CHAPTER 7

“It’ll be risky,” June said as she outlined her plan.

They were sharing breakfast at a small stone table outside, near the water and partially shaded by the rock overhang. From their vantage point they had a full view of the valley and would be able to see anyone approaching. Even as they enjoyed each other’s company, they remained watchful.

Eager was lying at June’s feet, a warning system himself as he listened to their environment.

“But if you hike out of Hidden Valley that way—” she pointed in the direction Molly had gone earlier “—you reach Little Gulch in about four hours. It’s a slightly bigger town than Cold Plains, maybe three thousand residents, and it has a small airstrip. I’ll give you a pack and supplies, and you’ve got GPS.” She hesitated. “And I’m going to let you take Eager.”

He set his coffee mug down. “Why?”

“Because it will bolster the story I gave the Cold Plains police chief, Bo Fargo.” She rubbed her brow. “I told him the reason for my absence was that Eager got bitten by something, and that I’d taken him to stay overnight at the vet’s in Little Gulch because I’ve had clashes of opinion with the Cold Plains vet—something I need to mend now. So, if I hike back into Cold Plains and pick up my truck, I can—”

“Truck?”

“I live a double life, Jesse. It’s complicated. I rent a place on Hannah Mendes’s ranch on the outskirts of town. Hannah covers for me all the nights and some days that I am here at the safe house. And I work two days a week for the Cold Plains Urgent Care Center’s ambulance service as a paramedic, so I need to put in appearances for that. The job is what allegedly brought me to Cold Plains.”

“Plus there’s your volunteer SAR work.”

She nodded. “And there’ve been a fair number of searches these days for which they called me because I’m the only volunteer with a validated K9.”

“You can’t keep this up, June. You’ve got to find a way to slow down.”

“There’s no way out now, Jesse. Only one way to go and that’s to the end.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Once I’ve got my truck, I’ll drive around the mountains to Little Gulch, allegedly to fetch Eager from the vet. I’ll make sure someone sees me heading out of town without Eager, and I’ll make it known that I’m going to pick him up. Meanwhile, when you get to Little Gulch, go wait for me at a place called Dixon’s Pub and Beer Garden. It’s a bit of a dive, but it’s dog-friendly and it’s right on the outskirts of town—it’ll be one of the first places you see, big pink neon sign, can’t miss it. I’ll meet you there later this afternoon.”

She took another sip from her mug, and Jesse noticed her hands were shaking slightly.

“June, you really need to rest. You’ll—”

“I’m fine,” she said briskly. “Tonight is the annual Cold Plains corn-roast festival. We’ll drive back into Cold Plains, right down Main Street, while everyone is gathering outside the community center for the festivities. If they see us coming in from the outside, with Eager this time, and if no one recognizes you, I’ll tell them that I picked you up from the airstrip when I went to fetch Eager from the vet. You’re Hannah’s new help for her ranch.”

He smiled. “Hope there’s a cowboy hat in it for me.”

Her eyes remained serious. “Davis has one. You’ll need to hide that cut on your head, anyway. Remind me to give you back the cash Sonya found in your jeans pocket before she tossed them.”

“She tossed my jeans?”

“I cut the leg open, remember, to see where you were bleeding?”

“And there was nothing else in the pockets?”

“Just a hundred bucks in notes.”

He frowned, wondering why he’d had absolutely no identification on him at all.

“If all goes smoothly, we’ll mingle awhile at the corn roast. I’ll tell everyone we used to date way back, and that I recommended you for the job on Hannah’s ranch because you’re out of work.” Her cheeks pinked a little, and Jesse loved the way her complexion revealed her moods. She probably hated it.

“You better look after Eager—that dog is everything to me.”

June was giving him her complete trust, and the scope of what she was trying to achieve struck him square in the chest.

God, he could love this woman, and the thought just fueled his desperation to get out there and find out who he was.

“If we can pull it off tonight, then you can use the work on Hannah’s ranch as a cover while you figure things out. Hannah will pay you for anything you do on the ranch, of course.”

“I don’t want her money.”

“You have a hundred bucks to your name, Jesse. That’s it.”

