Falling For You (Sapphire Bay Book 1) Page 15

  The farther they went, the narrower the track became. In places it fell away, leaving a three-inch ledge of rock for them to scramble across. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and kept moving, kept rising through the canopy of trees.

  The higher they climbed, the more worried she was about being seen. She looked at her T-shirt and sighed. Walking around like a moving target wouldn’t keep them safe.

  Sliding her backpack off her shoulders, she knelt beside Sherlock. “It’s just as well I’m wearing my sports bra.”

  Sherlock didn’t seem the least bit fazed. He sat quietly, watching what she was doing.

  Within seconds, she’d stuffed her T-shirt into her backpack and was once again moving along the ledge.

  Sherlock followed her, picking his way across the rock like a mountain goat. If he weren’t with her, Natalie doubted she’d be as calm or as hopeful.

  Fifteen minutes later she stopped and looked across the valley. The view was just as spectacular as it was the other day. But unlike last time, the heat of the midday sun burned into her bare skin. Sherlock’s tongue hung out of his mouth and his breathing was labored. With his thick black coat, he must be feeling the heat.

  She moved along the ledge until they were under as much shade as she could find. The spindly tree took the sting out of the sun but didn’t lessen the brutal heat. She opened her backpack and pulled out the water bottle. Sherlock needed a drink.

  She emptied a container of snacks into a bag and used the bowl for Sherlock’s water.

  He lapped up the warm liquid as fast as it came out of the bottle.

  Natalie patted his back. “We should be at the cave soon.” Just saying the words made her feel better because, in all honesty, she had no idea where they were. The scenery looked familiar, but the path was all wrong. She’d watched enough survival programs on TV to know they could easily be lost.

  When the water was gone, she returned the bowl to her backpack. “Come on, boy. Let’s get out of this heat.”

  This time, Sherlock took the lead. His paws padded across the uneven ground and moved along the narrow path.

  Natalie glanced at her watch. Caleb’s security system should have warned him that a vehicle had driven through the main gates. If he’d left Polson right away, he should be getting close to the property.

  If she’d brought the satellite phone with her, she could have called him and told him where they were and warned him about the SUV. Who was she kidding? If she’d brought the phone with her, she wouldn’t be in this mess. The phone’s GPS would have taken her straight to the cave. She wouldn’t be walking on a ledge, trying to find a hole in the wall of rock.

  Sherlock stopped and looked at her.

  “What is it, boy?” She studied the path in front of him, then looked up. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They’d found the cave.

  Gabe held onto the edge of his seat as Caleb’s truck flew along the dirt driveway. He’d talked to the troopers a few minutes ago. No one was in the house or the SUV. They were about to search the barn. If Natalie and the driver weren’t there, they’d wait for more people to arrive before searching the forest.

  Gabe checked his watch. It had been forty minutes since the security system’s alarm was triggered. Even if Natalie and Sherlock had gone into the forest, it didn’t make sense that they hadn’t returned. Unless they’d seen the SUV.

  When Caleb stopped the truck, the two troopers were waiting for them.

  The first held out her hand. “I’m Trooper Winchell, and this is Trooper Sanderson.”

  Gabe shook their hands. “Have you found them?”

  “Not yet. The barn is clear. The NYPD has spoken to the woman who rented the SUV. Gloria Torrington works for Eric Sturgess. Mr. Sturgess flew into Polson airport this morning.”

  Gabe ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe it.”

  “You know him?” Caleb asked.

  “He’s my literary agent.” He turned to Trooper Winchell. “Did Gloria say why he’s here?”

  Her gaze never left his. “He wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

  Gabe’s jaw clenched. He appreciated Eric’s concern, but he should have called. “Natalie must have seen Eric and decided to stay away.”

  Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “Or she could have hurt herself while she was with Sherlock.”

