A WANTED WOMAN

Clarissa Jones is running for her life. Though she has no idea why her ex-boss wants her dead, the killers at her heels are very real. Deep in the Montana woods she finds what seems like the perfect hideout, in Ezra Jefferson’s survival training school. The ex-military outdoorsman has the skills and training to keep her safe…but only if she’ll lower her defenses enough to let him help. When her attackers close in, Ezra’s protection and Clarissa’s fierce determination are all that will keep her alive—while the growing bond between them gives her a reason to fight to survive.

“Where can we find safety?”

“The trees,” Ezra said as they ran toward the thicker part of the forest, the chopper too close for comfort.

As she sprinted ahead of him, Clarissa stumbled. Ezra caught her and backed up to a tree, clutching her close.

The noise of the helicopter faded. He was aware of her palms pressed against his chest, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Do you think we lost them?”

“Wait a while longer,” he said. Her proximity made his skin tingle but he stepped back. He knew enough to know that people had let her down when she’d needed them. He wouldn’t destroy the fragile trust he saw in her eyes.

“Ezra, why are you helping me?”

His commitment went beyond responsibility to a client. He felt something much deeper for her. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, though. “Because you deserve better than having some murderer chase you through the woods.”

And unless they got moving, that’s exactly what she’d get.

SHARON DUNN

has always loved writing, but didn’t decide to write for publication until she was expecting her first baby. Pregnancy makes you do crazy things. Three kids, many articles and two mystery series later, she still hasn’t found her sanity. Her books have won awards, including a Book of the Year award from American Christian Fiction Writers. She was also a finalist for an RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year Award.

Sharon has performed in theater and church productions, has degrees in film production and history, and worked for many years as a college tutor and instructor. Despite the fact that her résumé looks as if she couldn’t decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, all the education and experience have played a part in helping her write good stories.

When she isn’t writing or taking her kids to activities, she reads, plays board games and contemplates organizing her closet. In addition to her three kids, Sharon lives with her husband of twenty-two years, three cats and lots of dust bunnies. You can reach Sharon through her website, www.sharondunnbooks.net.

Wilderness Target

Sharon Dunn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

—Ephesians 1:4–5

To Jonah, the bravest person I know.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Clarissa Jones quickened her pace through the tiny airport that serviced Discovery, Montana. Fear shot through her when she looked back at the barrel-chested man making a beeline for her. Why had one of her former boss’s employees followed her here?

Max Fitzgerald owned one of the largest real estate and property management firms in Southern California, and the man coming after her hauled furniture for him when he staged houses. As Max’s assistant—up until two weeks ago—Clarissa had known all the people Max employed. This man, whose first name was Don, had displayed a temper on more than one occasion.

Don caught up with her, grabbing her arm just above the elbow. “I think you better come with me.”

She recoiled from the pressure as the man’s meaty fingers dug into her flesh. Max had been angry when she’d refused his advances, and even angrier when she’d told his wife. But having his hired muscle chase her all the way to Montana seemed a bit extreme even for a hothead like Max Fitzgerald.

“Let go of me.” Pain shot through her nerve endings as she tried to pull away.

Several people craned their heads in her direction. Don glanced from side to side, suddenly aware of the spectators around them, and lightened his grip on her arm.

“He wants you on a flight back to California tonight.” The man spoke in a hushed tone, but the threat of violence in his eyes terrified Clarissa.

The hired muscle had been one of the last ones on the plane. She’d managed to avoid him for the whole of the flight, but now there was little chance of escape.

Clarissa squared her shoulders and looked Don in the eye. “I don’t want anything to do with that man anymore.”

Why was Max doing this? Was this about revenge or control? She had expected to be fired when she’d refused his advances. She’d spent ten years working her way up from the cleaning crew. She’d been his assistant for less than a month. Up until then, the veneer of her employer’s charisma and her minimal contact with him had masked who he really was.

Her newfound faith had compelled her to tell Mrs. Fitzgerald what kind of man she was married to. Stella Fitzgerald had been grateful—and apparently had immediately confronted her husband. Days later, when Clarissa had told him she was going to file wrongful dismissal charges against him, Max, who had access to her personal information, had stopped direct deposit on her paycheck and used his position as owner of her apartment building to get her evicted. The final nail in the coffin of her life in California was when Max filed charges saying she’d embezzled company funds. She’d gone to the police, but by then her reputation was so smeared they didn’t take her claims seriously. Max was a respected businessman, while she was homeless and jobless, with no one on her side.

So she had decided to return to Discovery after ten years away to start over. And now Max’s muscle had followed her here. Where would his desire for revenge end?

Don leaned close to her, eyes bloodshot, breath hot on her face. “Now you listen to me. We’re going to go down to that ticket counter and you’re going to buy a one-way ticket to L.A. Max wants to talk to you.”

Clarissa gasped. The threat of violence stained his every word. Fear squeezed her heart like a vise. She glanced around. She could scream right now, but somehow she thought better of it. She didn’t know what this man was capable of.

A group of people swarmed toward the baggage claim as the first suitcase appeared on the carousel.

Stay with the crowd and he can’t hurt you.

She pulled free of his grip and stalked toward baggage claim, but then dived into the ladies’ room. He wouldn’t follow her here. She hid in a stall, taking in a deep breath to ease the rising panic.

It was close to 11:00 p.m. now. An airport this small probably pretty much shut down by midnight. She listened to women chatting, water being turned on and the hand drier blowing. Forty-five minutes passed. She couldn’t stay in here forever.

Was he just outside, waiting to grab her? She opened the door to the stall. A young woman with a backpack stood drying her hands.

Clarissa stepped toward her. “Can you do me a favor? Could you look and see if there’s a large man in a brown sport coat standing outside? He has short, spiky hair.”

The woman smiled. “Trouble with the boyfriend, huh?”

Clarissa didn’t bother to correct the woman’s assumption. “If you could just look, I’d be so grateful.”

The woman nodded, disappeared and then came back a moment later. “You’re clear.”

Clutching her handbag, Clarissa raced out to the main area of the airport. Don was at the other end by a snack cart with his back to her. She assessed her options.

Four people stood in line at the rental car agency—if she tried to join the line, there would be too much risk of being noticed while she waited. She ran toward the sliding doors just as the thug turned in her direction. Clarissa breathed in clean night air as she scrambled to come up with a plan of escape. If memory served from the time she’d lived here as a teenager, the town of Discovery was eight or ten miles from the airport.

There were several hotel shuttle buses, but no taxis.

A set of doors farther down opened, and Don stepped out. Clarissa slipped into the shadows by the brick building. She held her breath, fearing that even exhaling would alert him to her presence. He lumbered down the sidewalk of the unloading zone, away from her.

A broad-shouldered man with light brown hair got out of a van that was parked in the shuttle lane. The graphic on the side said Jefferson Expeditions. He walked toward the airport holding a clipboard. He hadn’t locked the doors, probably thinking whoever he was picking up would just let themselves in.

Max’s thug was talking to a woman who had emerged from the airport and was facing away from her. This was Clarissa’s chance to escape. She ran toward the van with the unlocked doors. This had to work. She needed to get into town. Hopefully, the van driver wouldn’t be checking IDs. The vehicle could hold at least twelve people. Maybe he wouldn’t even notice her. If he did, she could offer to pay. Anything to get away from Don and into town.

Within minutes, a forty-something couple crawled into the seat in front of her.

