by Jane Godman
She hugged the backpack tight to her chest as she nodded, her breath hitching. He could see how hard she was working to hold herself together and the urge to go to her and take her into his arms was almost overwhelming. He knew she would understand that the little boy who had just fallen over the cliff was at the top of his list of his priorities.
Brayden crawled on his hands and knees to the edge of the ridge, levering his upper body over the drop. At first, he couldn’t see anything. When he pushed himself farther forward, he saw, to his relief, that Rhys was on a narrow ledge about eight feet below him. The boy was curled into the fetal position with his hands over his head. It was impossible to tell if he had sustained any injuries in the fall and, if so, how serious they were.
Brayden didn’t want to call out to him in case the sound triggered him into moving closer to the drop. He got to his feet. “I can see him.”
“Is he...?” Esmée choked back a sob.
He took his rescue pack from her, placing a hand briefly on her shoulder as he did. “I’ll know more when I get to him.”
Opening the largest compartment of the rescue pack, he withdrew climbing rope, a medical kit and a harness that he would be able to use to strap Rhys to him for the climb back up the rock face.
Luckily, there were plenty of tall trees around and Brayden was able to secure the rope to one of them. He put on his climbing harness as he explained what he was doing. “I’m going to rappel down and check him over. If he’s not badly injured, I’ll bring him up with me.”
“What if he is—” he could see Esmée was struggling to get the words out “—badly injured?”
“Then I’ll call the National Guard and we’ll get a helicopter to airlift him out of here. We’re not there yet.” He gripped the rope and kept his gaze on her as he eased over the edge. He didn’t feel good about leaving her alone with the shooter on the loose. “You have the gun and you have Echo.”
It only took him a minute or two to descend the rock face. Using his body as a barrier between Rhys and the longer drop to the valley floor, Brayden kneeled. A quick check showed him Rhys was breathing and he couldn’t see any blood—which was all good—but that didn’t mean there weren’t any broken bones. He had fallen a long way and even though there was a theory that little kids bounced, it didn’t always work out that way.
“Hey, Rhys, it’s Brayden. Echo’s friend.”
A tiny whimper greeted his words.
“You must have been frightened when you fell, but you are a brave boy.” Rhys had uncovered his head, but kept his hands over his face. He was watching Brayden through his fingers, as though assessing the situation. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“Sore knee.”
Relief surged through Brayden at the sound of his voice. It was tearful, but he didn’t appear too badly shaken up. The resilience of young children always amazed him. “Can I take a look at it? I’m good at making sore knees better.”
Rhys took his hands away from his face. “I got lost.”
“I know you did.” Brayden slid an arm around him, easing him into a sitting position with his back against the rock. One knee of Rhys’s jeans was torn and there was a nasty graze on his leg. It wasn’t deep, but Brayden didn’t want to risk getting any dirt in it. He undid a flap on his vest and took out the portable first-aid kit. “I’m going to use one of these antiseptic wipes to clean your leg.”
Rhys gave him a wary look. “Want Mommy.”
“Mommy’s waiting with Echo just up at the top there and as soon as I’ve covered up this cut, we’re going back up that rope to see them.”
His words had an almost magical effect. Rhys extended his leg. “See Mommy and Ko.”
Brayden worked quickly, cleaning the graze and covering it with a waterproof dressing. Rhys watched him with interest, his big brown eyes—so like Esmée’s—following Brayden’s every move.
“Okay. Now I have to get you into this so we can climb back up to the top.” Brayden showed Rhys the harness he was going to use to carry Rhys on his back.
“Like Mommy’s carrier,” Rhys said. The first sign of a smile glimmered. “Mommy says, ‘Oh, Rhys! Too heavy for me.’” The boy reached around and placed both hands at the small of his back as though trying to ease an ache.
Brayden laughed. At least the fall hadn’t affected his talking. From their brief interaction at the dog show he guessed that would be important to Esmée. Although he also figured her priority would be to get him back safe and well. She would be half out of her mind with worry at the top of that ridge right now. He held out a hand to Rhys.
