Luke had intended to talk to the local sheriff, but as he walked along the main drag, his gut started twitching like it had a condition. It had been quiet when they arrived, stashing their skis behind a boulder for later collection. Now he noticed trucks of hunters parked at each end of town. And a set in front of the police station. Another watching the local truck stop. And yet another had the local motel staked out. All seriously packing.

They didn’t seem to be doing anything in particular, but there was a watchfulness about them that tightened his gut. He strolled by one set and noticed that they had a police scanner inside the cab of their truck, the power light glowing.

Hell and damnation, he thought, what was he up against here? Who could be after Amelia? Who might unleash this much activity, this fast? And how could they get out of town without being followed and stopped? No way his Glock would be enough against the firepower he could see waiting in all those gun racks.

He saw a pair of hunters enter the place he’d left Amelia. He should never have left her. These guys were hunting. He followed, trying not to look like he was in a hurry. Inside, it took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the light. His two guys were heading for the corner where he’d left Amelia, then they veered off and he could see the older couple sitting there, reading the menu.

She was gone.

He grabbed their waitress as she passed. “Did you see where my friend went?”

“She left not long after you did.”

“Alone?” The waitress, her face puzzled and impatient, nodded. “Which direction did she go?”

“Sorry.” She pulled away.

Luke went outside, looked one direction, then the other, feeling frustration spike in his gut. What was she thinking—

“Luke?”

It was Amelia’s voice, but when he looked at her, she didn’t look like the Amelia he’d left. Her hair was short, almost boy short and clinging to her head in fluffy little curls. The difference was amazing. Without the hair, the clean, classy shape of her bones was visible. She must have found some make-up, because her scratches were pale shadows under her skin. Her eyes were bigger and more purple. And her mouth was red and moist and slightly parted—

He gave himself a shake. This was not the time to lose his focus.

“Where you been?” he stopped. It was obvious where she’d been. Having her hair cut. He noticed the bags she was trying, but failing, to hide behind her back. “Shopping? You just went…shopping?”

Her smile was a delight and full of mischief. “And I enjoyed it. I was quite shocked at myself.”

He swallowed a couple of times. “I thought you didn’t have any money?”

“I sold my hair. They gave me a hundred dollars and didn’t charge me for the hair cut or the make-over. I told them I’d wiped out skiing. I was going to look for you, but—”

“You went shopping.”

“Your sister-in-law’s jeans were so short…”

Now that he looked, he could see her jeans now reached all the way to her borrowed boots. And they had some kind of embroidery on the hem. They fit her like a glove. A very affectionate glove.

“I didn’t think I needed the snow pants anymore. I didn’t lose them. They’re all in the bag.” She held it up. It bulged like a pregnant woman. Obviously, she’d bought more than pants.

Dani, he remembered, had shopped while being hunted by a hit man. And she’d gone dancing. “I’ll never understand women,” he said. “Never.”

Her smile almost made him not care.

“That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” She looked around. “So, did you find us some wheels?”

He saw one of the sets of hunters driving their direction and took her arm, turning her away from them. “Let’s walk and talk.”

“Is there a problem?” Amelia pulled her ski cap back on, covering her shorn locks.

“Maybe. Not sure.” He told her what he’d observed as they stopped in front of an antique shop, and he pointed at something in the window.

“What are we going to do?” She didn’t look at him, but he could see the two worry lines appear between her arched brows.

“There’s a bus that comes through. Runs all the way to Denver.”

“Where do we get tickets?”

“Over there.” He gestured over his shoulder as he continued to point at different things in the window. Amelia looked casually in that direction and saw, right in front of the gun shop with the bus station logo in the window, a pair of hunters.