The woman adjusted her canvas hat and turned toward Clarissa. “Hi, I’m Jan and this is my husband, Kenneth.”

“I’m Clarissa.”

“So this survival school should be pretty unique.” Jan smoothed her shirtfront. “I know Ken and I are excited. We do a lot of hiking and camping, but we haven’t ever done anything like this.”

Clarissa nodded in agreement.

“Have you met Ezra?” Jan pointed out the window at the man with the clipboard, who was shaking the hand of a younger man who looked as if he was barely out of high school.

As she watched Ezra help the young man with his suitcases, anxious thoughts tumbled through her head. Maybe this had been a mistake. “We’re going into Discovery first, right?”

“Yes, we’ll spend the night there, and in the morning we’re off on our wilderness adventure.” Jan furled her brow. “Didn’t you get the itinerary? Ezra emailed it to everybody days ago.” The woman narrowed her eyes.

Clarissa laced her fingers together, hoping her voice didn’t give away the level of panic she felt. “I’ve been so busy at work trying to wrap things up. Guess I forgot to check my email. I had to race to the airport, and I almost missed my flight.” She hated telling lies. Could she even pull this off?

Jan’s expression brightened, all doubt falling away. “I understand. You can look at my itinerary if you want to refresh your memory.” She dug through her bag.

“I’m sure Ezra will go through everything before he turns us loose in the woods.” Kenneth broke his silence. “This guy should be pretty good. His bio on the website said he’s ex-military.”

More people piled into the van, a blond with a deep tan, a twenty-something couple and several others. Clarissa had chosen the middle of the middle seat, hoping that would shield her from view. The tinted windows helped, too. All the same, she slumped down to be less noticeable from the outside. Now if only Ezra wouldn’t give her up.

The young man he had been talking to earlier wedged in beside Clarissa, providing even more of a shield. He held out his hand to her. “Hi, I’m Bruce Finch, from New Hampshire.” Bruce was thin and light complected. If she had to guess, she’d say he worked in an office.

“My name is Clarissa.” She shook his hand quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the trembling in her fingers.

A man with glasses took the front passenger seat. He turned to introduce himself, and a moment later, most of the people in the van were engaged in a discussion about whether they were doing the two-day survival course with a man named Jack or the weeklong one with Ezra.

Clarissa closed her eyes and willed her heart to slow down. The voices around her faded. How had her life gotten to this point of desperation? She’d tried to do the right thing. She’d worked hard for ten years. As a homeless teenager, she’d been given a job on Max’s cleaning crew, even though she was only fifteen. That he had been willing to hire her illegally should have been her first clue as to what kind of man Max really was. But she’d been desperate and hungry. She’d finished her GED and taken college classes at night, until she’d been promoted to the position of his assistant. The day she’d started that job, she’d thought she had put a childhood of neglect behind her.

The back hatch of the van flipped open. Ezra’s warm tenor voice floated in on the night air. “Just be a minute here, folks, while I load up.”

Clarissa sank down farther into the seat, not daring to turn around. Some of the seats in the van were still unoccupied. That clipboard he hauled around probably had a list of who he was supposed to pick up. Why had she ever thought this would work?

Please, God, don’t let him toss me out.

The first suitcase hit the floor of the van with a thud. “So glad...everyone could make it without any flight delays.”

Clarissa tensed, anxious thoughts plaguing her. She’d heard the stutter in his voice. No doubt he’d counted heads and seen that there was one too many. Her mind scrambled to come up with an excuse before he kicked her out on the curb.

The back hatch closed.

“Excuse me, sir, I’m wondering if you have seen a woman—blond, skinny, wearing a gray suit.” Clarissa’s stomach coiled into a tight knot as Don’s gruff voice came through an open window.

Ezra said, “Why are you looking for her?”

“I thought I saw her walking over this way. If you don’t mind, I’d like to check in your van.”

“Are you a police officer? Is she in trouble with the law?” Ezra’s voice held unexpected resolve.

A tense silence followed.

Don lowered his voice a notch, rage evident in each syllable despite the forced courtesy of his words. “If I could just have a look inside your van...”

Clarissa dug her fingers into the armrest.

Bruce leaned toward her. “You all right?”

She managed a spastic smile. “Just tired and tense from the flight, I guess.” Her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

She turned her attention back to the conversation outside the van. Ezra’s answer was a long time in coming. When he did respond, he spoke deliberately. “Sir, it’s clear you have no authority to search my van. These people are my paying customers. They signed up for a survival class, not to be harassed. Good day.”

Ezra’s footsteps pounded around the side of the van.

The tension Clarissa had felt since leaving California eased from her muscles. She was safe for now.

Ezra slipped into the driver’s seat. She felt self-conscious as he peered in the rearview mirror at her. She studied the back of his head where his brown hair touched the collar of his flannel shirt. She breathed a silent prayer of thanks for Ezra. But why had he protected her?

* * *

Ezra caught a glimpse of the blonde woman with the delicate features in his rearview mirror. He’d first noticed her as she’d stepped out of the airport, clutching her bag to her chest. Everything about her, from the high heels to the gray suit that showed off her curves, said city girl. But it was the look on her face right before she’d slipped into the shadows by the building that had stabbed at his heart. He’d seen something that ran deeper than fear in her expression and body language. The woman had been terrified.

As he pulled out onto the road that led back to Discovery, he wondered what her story was. Who was she and who was the rude man who was looking for her?

He let go of his speculation about the blonde woman and tuned into the small talk of the other clients. He loved the sense of excitement they had at the prospect of a week in the woods learning survival skills. Forget the vacations where people lounged on beaches and had meals brought to them. He taught people how to find their own food, build shelters and work together. In the process, he made them feel better about themselves and what they could accomplish.

The headlights ate up the yellow line on the highway as the warm glow of a thousand lights indicated that they were nearing Discovery.

He glanced one more time at the woman in the middle seat. Was the guy back at the airport an angry boyfriend?

Ezra still wasn’t sure what impulse had made him not turn her over to the gruff man with more muscles than social skills.

His experience in the wild had taught him to read the signals for when an animal would charge or run away. And something about that man gave off a dangerous vibe that seemed to say his intention was to hurt the woman. Getting her away from him had seemed the only option.

That said, Ezra had no desire to get involved with whatever trouble she’d brought with her. The slight build and soft features reminded him of his little sister. Melissa had been the only girl in a family of four boys. They’d doted on her, spoiled her, loved her. But it hadn’t been enough. Neither he nor his brothers had been aware of how controlling the man she was dating was...until it was too late. Melissa had married and moved to another state, cutting off all contact with the family.

It still broke Ezra’s heart. He hadn’t been able to protect his little sister. Was he trying to make up for it by helping this woman? He’d like to think he could have made a difference for Melissa if he’d acted earlier—but he couldn’t change that now. Helping this woman wouldn’t bring his sister back. And besides, he knew nothing about her. It wasn’t his place to interfere in her life or her problems.

He glanced into the rearview mirror one more time. She was scared and alone. He could at least give her a ride into town. His kindness didn’t need to extend any further than that.

He slowed down as he entered the city limits. He drove past a pizza place full of late-night activity, along with offices, art galleries and boutiques. Discovery was known as the gateway to Yellowstone Park, but the town was surrounded by wilderness. People bought vacation homes here to take advantage of the skiing in winter and hiking in the summer. The core population hovered around fifty thousand.

