Page 25 of Risk Everything

“Perfect. We’re right on track and right on schedule. Not that we have anything too aggressive planned, since our group is made up of quite a few novices.”

“Excited novices.”

He smiled and took a sip of water out of his canteen before offering it to her. “Those are the best kind.” He leaned closer so only she could hear him. “You know I would’ve done this without all those special...favors you offered.”

She smiled as she sipped the water. “That’s okay. I didn’t even get to the really good stuff I was going to offer if I thought you wouldn’t say yes.”

Tanner couldn’t keep in his bark of laughter. This woman. He’d created a monster when he’d taken her to bed nearly a year ago. The very best, most sexy kind of monster. And he got to keep her as his own personal monster for the rest of his life.

“I can’t wait to get married to you,” he whispered, reaching closer to nuzzle behind her ear with his nose.

“I’m just glad to leave all the wedding planning to your sister and the other gals. This will allow them to do what they’ve wanted to do for a while—get rid of the feet-dragging, decision-phobic bride. They’ll be able to get stuff done a lot quicker without me there. Plus, they can’t force me to try on my wedding dress again if I’m off hiking with you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay being gone this close to the wedding?”

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, rising up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. “More than sure. Believe me, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

They turned to look at Noah, who was crouched down, showing Sam and Eva something in the wildlife behind them.

“You didn’t tell me Noah was coming,” Bree said. “I was surprised.”

“I didn’t know he was coming. I haven’t talked to him since we paid Jared our little visit. I know Noah’s been around, keeping tabs on Marilyn and the kids as often as possible.”

“Anything new regarding Jared?”

He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and fingers. “No. I’m still poring over the files. Still trying to find anything that might prove he was connected to the fire. Ronnie and I even went out and questioned Paul Wyn and George Pearson, to see if they had alibis for the night of the fire.”

“And let me guess, they did.”

“Yes. Each other, and Jared.”

She let out a sigh. “Convenient. I just feel so frustrated that I can’t do more.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Noah began leading the group forward again. “How about no thinking about Jared today. No thinking about the case or the ankle monitor. No tulle. Only thinking about the majestic beauty surrounding us and making this trip as memorable for the kids as possible.”

She leaned into his side. “You had me at the words no tulle.”

Chapter Ten

The tents were set up and everyone was settled in for the night when Tanner came out to sit next to Noah at the fire.

They made it to the camping site with no problem and had caught fish in the stream tributary of the Colorado River they’d be coasting on tomorrow. By the time they’d finished making the s’mores with the ingredients Tanner had sneaked in as a special surprise, the smile on everyone’s face had been near giddy.

Except Noah’s.

Not that his brother was ever going to be much of a talker or smiler, but he was definitely tenser now than he had been when they first started the hike.

“What’s going on?” Tanner asked softly. He didn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation.

“Nothing I can put my finger on.”

Tanner sat down on the log across from his brother. “But you’re thinking there might be trouble?”

“I don’t have concrete evidence of anything.” Noah looked around into what anyone else would consider to be peaceful darkness.

Tanner rolled his eyes. “I’ll take your gut feeling over 99 percent of the population’s concrete evidence any day.”

Noah was quiet for a long minute. “I’m not sure I can trust my gut too much either, to be honest. But there’s nobody around us right now, that much I know for sure. I set up a few observation traps that would let me know if anybody had been surveilling us. When I checked them a few minutes ago there was no evidence of anybody else around.”