“Maybe I’m rich.” He grinned. “But I just don’t remember.”

This time she did smile.

“Yeah, and maybe I’m the Queen of Sheba.”

He laughed. Then sobered almost as quickly. “You’re right, June, it is risky. Because if someone does recognize me, you go down with me. I don’t want to take that chance.”

“If it works, Jesse, it shores up my story about my absence. It gives Hannah added protection, and you can help us, hiding in plain sight.”

“I don’t know, June.”

She leaned forward. “It’s the only way you’re going to get into Cold Plains alive, Jesse, and God knows Hannah and I could use someone on our team. Besides, if I don’t do something to bolster my story with Bo Fargo, stat, he’s going to look into it, and I’m going down, anyway. So, do we have a deal?”

Her gaze was direct. Adrenaline rippled through him.

“Deal,” he said quietly. “With one caveat. If I think you’re going to get hurt, I pull the plug.” As Jesse spoke, he caught sight of Molly watching them from behind the window.

“And one more thing—we don’t tell anyone in the safe house what we’re about to do,” he said, his eye on Molly.

“Because?”

“Because they’re safe in what they don’t know.”

June trusted that kid—but he didn’t.

* * *

Before he got his gear together, Jesse went to find Molly.

“So, were the berries good out there, Molly?”

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I dropped my basket of berries when I saw the bears. What’s it to you?”

“There were no berry bushes there,” he said.

“I ran to that area to get away from the bears. The berries were in another place.”

He studied her for a beat. “Do you have a cell phone, Molly?”

“Of course. What of it?”

“Is there reception out in that end of the valley?”

“I wouldn’t know—I didn’t try to call anyone.”

“Not even for help when you saw the bears?”

“Who would I call—Samuel? Yeah, right, wiseass. And I couldn’t call anyone in the house, because, duh, no reception.”

* * *

With one hundred bucks in his pocket, cowboy hat tilted low over his brow and a backpack on his shoulder, Jesse threw June a broad grin. It made his blue eyes twinkle against his tan, and it made June’s stomach heat.

“You look like you’re actually champing at the bit to get out into those mountains with my dog.”

“I am,” he said. “I’m going to find myself. Maybe the search dog at my side will help.”

In spite of his upbeat mood, June felt anxious. She hoped the answers he did find were the ones he wanted. Crouching down, she hugged Eager, burying her face in his fur for a moment. And the idea of possibly losing her dog with a stranger suddenly filled her eyes with emotion.

“I won’t lose him,” he said.

“You managed to lose yourself, big guy—I’m not sure I can take your word for it.” She ruffled Eager’s fur. “Look after the cowboy, Eager.” She got to her feet, pushed a fall of hair back from her face and her gaze met Jesse’s.

“Take care. And don’t forget to give Eager water.”

Jesse leaned forward suddenly, grasped her wrist and pulled her toward him. Tilting her chin up, he kissed her softly on the mouth.

June’s world spiraled as her lips opened under his. She kissed him back, suddenly hungry, desperate, her tongue seeking his, her hands going up his muscled arms, hooking behind his neck, drawing him down, kissing him deeper.

He pulled away suddenly, a strange and dangerous look in his eyes, the pulse at his neck throbbing.

“Be careful, June.” His voice was thick, hoarse.

June stepped back, aching inside for something she wasn’t sure she could have.

“See you at Dixon’s,” she said.

He nodded.

She hesitated a moment, then with a quick glance at Eager, she swung her own pack onto her back and headed toward the boardwalk that led to the tunnel entrance. She didn’t look back. But she knew he was watching.

Even when she reached the tunnel, she wouldn’t look back. She told herself it was a dangerous game, to fall for a perfect stranger, a man who had another, as yet, secret life. She was going to get burned. And June couldn’t afford to get burned by a relationship again.

* * *

June hiked along the ridge where Davis said he’d found the baby’s pacifier. This route would bring her down to Hannah’s farm via a trail on the eastern flank. The day was clear and hot, the sun bright. She could see Cold Plains in the valley below; such a pretty storybook town on the surface, such dark secrets it harbored.