He pulled up beside the Jefferson Expeditions office. After coming to a stop, he turned to face the people in the van. “Okay, folks, get a good night’s sleep. The Black Bear Inn is just across the street. Those of you doing the weekend school, my partner, Jack, will meet up with you in the hotel lobby at 0900. The people signed up for the one-week school will meet me back here at 0800 so we can get you equipped and go over some survival basics.”

The blonde woman looked away, refusing to make eye contact. Doors were pushed open, and people eased out of the van. Ezra opened the hatch and pulled out suitcases.

He handed Jan her suitcase.

“That’s the last time you are going to carry our luggage for us, right?” she joked.

Ezra shook his head and laughed. “You’ll have fun, trust me.”

One by one, the clients headed up the sidewalk, the wheels of their suitcases bumping over the concrete. The blonde woman was not with them. When he looked around, there was no sign of her. He shrugged off a nagging sense of worry for her. He’d gotten her safely to town. She could probably take care of herself now. Besides, he’d be heading off to the wilderness in the morning—the last place a city girl like her belonged. Surely he’d done all for her that he could.

TWO

Clarissa slipped down the first alley she came to. She didn’t want to involve Ezra any further in this tangled mess. Maybe it was just because she had been on her own since she was fourteen, but she’d gotten into the habit of not expecting help from anyone. She could fix this by herself. She’d find another job. She’d get a new start somewhere else.

She shifted her handbag to her shoulder and walked on. Maybe she should go to the police. And tell them what? she wondered. They couldn’t fix what had taken place in California.

She had a natural distrust of the police from her teen years, and knowing that the police had been dismissive of her claims in California made her worry that they would do the same here. Really, she had known from the moment Max fired her that she should cut her losses rather than try to take on the legal and financial resources Max had access to. She just had no idea he would go so far as to send Don after her. It didn’t make any sense. Why couldn’t Max be happy with her leaving the state? Why did he want her to come back?

She stepped out onto a side street. Things looked different after ten years. But then, she supposed she was different, too. For one thing, she’d found faith in the time since she’d been gone. And that reminded her of the friend who had helped with that—a friend she hoped could help her again now.

Sondra had been a maid employed in Max’s house. Because she had started out on Max’s cleaning crew, Clarissa had felt a kinship to her. But Sondra had been more than a friend. She was the person who had taken the seeds of faith that had been planted in Clarissa ten years ago, when she’d been a scared, pregnant teenager here in Discovery, and helped them flower. Clarissa had witnessed love and grace at Naomi’s Place, a home for pregnant teens, but it had taken a decade for the message to sink in. And it never could have happened without Sondra.

She’d been fired about the time Clarissa had gotten her promotion. Sondra had cleaned Max’s office on a Tuesday, when it was supposed to be cleaned on a Wednesday. Right before she’d left, Sondra had pressed a piece of paper with her phone number and address on it into Clarissa’s hand. “If you ever need anything, give me a call.”

At the time, Clarissa had wondered why Sondra’s words were so filled with desperation. As someone who worked in his mansion, maybe she had known what kind of man Max really was.

Clarissa wandered through the town, trying to remember the location of things. First, she needed to find a safe, quiet place to call Sondra. The streets were nearly abandoned at this hour and most places were closed. Her heart squeezed tight as anxiety returned. Would Max’s thug follow her here? He must have figured out she was in the van. It would take him a while to get a rental car or taxi. That bought her some time.

Why had she come back to Discovery anyway? She’d stood at the airport counter in LAX. The attendant had asked her where she wanted to go, his gaze heavy and demanding. She had blurted out Discovery without thinking.

Sondra lived about a day’s drive away, in Wyoming. Glancing nervously up and down the alley, Clarissa pulled out her phone and searched for the crumpled piece of paper. She walked a couple more blocks until she spotted a coffee shop. She ordered a herbal tea and found a secluded booth away from the only other patrons. The posted hours said they closed in twenty minutes.

She stared at her phone. It was late. Would Sondra even pick up? Clarissa pressed the numbers and put the phone to her ear.

“Hello.”

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard her friend’s voice. “Sondra, it’s me, Clarissa.” She gripped the phone a little tighter. Asking for help had always been hard for her.

“Hey, kiddo, it’s good to hear from you.”

The welcoming tone in Sondra’s voice made Clarissa smile. Sondra had been a true friend. Clarissa wasn’t sure why Sondra called her kiddo; they were maybe ten years apart, but it made her feel cared for, as if she was someone Sondra wanted to look after.

“So what’s going on?” she asked.

Clarissa closed her eyes and thought through what she would say. “I’m in some trouble. It’s Max.” She opted for the shorter version of what had happened. She could give Sondra the full details later. “He fired me, and I’ve left California. I don’t have a car.”

Sondra hesitated in answering. “Where are you now?”

“I’m in Discovery. I remembered where you lived, so I called.” Clarissa tensed, half expecting her to say the drive would be too much trouble.

“I can be there in seven hours. I’ll leave right away. Tell me where to pick you up at.”

Clarissa felt a rush of gratitude. “Oh, Sondra, thank you so much.” She thought about possible meeting places. “There’s a bench outside the Black Bear Inn downtown. I’ll be sitting on that.”

“See you then,” Sondra said. “And kiddo, it’s good to hear your voice.”

Feeling a sense of hope, Clarissa shut off her phone. Now all she had to do was find lodging for the night. She opened her handbag. In an effort to get away from Don, she’d left her checked baggage at the airport, but at least she still had her wallet. In it was enough cash to pay for a hotel room.

She finished her tea and left the coffee shop. She turned the corner, back toward the Black Bear Inn. As Ezra’s van had come into town, she hadn’t noticed any other hotel within walking distance. If she hurried, she could get checked in before Max’s thug showed up. Far better than wandering the streets trying to find a different hotel. Staying outside would only make her vulnerable. Though it was several blocks away, she could see that the lights in Ezra’s office were still on. The memory of what he had done for her brought some guilt to the surface. She really did need to thank him for his kindness.

* * *

Ezra pulled some food and other supplies from a cupboard in a back room, then worked his way around stacks of boxes in the hallway. The office was more of a storage space for backpacks, tents and other supplies than it was an office. Surrounded by packets of dried food, his computer was barely visible on the desk.

“My conscience wouldn’t let me leave without saying thank you. The light was on, so I...”

Ezra whirled around to face the petite blonde woman. She must have come in when he was in the back room. Her voice had a soft, hypnotic quality, like wind rushing through trees.

He placed the boxes of supplies on the desk. “Yeah, sure, no problem.” A war raged within him. He still had a lot of prep to do before morning, and the last thing he needed was a woman bringing trouble with her. At the same time, when he looked at this woman, he wondered if he could have done something different so Melissa would still be in his life. He couldn’t undo what had happened with his sister. His conscience would be clear if he knew he’d done everything he could for this woman.

She pressed the large handbag she’d brought with her closer to her body. “I wanted to thank you for your kindness, is all.”

She stood before him, the blouse and tailored jacket a little disheveled. Her blue eyes held a pleading quality.

“What is your name?”

Her expression softened. “Clarissa.”

He stepped toward her. “Listen, Clarissa, I don’t know what is going on with you and that guy who was looking for you. I can take you up to the police station if that would help.” He pointed in that general direction.

“No...” She took a step back and a wall seemed to go up around her. Panic coated her words. “I’ll be all right. I’m...I’m meeting someone tomorrow.”

