Conard County Watch

by Rachel Lee

  One marine meets his match on Thunder Mountain

  A thrilling Conard County: The Next Generation romance

  Archaeologist Renee Dubois is used to digging up the past, not falling headlong into intrigues of the present. But trouble comes her way when she meets former marine Carter Copeland, whose cool-and-collected demeanor contrasts with his lethally sexy looks. As Carter and Renee stumble across a deadly secret, they must race against time to survive.

  Praise for New York Times bestselling author Rachel Lee

  “A mix of angst and humor delivered in a vividly imaginative, soulful narrative.”

  —RT Book Reviews on A Cowboy for Christmas (Top Pick!)

  “While the relationship-building excels, it is the heroine’s strength in the face of such personal adversities that is the real scene-stealer.”

  —RT Book Reviews on A Conard County Baby

  “Lee’s poignant, tragic tale of loss brings to light the suffering of many returning vets; her anguish-filled dialogue makes it real.”

  —RT Book Reviews on The Widow of Conard County (Top Pick!, Winner of the Best Harlequin Special Edition, 2013)

  “A dramatic suspenseful tale about moving forward with your life when interruptions occur.”

  —Fresh Fiction on Conard County Marine

  “Defending the Eyewitness is a page-turner full of mystery and suspense, keeping the reader engaged every step of the way.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  Dear Reader,

  My first real foray into archaeology was a dig I participated in when I was fourteen. Volunteers were needed and I was eager. I learned a lot from crawling around on hard ground, using tweezers to pull pieces of charcoal and pollen and seeds out of the ground. I also learned about time pressure. We had three months before the bulldozers returned to finish putting the road through.

  Then came the glorious summer visiting my uncle Bill in Montana. He was a geology grad student, and he shared his love of those mountains with me, but more importantly, he took me into an isolated area to show me an ancient rock painting, faded and weathered over the years. Once it had shared a message of some kind, but even now, though it was impenetrable and hard to see, it still caused my breath to catch, thinking of the ancient hands that had painted it.

  One of the things I saw in my uncle’s geology lab was a bunch of carefully laid out fossils. A whole new window into the past and far, far different from a museum. These had just emerged from the ground and still needed to be identified. Magical. These magical memories gave life to this story.

  My uncle Bill, who passed away just recently, opened windows in my mind. Those windows have never closed, nor was the passion he shared ever lost.

  Rachel Lee

  CONARD COUNTY WATCH

  Rachel Lee

  Rachel Lee was hooked on writing by the age of twelve and practiced her craft as she moved from place to place all over the United States. This New York Times bestselling author now resides in Florida and has the joy of writing full-time.

  Books by Rachel Lee

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  Conard County: The Next Generation

  Conard County Watch

  Conard County Revenge

  Undercover in Conard County

  Conard County Marine

  A Conard County Spy

  A Secret in Conard County

  Conard County Witness

  Playing with Fire

  Undercover Hunter

  Snowstorm Confessions

  Deadly Hunter

  Killer’s Prey

  Rocky Mountain Lawman

  What She Saw

  Rancher’s Deadly Risk

  The Widow’s Protector

  Guardian in Disguise

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  For Butchie.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Excerpt from Ranger’s Justice by Lara Lacombe

  Chapter 1

  The rosy, early-morning sunlight struck the cliff face in Wyoming at an angle, heightening shadows and shapes. The mystical moment between night and day, when secrets revealed themselves to eyes trained to see.

  The cracks and lines in the rock face were mostly sharp, barely weathered in the year since Thunder Mountain had shaken to open up this fresh cleft in its lower slope. Rock had been exposed for the first time in millennia, and with it treasures untold.

  Paleontologist Renee Dubois stood somewhat precariously on broken and tumbled rocks at the base of the cliff. The cleft was narrow, one side a thirty-foot-high rock face, the other what she thought of as the tooth, shorter and thinner. The part that had broken away. The narrow space between them gave just enough room in which to work.

  With her digital camera, she took photos every fifteen seconds or so, but her eyes were far busier than her camera. Watching the shadows shift as the sun rose revealed an ever-changing view that brought out some shapes as others faded slowly into the background, and filled her with constantly freshening amazement.

  Excitement fluttered in the pit of her stomach. When Gray Cloud, an old family friend, had brought her out here last fall to see what the mountain had revealed, she had known in her gut that this was wondrous. Now she looked forward to a whole summer to work on it with the tribe’s permission as long as she took care to observe that this ground was sacred, and as long as she promised to return any human bones to the tribe.

  Sixty-five million years at least, she thought, staring at the lower layers that yielded only bits of their secrets. Secrets that may well allow her to prove her pet theory...or that might dash it by the end of the summer. Either way, the outcome would be important. Either way she would learn. Either way she would make some marvelous discoveries with her team.

