Her heart twisted with a moment of grief over what had been lost. She’d envisioned the two of them going to Yosemitetogether. Or hiking Angel’s Landing at Zion. Rim-to-Rim at the Grand Canyon. They’d talked about all of those things.
They made plans together.
Plans that had shattered along with her heart.
“This tree should work.” Caleb stopped beside a large oak and set down his bag.
Millie pushed the memories aside and leaned against a nearby tree, watching him as he pulled out a trail camera. Hamilton flopped down in a patch of sunlight, panting happily, while Biscuit sat at attention, scanning the woods.
“You still want to hike the Dolomites?” Caleb asked suddenly, not looking at her as he secured the camera to the tree trunk.
Millie blinked, caught off guard. “I—yeah. Actually, I do.”
“You used to talk about it all the time.” He glanced at her, something soft in his expression. “I hope you get to go one day.”
Warmth spread through her chest, unexpected and bittersweet.
He remembered. She wasn’t sure why that touched her so much, but it did.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
Garrick had hated hiking. He preferred gym workouts and dinners at fancy restaurants and intellectual conversations where his opinion was the only one that mattered.
Caleb finished mounting the camera and tested the angle. Then he pulled out his phone to check the feed. “This one looks good. Let’s move to the next spot.”
They continued deeper into the woods, the trail narrowing as they walked. They crossed a small stream. As they followed it a while, a small waterfall trickled down the rocks.
“This property really is gorgeous,” Millie murmured.
“Isn’t it? I always thought you’d like it.” His cheeks reddened after he said the words.
Clearly, he hadn’t meant to admit that.
But his words brought Millie a certain measure of delight.
She didn’t bring it up, however.
When Caleb paused again to set up another camera, Millie’s gaze drifted over the forest floor. The leaves had formed a colorful canopy both above and below. The whole area felt magical and like the perfect escape.
The sun caught something on the ground, and it glinted.
She narrowed her gaze.
What was that?
A small rectangular box was half-buried beneath a pile of leaves near the base of a fallen log.
“Caleb,” she said, her voice sharp.
He turned immediately. “What is it?”
“There’s something here.”
He crossed to her in two strides, his hand instinctively moving to the gun at his hip.
Millie crouched and brushed away the leaves, revealing a small weatherproof box—the kind someone might use to protect valuables.
Caleb knelt beside her, his jaw tight. “Don’t touch it.”