Again, he wondered what she was afraid of, and why the man was after her. That she didn’t want to go to the police made him a little suspicious. Maybe she wasn’t the fragile innocent she projected. “Are you sure? I know some of the local guys. I’m positive they’d help you out...whatever the trouble is.”

“This isn’t a police matter.” She seemed to grow more upset with each word. Shaking her head, she took another step back. “Please, I just wanted to thank you for getting me into town.” She turned and pulled the door open. He heard her hurried footsteps on the sidewalk as the door eased shut.

He had offered help, and she had refused. There was nothing more he could do. He had to let it go.

* * *

Clarissa made her way up the street. A cluster of people spilled out of a steak house. Laughing and talking, they skirted around her on the sidewalk. She glanced back, half hoping to see Ezra. His concern had been so unexpected, she found herself drawn to him. The lights in his office clicked off, but he didn’t come out. There must be a back door to the office, likely one that led to a parking area with his personal car.

She made her way across the street. The lobby of the Black Bear Inn was still illuminated. She’d used up precious time in saying thank-you to Ezra—time Don could have used to reach Discovery—but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave town without letting him know that he had done the right thing by sticking his neck out for her.

A rental car eased down the street, as though the driver was looking for something.

Clarissa’s breath hitched, and she took a step back. Blood whooshed in her ears.

Max’s hired muscle got out of the rental car, his narrow-eyed gaze slicing through her. He slammed the door and bolted toward her.

She kicked off her high heels. Adrenaline charged through her as she ran barefoot up the side street. The people from the steak house had gotten in their cars and driven away. No one else was around. When she ran past the coffee shop, it was dark. Maybe she could double back and slip into the safety of the steak house.

She willed her feet to pump harder, not daring to look over her shoulder. She ran past a library with darkened windows, and into a park. With her heart pounding, Clarissa made her way toward the playground equipment. She charged up the stairs of the slide and slipped into the tiny enclosure at the top, pressing her knees against her chest. Breathless from her run, she struggled to stay silent.

She closed her eyes and waited, listening. Had she shaken him off? Gradually, her breathing slowed to normal. She leaned back against the hard metal of the enclosure. She relaxed a little.

And then she heard it—the crunch of a footstep on the wood chips that surrounded the playground equipment.

Clarissa froze, holding her breath. She could hear him moving around the area. His footsteps faded and then grew louder. She recognized the distinctive sound of a foot touching metal. He was coming up the steps. She swung around and pushed off down the slide. Her feet hit the ground, and she took off across the rolling hills of the park, back toward downtown. She could hear him now, his footsteps rapid and closing in.

She ran harder. Rocks bruised her bare feet.

Don grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She swung around, hitting his face with her purse. He grunted and let go. She turned to run, getting only a few steps before she felt the weight of his hands on her shoulders, taking her down. Her stomach impacted with the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She pushed up on all fours and tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her foot. Clarissa flailed, trying to kick free.

“Quit it,” he growled.

She kicked his arm. She wasn’t giving up without a fight. He moaned from the pain, grabbed hold of her wrists and jerked her up. She twisted from side to side, seeking to break free.

“Stop it, I said.” His breath smelled of cigarettes.

She stilled, catching her breath and trying to come up with her next move. She had to get away from this man. “I’m not going back to California.”

Don chuckled. “No, you’re not.” His voice was sinister. “You know what Max liked about you? That you had no family. No one to notice or care that you were gone.”

He let go of her wrists. She crab-walked backward. He lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her neck. Fear shot through her. She scratched and pulled at his wrists, but he pressed harder. She struggled for air as she clawed at his forearms and then tried to pry his fingers off. She saw spots before her eyes. The air left her lungs.

Up the hill, headlights cut a swath of illumination across the park. The car came to a stop and laughing teenage voices filled the still night air.

The thug loosened his grip on Clarissa’s neck. She gasped for air. The teenagers were headed toward them. One of them shouted, “Hey, what’s going on there?”

Don let go of her neck altogether. She flipped over and took off running. She could hear the thug talking to the teens, telling lies, no doubt. She headed down the hill toward the library. It was closed, but the building might offer a nook or cranny where she could hide.

Max’s henchman wasn’t going to give up, but he wouldn’t try anything as long as she was within screaming range of the teenagers. She’d never in her life been so glad for teenagers ignoring park curfew rules.

She slipped into a dark alcove in the library exterior wall, pressing hard against it. He wouldn’t see her here. Moments later, she heard his footsteps on the concrete walk. The noise faded slowly. Her fingers touched her neck. Warm tears formed.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn’t give in to crying. She was a fighter, a survivor. She would get out of this alive. Clarissa squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. She waited at least ten more minutes before stepping out of the shadows and walking toward the lights of downtown.

She stayed alert, looking from side to side and listening for footsteps. Of course, Don would return to the street where he’d parked. Still, the Black Bear Inn seemed like her best option. Staying on the street looking for a hotel only increased the odds of him finding her again. Somehow she’d managed to hold on to her purse, all she had in the world. She could afford to get a room for the night.

She walked one block past Main Street and then circled back to the inn until she found a side door. Pausing outside, she straightened her clothes, buttoned her blazer and ran her fingers through her hair.

The lobby held a warm glow. She walked toward the check-in desk, where a college-aged man hunched over a notebook computer. If she looked out of sorts, he gave no hint of it in his expression, and he didn’t stare at her bare feet. She appreciated his professional demeanor.

“Can I get a room, please?”

“We have one single left,” he said.

“That would be fine.”

He pulled a key off the wall and slid it across the counter before shifting over to the hotel computer. “It’s eighty dollars a night. How will you be paying?”

“Cash.” Clarissa opened her purse and stared down at the pile of bills. The day she’d left California, she’d gone back to Max’s house to plead with him to drop the charges and give her the money she was owed. He had not been home, but his wife had been. When Stella Fitzgerald found out how Max had ruined Clarissa financially, she’d given her some money from their personal safe. Clarissa pulled out four twenties and handed them to the clerk.

“Have a good night.” He offered her a bolstering smile. “Your room is on the second floor at the back.”

Before she left the lobby, she peered out the window that faced Main Street. Don’s car was still parked across the street by the Jefferson Expeditions office. She shuddered and backed away.

She turned to face the clerk. “This place is fairly secure, isn’t it?” The vibration in her voice gave away her fear.

He studied her a moment. “Sure, there’ll be someone at the front desk all night. I’ll be locking the side doors in ten or fifteen minutes.” His voice was filled with compassion.

She hurried down the hall and up the stairs. Her hand was still shaking when she stuck the key in the hole. After locking and bolting the door, locking the windows and pulling the shades, Clarissa collapsed on the bed.

Now you can cry.

She stared at the ceiling while the warm tears flowed down her face. How had her life gotten to this point? The words of her would-be murderer came back to her. She had no family. No one to come looking for her if she went missing. She’d never known her mother, and her father had died of acute alcoholism when she was five. There had been a shining moment when she was fifteen. She’d met a boy who said he loved her, and she had believed him. She’d thought she’d never have to be alone again. Once she became pregnant, though, he had disappeared. In the end, she had miscarried, the pain of that loss almost unbearable. After that, her heart had closed off and she’d thrown herself into working hard, knowing that the only person she could depend on was herself.

