The evidence team moved with practiced efficiency, photographing the baseball cap from multiple angles before carefully documenting its position in the brush. Yellow evidence markers dotted the ground, creating a precise grid around their find. The blonde hairs caught in the closure had generated particular excitement—they couldn’t have asked for better proof that Jane Doe had been brought through here.
More than that though, the location told a story. This wasn’t a hiking trail, not even close. Someone had brought that woman up here deliberately, someone who knew these back routes as well as Sabrina did.
Who? No one she’d ever met.
The unknown pieces of this mystery nagged at her. She wanted answers, both for Jane Doe—and closure on her untimely death—and for Noah. Because it seemed important to him and Sabrina found herself wanting to please him.
“Your dog’s got quite a nose.” One of the police department’s crime scene techs nodded toward Dancer, who sat at perfect attention beside Noah despite the surrounding activity.
It was a nod to Noah’s SAR skills and maybe a subtle thank-you for calling it in. Some of the uniforms got testy when external teams overstepped or didn’t respect jurisdiction, which was exactly why she’d insisted they bring in the proper departments.
“He’s the best,” Noah replied, but his gaze shifted right back to Sabrina. As if he preferred looking at her instead of the view.
And having a man like Noah’s attention was going to her head.
“West.”
She turned to find Marcus Reynolds striding toward them, his expression carved from the same stone as the canyon walls. That was a look she rarely saw on her commander, and she didn’t want to see it now.
He’d gotten wind of her find. Obviously. And had come all the way up here to see why one of his officers was tied up with a police investigation instead of handling her regular patrol duties, no doubt. She had a feeling he intended to ensure she heard exactly how far outside her lane she’d drifted.
“Sir.”
He crossed his arms. “Care to explain what’s going on?”
At least he was giving her the opportunity—and hopefully the benefit of the doubt. She gestured to where the team worked. “Dancer indicated a baseball cap during a training exercise and we noticed hair caught in the closure. It appears to match our victim’s.”
Not exactly a lie. Noah had been the one to mention bringing Dancer out here. And SAR dogs did have to go through regular training exercises, which she’d learned while researching how one went about getting SAR certified before going to bed last night.
Reynolds’s weathered face didn’t give away much as he surveyed the scene, but she caught the slight narrowing of his eyes that usually preceded a thorough dressing down. “Training exercise? You’re supposed to be patrolling the south rim. Looking for evidence falls under local PD jurisdiction.”
The reprimand stung, but she’d been dealing with male authority figures her entire life. She knew the drill—stand straight, maintain eye contact, don’t show weakness.
“With all due respect, sir—” she started, but Reynolds cut her off.
“Respect would be following the chain of command.” His voice dropped lower, the way her father’s used to when he was particularly disappointed. “We have protocols for a reason. Your job is to protect and monitor forest resources, not conduct investigations.”
Heat crept up her neck. She’d followed her instincts and found actual evidence. That should count for something. But he was right—this wasn’t her jurisdiction. As a Forest Service officer, she should have suggested the search area to the police department and let them handle the investigation.
But before she could defend herself, Noah stepped forward.
“Commander Reynolds.” Noah’s voice carried that perfect blend of authority and respect that seemed to come naturally to him. “I take full responsibility. I asked Officer West to help me run through some advanced tracking techniques. Given her knowledge of the local terrain, she was the ideal candidate to assist with Dancer’s training.”
Her first instinct was to bristle—she could handle Reynolds on her own. She’d been managing difficult men her entire career. But something about Noah’s presence at her shoulder calmed her. It said they were in this together and he’d never abandon her. Which shouldn’t feel so good.
Reynolds’s attention shifted to Noah, his expression skeptical. “Training? Or were you hoping to stumble onto evidence related to our Jane Doe?”
“Both.” Noah didn’t flinch under that hard stare. “Officer West mentioned her interest in SAR certification. As someone who regularly works with law enforcement, I know how valuable those skills can be. When she agreed to help with today’s training exercise, I saw an opportunity to evaluate her aptitude while covering ground that might be relevant to the police investigation. It’s just smart to run a training exercise in an area where there might be something to find, sir.”
Reynolds’s skeptical look said he wasn’t completely buying it, but Noah’s explanation had given him a way to overlook the protocol breach without losing face. “Is that right?”
“We understand the jurisdictional concerns,” Noah said, answering the real question Reynolds was asking. “That’s why Officer West immediately called in the evidence team when Dancer alerted. She followed protocol to the letter.”
Sabrina held her breath. She hadn’t asked Noah to cover for her, hadn’t expected him to step between her and Reynolds’s justified anger. The surge of emotion that rolled through her caught her off guard. Usually, she hated when men tried to fight her battles.
But Noah hadn’t rushed in to save the damsel in distress. He’d merely repeated what she’d already told her commander, supporting her position. Complementing her. Like they were a real team and he’d always have her back.
Wasthiswhat true partnership felt like?