  Gabe looked around the property. “It’s possible but unlikely. Natalie isn’t reckless. She wouldn’t do anything that could harm her or Sherlock unless it was a life and death situation.” The dry grass surrounding the house shimmered in the hot afternoon sun. “She left the house to take Sherlock outside. It’s hot. Unless Sherlock was on his lead, he would have raced toward the trees.”

  He strode toward the house.

  Trooper Sanderson followed him. “Be careful what you touch. We don’t know what’s going on yet.”

  “I know Eric. He wouldn’t hurt Natalie.” Gabe opened the door. The first thing he saw was the mixing bowl. He walked across to the table and touched the rim. “Natalie was baking before she left.”

  “The oven is still warm, but she had enough time to turn it off.” Sanderson pointed to the satellite phone. “She didn’t read the message you sent.”

  Gabe slowly turned around. Sherlock’s leash was still draped over the coat stand. He frowned at the assortment of jackets, boots, and bags beside the front door. Something wasn’t right.

  He hunted through the bags. “One of the packs is missing.” Hope flared inside him. He ran outside to Caleb. “Did you move one of the backpacks?”

  “No. We left them by the front door in case we needed to make a quick…do you think Natalie took one of them?”

  “She must have.” He looked over his shoulder at Sanderson. “I know where she’s gone.”

  Trooper Winchell pointed toward the trees. “Is that Eric Sturgess?”

  Gabe held his hand above his eyes, then started running. “It is,” he yelled over his shoulder. “Get the first aid kit. He’s hurt.”

  Chapter 13

  They didn’t stay in Caleb’s house for long. As one of the troopers wrapped Eric’s ankle in ice, he told them about seeing Natalie.

  When he’d arrived, no one was in the house. He’d wandered around the property, looking for them. When he saw a woman standing on the edge of the forest, he’d decided to say hello. Unfortunately, Natalie had disappeared faster than Eric could walk to her.

  He’d followed her into the forest, but turned back, worried he’d get lost. On the way out, he’d twisted his ankle. Using an old branch, he’d hobbled from the trees and was happy to see their vehicles.

  With Eric being looked after, Caleb drove Gabe and Trooper Sanderson to the edge of the forest.

  As Caleb stepped out of the truck, Gabe grabbed two packs off the back seat and handed one to his friend.

  “Here. Take this.”

  Caleb hauled his backpack over his shoulder. “Natalie should be at the cave by now.”

  “If we’re lucky,” Gabe muttered. They still had another forty minutes of hiking ahead of them. Natalie had only been to the cave once. If she’d missed the path that took her straight there, she could be anywhere.

  “Is she used to hiking?” Sanderson matched their steps stride for stride.

  Gabe slowed as they reached the shelter they’d seen on their last hike. “She enjoys it but sticks to designated trails.” He looked at Caleb. “Someone’s been here in the last few days.”

  Caleb studied the campfire. “Do you think it was Chapman?”

  “Possibly. If he can recreate an elaborate hoax in a warehouse, he can build a simple fire.”

  Gabe touched the charred wood. It was stone cold—too cold to have been used in the last twelve hours. “If it was him, he was closer than we thought. Let’s keep moving.”

  They traveled in silence. The slap of the branches and the snapping of twigs was the only sound in the forest.

  Gabe peered through the trees. “Is it me or is it u
nusually quiet?”

  Sanderson frowned. “It gets like this before a thunderstorm.”

  “In the middle of summer?”

  “They’re dry thunderstorms. They produce huge amounts of lightning and are the main cause of wildfires.”

  “That’s the last thing we need.” Caleb veered right and they began their climb up the side of the mountain. By the time they stood above the tree line, each of them was out of breath.

  “It’s not far to the cave,” Caleb said to Sanderson. “Do you want to stop for a few minutes?”

  She shook her head. “No. Keep going. The sooner we find your friend, the sooner we can get off the mountain.”

  Gabe stared at the brooding mass of black clouds on the horizon. Sherlock was terrified of storms. Since Michelle had died, he’d hidden under Gabe’s bed whenever he heard thunder. If the storm arrived and Sherlock panicked, he could hurt Natalie and himself.

