Midnight Reckoning (Leave No Trace Book 1)

by Jannine Gallant

  As he knelt beside the cooler, Levi gave Willow a questioning look. “Where’s Matt?”

  “No clue. He got a phone call and took off not long after you went for your run. Jake and I left soon afterward.”

  “I’m sure he’ll turn up at some point.” Levi bit into another cookie as he rose to his feet. “I think I’ll go play on the slackline that’s set up. Work on my balancing skills. Anyone want to join me?”

  Jake glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll head over just as soon as I eat.”

  After Levi left and Jake followed a short time later, Raine spread out her sleeping pad and bag in her tent, then took the camp chair opposite Willow. Her friend closed the book she’d been reading and smiled.

  “Tell me what you’ve been doing for the last decade. Are you and Jake—”

  Willow laughed softly. “Are you kidding? He’s way out of my league with those movie star good looks.”

  Raine narrowed her eyes. “Please. You have a subtle beauty that stops most men in their tracks.”

  “Seriously doubtful. Anyway, I think he used to be married, but I’m not sure what happened. Jake doesn’t talk much about himself. I do know he’s an architect and lives in Wyoming. I’m down in Arizona.”

  Raine slouched comfortably in her chair as a cool breeze blew through their campsite. “Oh, yeah? Where, exactly?”

  “Outside Flagstaff. I make a decent living off my art now, and I spend a lot of time hiking remote trails in the Grand Canyon. I can’t complain.”

  “Good for you. Sounds peaceful.”

  “That’s the goal.” A frown furrowed her brow. “No unnecessary complications.”

  Raine swatted at a mosquito. “So, you don’t have a man in your life?”

  “Nope. What about you?”

  “I got out of a dead-end relationship nine months ago. Living in San Francisco and working my ass off as an event planner is all the stress I can handle. This trip is nothing short of heaven.” She waved a hand. “Nature at its finest. I don’t leave the city often enough.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “It really is. All I want from this hike is some strenuous exercise and time to reflect on my priorities—in addition to making money to help injured wildlife. Serenity and no drama.”

  Willow gave her a high five. “We should break open a bottle of champagne and toast to that. I agree completely.”

  “Why did we lose touch after college? We always had a lot in common.”

  “Still do, I bet. Seeing how everyone has changed—or stayed the same—should be interesting.”

  Hours later, the five of them sat around the flickering campfire, drinking wine and reminiscing as darkness pressed in. Matt Foster had returned while they were cooking dinner. On the stocky side, his sandy hair was in need of a trim, and his booming laugh echoed off the cliffs. Clad in a fluorescent green, Hawaiian print shirt that hurt her eyes, Raine couldn’t picture the man as a high-profile attorney in L.A. Although he certainly hadn’t lost his gift for gab. With a supply of amusing stories about his to-remain-nameless clients, Matt kept them all entertained.

  Willow was the first to call it a night and head to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Jake and Matt soon followed. Leaning her head against the back of her chair, Raine stared up at countless stars dotting the sky, not yet ready to retire to her tent.

  “I like to stand out in the silent, snowy yard in the dead of winter and look to the heavens while my breath freezes in the air.”

  She turned to regard Levi as conversations and laughter drifting from other campsites filtered into the evening quiet. “No voices in the night? Just you and the universe?”

  “Yep.”

  “You don’t mind getting frostbite?”

  His smile flashed in the firelight. “I wear warm boots and a parka.”

  “Then I’d be down with midnight stargazing.”

  “You should come visit next winter. Maybe do a little snowshoeing or Nordic skiing and winter camping. Get out of the city.”

  “I just might do that.”

  Levi’s invitation held infinite appeal. And not just because an escape to the wilderness would be a welcome diversion. When he locked gazes with her, his blue eyes warm and tempting, her stomach did a funny little pitch and roll.

  She really had been a fool all those years ago. But tonight wasn’t the night to start something. They’d be spending a lot of time together over the next few days. Best not to rush into a situation she might regret.