She shaded her eyes and glanced up at the steep slope of giant black boulders on her left. It was almost as sheer as a cliff, and she knew it to be riddled with small caves—this whole area was pocked with caves. She’d helped search this boulder slope when Rafe’s baby had been taken, and it had come up clean. But given the pacifier that Davis had found here, June wondered if the kidnapper might have backtracked and be holed up with the baby somewhere in there now. A sinister chill unfurled inside her, and an eerie sense of being watched prickled over her skin. With it came a whisper of fear. She didn’t want to go up there and face a kidnapper alone. She’d return with Jesse and Eager. June marked the location on her GPS, and as she continued along the trail she realized she was thinking of Jesse as an ally, and it felt damn good to have one.

Be careful, June.

By the time she reached the ribbon of paved road that led to Hannah’s ranch, the August sun was high and burning down hot on her head. A black SUV approached from the distance. As it neared, it slowed.

It was Mayor Kittridge. He pulled off onto the shoulder and rolled down the window, sticking his elbow out.

June cursed under her breath.

“Mr. Mayor!” she said with an exaggerated smile as she came up to the side of his vehicle.

“Hello, June.” He looked tired, most likely from his nighttime search for Jesse. She spied a rifle on the backseat. Caution skittered through her.

He was eyeing her pack. “Where’ve you been? Where’s Eager today?”

Thank God she’d taken the effort to come down via the eastern flank. “Eager’s at the vet,” she said. “He was bitten by something. I’m going to get him this afternoon.” And before he could press for specifics, she glanced at her watch.

“I must be off to fetch him now. I’d like to be back in time for the corn roast. Hopefully Hannah and her new help will join me.”

Interest, sharp and sudden, crossed Kittridge’s features. He tried to hide it with his easy smile, but his eyes lied. A newcomer in Cold Plains was going to be of interest to the mayor, especially so if said mayor was also one of Samuel’s militia leaders.

June still couldn’t see anything in Rufus Kittridge’s face that would indicate he was a coldhearted killer. How did one ever know they were looking into the eyes of a murderer? This place was so damned creepy, it made her sick.

“What help?” said Kittridge.

“She’s hiring an old friend of mine—old boyfriend, actually—for some heavy-duty lifting on the ranch. Hannah’s feeling her age and I think it’s a good thing she’s finally admitting she needs more help. My friend is flying into Little Gulch. I’m going to pick him up when I go get Eager.”

Anxious he’d ask for specifics, and that he and Chief Fargo might team up and go investigating in Little Gulch, June quickly changed the subject.

“Will you be there?”

“Where?” he said, suddenly distracted.

“At the corn roast.”

“Of course. I—”

“Well, see you there.” She turned to go. “I must leave to fetch Eager or I won’t make it back in time,” she called cheerily, giving a jaunty wave. Her heart hammered in her chest.

He drove off, slowly.

June’s mouth was dry as she crossed the field to the outbuilding she rented from Hannah. She moved quickly. Hannah needed to be apprised of the details of the plan June had cooked up before anyone else spoke to her.

* * *

When June drove out of town twenty minutes later, she glanced uneasily into the rearview mirror. It was one thing to be seen driving out of town without her dog, quite another to be followed. To her relief the road was empty as she left Cold Plains.

She put her foot on the gas, wound down the window, and the wind blew warm through her hair as the fields of rural southeastern Wyoming rolled by. Gradually, as she clocked the miles between herself and Cold Plains, she began to relax, and June realized suddenly what a deep and negative toll the perfectly evil town and its Devotees were taking on her. Jesse’s words crept into her mind.

You can’t keep this up, June. You’ve got to find a way to slow down.

* * *

Jesse was at Dixon’s Pub, sitting at a wooden picnic table in the shade of a trellis in the beer garden out back. Eager snoozed at his feet, a water bowl near his head. June’s heart clutched at the sight of them—man and dog, good and tired from their trek over the mountain.

Eager sensed her presence instantly, lifting his head then surging to his feet, body wiggling as he came toward her. June felt surprise at her sudden surge of emotions again. Everything was riding just a little too close to the surface. She had to tamp this down.

She dropped down to her haunches and ruffled her dog’s coat. “Good boy, Eager. You made it. You showed him how to get over the mountains, did you?”

