Three days later, Thad was still trying to conquer the guilt for feeling joy while his best buddies had died because of his carelessness.

Holding Karly in his arms, feeling her respond to his touch, was still the only thing he wanted to think about.

God, Karly was such an adrenaline rush.

Chase Daniels even recognized the recent change and gave him crap about his just-got-laid glow. Thad had seen the goo-goo effect on other guys and had refused to believe it would ever happen to him.

But it had. Karly had recaptured his heart. The thing was, he didn’t want to take it back.

Driving up the ridge into the sun to meet Karly for a run, he caught his goofy smile in the visor mirror. His skin felt stretched from smiling so much.

After parking his truck next to Karly’s and noting the Sheriff’s SUV, he hopped out and made his way around to the trailhead. He spotted Karly up ahead in her usual running pants and pink short-sleeve shirt. Au naturel had always fit her like a stylish pair of wraparound sunglasses.

He increased his pace when Karly suddenly pointed at the ridge, tossed her hands in the air, then leaned a bit too close to the sheriff. By the time Thad arrived, the air sizzled around them like lightening had just struck the ground.

“I don’t understand.” Karly tugged on the leads of three dogs, who were milling around, ready to run. “This trail has never been closed.”

The perturbed crispness in Karly’s voice couldn’t be ignored. Thad nodded to Sheriff Gaccione and the other woman with him, then stopped beside his irritated beauty.

The stranger took a step forward, but Joe gave her a look, and the tall woman backed off. Based on the look on the woman’s face, she was used to giving orders, not taking them. Thad noted the pin on her jacket. DEA. What’s a drug enforcement agent doing in Elkridge?

“Karly, Thad, this is Gabrielle Dalton. I’ve invited her up from Denver to audit and observe. She’s going to help with some training over the next couple weeks.”

“Gabrielle, welcome to Elkridge.” Karly managed a smile, but Thad could see brewing disappointment behind her flash of white teeth.

The sheriff pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “A mountain lion’s been spotted on the ridge. We’re closing the trail as a precaution.”

“A mountain lion?” Karly leaned forward to pet one of the rescue dogs. “That’s strange. Have you contacted Animal Services?” The Australian Shepherd mix whined anxiously, watching Karly closely for the signal to run. “I haven’t seen any tracks or signs of a big cat.” She turned to Thad. “You don’t think that’s what the hunter was shooting at, do you?”

“Hunter? What hunter?” Joe asked before Thad could respond.

“Someone fired a rifle while we were running a couple of weeks back,” Thad replied, then hesitated, thinking Karly wouldn’t appreciate him adding the details of her tumble downhill, taking a moment to revise his statement. “Whoever fired the shot scared some deer across our path, and caused a problem with the dogs.”

“Which trail?” The question shot out before Joe could ease his emotions back into his usual casual calm. “No one has a permit to be shooting off random rounds at deer or otherwise.”

Thad had seen the expression on the sheriff’s face before. Concern. Frustration. Resolve. Joe didn’t hide his feelings any better today than he had in high school. Thad did another sweep of the ridge. “We were on the upper ridge, the one connecting to the trail just behind my cabin. Come to think of it, we probably should have called in the shooting.”

“I agree.” Curiosity deepened the lines around Joe’s eyes. “But why do you think so?”

“I’ve lived in this area as long as you have. I don’t know of any hunter up here carrying a lighter caliber rifle, say something like a .223. Hunters prefer the larger caliber, just in case they run across a bear or moose or an aggressive elk.”

Karly’s eyes widened. “You don’t think that guy was after the mountain lion, do you?” She studied Joe. “I’ve read articles about local poachers selling pelts on the black market.”

Joe finished locking the metal gates to the Lonely Ridge Trail parking lot. Karly looked downright gorgeous in her flurry of frustration. The DEA agent-slash-observer didn’t seem impressed.

“The cat was just spotted a couple of days ago, so I think he’s fine.”

“That’s good. He can still be relocated before the park service is forced to put him down.”

Good? Thad wouldn’t use that descriptor. While working in the military, he’d learned to spot a liar, and the sheriff was weaving a mighty fine tale. Something was going on, but he didn’t want to upset Karly.

Thad took a sip of water and handed the bottle to Karly. “Looks like we need to find someplace else to run,” Thad said to take the pressure off Joe to come up with any more excuses. Then again, he wouldn’t mind a few more answers himself.

“There are a couple of trails behind my place,” Thad glanced west in the direction of his cabin. “The path is not as well groomed, but we should be able to run a good five miles before it gets too rocky.”

