Page 1 of Trail to Trouble
Prologue
Green Bay,Wisconsin – April 2025
Orion’s gaze was glued to the backside of the woman pointing at the presentation screen in the front of the boardroom. She hadn’t seen him sneak into the dimly lit room and continued with her marketing presentation. There was something familiar about the sway of her hips and soft tone of voice. Without a doubt, he’d heard that lovely voice before. Needing to satisfy his curiosity, he willed her to spin and face him. Who was this woman with the angelic voice?
The woman spun and swung her gaze around the table, halting on a dime when she reached him. She stumbled over her words.
His heart leaped into his throat. He’d stared into those bright emerald eyes before. The tension between them thickened, along with the air in the room. He could feel the pull when she tried to tear her gaze from him, but he held on to it for a moment longer before letting it go.
She repeated her last sentence as she returned her focus to the whiteboard in the front of the room.
The new edginess and raised octave in her tone, confirmed she recognized him.
Rather than paying attention to the presentation, Orion spent the next fifteen minutes trying to figure out how he knew the woman. He thought he knew, but the name on the cover of the presentation packet was not familiar to him. Still, he was ninety-nine percent sure he’d met her in the past when he’d worked as a camping and hiking guide. Those eyes, that voice, gave her away, yet the name she used didn’t match. Maybe she was a doppelgänger of the woman from his past. He should focus on what she said rather than on her, but he couldn’t help himself. Adrenaline surged through him. His immediate attraction to her was strong—undeniable. Who cared about the presentation anyway? It was just another one of the four firms competing for the marketing contract for his string of sporting goods stores.
He reread the name on the packet, Katrina Holmes.Not familiar.Her soft voice resonated in his head.Familiar.He needed another glimpse of her eyes, but she averted his gaze as she fielded questions from his staff.
Once his managers finished with their inquisition, Katrina leaned over the table and folded her laptop. That’s when he saw it, the tattoo that had haunted his dreams for nearly a decade. The ink confirmed it. He was right. He knew who she was. Apprehension snaked down his spine, and anxiety coiled in the pit of his stomach. The dark shadow of the past that lurked in the back of his mind moved to the forefront.
He may have only seen part of the small tattoo stamped on her cleavage, but he was certain it was the correct tattoo. A small butterfly with bright orange wings outlined in black. But still, there was something a little off about her appearance, not to mention her name. He’d never met someone by the name of Katrina Holmes before but the tattoo, eyes, and voice matched that of a woman he’d met nearly ten years ago when he worked as an outdoor guide for his uncle in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
His uncle owned just over three thousand acres and offered guided hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting tours. Orion was a master hiker and he knew his uncle’s property like the back of his hand. He had hiked it from the moment he could walk. According to his parents, he’d hiked those woods before he could even walk, because they were hikers as well.
He’d worked his way through college, guiding mostly city folk who wanted a sneak peek at untamed wilderness. And this woman who stood before him now had been on one of his guided camping trips. The camping trip that nearly ended his life.
Katrina flashed her gaze around the conference room. All eyes were on her. The audience looked attentive. She had this. This contract was hers for sure. No doubt. Nabbing this account would surely secure that promotion she’d been working toward. Once her boss retired in a year or two, she’d step right into his management position.
Her gaze drifted back to the vacant chair at the far end of the table. Where was the boss man? She was giving the presentation of her life and the man in charge didn’t show. She’d poured her life and soul into this one—this potentially big account. Okay, the account wasn’t huge, but if she succeeded at landing this one, it would be her biggest yet. At least his team looked pleased.
Refocusing on the interactive whiteboard, she verified her words were timed correctly with the video that played. Spot on. Why wouldn’t it be? She’d practiced many times. So much so that she was sick of hearing it.
She looked back at her audience and panned over them. Her gaze halted on the man who now filled that vacant chair. His eyes flashed in recognition, and her heart seized. She knew him. She knew those eyes. She also knew he knew.
Her extremities quivered and her skin perspired. The words scrambled in her brain and she stumbled on them. She needed out of this room, but she wasn’t finished with her pitch. The only way to get through the rest of her presentation was to stop focusing on him. Those warm eyes, handsome square jaw, and unforgettable velvety lips. But his name, Orion, didn’t match what she remembered. Was it not him? No, judging from the way he studied her, it had to be.
How was she going to get out of this room without talking to him? How was she going to represent this account without ever seeing him? And how was she going to ensure that he was wrong about who she really was? She’d worked so hard for this opportunity, and now she’d have to give it up. Just like she’d had to give him and her life up almost ten years ago.
ChapterOne
Iron City - Upper Peninsulaof Michigan - August - 2015
Hunter sighed as he eyed from afar the group of flighty college girls he was assigned to guide for the three nights and four days.
“Why do they all think they need to embark on a rugged camping and hiking adventure during their summer vacations?”
His Uncle Lee slapped his shoulder blade. “Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. Besides, they’ve paid your tuition and then some. Without them, you’d be working indoors bussing tables or something.”
Inside work was the last thing he wanted. “I know, but good Lord, if I have to listen to one more city girl whine about bugs, the weather, or breaking a nail, I’ll...well, I’m not sure what I’ll do but....”
His uncle laughed. “Until you get a year-round, full-time job with your big new business degree, you’re stuck here with me and the rest of the crew guiding hikers, campers, anglers, and hunters.”
Hunter craned his neck to look at his uncle. “Do we have a fishing crew going out this weekend? Maybe I can take that one instead.”
He’d rather that, but he always got stuck guiding the giddy girls.
The man chuckled. “Sorry. We do, but Bud’s been assigned to them. Plus...”
Hunter knew what he was going to say. He’d heard it before. Problem was, he wasn’t sure if he should be happy or angry about it.