She avoided looking up, but she had to eventually. Jesse had gotten to his feet and was standing near the table, giving her space. He smiled, teeth bright white, stubble shadowing his strong jaw.

His tan had deepened during the hours of hiking. He’d shucked the denim shirt and his white T-shirt was taut over his pecs. His jeans were dusty. His jacket hung over the bench next to the pack she’d loaned him, but he’d kept his hat on.

Damn, he looked good. She thought of their last kiss and a nervousness, excitement, raced quietly through her blood. For a moment she wished he could be just Jesse. No hidden past. And that she could be just June.

She got to her feet, brushing back strands of hair from her face.

“You made it,” she said.

“So did you. It’s good to see you.” His grin deepened. “I got to thinking, as long as I have your dog you’re not going to abandon me.”

Something sobered inside June, and she knew by those words he was feeling vulnerable, too.

“Can I get you a beer?” he said.

“A cold one would be excellent.” The August afternoon was sweltering. Country music floated softy through the open doors into the beer garden. No one else was sitting outside. A few hard-time drinkers and ranch hands lingered inside, playing pool, minding their drinks.

Jesse motioned to a young server who brought two ice-cold beers, the bottles sweating with condensation.

“It’s on me,” June said, reaching for her wallet in her back pocket.

He placed his hand on her arm. “No.”

“Jesse,” she whispered, “that’s all the money you have to your name right now. You might need it.”

“I still think I have a big bank account that I can’t remember.”

“Yeah, dream on, buddy.”

He paid the server and June took a deep swig right from the bottle, relishing the soft, cold explosion of bubbles in her mouth, the scent of hay being cut a distance away, the warmth of the afternoon. And, slowly, a decompressing sensation filled her body.

“I haven’t done anything like this in ages.” She stretched her legs out and scratched Eager’s neck with the toe of her boot.

“When we get back to the cave house,” Jesse said over his bottle, “after we’re through with the dog-and-pony show at the corn roast, what can I help you guys with?”

She liked his positivity. It bolstered her.

“Hannah hasn’t got anyone who needs to be evacuated right now. But I could do with your help on another front.” She hesitated, taking another swig of her beer, deciding how best to tell the story.

“There’s a doctor in town, Rafe Black, whose baby boy was kidnapped last month. Rafe is not a Devotee, but some time ago he had a relationship with one of the five victims believed to have been murdered by Samuel or his men. Her name was Abby Michaels. She had a baby boy and when the child was three months old, she contacted Rafe and told him the boy was his. Rafe believed her. He sent her money and then came to town to find her. But Abby and the alleged infant had disappeared.”

“Alleged?”

June nodded. “No one in Cold Plains would attest to Abby actually having a baby, but she’d sent Rafe a photo, and he believed her. Then, two months ago a baby boy—a dead ringer for the photo Abby had sent Rafe—was left on Bo Fargo’s desk at the police detachment. He was strapped into a car seat with a note pinned to him saying he was Devin Black. Rafe was overjoyed.”

“Jesus, that’s weird. Where’d the kid suddenly appear from?”

“No one knows. The note was anonymous. The person who wrote it said they’d found Devin abandoned, and they’d taken him and fallen in love with him. But when they heard Dr. Black was looking for his son, they felt duty-bound to give him back.”

Jesse sipped his beer. “How did this anonymous person get all the way into a police detachment and leave a child in a car seat on the chief’s desk without being seen?”

“Again, no one seems to know, or if they do, they’re not saying. Rafe was nevertheless thrilled to have found his son. Then last month, while Devin was sleeping in Rafe’s house, he was taken.”

Jesse whistled. “It must’ve killed the doc.”

“He’s distraught. There’s been no ransom note, and the police have no leads. Teams searched the mountains, but Bo Fargo called off the search pretty quickly, as if he didn’t actually want this kidnapper found.”

“What about the feds?”

“They’ve got no leads, either.”

“So how do you need my help?”