Thad caught an odd expression crossing the sheriff’s face before Joe locked it down tight. Just as I thought. It’s not just this part of the ridge you’re worried about.

“Why don’t you use the River Creek trail?” Joe suggested. “The path by the river is popular.”

“It’s popular,” Karly picked up the conversation thread, “and tends to be muddy and full of people. That’s why we like to run these trails. It’s easier with several dogs, and baths aren’t required afterward. Plus, rescues are not entirely predictable when it comes to dealing with other dogs. I wouldn’t want to risk something happening.”

Joe shifted and gazed at the opposite ridge. “You could always go over to Mountain Ridge Road. It’s got some nice logging trails.”

“We could, but the round-trip drive adds an extra forty minutes to exercise outings.” Karly unwound the leash from around the sheepdog’s prancing paws. “You sure we can’t run on this trail?”

“It’s not a good idea.”

The Sheriff tried, again and again, to come up with options. Karly shot down every single one of them. The harder Joe tried, the more the hairs on the back of Thad’s neck stood up and took notice. He got the impression more was going on than the sheriff wanted to share, and the DEA woman looked positively hostile.

Thad ran a hand down Karly’s tense arm. “There is no sense standing around getting the dogs,” and you, “all wound up. Let’s load the dogs. After that, we can decide where to go. Nice to meet you, Gabrielle.”

The relief on the sheriff’s face was easy to read. “Thad.” Joe reached out a hand. “If I remember right, you left school early to serve in the Army.”

“I was there for ten years.” Joe held his hand longer than necessary. He was probing for something. Thad shrugged. “Why, do you have a job opening?”

Sheriff Joe gave him a touché kind of smile. “Might be an opening soon, if the budget is approved,” Joe added as an afterthought. “Be careful on your run. You spot anything, let me know.”

Thank goodness Karly let her irritation put a cramp in her attention span. She’d already zoned out. Thad, on the other hand, was paying close attention, not only to what the sheriff said, but what his body language contradicted. The DEA agent was also a virtual whiteboard of information.

Interesting.

Thad scanned the ridge behind them and saw a reflection flash in the sun. The odd shine that drew his attention. Sun glasses? A rifle scope? A cell phone? Whatever it was, nature didn’t produce it.

Someone’s watching.

Thad took a step to put himself between Karly and the flash on the hill. “Karly, why don’t you load the dogs, and I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” Karly’s frustration turned into an accepting nod and she took the dogs back to her truck parked on the side of the road.

Thad continued to monitor the hillside where he’d seen the anomaly. Without taking his eyes off the ridge, he asked, “Sheriff, speaking of rumors, did I hear your brother was killed a couple of years back? A poacher or something?”

Both Joe and the DEA agent followed Thad’s line of sight, squinting against the sun’s rays. “My brother was murdered on a logging road just on the other side of this ridge. Why do you ask?”

Murdered? Mysterious break-ins? Mara being stalked? What were the odds?

Thad kept his posture casual so as not to cause alarm. “Mind if I ask how long you intend to keep this trail closed?”

“For now, indefinitely.” Joe rested his hand on his utility belt and shifted his weight as he relaxed. “Your help would be much appreciated. It’s my job to keep this town safe.”

“Probably a good idea. Someone’s up there now, watching. During our discussion, I saw another flash of light, like the sun reflecting off metal. My guess is a rifle scope.” Thad held out his hand, and Joe readily accepted the gesture. “Sheriff. Gabrielle. Watch your backs.” Thad forced his face into neutral to avoid showing aggression or weakness and took a step toward the trucks. “I’ll make sure Karly finds another trail to run on.”

“Have a nice day,” the DEA agent’s eyes narrowed as her dark face went rock hard. Her tight pixie curls might have made her look stylish if it hadn’t been for her don’t-mess-with-me expression. She’d been around. Seen things. Possibly experienced things. He wasn’t about to deliberately put himself in her path.

Thad took one more good survey of the ridge. The area was only a couple miles from his cabin. He’d give it a once-over, get an idea what was lurking in his backyard. He didn’t like surprises.

“Have a nice day, ma’am.” Thad made his way toward the parking lot.

As he drew closer, he noted Karly had finished loading the dogs. “I was thinking—”

“Now that’s another problem,” Karly turned his way. A glitter of a laugh made her eyes shine in the morning sun. “You thinking.”