  She shifted a bit on the unsteady stones and balanced herself again, taking photos from a slightly different angle. The light was still changing, but only at times like this could human eyes begin to appreciate just how fast this planet was spinning. In no time at all, full daylight would be born, the shadows would reveal so much less, and the mystery would retreat behind the ordinary.

  When Denise arrived, Renee would have her come out here at dawn and sketch this all onto a grid, then match it to the photos. Only when the search area was perfectly documented could they begin to brush away rock and loose dirt.

  But something caught her attention, and even though she knew better, she let the camera dangle from its neck strap and pulled a three-inch paintbrush from the rear pocket of her jeans. The bristles were a bit stiff, not too soft to accomplish anything, and she stepped toward the cliff. That little group of straight lines might be an accident, but to her it looked like more.

  Brushing gently at them, removing a light layer of grit to bring them into the foreground, she had to force herself to stop as excitement caused her heart to pound. An egg? A cracked one with the fetal tissue showing? My God.

  She shoved the paintbrush back into
her pocket and took quick photographs, hoping to get a few before the daylight washed it out.

  Her hands trembled just a little with her exhilaration and she had to tamp down her eagerness. Every step of this must be done just right or it would all become meaningless. Restraint. She had practiced a lot of it in her career, but for some reason this site endangered her patience.

  Hardly noticed, some small rocks tumbled down from above. She wasn’t surprised. This cleft probably still had some settling to do, but she was glad of her hard hat.

  She drew a couple of deep breaths, reminding herself of the importance of method and methodology. Man, she’d been doing this work long enough that it kind of surprised her that she wanted to get ahead of herself. Giving in to her urge could simply ruin it all.

  The light had begun to turn flatter as the sun rose higher. The minutes of magic had passed. Looking at her feet, she stepped to a firmer perch, ready to resume her study of the revelations.

  Gray Cloud was an elder of the local tribe, but he was also known as the Guardian of Thunder Mountain among his people. This was all sacred space to them, and even though her second cousin was married to the man, she had been astonished by the invitation to investigate. This was not a place the local tribe wanted too many outsiders to visit.

  Just then, a shadow fell across her and the rock face in front of her. Turning quickly, she saw Gray Cloud. The years and the weather had worn his striking face to a dignified set of lines that emphasized his heritage. The years hadn’t diminished his powerful frame, however. Right now he wore a blue Western shirt with his blue jeans and heavy work boots. His long hair was caught in a tie at the base of his skull.

  “Hey,” she said.

  He smiled. “Excited still?”

  “Beyond words. It’s all I can do to keep my hands to myself.”

  “We’re as excited as you are,” he told her. “This history predates our people by millions of years but we’re fascinated, too. That which comes before is a guide to what will come after.”

  An interesting perspective, Renee thought, turning her gaze to the rock cliff again. Usually her work didn’t give her the opportunity to indulge in such thoughts. She had to be focused on details, because details added up to the big picture. But this big picture had been followed by a massive extinction event that no one yet fully comprehended. Some had survived. Others had not. Why the differences?

  Maybe this site would lend some answers to that. “I’m just so thrilled you showed me this and asked me to work on it. Was that a fight for you?” She understood all the good reasons the tribal elders were reluctant to grant access to sacred areas. Perhaps most importantly, non-natives had a way of disrespecting them. Surely the invitation Gray Cloud had extended to her hadn’t come without some disagreement.

  “You are the cousin of my wife,” he said. “I trust you. I know you understand and will make everyone else understand the respect this place requires.”

  She nodded and looked at him once again. “Most of my team will be students in training for this. We’re all taught to be respectful of local culture, and I’ll remind them again if necessary. We don’t want to cause you or your people any upset.”

  He nodded, then looked up toward the top of the mountain. It was, of course, pretty much concealed by trees, but Renee could have sworn she felt it like a brooding presence.

  Her cousin Mercy had warned her. All those years ago she had come to this area to study the returning wolf pack. Here she’d met Gray Cloud. Anyway, Mercy had felt the mountain’s brooding presence, and had spoken of it more than once. Just before Renee came out here, Mercy had called to remind her again. “I swear that mountain is alive.”

  Renee wasn’t ready to go that far, but standing here in its shadow beside Gray Cloud, she found it easier to believe. Too bad Mercy was on a field trip in Mexico, because she’d have loved to have her older cousin here.

  “You know,” said Gray Cloud, his voice reminding her that she wasn’t alone with the mountain, “understanding is often a matter of perspective. The mountain shook and opened its slope to reveal secrets. You can believe that was a mere accident or you can believe there was purpose. My people believe there was purpose. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my wife is your cousin, either. How convenient to have a paleontologist in the family.”

  She let a small laugh escape. “Very convenient. I’m not going to argue with you, Gray Cloud. As a scientist, I subscribe to a different set of beliefs.”

