Best of all, she seemed to feel it too. Right? She was flirty and engaged, and she’d been the one to call him, after all.
“Seriously though. The case studies were really interesting. That was a thoughtful addition to the mix,” she said.
“I figured you’re the type who likes to be prepared.”
“You figured right. There’s a case here about a rescue in Cataract Canyon. Reminds me of something that happened last spring.”
“Yeah?” He settled deeper into his chair, anticipating a good story. “Tell me about it.”
“Flash flood caught some kayakers off guard. Water came up so fast they barely had time to get to higher ground, but they were trapped on this narrow ledge with the river rising.” As she talked, he could feel the rising tension. Had been in many situations exactly like the one she described, where you could lose the rescue in only a few seconds. “I was first on scene. Had to figure out how to get them down before the ledge collapsed.”
“What did you do?”
“Improvised a rope system using my vehicle as an anchor point. The tricky part was getting the first line across to them. The current was brutal.” She paused. “Everyone said I should wait for backup, but I knew we were running out of time.”
“So you went for it anyway.”
“Had to. Sometimes you have to trust your gut, you know? Even when everyone else thinks you’re crazy.”
Noah’s chest tightened with recognition. How many times had he followed his instincts on a story, chasing leads others dismissed? “I know exactly what you mean. Back when I was reporting, I’d get these feelings about cases. Couldn’t always explain why, but I knew there was more to the story.”
“Like our Jane Doe?”
“Yeah.” He uncrossed his legs, energy humming through him. “It’s the little details that don’t quite fit. This kind of thing is never isolated. When you dig, you start to find patterns. Connections. That’s what I loved about investigative reporting, and sometimes—” He broke off before he said something disloyal, something he couldn’t take back. “Let’s just say I miss it.”
“Why did you stop?” Her gentle voice carried no censure, just genuine curiosity.
Memories of his mother’s illness pressing against his chest.
“My mom got sick. Cancer. I came home to help take care of her.” The words came easier than he expected. Something about Sabrina made him want to share the parts of himself he usually kept locked away. “She was always my biggest supporter, you know? Used to say I had a gift for finding truth in the darkness.”
“Sounds like a great mom.”
“She was.” He swallowed hard. “It’s hard to believe she’s been gone four years.”
“I’m sorry.” Simple words, but he could hear the genuine empathy behind them. “So, you stayed in Dark Canyon for your family? After?”
It was a great question, one he’d only recently started reexamining himself.
“Partly. I found SAR work through my brother Jacob, discovered I had a knack for it.” He glanced at Dancer, sleeping peacefully now. “Plus, I met a really great dog who needed me.”
Sabrina laughed softly. “Love at first sight?”
“Something like that.”
Her phrasing made him want to ask her if that meant she believed in love at first sight. Especially between people. Because he’d recently starting thinking he might, and it would be amazing if she didn’t think he’d fallen into a vat of loony juice for thinking along those lines.
“What about you? What keeps you in Dark Canyon?”
“Besides the obvious stellar working conditions and highly supportive environment for female officers?” Her sarcastic laugh got his back up, because he hated that she had to fight for a rightful place in her world. “The wilderness is in my blood. My father was military, we moved constantly when I was young. But every summer, my mom would bring me here to stay with my grandparents. It was the only place that ever felt like home.”
The longing in her voice resonated deep in his soul. “Must have been hard, always being the new kid.”
“It taught me to be self-reliant. How to prove myself over and over.” Steel threaded through her words. “My father had…let’s call them high expectations. Nothing was ever quite good enough. That’s why I have to push so hard. Be the best. It’s stupid. He’ll never know or care if I excel every single day or fall on my butt.”
“It’s not stupid,” he countered fiercely. “You have amazing drive. I recognize it at a soul-deep level. It’s impressive, and it means we’re a good fit, because I won’t leave you behind.”
“As if, Colton. I’ll always be in the front.”