  The next few minutes passed quickly. They moved on autopilot, one foot in front of the other, steadily climbing higher.

  Gabe paused when he saw the ledge where Natalie had touched his face. He’d wanted to tell her he cared about her, that she was the most important person in his life. But he hadn’t, and his silence weighed heavily on his heart.

  Caleb scrambled over the last ledge. “Natalie? Are you in there?”

  Sherlock’s excited bark echoed against the walls of the cave. The big German Shepherd rushed outside, almost knocking Caleb over in his rush to get to Gabe.

  “Hi, boy.” Gabe wrapped his arms around his dog, hugging him close. “It’s good to see you.” His heart raced when Natalie appeared at the cave entrance.

  Her relieved smile turned to confusion. “You brought someone from the highway patrol?”

  Sanderson held out her hand. “I’m Moira. We’re glad you’re okay.”

  “Did you arrest the person at the house?”

  “The person you saw was Gabe’s literary agent,” Caleb explained. “He came to see if Gabe was all right. You gave us a fright.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” Natalie said. “Sherlock wanted to go outside, and I didn’t think we’d be gone that long. When I saw the SUV, I thought Chapman had been released. I came here instead of going back to the house.”

  “Are you okay?” Gabe asked. All he wanted was to wrap her in his arms, but Sherlock, Trooper Sanderson, and Caleb were standing in front of him.

  Natalie’s worried blue eyes connected with his. “I’m fine, but Sherlock has been pacing backward and forward.”

  “He doesn’t like storms.” Gabe was so focused on Natalie that he barely heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. But Sherlock did. His whole body tensed and a low whimper tore through his throat.

  Gabe patted his dog’s back. “We should leave.”

  Natalie spun around. “I’ll get my backpack.”

  While she was in the cave, Caleb spoke to Moira. “Do you want to take the lead?”

  She nodded and stepped around Gabe. “I’m guessing you’d like to walk beside Natalie?”

  He didn’t know when his feelings had become so obvious, but he wasn’t arguing.

  Caleb followed Moira. “We’ll start walking. Do you want me to take Sherlock?”

  Gabe shook his head. “He’s better with me.”

  “Don’t be too long.”

  As soon as Natalie returned, she frowned. “Where did everyone go?”

  “They just left.” Gabe held out his hand. “I’ll take your bag.”

  “But you’ve already got yours.”

  “I can wear yours as a front pack.” He held onto the straps, but she didn’t let go.

  “I’m sorry I left the house.”

  His heart beat out of control. He closed his eyes, trying to block the images flooding his mind. Coming to terms with Michelle’s death had nearly destroyed him. As difficult as it was, he couldn’t let the past overshadow what had happened today. Natalie and Sherlock weren’t injured, and no one would be going home in a body bag.

  “Gabe? Are you all right?”

  He cleared his throat and forced himself to speak. “Sherlock must have sensed the thunderstorm. That’s probably why he didn’t want to go outside on his own.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  A soft blush filled her cheeks. “Thank you for finding me. I wasn’t looking forward to—”

  Gabe stepped forward and kissed her. Except it wasn’t the gentle kiss he’d planned. As soon as their lips touched, heat exploded all around him. With Natalie’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and her mouth opening under his, any thought of leaving the mountain disappeared.

  He hauled her against his chest, ignoring the thump of her backpack as it hit the ground. He savored the taste and feel of her in his arms, the way Natalie’s body molded to his.

  Her soft moan tore at the last of Gabe’s defenses. She was alive and unharmed. He loved this woman like no other. Regardless of what happened over the next few weeks, he wanted her in his life, to be part of something neither of them had expected.

  Sherlock barked and they both froze.

  “What just happened?” she whispered against his lips.

  Gabe leaned his forehead on hers. “I think it’s called a kiss, but my brain isn’t working too well.”