  “Next winter.” Raine pushed to her feet. “But right now, I need to get some sleep. We have a long day of hiking ahead of us tomorrow.”

  He nodded toward the glowing coals. “Don’t worry about the fire. I’ll put it out before I turn in.”

  “Okay. Good night, Levi.”

  “Night, Raine. Sleep well.”

  She didn’t sleep well, though she should have. No street noise. No sirens. No neighbors yelling at odd hours. But someone was talking not far away. The rumble of low voices, raised every now and then, penetrated the thin nylon walls of her tent.

  She turned over in her sleeping bag and frowned. The idiots should know better than to have a conversation in the middle of the night since sound carried. Five minutes later, she sat up. Now she had to pee, and there was no putting it off. With a sigh, she slid a sweatshirt over the T-shirt and shorts she’d worn to bed and unzipped her tent.

  After crawling outside, she pushed her feet into the flipflops she’d left near the door. Nothing moved in their campsite, and she assumed her friends were all sound asleep. A few sites away, flames shot toward the sky where someone was slumped in a chair beside the firepit. Maybe the person responsible for waking her had been on his phone, although the guy looked like he was sleeping—or passed out drunk.

  The night was completely silent now.

  She headed toward the bathroom, just visible in the moonlight. After using the facilities, she left the brick building and stumbled. A cloud covered the moon, shrouding the campground in darkness, and she regretted not bringing a flashlight. She could just make out the looming bulk of the giant rock next to their campsite and angled toward it. Watching her step to keep from tripping, she slammed into someone. The breath left her in a whoosh.

  “Careful.” Hands closed over her shoulders.

  “Sorry.” She pulled away and stepped back, heart thumping. “I didn’t see you.”

  A light flashed on, blinding her. As she raised a hand to shield her eyes, she wondered why the man hadn’t had the light on earlier.

  “Raine.” The beam lowered. “Fancy meeting you here.” Humor laced the familiar voice as he stepped in closer. “It’s Cooper.”

  He shined the light across his face, illuminating a hard jaw covered in two-day-old scruff and the deep brown, bedroom eyes that had attracted her to him in the first place. When he drew her in for a hug and didn’t seem inclined to release her, she pushed against his chest. Finally, he let go and gave her a couple feet of space.

  “What’re you doing here? I thought you were staying at the lodge.”

  “I am, but Ava and I had an argument, and I decided to take a walk to get some air. I was just heading back.”

  “Oh.”

  “You look good.” Huskiness deepened his tone. “All sleepy and rumpled and sexy.”

  “Lay off, Cooper.”

  “Fine.” He didn’t seem the least bit deterred by her warning. “I’m only telling you what I see. Want to hang out for a while and catch up? Ava’s probably still pissed, anyway.”

  “No, I want to go back to bed.” She kept her voice low. “And not wake up the whole campground talking. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sure.” He stepped back. “Night, Raine. Sleep tight.”

  “Good night, Cooper.” The clouds parted to reveal the moon as he sauntered away, and she let out a breath. “Jerk.”

  Watching where she was going, she entered their campsite and crawled back into her tent. Apparently, Cooper hadn’t changed
in the least. He still thought he was irresistible to women and treated his girlfriend like crap. He’d started dating Ava before he and Raine had officially called it quits, but their relationship had fizzled fast. Rumor had it, the two had gotten back together a couple of years ago. Obviously, the man still wasn’t above flirting, despite being in a serious relationship.

  “Smug jackass.” She slid into her bag and stared up at the moon through the mesh top of her tent. She hadn’t invited Cooper and Ava on this trip. One of the others had told him about it, and he’d emailed to let her know he was in. When he’d tacked Ava on as an afterthought, she’d reluctantly confirmed. Now she wished she’d come up with some excuse to keep them both from coming.

  “Whatever.” She closed her eyes. Cooper didn’t have the ability to hurt her anymore. Hadn’t in years, and she wouldn’t let him ruin this adventure. Staying away from him should be easy enough in such a large group.

