Page 4 of Burning Secrets

“Was that a gunshot? You okay?”

“Not me. Long story—” The phone line cut out, crackled. “Rio?”

Sheesh, the call cut off. Perfect. He worked out his earbud and pocketed it as he strode toward the four-wheeler. Wouldn’t be long before Viper and Jer started asking about him, expecting him back from his perimeter sweep.

But he couldn’t leave her down there.

From here, the rise fell in a not-so-gentle slope down to the valley floor, but he’d trekked up a deer trail on the backside of the hill, so maybe he could find a way down.

He raced the four-wheeler back to the trail, ducking against bramble and low-hanging, shaggy arms of pine and aspen trees.Emerging onto the valley floor, he turned and gunned the four-wheeler over mossy rocks, crushing magenta fireweed and tall blue lupine and violet wild irises, so much beauty in a brutal land.

The woman wore a blue jacket, hiking boots, and lay still, curled in a ball next to the wolf.

But his heart nearly stopped when she lifted her head. Sat up, staring hard at him.

Pretty. Brown hair, long and in a braid, wide hazel-green eyes, long lashes, a sweetheart face, and it hit him that he’d maybe seen her before.

Maybe around Copper Mountain, one of the many tourists.

He braked.

She lifted a gun.

What? He raised his arms. “Don’t shoot.”

Her grip shook, and tears glazed her eyes. Had she been crying? “Stay back!”

He eased off the four-wheeler. “Calm down?—”

“Calm down? Did you shoot Brutus?”

Who? “Are you hurt?”

She stared at him, her hand still shaking, wiped the other hand across her cheek.

“So maybe put the gun down.” He took a step toward her.

“Stay. Back!”

He stopped. Glanced at the mound of fur at her feet. “Listen. I’m sorry about the wolf. I thought he was going to attack you.”

She drew in a breath, glanced at the wolf, nodded. “I don’t know—he was acting…it’s not normal.”

Not—“What, you two have a long-standing friendship?”

Oops. He’d been kidding, but her gaze snapped up to his.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’ve been studying Brutus and his mate, Cleo, for the past month, watching their cubs, documenting their behavior. And yeah, Brutus has seen mebefore, but he’s never attacked me.” Her gun had lowered, her voice breaking. “Something was wrong.”

His gaze stayed on the gun. “What kind of wrong?”

“He seemed unhinged, unafraid of me.”

“Was he protecting his young?”

She had crouched beside the wolf, lifting his eyelids. “Yes. I don’t know. Maybe.”

He took another step toward her, the ground crunching beneath his hiking boot.

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