June checked her watch. It was getting late—they needed to leave if they wanted to be back for the corn roast. “Last night when Davis was tracking the henchmen he found a baby’s pacifier under a slope riddled with caves. The caves were searched after the kidnapping, but I think there’s a chance the kidnapper could have returned and holed up in one of those caves. I’d like to take Eager up there, but I didn’t want to go alone.”

“So you want me to come?”

“You can be my armed backup.” She smiled.

But his eyes narrowed. “This is for the police, June.”

“Are you kidding me? Bo Fargo is the police in Cold Plains, and Fargo is Samuel’s puppet. If Samuel doesn’t want that kidnapper found, Fargo’s not going to find him.”

“Is that what you think happened?”

“I don’t know—like you said, it’s weird how a baby in a car seat can suddenly appear on the police chief’s desk with no one seeing a thing. And then the search was called off prematurely. I haven’t seen Fargo or his men doing a thing more to investigate the case since then.”

“The FBI should be on it.”

“You’re right. But the agents Hawk Bledsoe brought with him to Cold Plains are suits, not SAR technicians. They’d still need to bring in dogs, trained searchers. By the time they get those kinds of resources together the kidnapper could be long gone. His scent trail will be cold. Eager is right here. He could track from the location the pacifier was found. If we come across something, we notify the feds.”

Jesse was silent for several beats. “We’ll talk about it, okay? But we should probably head out now.”

June sighed heavily.

He placed his hand over hers. “Hey, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

He fingered her wedding band.

June swallowed, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

“Matt was a lucky man, you know that?”

“If he was lucky, I would have saved him.”

“June?”

She looked up into his indigo eyes.

“You can’t keep carrying guilt.”

“What of it? I’m doing good work because of what happened.”

“It’ll crush you eventually. You’re afraid to let it go, aren’t you? You’re scared you’ll have nothing left then.”

Irritation flared in her. “I don’t need a shrink, Jesse. Maybe you should sort out your own demons before you cast stones.” June got up abruptly, but he grasped her arm.

“June, I care for you.”

“Please, don’t touch me. I—I can’t do this. It’s not going to work. I have no idea who you are. You might have a family or something waiting for you.”

I couldn’t bear to lose someone again.

“Fine,” he said, letting her go. “Let’s go get this over with.” His voice was brusque, and his movements were angry as he led her and Eager out through the dim pub interior and into the parking lot at the front of the establishment.

Big trucks and a Harley were parked outside. Heat waves oscillated off the paving. Above the building the D in the pink neon sign that read Dixon’s Pub and Beer Garden flickered like a Devotee omen.

June felt a swish of nerves return as she climbed into her truck cab. She fired the ignition, and, as she pulled out of the lot, Eager sitting between her and a heavily silent Jesse, she told herself it was going to be fine. He’d find out who he was, go home. And Hawk would get something on Samuel, arrest him, and then she could go on to a new job in another state.

* * *

The late-evening sun lingered gold over the picture-perfect town as June drove into Cold Plains. Smoke curled from the barbecues on the lawn outside the community centre and crowds gathered around the food tents. A band played on a stand at the far end where tiny colored lights had been strung up. Already, some of the townsfolk were dancing.

Laughing kids gamboled on the grass, and mothers with smiling faces pushed strollers, husbands at their sides, offering greetings to neighbors as they passed. A bitter taste filled June’s mouth.

She glanced at Jesse, felt his tension

“Remember, it’s all in the attitude,” he said as he tilted his cowboy hat a tad lower over his eyes. “If you believe the story, so will they.”

She nodded, slowed and waved at Chief Bo Fargo, who was over by the main tent, talking to Mayor Kittridge. Both turned to look. Fargo began to walk over the lawn toward the truck.

“Oh, Jesus,” she whispered. “Party time.”

She stopped the truck, wound down the window. Eager gave a soft growl. He didn’t like Fargo any more than she did. The man had a bad vibe, even for dogs.

“Hey, Bo,” June said cheerily. “I just wanted to say thanks for letting me off the SAR hook the other day. I really needed that seminar. It’s always good to hear Samuel speak. Gives one a real boost.”

Fargo’s watery blue gaze darted over her truck, then he peered into the cab, his attention on Jesse.

“So Eager’s better?” he said.

