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Though difficult and slow, hiking the trail with a bike across his shoulders was a great upper body workout, if he could maintain control over his inner green monster superhero for the next several miles. He plastered on a smile for Mackenzie’s sake. At least he’d been there for her and convinced her to let him carry the broken bike.

She was strong and capable, but that mountain bike was heavy and awkward, especially with the twisted front wheel. There was no leaving it behind to fetch later. Plus, it gave him a good excuse to stick close.

He suspected the drone was still up there somewhere watching. He couldn’t catch sight of it through the trees, which meant the drone likely couldn’t see them either. Someone just out having fun with a new toy? If so, he would think that since they had spotted the drone, it would move on. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He hoped the thing would lose its charge, crash, and burn. Maybe he should grab his off-duty Glock and shoot it out of the sky.

“You never told me why you followed me.” She followed him now.

At this rate, they wouldn’t make it back to civilization within the next couple of hours.

“I was on the trail, and I saw the drone and then I saw you. That’s all.” Partially true.

“You’re on private property, you know that, right? This trail is part of the family property.”

Uh-oh. Maybe he shouldn’t share what he knew about the property line, because then he really would sound like a stalker. “Um ... maybe it was before, but this portion of the trail—across the river—is for public use now. Someone sold off most of the acreage surrounding the house.”

Mackenzie stumbled at the words. Just like he thought—she hadn’t known. She turned and narrowed her eyes.

Yep. “I know. I really do sound like a stalker, but it’s public knowledge.”

And she acted surprised, as if she hadn’t known.

What are you doing, man?He wasn’t entirely sure why he’d hit the trail near her home. And now he was just lying to himself. He had never forgotten that day back in DC that he spent with her. He’d wished for more time. The part of his job that took him away was the part he hadn’t wanted.

Sure, the Diplomatic Security Services was an elite group who worked in hot spots and dangerous environments around the world. Because they protected VIPs, people often confused them with Secret Service agents. In general, most people had never heard of the DSS.

Not that he wanted fame or special treatment, but he was tired of living that life. Working that job. He might have had something with Mackenzie before if he hadn’t left. And now, he was spying on her? Every bit as bad as that drone—if spying or invasion of privacy was what was going on.

But he wanted to see her for personal reasons. To reconnect with her. And now was his chance.

“Okay, stalker guy, you know about the land when I don’t, so aren’t you going to ask what I’m doing here in Montana? Oh, wait, you already know that too, don’t you?” Suspicion emerged in her already narrowed gaze.

She was sharp, or she never would have interviewed with the DSS to begin with. “Actually, I don’t know. And full disclosure, I rode my bike on this trail because I”—how did he even explain?—“I was shocked to see you at the memorial, and then you left without acknowledging that you knew me. So, sure, I was thinking about you. And, sure, I chose a trail that would take me close to the Hanson family cabin.” She didn’t owe him anything. Maybe not even a hello. “But I had no idea you would actually be on the trail. I didn’t know you had a mountain bike.”

Though he should have suspected it, considering the activities included on the property. He’d been reading up on Gregory Hanson and his company.

Mackenzie stopped to maneuver the bike around a large boulder. “I didn’t know I had one either. I found my old bike in the garage. Dad and I used to ride...” Grief twisted on her face.

He was a sucker for a broken heart and couldn’t stand to see the hurt in her eyes. Alex glanced up at the evergreens, the sky, anything else. What was he even doing here, really? Was he the reason she took that fall? She’d been trying to get away from her stalker when she went off trail. Guilt squeezed his chest.

She sighed, then started forward again. “And the drone? Are you sure it was following me?”

“It seemed that way.” The roar of the waterfall grew louder. Alex had come here with Mom and Dad a time or two before Dad died. Man, he missed his father even all these years later.

“It was probably some kid who got a new toy for their birthday. Don’t you know that too many drones in the sky is the way of the future?”

“Maybe. I got a picture, so we can see what kind it is.”

“Wow, you really are taking this seriously, aren’t you?”

And why wouldn’t he be? “Maybe. But people take pictures and videos of everything these days.”

“You’re right about that. Let me see the picture. Maybe it’s just one of the Hanstech test drones.”

Following her?

He unloaded the bike and pulled out his cell to find the image while Mackenzie leaned his bike against a tree. She stood next to him to peer at his cell. “Actually, I took some video too.”

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