Page 35 of Forbidden Passions

“Focus, Callie,” I muttered, forcing myself to scan the skies for movement.

I spent the next few hours photographing a pair of golden eagles soaring above the valley, their massive wingspan impressive against the clear blue sky. The familiar routine of tracking, focusing, and capturing my subject helped quiet my mind, allowing me to lose myself in the work I loved.

By mid-afternoon, I had several shots I was genuinely pleased with. Not a wasted day after all. I packed up my equipment and headed back to the rental cabin, feeling more centered than I had since leaving Gabriel’s mountain.

I opened the door and placed my equipment on the counter. “Max, I’m home. What do you say we order a steak to celebrate?” Not that I felt much like celebrating.

“Max?” I called again, a knot of anxiety forming in my stomach. No response. No excited barking, no scrabbling of nails on the wooden floor. No sign of Max.

I’d been warned he was an escape artist when I rescued him, but he’d never tried that with me. Had he snuck out when housekeeping had opened the door?

“Max, baby,” I breathed, panic rising. Not again. I couldn’t go through him being lost again.

I rushed back outside, calling his name, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of him. Nothing. Which waywould he have gone? The trail leading further into the woods? The road back to town? Or...

My gaze shifted to the mountain rising in the distance. Gabriel’s mountain.

“Oh no,” I groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

But even as I said it, I knew. If Max had escaped, there was only one place he would go. Back to the cabin where he’d spent three days. Back to the man who’d scratched his ears just right and fed him scraps under the table when he thought I wasn’t looking.

Back to Gabriel.

I checked my watch. It was already late afternoon. I knew I should just get in my car and go fetch him. But the thought of showing up at Gabriel’s door again, having to face him after our painful goodbye, made my stomach twist.

Maybe I should wait. Call the ranger station, see if anyone had reported finding a dog. Try searching the immediate area more thoroughly first.

But what if Max was already halfway up the mountain? What if he got lost, or hurt? There was bound to be branches and trees all over the forest. And what if he couldn’t find his way to Gabriel’s? What if someone else found him who wasn’t as nice as Gabriel?

“Dammit, Max,” I muttered, making my decision. “The things I do for you.”

I grabbed a small backpack with water and essentials and headed to my car. I set out up the mountain road that would eventually lead to Gabriel’s cabin.

I kept an eye out for Max as I traveled, stopping and calling his name periodically, though I suspected he was already far ahead of me if he was indeed heading for Gabriel’s.

As I drove, I tried to prepare myself for the inevitability of facing Gabriel again. What would I say? How would I act?The thought of seeing those storm-gray eyes, that familiar scowl, made my heart race with a complicated mix of anger, anticipation, and lingering hurt.

I was about halfway up the mountain when I heard it—the distant sound of another engine, growing louder as it approached from above. Someone was coming down the mountain.

A moment later, a familiar truck came into view, moving slowly over the still-rough terrain.

Gabriel’s.

I froze, wanting to simply turn around and hightail it back to my cabin, maybe even off the mountain entirely. Max would be happy with Gabriel and Gabriel wouldn’t be alone anymore.

The truck slowed, then stopped as Gabriel spotted my car and me behind the wheel. For a long moment, we just stared at each other, the distance between us more than physical.

Then he killed the engine and stepped out, his movements deliberate, almost cautious. I did the same. Max barked excitedly from inside the vehicle, recognizing me. I imagined that bark held a note of joy, like he’d known this was how it would end all along.

“Callie,” Gabriel said, my name almost seeming to catch in his throat.

“You have my dog,” I replied stiffly. “Again.”

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I now recognized as nervousness. “He showed up at my door about an hour ago. I was bringing him back to you. I knew you would be worried.”

“I was.” I shifted awkwardly, suddenly very aware that I was sweaty and disheveled from my day on the mountain. “Well, thank you. Saved me the trip, I guess.”

Gabriel studied me, taking in my hiking boots, my backpack. “You were out today? That was dangerous. There’s a lot of storm damage.”

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