“One hundred percent. I just went to fetch him. In fact, I got two for one.” June forced a grin. “This here is Jesse…Marlboro. He’s an old friend of mine from back West. Hannah needed some help on the ranch and—” she shot Jesse a look “—I volunteered him.” She forced a big smile.

Jesse placed his hand on her knee and June tensed inside. But it was a good call, because Fargo noted the gesture.

Behind him Mayor Rufus Kittridge was hurrying over the grass toward them now.

“Well, we should find some parking.” As she spoke, June could see Samuel watching them from under another tent. Her chest tightened.

It’s all in the attitude.

Kittridge was coming closer.

“You guys going to stay for the dance?” Fargo addressed Jesse.

“You betcha,” Jesse said with an easy grin.

June pulled off, found parking and turned off the ignition. She sat silent awhile, gathering herself, her heart hammering.

Jesse said, “Marlboro?”

“Just came to me.” Then she snapped, “We should have worked this out in more detail. We should have had a surname ready.” She turned in the seat to face him. “So, does being here jog your memory—do you recall anything?”

“Not a damn thing,” he said. “I’ve never been to this place in my life. I’m sure of it. Nothing at all feels familiar about it.”

“But you came here sporting a D tattoo,” she said, exasperation creeping into her voice. “You knew about this place, about Samuel.”

“Let’s go eat and dance, June,” he said quietly. “Then tomorrow morning we go to the caves, early.”

She inhaled deeply, staring at him. Then nodded. “Thank you.”

* * *

“Samuel, that was an excellent seminar,” June said, putting her cob of corn down onto her paper plate as Samuel Grayson approached her and Jesse’s table. They were eating under the colored lights that had been strung up near the dancing area where the band cranked out a feisty country tune.

Samuel’s eyes, however, were fixed solely on Jesse, and June knew he had to be wondering if Jesse was the mystery man from the woods.

Jesse got to his feet and warmly held out his hand. “Jesse Marlboro—pleased to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from June.”

Samuel shook Jesse’s hand firmly and smiled. “Samuel Grayson.”

“This is a great event,” Jesse said, hooking his thumbs into his belt. Inwardly June smiled.

“It’s a celebration of being the best town we can be,” Samuel said. “And it’s a nod to the approaching end of summer, hence the berry desserts, the corn on the cob, the burgers.”

“Please, take a seat.” Jesse gestured to the table, his demeanor assertive, confident, but warm. June was amazed. He was totally engaging, friendly, yet always alpha, and so very far removed from an image of an injured man in the dark woods that she began to believe he was actually going to pull this off.

“Don’t mind if I do, but just for a few,” Samuel said, swinging his leg over the picnic bench and seating himself. He gave his trademark Pierce Brosnan–style smile, his twinkling green sociopath’s eyes belying whatever was going on in his mind.

“June has been telling me about your seminars and explaining the philosophy behind Cold Plains, and when I hit a rough patch workwise, and she mentioned Hannah was looking for a hand on the ranch, I thought it would be perfect to try and start fresh.” He threw June a glance then smiled conspiratorially at Samuel. “And then there’s June.”

She felt her cheeks flush in spite of the situation.

“Mayor Kittridge tells me that you two used to date.”

So he’d already spread the word about the stranger’s imminent arrival.

“Off and on,” she said. “Before Jesse found work on the rig.”

“Oh, really, which rig?”

“Off the coast of Nigeria,” Jesse said quickly. “I know, it was far, foreign, but I—I needed cash.” He snorted. “And there were no casinos out there. I thought I’d be able to square some savings away.” He placed his hand over June’s. “Then the job fizzled—labor unrest, political upheaval. Nigeria is not an easy place to do business. I went on a bit of a downer.” He inhaled, squaring his shoulders. “But hey, now I’m here. And there are no casinos.”

Samuel was watching him closely. Then he smiled, cautiously, thought June, like a shark.

“Sounds like you’ll be a very good match for our community, Jesse.” He stood up, holding out his hand again. “And a good match for June. Pleased to have met you, Jesse. Hope to see you at my next seminar.”

“You betcha.”

They sat in silence watching Samuel stride over to the next table, doing his rounds.

