or local emergencies or natural disasters, like the supervolcano at Yellowstone erupting. Yeah. Usually only special events.
As he listened to her story—the details she hadn’t shared earlier—he wasn’t sure why he was staying. Except that wasn’t true at all. He knew exactly why he was here.
He knew this woman. Or had known her when she was a girl.
And the girl turned woman kept him riveted to her story. He’d always thought she had the most beautiful eyes. He didn’t like to see them filled with the horror of what she’d seen. To her credit, she did a good job holding back the tears that tried to break through her words.
Harper pressed her hand against her midsection. “He peered through his scope and aimed his rifle. I saw her drop before I heard the sound of gunfire.”
Her hands shifted from her stomach to cover her eyes.
Heath willed himself to stay put. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know her well enough. Not anymore. So what if he’d held her in his arms when she’d passed out? That didn’t mean he could do it again or that his act of compassion would bring her comfort.
“Ms. Reynolds, can you be sure that he shot the woman? Or that she fell due to a gunshot wound? Or that she was even dead?”
She dropped her hands, her eyes now rimmed with red. “What do you mean? You don’t believe me?”
“My deputies will find a body if one exists, or find an injured woman. Maybe someone with a gunshot wound. But you were taking these pictures from a distance. I think you believe you saw a murder. But at that distance, even with a camera, you could be mistaken.”
“You don’t understand. I had a 600mm telephoto lens with a teleconverter. That means I can get a closeup shot from a distance. Even without my camera, Sheriff, I saw the woman running. I know what I saw. Then I zoomed in to get a closer look.”
He nodded and jotted more notes. “The pictures you took will help.”
“Make sure they look for the memory card in addition to the camera,” she said.
“Heath,” Sheriff Taggart said, “please stick with her while I make a phone call. I’ll be right back.”
Heath should have already walked out. Not because he was a coldhearted jerk, but because she needed someone else. Someone who wasn’t him.
Except he couldn’t leave because his boots were cemented to the floor. She’d sucked him right into her world, telling a story that held him captive and made him feel the terror with her as if he had been there too. He sensed that behind Harper’s pretty face was someone who’d been on a tumultuous journey since leaving the area. There was an inner strength to her. Beyond that, she was physically strong and had the toned muscles of someone who’d hiked many miles.
She definitely had more than one story to tell.
And he realized they were still kindred spirits. Definitely not what he had expected to find tonight when he took Boots up the mountain trail. Still, Heath didn’t have it in him to be there with her on a more personal level, and somehow he needed to cut the connection before it was too late.
The way she looked up at him now, Harper already had the wrong idea about him. She stared at him as if she would accept his help. That gave him the nudge he needed to step away. Literally. He pressed his back against the farthest wall in the small space. Folded his arms across his chest. At the very least, he would keep his distance, emotionally. Heath had gone into bad situations thinking he could make things right but had failed people he cared about. He wouldn’t add her to that list. As soon as he could, he’d extricate himself.
Sheriff Taggart stepped back into the room, apparently finished with his phone call. “All right, Ms. Reynolds. Heath explained that you’re staying at Granite Ridge Campground. Please stay in the area so I can contact you with more questions.”
If Harper was the only witness to the crime, then at some point her testimony could be needed too, especially if they couldn’t retrieve her camera.
“I haven’t finished my story yet. I haven’t told you everything,” Harper said.
“Well, what is it?”
Her big eyes went from the sheriff to Heath.
“The killer saw me witness his crime. He stared right at me through his scope while I took his picture.”
The meaning behind her words knocked into him. Heath thought his heart had stopped.
The killer could try to find and target Harper next.
Taggart scribbled more notes on his pad. His cell phone chimed, and he excused himself again.
Heath held up a finger, letting her know that he was leaving too but would return. He followed the sheriff down the hall and waited for the man to finish his phone conversation. When Taggart ended the call, Heath cornered him.
“Don’t you think she’s in danger?” Heath asked. “She witnessed a crime. He could target her.”
“The shooter was across the river, three or four hundred yards away, at least, and in the trees, part of the woods. This is tourist season. She’s a tourist. Even if he got a good look at her face, chances are that he doesn’t know who she is or where to find her. If we learn differently, then we’ll act accordingly.” Taggart leaned closer. “I’ve had two deputies resign over the last six months.”
“You’re saying you don’t have the manpower to keep your only witness safe. Isn’t a situation like this the reason you talked me into being a reserve deputy?” But the man hadn’t called on Heath for much more than providing security at the county fair, though he’d had to go through the same rigorous training as full-time deputy sheriffs.
“I don’t know that she’s in danger, McKade. We’ll take it as it comes. I’m considering putting you on investigating the mailbox bombs. Find those kids and stop them before somebody else gets hurt. Before someone gets seriously injured.”
Heath scraped a hand through his hair. What was happening to his town? Wyoming had a low population and supposedly a low crime rate. “Why do you think it’s kids?”
“The first bomb—Reece Keaton saw three teenagers running away from her mailbox, that’s why. She couldn’t give me a solid description of the boys. They took off into the woods around dusk. Sure, they’re kids, but these days anyone can learn how to make a bomb from the internet.”
Heath nodded. As good a reason as any to start searching for the boys. “As for Harper, let’s hope she’s not in danger, then.”
Taggart cocked a thick brow. “But you’ll watch out for her if needed.”
“Uh . . . no . . . I didn’t mean me.” Considering his past, he wasn’t the guy for that particular job.
“We’ll see. It depends on the state’s response if I decide to call for outside resources. In the meantime, you can deliver her back to her campsite.”