Sleep came slowly, but every rattling of the window or noise in the hallway woke her. All she had to do was make it through this night. Sondra would be here in the morning. If Don was still across the street, she’d call her friend and change the pickup point. Chances were, with daylight and the streets filled with people, he wouldn’t try anything. It would be best, though, that he not see her get into Sondra’s car.

In the darkness of the room, Clarissa placed her hand over her throat. Don’s beefy hands had almost robbed her of her last breath.

Back at the airport, Don had originally said that he wanted to take her back to California...to talk to Max. Thinking about it now, Clarissa decided that that had probably been a lie. Whether it happened in California or here, Max’s intention had been to have her killed.

THREE

Ezra pulled the Jefferson Expeditions van up to the curb by his office. He’d taken it out early in the morning to get it gassed up and pick up some final supplies. An older man with salt-and-pepper hair stood outside the door.

Ezra shut the van door and called over to him, “Can I help you?”

“My name is Leonard Stillman, and if it’s not too late, I’d like to sign up for your survival school that’s headed out this morning.”

Another client would really help his bottom line. It seemed a little odd, though, that the man was showing up at the last minute. “Where did you hear about Jefferson Expeditions?”

“Saw the flyer at the bait shop. I came out here for some fall fishing, but I think this survival school would be much more my speed. I like a challenge,” said Leonard.

“Sure, go on inside.” Ezra moved toward the door and pulled out his keys to unlock it. “Have a seat and we’ll get the paperwork done. I need to get a few things out of the back of the van, but then I’ll be right with you.”

Leonard went inside, and Ezra opened the hatch to grab the length of rope and water filters he’d picked up at the store. He glanced across the street at the Black Bear Inn. In a little less than an hour, Jan, Ken and Bruce would be joining Leonard for a life-changing adventure.

Clarissa came out of the inn just then, glanced around and settled on a bench. Ezra waved at her, and she waved back. He went into his office, shaking his head and wondering why she looked so nervous.

* * *

Clarissa checked her watch for the third time in ten minutes. Sondra was late, and she wasn’t answering her phone. Clarissa tried to free herself of the awful sinking feeling that invaded her mind.

Sondra wasn’t going to show. She shouldn’t have depended on her. Clarissa jumped up from the bench and paced back and forth.

If Sondra didn’t show, she’d have to come up with a new plan to escape from Max. Though she hadn’t seen him yet today, she was sure Don was still lurking around somewhere, waiting to catch her. She sat back down on the bench, twisting the straps of her purse.

Sondra had been a friend. Clarissa couldn’t have read the signals wrong. She’d picked up on the concern in her voice when they’d spoken on the phone. Sondra wouldn’t let her down.

She leaned against the wall of the Black Bear Inn and stared at her phone. There were probably places in Wyoming with no cell phone service. Maybe Sondra had been delayed, but couldn’t call.

Clarissa checked her watch again. She’d wait twenty more minutes. She couldn’t stay out here much longer, where Max’s thug could easily spot her. A car rolled by slowly and pulled to the curb half a block away. Clarissa rose to her feet, expecting to see Sondra. Disappointment raged through her when an older man using a cane stepped to the curb.

Gazing across the street, she watched through the window of Ezra’s office as he picked up backpacks and sorted through a pile of items she couldn’t make out from this distance. An older man sat in a chair across from him, reading a piece of paper.

She slumped down on the bench again, clutching her purse to her chest. She had to come up with a new plan. Max’s hired muscle had tried to kill her last night. That was something she could report. She would swallow her distrust of law enforcement. Ezra had pointed up the street when he’d suggested she go to the police. She walked quite a while before the station came into view, a two-story brick structure with parking lots on three sides.

She took a breath and went over in her head what she would tell them as she made her way toward the steps. But when the door of the station swung open and a man stepped out, the sight of him made Clarissa’s breath hitch. She ducked behind a car. Max stood on the steps, shaking hands with a man dressed in a suit.

As she pressed herself against the back of the car, she pushed down the terror that threatened to paralyze her. That man was probably the police chief or some other law enforcement official.

Shielding herself from view by darting from car to car, Clarissa ran through the possibilities of what she could do. Max was here. And he clearly had fooled the police here just as he had in California. Any hopes that the law would actually listen to her disappeared. There was no one she could trust. She had to get out of this town and fast.

She needed time to figure out why Max wanted her dead, or she’d never be safe again. As she raced up the street, she realized she needed to hide somewhere Max would never find her, until she could work through all that had happened.

* * *

Ezra ran through a last-minute checklist of everything he needed for the survival school. He’d taken the van around to the back entrance. When he opened the door, Jan and Kenneth had already arrived to start loading their packs.

Ezra sat down at his desk and thumbed through the waivers he’d collected. With the addition of Leonard, he had four clients. Six would allow him to do more than pay the bills, but four—along with the clients Jack would be taking out—was enough to keep Jefferson Expeditions going until the next school.

The front door opened and Clarissa, his stowaway from last night, stepped in. “I’d like to go on your survival school,” she stated. He thought he detected fear in her voice.

She’d changed out of the gray suit and high heels she’d been wearing into a pair of jeans, hiking boots, a light blue button-down shirt and fleece jacket. The outfit looked as if she’d just pulled it off a store rack, and yet it showed off her curves almost as nicely as the suit had.

“Your friend didn’t show up, huh?”

She glanced toward the door as though she was expecting someone to burst through it. “Please, how much does the school cost? I can pay cash.”

Ezra thought for a moment. Another client would be nice, but he wasn’t so sure it should be Clarissa. Trouble seemed to be following her, and his survival class was challenging enough without exposing his clients to additional danger. And just what was she mixed up in anyway? She didn’t seem like the criminal type. In fact, there was an almost fragile china-doll quality to her. Maybe it was just her delicate features. He’d been deceived before by appearances.

When he’d done his tour of duty in Iraq, he had thought his fiancée, Emma, would be faithful to him. But she’d broken his heart when she’d made the excuse that she could never be married to a man who ran a wilderness survival school. Nothing was ever what it appeared to be on the surface.

Ezra straightened a pile of papers. “This is kind of last-minute.” He was torn between saying yes to her and turning her away.

The back door burst open, and Jan stepped inside. “Oh, Clarissa, so good to see you. I like your outfit.”

“Thanks, I just bought it this morning.” Clarissa cut a sideways glance toward Ezra.

Jan turned to face him. “It’s so nice to have another woman on the expedition.”

A smile brightened Clarissa’s face. “Yes, I’m sure it would be hard to be the only female.” She raised an eyebrow toward Ezra.

She had a point. Jan would be far less likely to give up and want to go home if she wasn’t the only woman. And if Jan asked for a refund, then Kenneth probably would, too.

“So are you all ready to go?” asked Jan.

Clarissa turned back toward Ezra, amusement coloring her voice as she said, “I was just settling my bill with Mr. Jefferson, wasn’t I?”

It was nice to see a playful side to her. She’d seemed so burdened by worry when he’d first met her. Whatever it was, the load she carried must be a heavy one. Would it weigh down their group? He couldn’t be sure.

Ezra sighed and shook his head. “Yes, she was just getting everything in order.” He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.

Jan patted her shoulder. “Good. We’ll see you two in a minute. Everyone else is loaded into the van.” She pulled open the back door and disappeared.

Clarissa turned to face him, her blue eyes shining. “How much do I owe you?”

Ezra placed a hand on his hip. “Are we agreed that was a little manipulative?”

