“I’m glad you’re here,” she said.
He snapped his attention to her, trying to read her expression. Was she teasing? Because he knew he often came off like a jerk, abrupt and cold.
She watched him, as if waiting for him to respond to her comment.
He had no response, fearing if he opened his mouth he’d give her a lecture about being out so late alone.
“Are you okay?” she said.
Something snapped.
“Am I okay?”
The dog jumped into her lap, and she stroked its fur. “Yeah, you look more worried than usual, and your shirt’s torn and you’re clenching your fist like you want to hit a punching bag at Bracken’s Gym. So it’s logical to ask if you’re okay, not that you consider my questions logical but—”
“No, Cassie, I’m not okay,” he interrupted. “What were you thinking coming out here so late?”
“It’s only eight o’clock.”
“But by yourself without protection?”
“What, like a bodyguard?” She smiled.
Which only frustrated him more.
“It’s Echo Mountain,” she said. “Besides, I have pepper spray in my bag, not that I could get to it because it was on the counter and I was hiding in the front hallway.”
“Pepper spray?” he said.
“Yeah.”
“You think pepper spray is going to protect you from guys like this?”
“Guys like what? I don’t even know who he was.”
“Well, he knows you.” He immediately regretted his words when her face went white.
“How is that possible?” she said.
“Didn’t you hear him calling your name from above?”
She shook her head. “How did you hear him?”
“You left your phone on. Dispatch put it through. Speaking of which, give me your phone.” He stuck out his hand.
The dog dived between Nate and Cassie, frantically barking.
“It’s okay, Dasher,” Cassie said. “He’s not really angry. That’s just Chief Walsh.” She restrained the dog with one hand and gave Nate her phone with the other.
“Dispatch, this is Chief Walsh. I’m with Cassie McBride. Rescue is on the way. I’m closing the line, over.” He handed it back to her.
“If you give me a boost I can climb back up and save search-and-rescue from having to come get me.”
“I’d rather you relax until they arrive.”
“This is silly.” She struggled to stand.
Since she wasn’t going to listen to him, Nate reached out to steady her. That’s when he noticed the blood smearing her sleeve.
“Cassie, did you touch the body in the cabin?”
“Only to feel for a pulse, why?”
“You’ve got blood on your jacket.” He motioned to her sleeve.
“Oh, wow, I didn’t see that before. You’d think I would have noticed, especially since it’s so...bright.” Her legs buckled.
Nate caught her as she went down, the dog wedged between them. He lowered her to the ground and examined the wound. It wasn’t bad, yet it had caused her to pass out. Concerned, he ran his hands over her clothes searching for other wounds, but found none.
Then he remembered her reaction when her brother had suffered a knife wound last year.
“Can’t handle the sight of blood,” he said under his breath.
It was okay; she was okay. He examined her wound closer. The four-inch gash didn’t look deep. She probably snagged her arm on a sharp branch on her descent.
He pulled gauze from the earlier rescue out of his jacket and wrapped her wound as the dog hovered close by. They hadn’t even discussed how she’d ended up with the dog. He knew she didn’t own a dog, because it would interfere with her travel plans. Which meant she’d rescued a dog while being stalked by a killer and rappelled down the side of a mountain with the pup in her arms. This woman was...
“Nate, the team’s here,” Aiden called from above.
“Great!” Nate called back.
* * *
Cassie awoke in an ambulance, confused and worried.
“Where’s Dasher?” she asked her cousin Madeline, the EMT.
“Who?”
“My dog.”
“You don’t have a dog.”
“I had him on the ledge with me. What happened to him? You didn’t just let him go, did you? He could get eaten by wild animals or—”
“I didn’t do anything but tend to the laceration on your arm and check your vitals. You were passed out cold. Didn’t even wake up when they strapped you to a litter and lifted you up the mountain.”
“I need to find Dasher.”
“Cassie—”
“Please Madeline, I need to find him!”
“Calm down. I’ll have Rocky call and check on the dog, okay?”
Cassie nodded, unsure why she was freaking out about a little dog that wasn’t even hers. But there was something about him—his protectiveness and vulnerability—that made her feel connected to the terrier mix.
Then there was the way Chief Walsh interacted with Dasher, how Nate’s tone softened when he praised the dog for protecting Cassie.
Good dog. Now let me have a look.
She’d heard him speak, although she thought she was dreaming at the time. Then she cracked open her eyes and saw Chief Walsh’s intense expression studying her. With a gentle touch, he brushed hair off her face. Who would have guessed such a hardened man could be so caring?
She blinked away a tear. She was being ridiculous, yet the truth was she’d felt safe when he touched her. All the trepidation that flooded her system had dissolved in the very instant she felt the warmth of his fingertips against her cheek.
“What’s wrong?” Madeline asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re