  She’d spend her time with Levi instead. The thought brought a smile to her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Two

  Levi sat on a rock with one elbow propped on the loaded pack beside him, staying clear of the commotion as the group prepared to leave. The other members from the club had arrived on schedule before the break of dawn. It was now well after six, and golden light gilded the valley. The goal had been to beat the crowds hiking to Upper Yosemite Falls, but if they didn’t get their asses in gear, they’d be eating dust all morning.

  Not that he minded watching Raine take charge. The woman had always been a dynamo. Smart, pretty, and sexy as hell, he’d thought of her now and then over the years and regretted they’d never hooked up. Of course, if they had, she might be avoiding him the same way she was staying clear of Cooper and Ava. Raine had been polite to the busty blonde who was shadowing Cooper’s every move, but she hadn’t shown either one of them the warm friendliness she’d extended to the others in the group.

  When Bobby Bauer strolled over and dropped his pack with a thump, Levi smiled up at the man who’d been a star pitcher for the Oakland A’s. “How’s it going, dude?”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if I bit off more than I can chew. Sixty miles is a hell of a long hike.”

  Bobby B lowered onto the ground and stretched his long legs out in front of him. At six foot six, the ex-ballplayer stood out in any crowd. Sidelined by a career ending injury, the most famous alumnus of Leave No Trace currently commentated for one of the major sports networks.

  “You worried about your shoulder?”

  “Hell, no. My shoulder will be fine as long as I don’t throw any fastballs. But I hope I’m in good enough shape to make this trek.”

  “You’ll do just fine.” Jake joined them and reached down to give Bobby a fist bump. “It’s been a while. How are you, Bobby?”

  “Can’t complain—not much, anyway. I had a good run on the mound, and commentating isn’t half bad. How about you?”

  Jake crossed his arms over his chest and gazed across the valley. “The last couple of years have been an adjustment since Molly . . .” After a moment, he cleared his throat and continued. “When I’m not designing houses, I spend a lot of time hiking, so this trip is right up my alley.”

  “Remind me not to try to keep up with you, then.” Bobby B patted his flat stomach. “I’ve been living the good life for far too long now.”

  Levi eyed him subjectively from his signature afro to his size fifteen feet. “My guess is you can still kick both Cooper and Matt’s asses.”

  White teeth flashed. “But not yours?”

  “Doubtful.” Levi squinted as the sun rose above the mountains to the east. “I run ultras in my spare time. This hike is strictly for fun.”

  His old pal frowned. “Huh? Do you mean marathons?”

  “Nope. I’m talking about hundred-mile endurance races through the mountains.”

  “Jesus. You’re just as crazy as you were in college.” Bobby tipped back his head when Raine stopped in front of them. “Did you hear that, Rainey? Our boy, here, runs a hundred freaking miles through the woods, just for kicks.”

  “Interesting.” She regarded him with an intense green gaze before handing each of them a tracker. “Strap these on. It’s how we record our mileage. And since Levi is such a hotshot, maybe he can do a few extra laps to beef up our totals and collect some extra bucks for wildlife rehabilitation.”

  Jake laughed. “Good one, Raine.”

  Levi couldn’t suppress a wide grin. “I will if you’ll come with me. I’m betting you can keep up without any problem.”

  “Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. “I think we’re finally ready to go. You may as well take the lead, Levi. Since I don’t expect the whole group to hike together, we can meet at the top of the falls.”

  “Why don’t you join me up front? We should probably stick to the buddy system if we get spread out.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Raine waved and raised her voice. “Pick a partner, people. We don’t want anyone to get lost. Turn on your trackers, and let’s hit the trail.”

  A cheer went up from the group as they headed up the steep path with Levi leading the procession. Setting an easy rhythm on the early switchbacks, he adjusted his pack straps and drew deep breaths of chilly morning air into his lungs. Happy to be back in this beautiful place, he focused on the light breeze caressing his face and glimpses of the valley below as they gained elevation.

  When the voices behind him grew more distant and eventually faded completely, he glanced over his shoulder and stopped. The trail was empty.