“You weren’t totally set on saying no to me.” Her voice had a coy quality.

“That’s true,” he said. “The cost is twelve hundred dollars. That includes all your supplies and a stay at a remote lodge. I’ll understand if you don’t have that kind of cash.”

She didn’t blink at the price. “No, I can pay it.” She opened her purse and pulled out a stack of bills.

He tensed as suspicions rose to the surface again. Why would she have that much cash on her? He grabbed her hand. “Promise me one thing. I can’t take you on this expedition if you are in trouble with the law.”

She looked him in the eyes. “You don’t need to hear my whole long, pathetic story. Just know that I’m not a criminal.”

The steadiness of her voice and her unwavering gaze told him she was telling the truth. “Good. Let’s get you geared up.”

Ten minutes later, she slipped into the front passenger seat of the van. After locking up the office, Ezra got behind the wheel. He turned toward the back. “I assume everyone has been introduced.” Bruce, Jan and Kenneth nodded. “Clarissa, probably the only person you don’t know is Leonard. He signed up a few hours before you.”

Clarissa turned to shake the hand of the fiftyish man with the salt-and-pepper hair and deep tan.

“Well, people, the next seven days will be brutal. You’ll learn how to survive in the wilderness, how and where to find food and make a shelter. But you won’t be doing it alone. One of the keys to survival is learning how to work with others. Okay, we’ve got a long drive up to the trailhead. This is your last chance to jump ship.”

Ezra looked into the eyes of each of his clients. From his interactions with them, he’d begun to assess their strengths and weaknesses. Bruce knew more about survival in theory than in practice. Though in good shape for a man his age, Leonard could be a little overbearing, not a team player. It would be good to see Jan and Ken learn to rely on the other team members instead of just each other. Hopefully, the bond Jan had seemed to form with Clarissa would help with that.

Ezra turned to face the windshield, after glancing briefly at Clarissa. She was a mystery. He wasn’t sure how she’d fit in. She struck him as a pampered city girl, but there was an inner strength there, as well. She’d piqued his curiosity. He had a feeling he wouldn’t mind hearing the long pathetic story of why she needed to go on this expedition. He wouldn’t mind getting to know a little more about Clarissa Jones. He only hoped that what he found out wouldn’t be disastrous for this expedition.

* * *

With each mile they got farther out of town, Clarissa relaxed a little more. She checked the back window several times. No one had followed them up the winding mountain road. She pulled out her phone.

“Cell service out here is spotty at best,” Ezra said.

“I’m just checking some things on my calendar.” She hoped by reviewing what she and Max had worked on before he’d fired her, she might be able to figure out why he wanted her dead.

“Actually, I should have confiscated that back at the office. Everyone is required to go low-tech.”

Clarissa drew her phone protectively to her chest.

Ezra chuckled at her response. “You’ll only miss it for the first couple of days. After that, your hands will stop shaking from withdrawal.”

Leonard leaned forward in the seat and spoke in her ear. “Actually, I think it’s going to be kind of nice to get away from all that. Start looking at people’s faces instead of screens.”

“I think I’m going to like the quiet,” said Ken.

“What if there’s an emergency?” Jan asked.

“I do have a satellite phone if for any reason I need to get help to us quickly. I’ve never had to use it,” Ezra assured them.

“I promise to leave the phone in the van.” Clarissa checked her calendar itinerary quickly. Nothing stood out. “So no electronics.” What else would she be giving up? She’d been so focused on finding a hiding place from Max, she hadn’t really thought about what she’d signed up for.

“You can handle that, right?” Ezra tightened his grip on the wheel as the road grew steeper and more treacherous but his eyes met hers for a second.

His eyes had a bright, dancing quality that she hadn’t noticed before. If leaving town made her feel safer, it seemed to make him more cheerful.

The van wound down a mountain and came out at a lake. Ezra brought the van to a stop. “This is Bridger Lake, folks—our starting point. Everyone grab your pack, double-check what you have against the inventory sheet. I always bring a few extra supplies. Limit yourself to three personal items. Leave everything else in the van. It’ll be locked up. I’ve never had a problem with theft. My partner will come up here to check on it while we’re gone.”

“Three personal items,” said Bruce. “It’s like that riddle about being stranded on a desert island. You know, what would you take with you?”

Clarissa pushed open the door. At the back of the van, Ezra handed her a backpack. “You missed going over what’s in here. I grabbed a prepacked one for you. I’ll get you up to speed when we have a moment.”

She was struck by the kindness she saw in his eyes. “Thanks.” Clarissa put her pack down a little distance from the others, who chattered idly with each other. They all seemed to have bonded already. She felt like the outsider. With her background, that was nothing new.

She opened her purse. She’d be hard-pressed to come up with three items that mattered to her. She removed a brown food package and a space blanket, and tucked the money at the bottom of one of the smaller compartments. Then she put the change of undergarments and shirt she’d bought in the pack, as well.

She had a picture of herself with two friends from Naomi’s Place. The ten-year-old photo was worn and creased. Even though the pain of her miscarriage had caused her to run from there, the memory of the friendship she’d had with two other girls, Rochelle and Sarah, still warmed her heart. She placed the photo in one of the smaller compartments on the backpack. All her worldly treasures.

She watched Ezra, kneeling close to the van, place a small Bible in his pack. So he was a kindred spirit in that way. His faith probably ran much deeper than hers. Hers was so brand-new, and now doubt over the situation she was in had poked holes in it. She’d done the right thing by refusing Max’s advances and telling his wife, and she’d lost everything because of it. She hadn’t even had time to grab the Bible Sondra had given her. Uneasiness about Sondra’s no-show still plagued her. What if she’d been in a car accident?

Ezra swung his backpack on. “All right, people, suit up. We leave in three minutes.”

Clarissa grabbed the toothbrush and other toiletries she’d purchased that morning and packed them away. She lifted the backpack, surprised by the weight. She slipped one arm through a strap, but struggled with the other.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Ezra lifted her pack from the bottom so she could slip her arm in without having to wrestle with the weight.

“Thanks.”

He leaned toward her and pointed. “Belly strap.”

“Oh, right.” She turned slightly, looking for the other end.

He grabbed both strap ends and snapped them together. She felt the pressure of his fingers against her stomach as she met his gaze.

“You’ve never been on a hike before in your life, have you?” His voice held a note of humor, not condemnation.

She shook her head. A laugh escaped her lips. “No, sorry.”

He cupped his hand on her shoulder, the warmth of his touch seeping through her skin. “It’s not a problem. People surprise me all the time.”

She could feel her face heat up when his gaze rested on her. “I hope I can surprise you.” The stir of attraction caught her off guard. She hadn’t felt anything like that since she was a teenager. Back when she had been naive and had believed in fantasies like true love.

He stepped away and raised his voice. “Okay, people, single file. Let’s get moving up that mountain.”

Clarissa took in the beauty of the forest. The lake was like glass bordered by mountains on three sides. On the highest peak stood a fire tower surrounded by blackened trees.

Bruce came up beside her. “Guess there was a forest fire here about a month ago.”

Ezra, some twenty feet away, shouted, “Visiting time is over, people. Let’s get moving. Just follow the trail.”

“I can’t wait to get started.” Bruce fell in line behind Leonard. The bow he’d strapped to his pack must have been one of his personal items.

