Page 56 of The Hero She Loves

“Fresh air. Views. Nature. What’s not to like?”

“Bugs. Sleeping on the ground. No bathroom.”

He smiled at her. “City girl.”

At that moment, a familiar sound caught her ear. She cocked her head.

“There’s a river nearby,” he said.

They continued down into the valley. A wide river snaked through the narrow gorge. In places, it splashed over rocks—wild and rugged.

The temperature was cooler here and the shadows deeper. She heard a noise and they both spun, pulling out their weapons.

The caribou froze, staring back at them. It looked like something out of a Christmas movie, with its thin antlers and fluffy tail.

“Wow.”

At Jenna’s low murmur, the deer ran off, disappearing into the trees.

“The caribou are migrating this time of year,” Park said.

When she turned back, he was crouched, scowling at the ground.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve lost Olson’s trail.”

“What?” She looked around. “He stopped being careful a long time ago. There has to be something.”

“He came to the river here.” Park stopped at the river’s edge.

Jenna glanced around him and saw a clear boot print. “Did he swim across?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s cross the river and take a look on the other side.”

They walked upstream to where a large tree had fallen across the river, making a natural bridge. Water rushed underneath it.

With her arms out, Jenna carefully balanced and crossed the log. She knew the water would be cold, and didn’t fancy a dip.

Park followed behind her, and soon, he was moving up and down the riverbank, searching for any sign of Olson.

She heard him curse, his frustration clear.

“Hey, let’s take a break.” She touched his arm.

“We’ll lose the good light soon.” His mouth flattened and he scanned the trees. “We can’t let him get away. I won’t let him.”

“Hey.” She spun Park around.

His face was tight and his body tense. She went up on her toes and kissed him. His mouth opened for her, and the kiss deepened. He slid an arm around her waist and hauled her up against his body.

“You distracted me on purpose,” he said.

“You needed it.” She stroked his jaw. “Sometimes, we get too lost in the hunt, in the job, in the details. You can lose sight of the bigger picture. Sometimes you need to step back and just take a breath.”

“Or kiss a beautiful woman.” He tucked a strand of her hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear.

“Well, can’t say I’ve kissed a woman before. Not the way I kiss you.” She liked that he thought she was beautiful. She was used to being the smart one, or the tough one.