"Well…yes…but I'm the Ranger. I'm supposed to go first in case there's any danger."
I stop, standing directly beside her, barely resisting the urge to slip an arm around her waist. Those tantalizing hips have my heart racing, yet I make a point to meet her eyes without glancing at her flattering t-shirt. "I'm the one protecting you. Got it?"
She nods, her bottom lip quivering.
"It's okay," I say gently. "You're doing everything right. We're going to find them soon."
It’s as if she's been holding everything together but the tension is just now hitting her. Her eyes close, and her body quivers slightly.
My hand lands gently on her shoulder, then drifts to the center of her back, rubbing in small, gentle circles. "Breathe, Bailey. We've been finding tons of markers. It's okay."
She releases a shaky breath, then looks up at me with… I'm not sure. The look in her gorgeous eyes, combined with the way she's leaning back slightly into my hand, makes me think of a kitten who wants to be petted.
This gorgeous, clever woman is attracted to me. This sizzling lust that’s starting to overtake my nervous system clearly runs both ways.
It makes me even more determined to find her brothers immediately.
2
BAILEY
Half an hour ago, my heart was in my throat. If anything happened to Cody and Jacob, I don’t know what I’d do. My stomach has felt like it was filled with concrete since I realized they were gone, and Theo at the lodge’s front desk confirmed my parents were alone when they left.
But now, looking up into the rich, brown eyes of this ranger I just met, I feel like everything is going to turn out okay. I’ve been sneaking looks at his phone and he clearly has an action plan – he has a checklist for finding missing people and everything.
But it’s hard to think about anything other than the heat spiraling up through the middle of my belly and the warmth of his large hand as he draws circles the center of my back, even though I know it’s a gesture intended to comfort. I want to jump into his arms and cuddle my cheek against his chest in its black and gray plaid flannel shirt.
The man must be at least six foot three, maybe more. He seems even bigger because of his powerful bodybuilder frame. His short brown hair and tidy beard are approachable, even though the look on his face when he first opened his cabin door screamed, “Mountain man loner – do not disturb.”
I swear I didn’t mean to check out his thick arms and tight ass when he was reaching for coats, it was an accident. But since that happened, it’s been difficult to concentrate…even though keeping focused is one of the things I pride myself on.
“Let’s keep moving.” Nate’s voice is low and smoky. “We’ll find them before it gets dark. I don’t want you to panic.”
"I won't," I say firmly. "Promise."
He nods solemnly. "You know what? You're the only stranger I've believed that about."
We continue trudging along, Nate's quick eye finding more piles of sticks. We reach a point where the trail branches to the left, but a marker indicate the boys went straight.
“They were heading straight for the top of the hill," Nate says. "If they were experienced hikers, that would make sense, but…"
"I swear, I always taught them to stick to the trails. I made them repeat that back to me."
Nate smirks. "When kids get excited, they forget things." He uses our pause to check his messages. "Looks like the text chain has kicked in. We have some men searching, plus dozens more ready to jump in if we don't find them in the next twenty minutes-ish."
I send a quick text. "I just told the lodge that the boys are probably here on the trail,” I explain. “They're still going to keep their eyes open, in case they come back."
"Good job."
I love that Nate is proud of me. It's been a long time since I’ve gotten that from anyone.
We keep walking, calling out to the boys at regular intervals. A couple of minutes later my phone rings. "Ugh, video call from my stepdad," I groan. "This will slow us down."
"Take it," Nate insists. "Keep your parents calm. I'll keep searching. Just follow me."
When the call connects, Jeremy has the slightly glassy-eyed look of someone three or four beers in. Beside him is my mother, who has definitely been hitting the cocktails too. "What's this I hear about the boys being missing?" He asks it with the casual tone of someone asking what channel the game is on.
"Yes. They've been gone nearly an hour. I went to see where everyone was, and your room was empty."