Clarissa stepped behind Bruce. Ezra waited until they were all on the narrow trail before slipping in line behind her. As she made her way up the steep incline, she could think of a thousand reasons not to acknowledge the blossoming attraction she felt toward him. Men couldn’t be trusted. Men couldn’t be depended on. They left when things got difficult.

None of that reasoning did anything to stop the fluttering in her stomach every time she thought about the way he’d looked at her. How his touch brought alive emotions that she’d stuffed down for ten years.

They hiked for what felt like several hours before reaching the ridgeline. Clarissa stopped for a moment to catch her breath and examine how far they’d come. Her gaze traveled the length of the trail down to the lake where the van was.

Her breath caught as another car pulled in beside the van and two burly-looking men got out. Even from this distance, she could see that one of them was Don.

FOUR

Ezra heard the cascading rocks rolling down the steep slope before he saw them. On instinct, he grabbed Clarissa and pulled her to safety. His hand still cupped her narrow waist as half a dozen large stones rolled past them.

She touched her palm to her chest. “Way to think fast. I didn’t see those coming.”

“You could have been knocked over or injured.” Ezra glared up the cliff to where Bruce was using his hands and feet to scale the rocky incline. “Remind me to talk to Bruce about having greater awareness of the people below him.”

“You might also want to tell him that this isn’t a race.” Clarissa wiped the perspiration from her brow.

Ezra had to hand it to her. She’d showed substantial stamina hiking through the heat of the day. She’d kept up with the pace he’d set. Down below, Ken, Jan and Leonard made their way up the mountain. “Let’s let him get farther ahead before following him—it’ll be safer.”

With her eyes on Bruce, Clarissa nodded in agreement.

Bruce had pushed hard all day, determined to stay in the lead, and taking very little time to notice the people around him. And Ezra had thought Leonard was going to be the lone wolf.

Clarissa stood close to him while they waited for the others to catch up. She’d pulled her silky blond hair into some sort of hair contraption. Her cheeks were flushed from the exertion of the hike.

Her gaze darted from the three stragglers to a far-off point down the trail. She’d been looking over her shoulder for most of the hike. Though she joked a great deal, every once in a while Ezra saw a flash of fear mar her features. He wondered what the cause of the jitteriness was.

“That guy at the airport, whoever he was, isn’t likely to find you here.” He hoped to reassure her.

Her blue eyes locked on to him. “What makes you say that?” She turned and started on up the mountain.

The others were closing in on them. Ezra followed behind Clarissa. “I noticed you looking down the trail a lot. Honestly, where we’re headed there’s not going to be another person for fifty miles in any direction.”

She stuttered in her steps, but then pushed herself onward, not looking back at him when she spoke. “There are no little towns or anything?”

“A few, way over on the other side of that mountain.” He pointed off in the distance. “But we won’t be going anywhere near there.”

“So nothing until we get to that lodge?”

“There won’t be people at the lodge, either. You can only get to it by hiking or helicopter. It’s a wealthy man’s rustic retreat. He lets Jefferson Expeditions use it when he’s not there, for a minimal fee.” Ezra caught up with her. “The only other people we might run into would be other backpackers. Does that sound okay to you?”

They both stopped climbing for a moment. Clarissa didn’t completely meet his gaze, as though something still preoccupied her. “The solitude will be nice.”

Jan caught up with them at last. “What a beautiful day, huh?” she said as she looked around.

The conversation drifted in another direction when Ken and Leonard joined them. As he answered their questions and got to know them better, Ezra found himself wondering what was up with Clarissa. Her questions hinted at some unspoken agenda, some plan she was making. It made him suspicious. Why, exactly, did she want to be escorted into the deep woods? He doubted he would get a straight answer from her if he asked. She was a woman with secrets and layers of protection around her.

They stopped in the late afternoon in an open area. While they ate their prepackaged snack and drank water, Ezra went over some basic rules about finding edible plants. He held up the edible plants book. “You all should have one of these in your pack. Your assignment is to spread out and come back in half an hour with something we can add to tonight’s oh so appetizing MRE—Meal Ready to Eat, just like in the army. One thing to keep in mind—stay with a partner and talk loud. This is September. The bears are out filling up on food before they hibernate.”

Jan let out a gasp. “Bears? This is the real thing, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely,” Ezra agreed. “But they’re not really any more interested in running into you than you are in running into them. If you make noise, they’ll most likely clear out of your way.”

Clarissa unzipped a compartment of her pack and peered inside.

“Let’s go over what you have in your backpack.” Ezra ambled toward her.

The rest of the group scattered off, their books in hand.

“Shouldn’t I be looking for plants with the others?” She continued to search the compartments, presumably looking for her book.

“The others already had this instruction from the emails I sent out, and they packed their own gear, so they know where everything is. I helped Leonard with it this morning in the office. I think it’s good to have an understanding of what you have to work with, so if an emergency does come up, you can find what you need quickly.” He knelt in front of her.

“I guess that makes sense.” She hooked a strand of hair behind her ear and then glanced around nervously. “Guess I’m a little worried about those bears.”

“I say that as a precaution. The kind of bears that are around here like to avoid people. The forest is way more safe than any big city.”

She unzipped the largest compartment of her pack, pulling the supplies out, laying them on the ground. “What makes you think I’m from the city?”

He let out a huff of air. “You kind of put out that vibe that first night I met you.”

“I have been living in California, but I’ll have you know that I grew up in Montana. Lived in a bunch of little towns, and even in Discovery for a while.” Her voice took on a faraway quality, as though there were a wealth of memories behind what she had told him.

She was full of surprises. He’d had her pegged as urban to the core. “But in all that time you never went backpacking with friends or family?”

“No, no family to go backpacking with.” A shadow seemed to fall over her face, and she looked off into the distance. She regained her composure almost as quickly as she’d lost it, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze. “How about you? Did you grow up around here?”

She had a way of revealing only a small amount about herself and then deflecting the attention back on him. “Yeah, my brothers and I hunted and fished these mountains from the time we could walk.”

She scooted several of the items toward him. “Why don’t you tell me what all this stuff is?”

Ezra picked up the multitool and showed her what each part of it could do. “This is how you open the pliers.” He wondered what had been running through her mind in that moment. How could such a benign question about hiking tap into such deep hurt?

She took the tool from him and folded out another component. “This looks like a nail file. Do you mean to tell me I’ll have time for a manicure while I’m tromping around with the bears?”

He laughed, appreciating the joke, but realizing that she also used humor to divert him from thinking about her. He must have been staring a little too intensely. “The file is handy. Sometimes dirt from digging or blood from skinning an animal gets under your nails.”

She made a face and jerked her head back, the usual reaction to the idea of skinning an animal.

“And sometimes you just need to file something down,” said Ezra. “Let’s go through the rest of the gear. Most of it is pretty straightforward.”

She held up the water filter. “I don’t know what this is.”

“You have a day’s supply of water in your pack. Beyond that, it’ll be up to you to find clean water sources or use that filter to purify your water. The stuff you get from the rivers and creeks will have to be cleaned up to drink.” As he instructed her about each item in the pack, he watched the sunlight play on her hair. The way she closed her eyes when she laughed was endearing. He found himself enjoying her company despite how guarded she was.

Bruce came bounding through the trees holding something in his hand. His bow was flung over his shoulder. Why he thought he needed to carry it around to look for plants, Ezra could only guess. Bruce had assured him that he knew how to use such a deadly weapon. Ezra only hoped the younger man was telling the truth.