  Sherlock whined as thunder rumbled in the distance.

  Natalie sighed and stepped away. “We need to get Sherlock off the mountain.”

  “And then?”

  Her blush gave him the answer he needed.

  He kissed her and smiled. “Let’s go.”

  Sherlock didn’t need to be told twice. As they scrambled off the rocky ledge, he barked, urging them to move faster.

  With his hand wrapped around Natalie’s, Gabe made his way down the mountain. When he’d driven into Sapphire Bay all those months ago, he never thought he’d find the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But it had happened, and he knew exactly what he was going to do about it.

  Later that night, Natalie and Gabe waved goodbye to Eric at Polson airport. The thunderstorm that everyone was expecting had never arrived—which was fortunate for Gabe’s agent. The visit to Caleb’s home had been a stopover on his way to Calgary for a conference. If the storm had touched down in Polson, there was a high chance his flight would have been canceled.

  On their way to the airport, Eric talked about Gabe’s publishing schedule. After the conference, he was returning to Manhattan and he wanted Gabe with him.

  While Natalie listened to what they were planning, she became more and more worried. She wasn’t sure how she felt about long-distance relationships, or even what kind of a relationship she had with Gabe.

  “What are you thinking about?” Gabe asked.

  She watched the lights from another plane taxi down the runway. “I was thinking about us.”

  When he didn’t say anything, she turned and looked at him. His gaze was steady and sure, something she was far from feeling.

  He looked around the departure area. “Why don’t we get a coffee? We can find somewhere quiet to talk before we go back to Caleb’s house.”

  Natalie nodded and walked beside him to the nearest café.

  “What would you like?”

  “I can get our drinks.”

  His eyebrows rose. “What would you like?”

  Natalie sighed. “Fine. A cappuccino would be great.”

  Gabe returned with their drinks and two chocolate-covered pastries. “Where would you like to sit?”

  She headed toward a table on the far side of the dining area. Apart from a few people grabbing a late dinner, the tables were empty. Natalie wasn’t sure how their discussion would end, so it was just as well there weren’t a lot of people around them.

  Gabe placed their tray on the table and sat beside her. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” Sipping her drink wouldn’t start the conversation, but she didn’t know where to begin. “Are
you looking forward to going home?”

  “I’m looking forward to getting back to a normal life.” Gabe’s gray eyes never left her face. “I need to tell you something.”

  Natalie had never seen Gabe look so serious or uncomfortable. Her heart sank. “What is it?”

  “It’s about today. Finding you in the cave brought back a lot of memories—things I thought I’d come to terms with.” He took a deep breath. “I want to tell you this so that you understand me a little better. The reason I was upset was because Michelle died in Central Park at a place called The Ravine. It’s supposed to be a sanctuary away from the noise of the city, but her killer turned it into a trap.”

  “Oh, Gabe. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  He shook his head. “I’m okay now. I just need you to know that sometimes the memories of that night hit me hard.”

  “Is Michelle’s death the reason Sherlock doesn’t like thunder?”

  His slow nod tore at her heart. “There was a storm the night Michelle died. Before she was killed, she radioed in to say Sherlock had been shot. When the responding units arrived, he was lying across Michelle’s chest, trying to protect her.”

  Hot tears filled Natalie’s eyes. “Did he ever go back to the K-9 unit?”

  “No. He was too traumatized by what happened.”

  Natalie held onto Gabe’s hand. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you. It must have been hard being on the mountain.”

  “It would have been worse if we’d lost you. Which is why I’m not going back to Brooklyn. Not yet, anyway.”

  “But your agent—”

  “Eric will have to make do with the phone and the Internet. I still have to write the last chapter of my book, anyway.”

  “And after that?”

  “It will take a couple of weeks to do the edits before Eric sees the manuscript. Once he’s read it, I’ll change anything he finds before it’s sent to the publishing house. They’ll suggest more edits before it’s ready for the next stage.”