believe that’s my line,” Ainsley said and kept coming toward him, brandishing the gun. “Why are you following me?”
There wasn’t time to explain. From the top of the canyon wall fist-sized rocks began to come down like a waterfall. She glanced up in surprise, the tumbling rocks distracting her enough to give him the edge.
Sawyer launched himself at her, wrenching the gun from her hand as he took her down, rolling them both back under the edge of the canyon wall. A moment later, an avalanche of larger rocks came crashing down just inches from them. Dust choked the canyon, and for a few moments neither could see anything.
The rocks continued to fall in a deafening roar. Neither of them moved until the trickle of rocks finally ended with several large boulders booming down in another cloud of dust.
Sawyer had covered her body with his own when the rock slide began. Now he lifted himself up on his arms to stare down at her. She was ghost-white and seemed to still be trying to catch her breath.
“Are you all right?” he asked, hating how close a call it had been.
She nodded, but he could see she was still shaken.
He moved to let her sit up in the small space under the rock face. She looked from the gun resting in his open palm to the huge pile of rocks next to them. From her shocked expression, she was just now realizing what had happened. If he hadn’t come along when he had and thrown her under the ledge, she would have been under those rocks.
Ainsley stared at him, hugging her knees to her as she pressed her back to the canyon wall. Her blue eyes were wide, her bow-shaped mouth tremulous, lips slightly parted. He had the craziest desire to kiss her.
Those eyes focused on him, and he saw suspicion darken the blue. In a heartbeat, the two of them were back where they started. “Why did you follow me?” she demanded accusingly.
“I was out riding, getting used to the horse before my commercial shoot tomorrow, when I saw this canyon. If you were followed, it was by someone on top of the canyon wall—the one who I suspect started the landslide.” She didn’t look convinced. “I just got here. I’m guessing you were already armed and on foot when I entered the canyon.”
She took a breath and let it out as she considered that. “That’s assuming the slide didn’t merely start on its own.”
“It didn’t. I saw a shadow up there as the first rocks began to come down. Someone was up there. If it makes you feel any better, I think you were right about being followed. It just wasn’t me.”
She seemed to hug herself tighter, but she was no longer looking at him with so much suspicion.
“Come on, let’s get out of here. I think it’s safe now.” He had to move some of the rocks to make an opening for them to crawl out. The pile of rock had nearly blocked the narrow canyon.
Until he checked where the slide had started, he couldn’t know for sure what or who had triggered the slide. But he was fairly certain of what he would find when he checked it out. Ainsley had been followed, and that person had set off the landslide.
“I would suggest getting out of the canyon in case whoever was up there is still around.” He didn’t think the person had stuck around, but he also didn’t want to take any chances. “Let me go first—just in case.” Sawyer eased out of the space he’d made, offering her a hand. She took it as she scuttled out and stopped. Her gaze widened at the sight of the huge boulders that had careened down. He could see that she was thinking the same thing he was. That had been a close call for both of them. She looked more afraid than even before.
Given that she’d suspected she’d been followed—not just this time—for months now, he could understand her fear. Had the man following her gotten tired of his game and decided to end it in this canyon? Or had he gotten too close to the edge and inadvertently set off the rock slide?
“The person up there probably didn’t mean to set off the slide,” he said, hoping to reassure her when he wasn’t all that convinced himself.
Right after the slide had stopped, he’d wanted to hightail it out of the canyon in the hopes of catching the culprit. But one look at Ainsley and he knew he couldn’t leave her. Also, he couldn’t be sure that there wouldn’t be more.
His guess was that whoever had set off the rock slide had to be somehow connected to the commercial, since they were so far from everything out here. Anyone could have gotten hired on; look how easy it had been for him.
He watched her glance up and, following her gaze, saw no one in the narrow strip of brilliant blue above them. He heard nothing. Nor did he see anyone. He was betting that whoever had set off the slide was long gone. But he couldn’t count on that.
“Where is your horse?”
She pointed back up the canyon.
“I’ll go with you to get it,” he said. She didn’t answer, just stood hugging herself as if reliving what had happened. “Here, you’ll want this back.” He handed her the gun, which he’d stuck in the waistband of his jeans. Her gaze lifted to his in surprise. She took the weapon, her fingers brushing his. She seemed startled as if she’d felt the same jolt he had.
She quickly pocketed the weapon, turned and started toward the boxed end of the canyon. He followed, limping and reminding himself that he wasn’t up to much more of these kinds of antics.
Ahead of him, Ainsley had stopped next to a spring to retrieve her horse. He watched her swing up into the saddle. There was something both strong and determined about her, as well as vulnerable. He felt a pull stronger than gravity and cursed under his breath.
Just do this job and don’t get involved. Whatever her story is, it ain’t yours. Let’s not forget what happened with the last woman you rescued.
* * *
AINSLEY HAD JUST retrieved her horse and put her gun away when she heard the roar of four-wheelers headed her way. As the sound came to a sudden stop, she caught voices coming from the mouth of the canyon. A few moments later, several of the crew appeared, including Devon “Gun” Gunderson.
“How did you think we were going to be able to shoot in this canyon?” Gunderson demanded. “We could barely get in past the fallen rocks.”
Inwardly she groaned as she glanced around for the cowboy who’d saved her from the rock slide. But he must have slipped out when the others arrived. She realized she hadn’t even thanked him. Nor did she have any idea who he was, other than he was apparently an extra.
She was still shaken, but she did her best to hide it as she discussed possible scenes that could be shot near the entrance to the canyon and other locations she’d found for them. If anyone noticed that she wasn’t herself, neither Gunderson nor the others commented on it.
Her mind kept reliving her near-death experience again and again. Everything had happened so fast. She’d heard what she’d thought was someone in the canyon, but now realized someone on the top of the canyon cliff had started the slide, just as the cowboy had said.
That made her shudder at the realization that she would have followed the sound of the rocks falling—right to her death—if it hadn’t been for her mystery cowboy. She was still trembling from the near miss later when she rode back to the hotel.
*
