Anna swatted at a bug humming nearby. "Beautiful."

They crossed to the other side and headed for the hiking path that wound back down the mountainside to their car at the trailhead.

Reef whistled for Rori, and she returned, springing in front of them. Anna held tightly to Reef's hand, anxiety rather than enjoyment fixed on her sweet face.

"You aren't enjoying yourself, are you?" He'd hoped once they were outside that she'd come around, that she'd see the beauty of being enveloped by nature.

"I'm sorry. Walking around in the dirt just isn't my idea of fun. But . . ." She rubbed his hand in hers. "I'm happy to be sharing the time with you."

"Me too." He smiled. He just wished she were enjoying herself at least a little bit.

A half mile into their descent to the car, Rori's tail shot up, and she growled as she stalked to the edge of the ridge.

"What do you hear, girl?" He stepped toward the husky, glancing over the ridge to the steeply declining drop-off below, trees and brambles clinging to the sharply angled hillside.

He didn't see or hear anything, but Rori clearly did.

She whimpered and then, before he could grab her collar, bolted over the edge.

"Rori, no!" he hollered, but it was too late. She was gone.

"Sure you don't want one?" Gage asked Kayden while dangling a cannoli in front of her.

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay. If you're sure." He took a bite, and then smiled. "More for me."

Kayden shook her head, but Jake could see she was eyeing the cannoli. She wanted one. But she never ate anything made with refined sugar or white flour or . . . The list went on. It was admirable that she wanted to eat so healthfully, but the rigidness of her diet coupled with her insane exercise regime made Jake wonder if she wasn't pushing it too hard.

Kayden settled back in the oversized armchair with a cup of green tea in hand. "Seven still good?" she asked Piper.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Thelma Jenkins has her root ca.n.a.l tomorrow. Her niece Susan was going to take her, but her son got sick. Thelma refuses to go alone, so I said I'd take her. I'm sorry."

"No worries. I'll just climb by myself."

"Kayden, you know that isn't smart or safe," Gage said. "I'd go with you, but I'm running the shop tomorrow."

"I'll go with you." The words were out of Jake's mouth before he considered their import. Of course he'd love to go climbing with Kayden, love to have more time with her, but where the two of them working alone on the case had been a necessity, this would be more like a . . . date. His heart hitched.

Kayden shrugged a shoulder. "Okay."

Shock rocketed through him. "Okay?" He blinked. Was he dreaming?

"I'll pick you up at seven."

He swallowed and sat back, thankful for the support of the chair beneath him. "Okay." He could feel everyone else's shocked gaze darting between him and Kayden, and he couldn't blame them one bit.

After helping clean up the dishes, Kayden headed to Nanook Haven. She pulled into the dirt parking lot and stepped from her car into the crisp night air.

Rex bellowed from the barn. He knew she was there.

She pulled her fleece on and headed for the blue barn, finding Kirra and Carol inside. The ladies were finishing up the nightly ch.o.r.es-feeding the dogs dinner, cleaning their stalls, and giving them fresh water.

Rex pawed his stall door at the sight of her.

"Just a minute." She smiled.

"He's been pacing for the last half hour," Carol said. "Only wants you."

Kirra shut off the hose, lifting a bowl of water and carrying it to Rex's stall.

"It's because she's the only one who can keep up with him."

Rex ignored the water, his gaze fastened on Kayden.

"I'm going to drop by around six tomorrow morning instead of seven."

Kirra smiled. "Got plans?"

"Going climbing."

Carol shook her head. "I don't know how you get up the nerve for that. Seems so dangerous."

"It's all part of the fun."

"Danger is fun?" Kirra furrowed her delicate brow.

"I prefer to look at it as adventure." Kayden grabbed Rex's leash from the wall.

"A girl who likes danger," Carol said, wiping her hands on a towel. "That's kind of like playing with fire."

"Eventually you get burned," Kirra said with an unexpected heaviness.

"Have you gotten burned?" Kayden asked, sounding more like her overly curious sister than herself, but Kirra intrigued her. Something had happened while she was in vet school, something that changed her. Kirra never spoke about it, but she had come back from her final semester different.

Kirra smiled sadly, but otherwise ignored the question. She let Rex out of his stall, and he came bounding to Kayden's side. "You better get going. Rex is more than ready for his run."