“I need you to stand up and step away from the rock.”
His words wiped any trace of a smile from Rhys’s face. The little boy scooted farther back against the cliff. “Stay away from the edge. Mommy said.” He pressed his fists to his eyes. “I fell.”
Brayden considered the situation. Clearly, Rhys was making the connection between what his mommy warned him against and the fall. If he tried to lift Rhys into the harness against his will, he risked a struggle on the narrow ledge. Even if he accomplished it, he would traumatize a kid who’d been through a bad experience. As he was contemplating his next move, Rhys lowered his hands.
“Story.”
Brayden regarded him in surprise. “You want me to tell you a story while you get into the harness?”
Rhys nodded. “Mommy tells stories.”
Great. Esmée no doubt had a repertoire of stories at her disposal. Brayden’s mind went blank. Aware of Rhys’s gaze fixed hopefully on his face, he searched for something—anything—to tell him.
“Uh, once upon a time—about nineteen years ago, to be exact—there were these two kids. A boy and a girl. They were brother and sister, but they didn’t know each other very well back then. The only thing they had in common was that they loved the outdoors. And what they loved best of all was these mountains.” He watched Rhys, seeing signs that the boy was starting to relax as he talked. His little body was less tense and his eyes, instead of darting toward the drop, remained fixed on Brayden’s face. Gently, Brayden took one of the boy’s hands in his. “They were still too young to come out here on their own, but they’d spend full days out here with their dad any chance they could. Then, one day, their dad went to, um, answer a call of nature. But he forgot his kids were with him and he didn’t go back for them. Instead, he went home without them.”
“Was he a bad man?” Rhys let Brayden draw him to his feet.
“I’m not sure he was a bad man. I just don’t think he was cut out to be a dad.” Brayden fastened the harness around Rhys’s waist and legs. “Kids don’t come with instructions and some men don’t know until it’s too late that being a dad isn’t for them.” He decided a two-year-old wasn’t the best audience for the rest of his theory on that subject.
“Did they get lost?” Rhys asked as Brayden lifted him onto his back and fastened the harness into place.
“Yeah, they got lost. They wandered around for hours. They were frightened and cold. Night was falling. They clung to each other as they tried to find their way back down the mountainside.” Brayden started to use the rope to haul his way back up the cliff. “I can still remember... I mean, the boy suddenly heard screams from his eight-year-old sister as she lost her footing and fell from the rocks down a steep slope.”
“Like me?”
“Just like you. The boy was only ten, but he rescued her. She had a broken ankle, so he carried her home on his back.” Brayden crested the edge of the ridge, catching sight of Esmée sitting with her arms wrapped around Echo’s neck. She leaped to her feet when she saw him. “That was when he knew what he wanted to do for a career. And his sister? She chose the outdoors as well. Just in a different way.”
“Good story.” Rhys’s voice over his shoulder sounded approving.
“Yeah? I’m not sure it has a happy ending.”
Once they reached level ground, Esmée came racing over to them. Echo followed at a more sedate pace.
“Rhys-baby, are you okay?” Her attempts to smother him with kisses were hampered by the harness that held him fixed to Brayden’s back.
“Hi, Mommy. I’m a brave boy.” Rhys sounded almost pleased with himself.
“Is he really okay?” Esmée watched in amazement as Brayden unhooked himself from the rope and then released Rhys from the harness.
“He has a graze on his knee and I expect there will be a few bruises tomorrow, but he’s fine.” He couldn’t help grinning as he watched her reaction. The pure joy in her eyes that spilled over into tears of relief... That was what being a parent should look like.
After she’d finished hugging Rhys—because she was doing it so hard he started to protest—Esmée turned back to Brayden. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
He was never much good at this part and somehow it was even harder today. The shining gratitude in Esmée’s eyes did something to his insides that was definitely not work-related. “You really need to thank Echo.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a handful of treats. “This is how to do it.”