Thad loved the way Karly’s eyes sparked when she teased. The familiar expression made his thoughts rotate from concern to contented. He rested his arm on the truck bed ledge. “I was thinking,” he began again, this time on a lighter note, “I haven’t run the trail by the Elkridge Cemetery since I’ve been home. I know it’s on the other side of town, but why don’t we check it out? See if it’s as good a trail as I remember.”

“Do you remember when we used to go up there to kick back, look at the stars, play some music?”

“Those were good times.” Happy warmth encouraged his muscles to ease. “Remember when Jason Newhall threw up on his grandfather’s grave? For the next week he was paranoid his grandfather would haunt him for the rest of his life.”

“Oh, oh, oh…and the time Camilla Gaccione convinced her sister, Anna, she only needed to yield at stop signs that have white borders around them?” Karly laughed. “Anna got a traffic ticket on her way home for failure to stop.”

If he could capture Karly’s essence and stuff it in a vial to carry around with him, he would. He planned to figure out how to make her smile last for an eternity. Being in her company made him feel something other than the darkness. She brought him to life. Hope.

Thad picked a piece of dog fluff off her shirt. “I also remember the night we decided to give each other our virginity.”

“I was so nervous I couldn’t stop shaking, and you called it off. We fell asleep holding each other under the full moon. The next day our parents were freaked out. I was grounded for a month, and forbidden to ever see you again. I laughed when my mother took me to see her gynecologist that week.” Karly's lips eased into a sheepish smile. “You should have seen mom’s face when I insisted the doctor verify I was still a virgin.” Karly stepped on a rock and rolled it around underneath her running shoe. “I was so mad at my mom, I didn’t talk to her for a week.”

Thad reached out to touch her hand. “Back then, I don’t think either of us got what we wanted.” Karly intertwined her fingers into his. The rising body heat blew the doors wide open, and his hand tightened. “I know. You trusted me. That’s all that counted. Trusted me until I blew it. Karly, I’m sorry.” #Truly.

“It’s okay. We both wanted things to turn out differently.”

“I want to earn your trust again.”

She released his hand and took a step back. “I forgave you a long time ago, and I’m working hard on the trust thing. It will take time, but I do want you in my life, it’s just…”

Thad pulled her into his arms, his mouth seeking, connecting, exploring. He poured every ounce of sorry into that kiss, hoping she felt his apology.

When he eventually arched back to take in much-needed air, she followed him for only a second before lowering her head.

“Oh, boy.” She tucked her chin in. “We should get out of here.”

Yes, we should. That shooter’s no longer in sight, but I don’t want to take any chances. However, that little smile of hers meant something different.

“What’s going on in that head?”

“I think my clothes are about to fall off, and that’s not good. I haven’t even been drinking.”

“Not good, huh?” He brushed a thumb across her soft, creamy lips. “I thought you liked getting naked with me.”

She looked up, her eyes opening wider. “I meant not good, in a way that all that yumminess shouldn’t be on display here, out in the open. Anybody could show up.”

A sizzling sensation crept through his system, igniting each cell as it went. He leaned in and nuzzled her ear. “My cabin is not far. Just on the other side of that ridge.”

Her hands slid up and pushed. “Tempting, but…”

“But you still don’t trust me.”

“When it comes to sex, oh, I trust you. When it comes to my heart, I’m still working on it.” She took a step back, then another, and another. “Let’s go for our run. Then maybe later we can take a shower and see where it goes.” She winked, her eyes sparkling with a playfulness he missed when it got buried under her worries.

“I could kiss you again, maybe change your mind.”

“Thad…”

“I’d prefer not to have to beg.”

“I don’t want you to beg.” Her gaze held his for way too long for someone who’d decided against giving him her heart.

“Yes, you do.” He took a step closer.

She gave him a shove and, like a lightning bolt, was in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and backed away. Twenty yards away, she stopped her truck and studied him again before completing a U-turn.

“You coming, or what?”

“Absolutely.”

He stood for a long time, savoring the look on her face, listening to the wind move through the trees. He hadn’t come back to Elkridge. He’d come back to her.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

You. Somewhere deep inside she cared, although she was stubborn as on over-packed mule—and she wouldn’t ever change. Not that he wanted her to. Everything she’d done, dropping Custer off, trying to find him a job…it had all been to show him what they had wasn’t lost.

Then again, maybe he was just a fool.

It wouldn’t be the first time he’d made a fool out of himself.

Life rolled in circles. He just needed to figure a way out of the groove, because this time he wouldn’t repeat his mistakes.

He eyed the ridge.

Nothing. Not one thing would keep them apart, ever again.