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“Well, yeah. I’ll need to show you where I found everything.”
“You can show me on a map.”
She shook her head as he shut his laptop. “I’m going with you.” When he started to protest, she cut him off. “I don’t remember how far along I was between the two lakes, and too much of the trail looks alike. I couldn’t even tell you a landmark to look for.”
Exhaustion accelerated his growing frustration over her stubbornness, and something else suddenly occurred to him. “You keep saying I. Were you up there hiking by yourself?”
The abrupt change of subject caught her off guard. He read a flicker of guilt in her eyes before she averted her gaze to reach for her water.
“You went alone.”
“Lawn Lake Trail is still open to the public, and besides, there were other hikers—”
He banged his coffee mug down onto the table with barely controlled force. “Who could’ve been poachers for all you knew. God, don’t you understand? I don’t have any solid suspects yet, no clue who the hell this is. Hell, for all I know, it could be you.”
Her gaze met his and a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “If it were me, would I have brought you my own bullet?”
“It could just be that you’re good at covering your tracks.” He knew it wasn’t her, but was trying to make a point.
“Or, maybe I am who I appear to be. Someone who cares and wants to help.”
“Appearances can be deceiving. One of life’s lessons I’ve learned the hard way.”
Joel shoved to his feet and strode down the hall to the bedroom. She was right about her having to show him the site tomorrow, but he needed to get away from her—away from the overwhelming fear and anger that ambushed him when he realized the danger she’d put herself in yet again by going alone.
Why couldn’t the bull-headed woman just frickin’ listen to him? It was for her own damn good.
He braced his hands against the dresser and hung his head. The thought of her getting hurt tied his stomach up in knots and had him taking out his frustration on her. With her, he could go from zero to pissed in one point two seconds, leaving little chance for his rational mind to catch up with his emotions.
On top of that, even with the caffeine from a few minutes ago, fatigue weighed him down. More than anything, he needed to get some sleep. Then he’d be better equipped to deal with her in the morning. Resignation sent him to the closet.
“A little appreciation would be nice.”
The irritated statement made him lean back beyond the barrier of the door. Brittany stood in the bedroom doorway, hands braced on her hips.
“You know, like thank you?”
He reached inside the closet, then closed the door and advanced on her with a set of sheets and a blanket. “Thank you.”
She hadn’t expected that. He read the surprise in her eyes before she nodded and shifted her gaze away from his. Must’ve landed on the bed because when she jerked her attention back to him, her face had turned a light shade of pink. Yet there was a heat in her eyes that told him she’d thought about the two of them on a bed at some point.
Damn, she was making this hard.
He shoved the bed linens into her arms and stepped back. She grappled to keep them from falling to the ground. “What is this for?”
“The couch. Get some sleep,” he ordered. “We’re leaving early.”
“I’m not staying here.” She tried to give them back.
“If you insist on coming along, the only place you’re going now is the couch, ’cause I ain’t waitin’ for you in the morning.” Because he knew it would make her run, he cocked an eyebrow and gave her a smile. “Unless you want to share the bed?”
The color in her face deepened, but she stood her ground. “Gina’s apartment is just on the other side of Estes on Devil’s Gulch Road. Tell me what time you want to leave and I’ll be here.”
He got rid of the smile and jabbed a finger toward the living room. “Couch. Now.”
She looked like she was going to argue more, but then huffed out a breath. “Fine. Can I have a pillow?”
He stepped back to swipe one from the bed, then tossed it to her.