Esmée and Rhys took the treats and fed them to Echo, who accepted them with pleasure, his tail thumping on the gravel. Brayden caught the glimmer of fresh tears in Esmée’s eyes as she pressed her cheek against the dog’s silken head.
He stowed his equipment in his rescue pack. “I know it’s been a tough day, but I need to take some details from you while it’s fresh in your memory.”
“Anything I can do. Just tell me what information you need.”
“Let’s start with where you were when you first encountered the shooter.” Brayden shrugged his pack onto his shoulders.
“It was in the trees. Right after I found the bloodstained knife—” She bit her lip. “I’ve been around superfasts and police procedures my whole life. You’d think I’d know better than to casually introduce an unexplained potential murder weapon, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s certainly an interesting new development.” Brayden’s mind was racing. Guns, knives, a suspect loose in the woods...what the hell was going on? “Do you think you can describe the location in which you found the knife?”
“Better still, why don’t I take you there?”
Chapter 6
Brayden had made a call to the police dispatcher outlining the entire incident. The shooter’s description had been circulated and a team of two K-9 officers and their partners had commenced a search of the area.
Esmée led Brayden back along the trail a few hundred yards. She knew the place she was looking for. The point where she had stopped and looked at the view below her and then up at the rocks was unmistakable. Although her mind was partly preoccupied with Rhys and the danger he had been in, she knew how important this was.
Rhys appeared remarkably unscathed by his ordeal. When he complained a little at having to do more walking, Brayden had offered to carry him. To Esmée’s surprise, Rhys had agreed. He wasn’t exactly shy, but he had reached an age where he was starting to weigh up strangers before he made a decision about whether he liked them or not. Possibly Brayden’s success was linked to the rescue, or maybe it had something to do with Echo. Whatever it was, Rhys looked comfortable nestled in the curve of Brayden’s arm.
Thinking about nestling into Brayden’s arms wasn’t doing her composure a whole lot of good. Telling herself she was still coming down from the shock wasn’t helping. It was only natural to see Rhys’s rescuer as some sort of superhero. Brayden and his fellow K-9 officers must get this all the time. They probably had training in it—how to deal with citizens who develop a crush.
The idea stiffened Esmée’s spine a little. Even though the thought was only in her own head, she refused to be a problem. A crush? That was easy. She could get over that. Just as she made the decision, she turned her head to look at Brayden. He gave her a reassuring smile and she almost groaned out loud.
Who am I kidding?
This wasn’t a crush. This was an annihilation of everything she knew about herself. And, beyond the whole rescue thing, she didn’t understand why. Yes, he was handsome, with curly black hair and those hard-to-read, blue-green eyes. Tall and muscular, with skin that was tanned dark bronze by the sun, and a body that filled his uniform in all the right places. But...what was that all about? She had been around good-looking men in uniform many times, without this sort of extreme reaction. The desire to throw herself into the arms of a cop had only arisen in relation to Brayden. Thank goodness...
“Here.” Relieved at the distraction from her own thoughts, she gestured toward the trees. “This is where we stopped. I already showed you the rock where Rhys’s hat was. That’s where we ate our lunch.”
“Hide-and-seek.” Rhys added his voice to the explanation.
“Yes, we played a game after we finished eating. Rhys hid under a fallen tree trunk—” Esmée looked around “—that one over there.” She led Brayden toward it. “When I found him, I noticed his feet had disturbed something. That’s when I saw the knife.”
She stooped, preparing to point at the place where she had seen the knife. But there was nothing there. The knife had gone.
“You’re sure this is the tree?” Brayden set Rhys on his feet, but kept a restraining arm around him as he squatted beside her.
“This is the place. I know it was. When someone shoots at you, you remember the details.” She pointed at an indentation in the soil. “Anyway, you can see the outline of the knife. Look. And this area is unmistakable. It looks like someone has been digging here.” She shivered. “It’s like a shallow grave.”
