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Refusing to acknowledge it, he gestured toward the camp below. “From down there, a person would never know this meadow existed.”
“Which is exactly why we don’t bring guests up here. The sheep remain undisturbed.”
“The Wildlife Ride doesn’t include a viewing of the sheep?” He didn’t bother to hide his skepticism.
She frown
ed. “There’s other places to spot them along the way. In addition to elk, mule deer, and other animals, our guests see plenty.”
“Any specific reason you wanted to keep the meadow a secret from me?” He watched close for her reaction, but all she did was shrug as she fiddled with the camera hanging around her neck.
“Casey and I agreed not to tell anyone about it.”
He had to consciously keep his fingers from fisting at his sides. “Special place for the two of you?”
Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “Not in the way you’re implying. He’s been married since the day we met. We’re just friends.”
“You’re friends with a lot of guys,” he pointed out as he turned to start scanning the ground for telltale signs of the poacher.
“Yeah? So? I told you I don’t date here.”
“You said you have fun.”
“Yes. As friends. There are no benefits,” she insisted. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who think men and women can’t be friends.”
“In my experience, they can’t.”
“Based on what you told me last night, your experience is severely limited.”
“I have experience,” he assured her, glancing back with a grin. “Unlike you, I do date.”
“A week or two with someone new at each park? That is not dating.”
He shrugged, but didn’t tell her it had been more than a couple cases since his last ‘date.’ “Everyone knows the score going in.”
“Sounds great.”
Her voice said the opposite of her words. He chanced another glance back and she stiffened when he caught her watching him. When her gaze flicked to the camera in her hands, for a second, he’d swear she looked disappointed. But then she raised her head and gave him a challenging smile.
“We could be friends.”
“You and me?” He let out a short laugh. “Yeah, right.”
“Why not?”
His gaze flicked down to her mouth and he turned away. That’s why. Because he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about benefits since he’d met the darn woman. What would she say to that?
Deciding he’d had enough of the conversation, he steered things back to business. “Do you know if this is a well known area? For locals, I mean.”
“Um…”
So much confusion in that one little sound. Got him wondering about her offer of friendship. She’d asked, why not? He wondered, why?
“I wouldn’t think so,” she finally replied. “I don’t even know if Mark knows about it.”
He turned to face her dead on. “Do you know if Casey’s been up here lately?”
It only took a second for comprehension to wipe everything else from her expression. “Casey is not the poacher. Surely you saw his background check. He went to school to be a ranger, just like you. He would never—”