"Sure." Kayden snapped his leash on. In the mornings she let him run free, but at night, back in the woods, it was important to stay on the path. "Sorry if I-"

Kirra held up a hand. "No worries. Have a nice run." She turned and headed for the barn office.

She'd pried where she shouldn't have. "Clearly I've been spending too much time around Piper."

"Her curious nature is wearing off on you?" Carol smiled.

"Did I mention she was curious?"

Carol laughed. "Only a dozen times."

"Well, I just stuck my nose where it didn't belong."

"Yeah." Carol glanced back at the small office Kirra had set up in the barn. "That one likes to keep things close to the chest."

"People say that about me."

"Really? I haven't found that to be true."

Probably because Carol was so easy to talk to-sort of like the aunt she'd never had.

Rex pawed the ground with a grunt.

"I hear you," Kayden said with a laugh. "See you later, Carol."

"'Bye now." Carol waved as Kayden and Rex broke into a run, racing across the paddock and into the woods.

She loved to run. Had been at it ever since her dad's heart attack. It was her way to get away from it all. Just her and her heart hammering in her chest, her breath coming in short, even bursts. But then her mom had died, and her runs had shifted. She'd start out fine, but within minutes tears would fill her eyes, making the world around her hazy, which in a weird way felt right, because everything around her felt off-kilter . . . in upheaval. In the days and weeks after her precious mom's death, she'd run until her tears were so thick she could barely see.

Now she ran because it kept her fit, in control of her health, and still provided her some time alone, where she could allow herself to feel, to cry, to scream, or simply smile, as she was doing right now.

She'd said yes to Jake. Tomorrow, for the first time since he'd entered her life, the two of them would be alone just for the fun of it. She'd tried to make her response casual, like it was no big deal, but it was. It was huge. She shouldn't have said yes, but she couldn't help herself. She craved time with the man.

Forty minutes later, Rex broke through the tree line, and she followed-her heart racing, her pulse elevated, sweat clinging to her skin, her lungs pumping out air. She felt so alive.

"Good run?" Kirra asked, as a flash of light swished across Kayden's eyes.

That added an extra little jump to her heart.

"Sorry." Kirra stood less than ten feet away. "Didn't mean to startle you. Carol mentioned a loose board out here, and I wanted to check it out before I forgot."

"No problem." Kayden paced back and forth, giving her heart time to slow down. "Hey, about earlier. I-"

"Don't mention it." Kirra hammered in the nail.

She nodded, wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. "You need any help with that?"

"Nope." Kirra slid the hammer into her belt loop. "All done."

She moved in step with Kayden as they followed Rex back to the barn. The husky's pace was more a lope than the usual gallop.

"Looks like you may actually have worn Rex out."

Kayden laughed. "I think it's the other way around."

"Kayden!" a male voice hollered.

She squinted toward the parking lot. "Reef?"

26.

Reef rushed toward the barn. Was that Rori in his arms?

"What's wrong, Reef?" She raced toward them, Kirra at her side. "What happened?"

"We were hiking. Rori latched on to something and took off."

"You didn't have her on her leash?"

"Piper said your vet was here?"

"I'm the vet," Kirra said. "Let's get her into an exam room."

"Unless we're on our property and she's used to the smells, Rori always has to be on the leash," Kayden said as they moved for the vet clinic doors. "Piper should have told you that."

"She did, but Rori looked miserable."

"She wasn't miserable. She was just pouting. You ignore her and she gets over it."

"I'm so sorry."

She just prayed Rori was okay. It was too dark to see the extent of her injuries.

"In here." Kirra unlocked the office building, switching on the lights as she led them back to an exam room.

Rori was bleeding, a lot. Kayden couldn't tell if it was her leg or paw. She whimpered as Reef laid her on the exam table.

She fought the urge to call Reef irresponsible, because it was plain from his pained expression that he already felt awful.

Kirra bent over, examining Rori.

"What's wrong with her, Kirra?" Kayden asked impatiently.

She looked up at Reef, her frustration and displeasure evident.

Reef's eyes narrowed. "Kirra . . . Jacobs?"

"h.e.l.lo, Reef. I see you haven't changed. Still your irresponsible, reckless self."

Kirra had loved and cared for Rori since she was a pup. It was no surprise her hackles had risen at Reef, but what she didn't understand was how much Reef had changed and was changing still.

"I could say the same about you," he countered. "Still judgmental, I see."

She opened her mouth to argue.