Bruce dropped a handful of yellow flowers on the ground. “Is this evening primrose?”

Ezra picked up one of the plants. “Yes, it is. You missed out on some good eating by just picking the flower though. The roots are edible, too. They taste like parsnips.”

“I’ll go look for some more.” He seemed encouraged by his find and tromped back toward the trees.

“Why don’t I get a bow and arrow like he has?” Clarissa asked.

“That’s a personal item he chose to bring. But it’s not really necessary. You have things in your pack that you can use to defend yourself and even hunt with.”

Clarissa examined everything that was spread out around her. She picked up a long knife in a sheath. “This, right?”

Ezra nodded, then rose to his feet. “Now I want you to put everything away, arrange things to suit yourself, so if you need to grab something in a hurry you’re not fumbling in your pack.”

She put the items away, so quickly that he wondered if she was even taking note of where things were going. Then she stood. “Can I go look for plants now?”

“Sure. You’ll want to take the book with you and find one of the others to partner up with.”

“Oh!” Clarissa laughed at herself and then leaned down and pulled the book out of a side pocket.

He watched her walk gracefully into the forest.

* * *

Clarissa quickened her pace as she moved deeper into the trees. She walked until she could no longer hear the chatter of the others as they foraged for plants. She pressed her back against an expansive evergreen and gazed up at the green canopy above her as she took a moment to regroup.

Though she had seen no sign of Max’s men on the hike, her heart had been racing from the moment the car had pulled in beside the Jefferson Expeditions van. Somehow they had tracked her down. Ezra had mentioned something about a business partner. Maybe the thugs had finagled information out of him.

Don knew she’d ridden into town in Ezra’s van. When they couldn’t find her, they might have drawn their own conclusions, or they might have seen her going into Ezra’s office. She didn’t know how she’d been found; she only knew that even this forest wouldn’t provide safety for her for long.

She could only hope that she might be able to keep a little ahead of the thugs. Don was muscular, but hardly the hiking type. The two men were probably not moving very fast. Maybe they wouldn’t even bother following her, and would just wait to grab her until the group returned to the van.

Clarissa closed her eyes, attempting to stave off the panic that invaded her mind and body. She needed to get away and hide, but she couldn’t go back the way she’d come. She’d have to get a clearer sense of where this town was that Ezra had mentioned, and then take off on her own. The people in the group seemed really likable. She didn’t want them hurt at her expense. The problem was if she took off now, she might not last a day. She needed to learn everything she could from Ezra as quickly as possible.

She let out a breath. Ezra seemed like a nice man. A nice man from a nice family who went on camping trips together. His question about her not ever hiking or camping with family despite a childhood in Montana drove home a point that she’d wrestled with all her adult life. She could dress up in her business suits, get a college degree and play the competent professional. But inside, she was always the orphan set adrift in the world, tied to nobody.

She heard the sound of someone walking through the forest. Fearing that Don and his partner had already caught up with her, she slipped behind a tree. She peered around the trunk and saw Leonard standing about twenty feet from her. She opened her mouth to say hello, but stopped and slipped back out of sight when he pulled a gun from his waistband, checked it and put it back.

Her breath hitched. Fear skittered across her nerves. She watched as Leonard took out a phone, looked at it and then wandered several feet away from her. He continued to walk and check the phone, as though he was trying to get a signal.

As Leonard’s footsteps faded, a hundred fear-drenched thoughts tumbled through her head. Maybe there was a sinister reason why Leonard had a gun and was trying to phone someone. He had signed up only hours before she did. Maybe Max was covering his bases and sending Leonard to kill her as soon as he got the opportunity.

“It’s kind of confusing, isn’t it?”

Clarissa whirled around. Jan stood a few feet away from her.

“What?”

The older woman pointed toward the book Clarissa gripped in her hand. “Finding your next meal in the forest.”

Clarissa flipped the book, looking at the back and front covers. Her hands were shaking. She still hadn’t recovered from seeing Leonard with a gun. “Yeah, right, some of the poisonous ones look just like the ones you can eat.”

“I’ll give you a hand if you like. Ken has gone and wandered off again. We can work on it together.” Jan’s eyes held sincerity and warmth.

“Together?” The word felt foreign on her tongue. “I’d like that.”

Jan opened her book. “I’m looking for this one.” She pointed to a picture. “It says it still flowers as late as September. If you find a plant that looks like it might be edible, we can go through our books and see if we can find a match.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Clarissa said.

Jan gave her a friendly pat on the back. “Good.”

They worked through the late afternoon, getting some assistance from Ken and showing Ezra what they’d found from time to time. Then the group hiked for several more hours before stopping to make camp. Once the camp was set up, Ezra showed Leonard how to build a fire, while Bruce practiced shooting his bow.

Clarissa watched Bruce with his bow. He hit the tree about 50 percent of the time.

“So are these brown packets our dinners?” Ken held up his. “I’ve never had an MRE before.” He read the label. “Looks like I get chicken parmesan.”

“Just add water.” Leonard ripped his open. “We used to eat these all the time in the service.”

Clarissa kept her eye on Leonard. She couldn’t be certain he was working for Max, but she couldn’t trust him, either. She just had to make sure she was never alone with him.

Jan stared down into her open bag. “This doesn’t look like spaghetti and meatballs.”

“Just think, tomorrow you’ll be eating fresh fish or small game if you play your cards right,” Ezra said.

The soft tenor of his voice drew Clarissa back to the circle of people. Bruce had come to sit in front of the fire, as well. She was going to have a hard time asking Ezra the questions she needed answers to with everyone else around.

“You mean if we catch it ourselves, we’ll be eating something besides dehydrated food?” Ken said.

“That’s why I bring the MREs. It motivates you to catch something fresher.” Ezra’s voice had a playful lilt to it.

The men and Jan groaned in unison.

“At least we got these roots and berries to help wash down the packaged food tonight.” Jan picked up one of the roots and bit into it.

“How about you, Clarissa?” Ezra turned to face her. “I don’t hear much protest from you.”

With everyone looking at her, Clarissa felt suddenly self-conscious. “I’m just glad to be here.” She focused on her food, dipping her spoon into the alleged beef enchiladas.

As she listened to the friendly banter, turmoil tied her stomach in tight knots. Could she hope that Max’s men had given up and gone back down the mountain? She couldn’t finish this journey with the others and go back to Discovery, where Max would be waiting. She wasn’t so sure she could make it on her own to the town Ezra had mentioned, but she had to try. If only she could get some specific instruction and directions.

After dinner, Ezra helped everyone pitch a small, single-man tent, except for Jan and Ken, who had a bigger tent to share. Clarissa said her good-nights and crawled into her sleeping bag. The cool night air came through the unzipped mesh windows.

Outside her tent, Ezra and Leonard talked in low tones until their voices faded, and she heard the unzipping of tent doors. The night quieted, but her mind raced with all that had happened and all that she had yet to do. Twice Clarissa grabbed her pack and unzipped the tent, thinking she would just escape in the night and take her chances. Both times she talked herself out of it. There was still so much more she needed to learn before she could face the wilderness on her own. She snuggled back down into the sleeping bag.

She listened for a long time, wondering if Leonard would get up in the night and drag her out of her tent.

She breathed in the fresh air as a light breeze rustled the nylon walls. Her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off....

She awoke in total darkness to the sound of angry voices in the distance.

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