  “I know, but to some extent they’re still beliefs. This cleft wasn’t part of an earthquake. It just split open.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Make of that what you will. It’s going to be an exciting journey of discovery regardless of what either of us believes about the cause of the cleft.”

  She couldn’t disagree with that. Nor did she want to be disrespectful. Gray Cloud had shown her an extraordinary amount of trust by bringing her here and giving her permission to pull together a team and start peeling back the layers in that rock face. Her fellow professionals dreamed of such opportunities.

  “Did you notice anything yet?” he asked.

  Her excitement level rose again as she pointed. “That looks like an egg with the fetus still in it. When we work it out, we’ll know.”

  “It could help prove your theory.”

  “That these saurians actually lived in family groups? It could. Either way we’re going to learn an awful lot.” She raised her gaze, scanning the rock yet again. “There’s so much here, Gray Cloud. I’ll have to figure out what happened here long ago to leave so many fossils behind.”

  “Maybe the mountain swallowed them.”

  Her gaze snapped toward him and she saw that he was smiling, but behind that smile were worlds of possibilities she didn’t accept. Before she came to paleontology, as an undergrad she’d studied quite a bit of anthropology. She had some grasp of how important mysticism was to the human race. She wasn’t going to question his. Still, the mysteries those dark eyes seemed to offer made her aware that there might be some things missing in her logic-oriented life.

  Then, almost abruptly, she realized she’d been missing an important part of the morning. Closing her eyes, she listened to the breeze ruffle the treetops so far above, and to a chorus of birdsong that sounded happy to be alive.

  Excited as she was to be here, the natural world reminded her that it still existed and that it was beautiful.

  “Renee?”

  A distant cry floated up the side of the mountain. She recognized the voice. “Up here, Cope. Do you need me to come down?”

  “Nah, I can find you.”

  Carter Copeland was a college professor of history who’d been a friend of hers since he left the Marine Corps behind over a year before. They’d met at a conference and had kept in touch with irregular emails. The instant she told him about this project, he volunteered. Not exactly a paleontologist, but he said he learned fast, and he was willing to do the most menial of jobs. Better yet, he’d told her with a laugh, he was free so she could apply her grant money to more important matters. Considering how small most grants were, she felt no urge to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anyway, most of her interns would need to learn a lot, too.

  Waiting for him, she allowed her eyes to look higher than the rock face, into the sunlight-dappled trees that swayed so gently, catching sight of a small bird winging from one branch to another. Idyllic. Soon to become an active swarm of people at work.

  At last she could hear the sound of feet on the scree just below, then Carter Copeland emerged into the clearing.

  The Marine Corps had put him in a physical condition that any man would have envied. Broad shoulders, narrow flanks, flat belly. Even in khaki work clothes he looked damn sexy. A cowboy hat rode his head, shadowing his face, but Renee didn’t need a clear view to fill it in. A strong jaw, a straight nose, cheeks carved by his past experiences. Amazingly
blue eyes. He was only in his late thirties, but experience at war sometimes made him seem far older. Right now, however, he was smiling and looking as if he’d enjoyed the steep climb.

  As he stepped farther into the clearing, he paused and stared at the rock face. “My God. That’s incredible! And you said it just opened up? It’s like something out of Aladdin.”

  Then he caught himself and turned to Gray Cloud, offering his hand. “We’ve met a few times before. Good to see you again, Gray Cloud. As you can tell, Renee’s been kind enough to let me do some basic tasks around here.”

  Gray Cloud smiled and shook his hand.

  “You’re Renee’s cousin by marriage, right? And the wonder worker who got her permission to explore this.”

  Gray Cloud nodded and Cope returned his attention to the vertical fossil bed.

  “Incredible,” he said again. “To think that no one’s laid eyes on this for millions of years. Well, obviously.” He laughed, his blue eyes dancing a bit. “Weren’t any humans around in the Late Cretaceous. But what an opportunity! It’s like the mountain swallowed up a chunk of history and then decided to spit it out for exploration.”

  Renee’s gaze jumped to Gray Cloud and saw the humor in his dark eyes. “My thought exactly,” he said.

  “Two against one,” Renee said lightly.

  “What do you mean?” Cope asked.

  Gray Cloud answered. “She doesn’t believe the mountain has purpose. Or sentience.”

  “Ah.” Cope looked at her. “In theory, neither to do I. But can you think of a better way to explain this?”

  Renee sighed, letting go of a difference of opinion that would have no resolution. “I’ll let you know. In the meantime, all I can say is that Mercy, my cousin, would agree that this mountain is...”

  “Sentient,” said Gray Cloud.

  Renee fake-scowled at him, making him laugh. He patted her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Renee. That’s when you should be bringing your team up here, yes?”