she saw no one else.
Was it safe to take the chocolate?
No way would she allow Liam to come closer. He was a big man, over six feet tall. Though he was lean, his shoulders looked muscular inside his red-and-black plaid flannel shirt.
Her gaze zeroed in on the candy bar. “Do you have any credentials from CCC?”
“Nope. It’s a volunteer organization.”
“Then how do I know you’re working with them?”
“You have to trust me,” he said.
Not a chance. Not so easily. What if he was armed? She certainly couldn’t get close enough to frisk him. Gesturing emphatically with her gun, she said, “Take off your shirt.”
He set the candy bar down on the pine needles and did as she asked, peeling off the plaid flannel. A white T-shirt fit snugly across his chest. His upper arms were sinewy and strong. There wasn’t an ounce of flab on his frame.
“Now,” she said, “put your hands over your head and turn around in a circle. Real slow.”
Though she should have been looking for a handgun or a holster fastened to his leather belt, she was distracted by his tapering torso and his tight, round bottom. She wanted to believe that he wasn’t one of the men hunting her. But how could she be sure?
When he faced her again, she studied his features, looking for a reason to trust him. Or to know he was the enemy. He had a good, strong nose and firm jaw that made her think he was either stubborn or arrogant. What about his eyes? Eyes were the clearest indicator of temperament. His were deep-set, hazel in color. Though she was holding a lethal weapon, his eyes showed no fear. Instead, there was…determination? Curiosity?
“Empty your pockets,” she ordered.
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and she could tell that he was irritated. But he did as she asked.
The contents of his pockets included a Swiss Army knife, but nothing else that could be considered dangerous.
Satisfied that he was unarmed, she said, “Okay, I’ll take that chocolate now.”
“It’s my dinner,” he said. “Do I get some of your fish?”
When she’d been a little girl, camping with her father, Rain had learned to share her bounty with anyone who showed up at the campfire. Wilderness hospitality meant looking out for each other.
Obviously, such protocol didn’t apply to someone who meant to do you harm. Though Liam said he was on a search-and-rescue mission, she still wasn’t convinced. She wouldn’t give up her edge, no matter how attractive his butt. “Toss the candy bar over here, close to these rocks. Then, step back five paces.”
Again, he followed her instructions.
As she climbed down from the boulders, her heart beat faster. The air grew thick with portent, and she felt a little bit dizzy. Interaction with another human being had jolted something loose inside her head. Another memory. Not a pleasant one.
A sense of danger flared, and the heat spread through her veins, melting her resolve, dragging her toward a dangerous weariness. She was losing control. Fight it! Don’t give in! Bracing her back against the boulder, she faced the tall stranger.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Her voice quavered. “Stay back.”
What next? It was hard to think. Her brain was in turmoil. She forced words through her lips. “Put your hands over your head.”
He followed her instructions. The precious, beautiful, delicious chocolate was within her grasp, but she couldn’t move. She stared at the center of Liam’s chest. And she remembered….
A burst of gunfire. It crashed and rattled inside her head. She saw blood that wasn’t her own. A man had been shot, fatally wounded. The thick, red blood spread across his chest as he staggered toward her.
Rain blinked rapidly, trying to clear this unwanted vision from her head. For an instant, she had seen the past with crystal clarity. And it terrified her.
She glanced down at the gun in her trembling hand, and she feared the worst. Had she fired the fatal bullet? Was she a murderer? In an awful yet logical way, it made sense. She hadn’t hesitated to shoot at Liam. Had someone else threatened her?
Oh God, what if she was on the run because she’d killed another human being? What if the hunters who were after her were lawmen?
Rain needed to find out more, to unlock her memories. Right now, Liam was her only source of information.
“The names,” she said. “Tell me again. What are the names of those missing people?”
“Kate Carradine,” he said. “Wayne Silverman.”
Had she killed Wayne Silverman? Though she couldn’t visualize his face, there was no doubt in her mind that he had died. His spirit had departed from this earth. “What else do you know?”
“Wayne was your boyfriend.” Liam’s hands were still raised above his head. “Together, you left Denver and went to the mountains for a camping trip. There were several forest fires that weekend. When you didn’t return on Monday morning, search parties started looking.”
“A fire.” When she had first come to this meadow, her clothing had smelled of smoke. It was becoming inescapably clear that she was, in fact, Kate Carradine.
“Let me help you,” Liam offered. “I’ll take you home where you’ll be safe.”
“Home?” But this forest was her home. If she returned to Denver, she would be walking into lethal peril. But how could that be? She’d be returning to her family. Her mother, Elizabeth. Her stepfather and stepbrother. Returning to their welcoming embrace gave her no comfort.
“Listen, Kate—”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not who you think I am.”
Liam raised his eyebrows. “You’re Kate Carradine.”
“No.” She could take care of herself as long as she stayed here. This was her sanctuary. Loudly, she proclaimed, “My name is Rain. I live here. And I’m not leaving. Not ever.”
In two measured steps, she approached the candy bar. Her intention was to retrieve her chocolate and take it back to her cave where she could eat it slowly and make the flavor last for days. But when she touched the smooth wrapper, her self-discipline faded.
One bite wouldn’t hurt. Still holding her Glock, she tore open the wrapper with her teeth. The smell was heavenly. Her taste buds danced with giddy anticipation. She bit through the chocolate and caramel. A warm memory of her father’s face flashed across her mind, easing her fear. Candy bars had only good, comforting associations for her.
Another taste. Chocolate smeared across her chapped lips. She licked it off and nibbled again.
When she looked up, she saw Liam watching her. He was grinning, and before she