  Raine caught up with him a couple of minutes later, her chest rising and falling in quick rhythm. “Uh, I think we’re ditching the others.”

  “Crap. Sorry. I’ll slow down. I was lost in my own little world.”

  She smiled and wiped her brow on her arm. “Maybe I should set the pace. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

  “You bet. Take the lead. Unless you want to rest for a minute?”

  She took a swig of water from the bottle stuck in the side pocket of her pack. “No, I’m good.”

  He followed her up the path, satisfied to hang out alone with Raine. Although the only parts of her currently visible were a pair of lightly tanned, well-toned legs beneath the bottom of her pack, and the back of her head with its shiny, streaky-blond ponytail swishing back and forth.

  “Do you still backpack frequently?” he called.

  “I wish. I haven’t been on more than a day hike since late last fall after I split with my ex-boyfriend.” Her voice drifted back. “I took a solo trip down to Big Sur and realized how much I’ve missed this. But now I’m wondering if a group hike was the best idea.”

  “Why’s that?”

  She turned and smiled at him. “I’m already sick of a few of our members. Present company excluded, of course.”

  His brows shot up. “I would have thought your past with Cooper was water under the bridge after all these years. At least, I assume that’s who you’re referring to.”

  “I ran into him in the middle of the night when he was out for a walk, which was sort of strange but no big deal.” Still talking, she continued up the trail. “Then he got here early this morning and cornered me.”

  “I noticed you talking to him while I was packing all the non-essentials from our campsite into my truck.”

  “Cooper implied we should hook up for old time’s sake. I guess he and Ava are having issues, and he was pissed she even came on this trip. I basically told him to drop dead, but I don’t think he was listening.”

  The back of Levi’s neck heated, and he clenched his fists at his sides. “And here I thought we were all adults now and had left college drama behind.”

  “Exactly. Let’s hope that’s the worst of it, but Ava shot me a few looks that should have frozen me on the spot. I plan to avoid them both.”

  “Just stick with me. I’ll keep them at arm’s length.” He kicked a rock, sending it flying into space. “And if Cooper pushes the issue
, I’ll deck him. I’m not as skinny as I used to be.”

  Her laughter echoed off the granite cliffs all around them. “You definitely aren’t, but let’s hope we can avoid any violence.”

  A short time later, they reached a vantage point with a perfect view of Lower Yosemite Falls raging with spring runoff. Raine turned and gestured him forward.

  “Photo op.”

  He stepped in close and slung an arm around her, enjoying the feel of her pressed against his side. “Let me. My arm is longer.” He took her phone with his free hand and held it out to snap the selfie.

  “Thanks. Sometimes it sucks to be so short.”

  “Small but mighty.” After returning her phone, he stepped away and pulled out his water bottle. Tipping his head back, he let the cool liquid slide down his throat. “Ready?”

  “I hear people. Shall we wait?”

  “Sure. That deep voice sounds like Jake. I’m not sure who’s hiking with him.”

  A minute later, Jake and Camille Valentine rounded the final turn and waved. Camille was petite like Raine, but far more elegant, even wearing an old T-shirt and shorts. Levi remembered her as sweet and extremely smart. Rumor had it, she’d married an older man who’d suffered a fatal heart attack and left her millions.

  “I told you we would catch them.” Jake grinned. “You did great, Camille.”

  The Asian woman slumped against a tree and closed her eyes. “Even though I might just sit down right here and never move again?”

  Raine patted her shoulder. “You can do it. You’re in great shape.”

  “The altitude is kicking my butt.” After a few moments, Camille opened her eyes and pulled out her water bottle. “Hey, I think I hear Matt and Rosa.”

  Matt’s loud laugh preceded him. When he appeared, sweat darkened his yellow T-shirt, and he was breathing hard. Rosa Gonzales stopped a few yards away and popped a handful of trail mix into her mouth. The personal trainer didn’t seem to be having any trouble with the hike, but annoyance sparkled in her brown eyes.

  “Time to change partners. Matt’s already complaining.”