The band had switched to a slow, sad tune. Couples were swaying quietly to the music, holding each other close. The air was warm.

“Christ,” muttered Jesse. “That’s the second time I’ve used ‘you betcha’ tonight.” He repositioned his hat, scrubbed his brow. “Like some cowpoke.”

“Nigeria?” she asked.

Then they both laughed.

“Hey,” June said, giving him a mock punch, “I think you pulled that off great.”

“And you look beautiful tonight, you know that?”

“Jesse,” she warned.

“Just stating a fact. Come, dance with me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I—”

He got up, took her hand. “Samuel’s watching,” he murmured. “It’s a very good idea.”

* * *

Swaying to the music with June in his arms couldn’t have felt more right to Jesse. Her curves fitted perfectly against his body, and her hair smelled of lavender. He liked the way it felt against his cheeks. He enjoyed the sensation of her breasts pressing firmly against his torso, the way she moved against him.

He glanced down and saw that her eyes were closed. Heat speared to his groin.

“Would be nice to have a beer,” he murmured against her hair.

“I’m afraid you’re looking at a choice between a $25 bottle of water. Or a $25 bottle of water. There’s no overt consumption of alcohol in Cold Plains.”

“So the food at the festival is free, but the water is not?”

“It never is, even though it comes straight from a creek. Samuel’s people bottle it for him without being paid. He sells it back to them and pockets one hundred percent of the profits.”

“You’re kidding me?”

“’Fraid not.”

Jesse whistled softly. “It’s like a freaking Stepford town. Reminds me of that movie The Truman Show. You feel like someone is watching you from a control tower.”

“You are being watched,” she said quietly, nestling against his arm as she moved. Jesse stirred, his jeans going tight.

“Samuel is the control tower. That was good, by the way, what you said about hitting a rough patch and the gambling. He’s going to home right in on it, perceive it as your weakness.”

The music changed, another slow tune.

June pulled back. She looked tired.

“I think we can make an exit now,” she said. “We still need to drive back to Hannah’s ranch and then hike in to the cave house.”

* * *

Eager, who’d been sleeping in the truck, thumped his tail with excitement to see them. But as June was about to climb up into the driver’s seat, Jesse placed his hand on her arm.

“Let me drive,” he said. “You look beat.”

She hesitated, then handed him her keys. “Gee, thanks.”

“Beat but still beautiful.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she said as she climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she was beyond exhaustion now. She gave him directions to Hannah’s ranch, and as they drove, she felt herself nodding in and out of sleep.

“He’s powerful, got big charisma,” Jesse said as he wheeled the truck onto the dirt road that led to Hannah’s house. “I can see why Samuel has pull over people.”

“But seeing Samuel doesn’t bring anything back? You still have no idea why you wanted to come here, why his name was familiar to you?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Not a goddamn thing. I don’t know any of those people from a bar of soap.”

“Maybe it’ll come still.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

* * *

About half an hour after introducing Hannah to Jesse, he and June were hiking up the trail into the mountains again, small headlamps lighting their way through the darkness. Before they headed out of cell-tower range, June once again tried to contact Agent Hawk Bledsoe but the call went straight to voice mail, which said he’d be back day after tomorrow.

The cave tunnel was dark, spooky. Jesse had only vague recollections of coming through here with June the first time. She was brave, he decided as he felt a bat flutter past his face. Braver than any woman he’d known.

He stilled in the darkness. How many women had he known?

Another image came to him. Making love to a slight, dark-haired woman with fiery blue eyes; a raw, shocking sadness ripped through him. Then there was nothing, just a feeling of depression and the now sickly familiar chill of guilt. Jesse was relieved to finally exit the tunnel, but the cold, dark sense of guilt lingered with him.

He paused outside the door of the cave house. June was right. He couldn’t do this to her, to himself—or to whoever might be waiting somewhere in this world for him to come home. He had to know who that dark-haired woman was before he could even think of touching June again.

“You can take one of the spare rooms,” June said as they entered the hallway.

He nodded as she closed and locked the front door behind him.

He watched while she went to her own room and he heard the door snick shut. A hollowness filled his heart.