Brayden didn’t answer. Getting out his cell phone, he took a couple of photographs of the impression the knife had left in the soil. He also took a picture of the rectangular, dug-out area and the tree trunk. “Rhys, go to your mommy while I do some digging in this soil.”
Although Rhys started to laugh at the idea of a grown-up digging in the dirt, he obediently swapped Brayden’s hold for Esmée’s. She slid an arm around his waist and pressed her cheek against his hair. It was going to be hard to strike a balance in the future, but she would have to avoid becoming overprotective. Right now, all she wanted to do was wrap him up and never let him out of her sight. She knew that wouldn’t be a healthy outcome for either of them. Although Rhys wasn’t having such a hard time getting over it as she was. His interest soon wandered in Echo’s direction.
Brayden shrugged off his backpack and opened one of the compartments. “This is my rescue pack. It’s not about police business,” he explained. “But I do carry smaller items that could help with an investigation.” He took out a plastic evidence bad and a small trowel. “I can call Forensics out, but if they don’t get here until tomorrow this ground could be disturbed overnight by animals or rain.”
Carefully, he scooped up the dirt from the indentation and the area around it and placed it in the bag. Sealing it tight, he tucked it in a pocket of his rescue pack.
“Do you think that’s why the shooter was out here? He wanted the knife?” The thought sent a sudden thrill of fear through Esmée and she glanced over her shoulder.
“I think it’s a strong possibility. He either wanted the knife, or he wanted to keep you away from it. You were here and he fired at you without any warning. Now the knife is gone.”
She swallowed hard. “He was prepared to kill me rather than have that knife handed over to the police and taken in for processing. There must be a very important reason for that.”
Images crowded in on her. Might-have-beens. What if I’d been shot and Rhys had been all alone out here? No Brayden to rescue him...
She became aware of Brayden’s gaze fixed on her face. “You’ve had quite a day. These situations are usually harder on the adults than the kids. Maybe it’s time we got you home?”
Esmée got shakily to her feet, momentarily unsure her legs would support her. She tried them out and they were wobbily, but functioning. Wearily, she turned toward the rock where she had left Rhys’s carrier. “I am not looking forward to walking back down that trail.”
“You don’t have to.” She raised her eyebrows in a question and Brayden pointed upward as he explained. “There’s a rest stop at the top of the Eagle’s Nest. My vehicle is up there. It’s fitted with a child’s safety seat, so Rhys will be okay to travel in it. I’ll take you home.”
“I think those are the sweetest words anyone has ever said to me.”
He laughed as he swung Rhys up into his arms again. “If that’s true, you really need to get out more.”
That was when it hit her. Hard and fast. Yes, she was grateful to him. More than words could say. But that wasn’t what this attraction was about. This wasn’t hero worship. It was about him. She’d have felt it if he’d been in a suit behind a desk, or riding a horse out on a ranch.
She picked up her carrier, and a few select items from Rhys’s treasure trove of pebbles and leaves, and followed Brayden up the steep slope. Looking up at the tall, broad-shouldered figure ahead of her, she wondered if a gratitude crush might have been preferable. The reality was a whole lot scarier and harder to deal with.
The afternoon light was starting to fade by the time Brayden pulled into the parking lot of the Red Ridge Bed-and-Breakfast. Despite every warning prompting her to keep her distance, Esmée felt she owed Brayden something for what he’d done. She turned in her seat to face him.
“Rhys and I are having pasta for dinner. I made the sauce before we went out on our walk. Would you like to join us?”
The tiniest flare of light in his eyes was the giveaway. It told her everything she needed to know. This attraction was mutual. She didn’t quite know what to do with that information. On one hand, it was nice to know he felt the same way. On the other, since nothing was ever going to happen, it made it so much harder. Brayden’s momentary hesitation told her something else... He was going to fight it just as hard as she was. As hard as he would fight her request for an interview about his sister.
