“I get it.” Jamal tightened his arms. “Just don’t like it.”
“Why don’t we move on to that dinner?” Ernie asked. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Sounds good,” Micha said. “But before we do, I want to mention food storage again. We do get black bears on the property. Not often, but occasionally. Means we have to prepare for them. FYI, don’t let the name fool you. Their coloring can be black, sure, but they can also be blond, brown, and cinnamon.”
That worry he’d found in Kari’s expression intensified.
“We’ll be fine as long as we practice good bear hygiene,” he said. “Our KP tent will never have food left in it. We’ll store all food on platforms ten feet high, and we have bear-proof garbage cans.”
Kari shuddered.
Micha had to ignore her worry and go on. “When we hit the trail, we’ll sleep at least a hundred yards from cooking and eating areas. Then please leave all soap, suntan lotion, candles, and any other scented items back at your cabin.”
“No soap!” Kari’s voice squeaked high, and she gaped at him as if he’d said they wouldn’t eat for a week. “Just how are we supposed to stay clean?”
Wow. A strong reaction to a little bar of soap.
“We’ll provide the soap and store it on the platforms,” he said.
She swiped a hand over her brow. “Phew, because I could use a shower right now, and all I did was spin a little stick.” She laughed.
Micha laughed with her, but it was all for show. She sure didn’t seem like a survivalist, so why was she here? His gut said she was hiding something, but what? Something illegal? She’d passed their usual background check, but the review had turned up little online information for her. Maybe the secret she was concealing made her keep a low online presence.
His path was clear. Crystal. Even if his radar hadn’t gone off due to his attraction to her, he would be paying her special attention to ferret out the answer to that question.
Mark his words. He would find out what she was hiding. No matter what it took.
2
Ava stepped into the tiny bedroom of the small log cabin, her mind on Micha. He’d watched her far more intently than she’d liked and far too often for her liking. She hadn’t done a good job of pretending everything was A-okay in her life. Probably the opposite. She’d taken turn after turn on that spindle to start a fire. Let her worry that she wouldn’t be able to get it right take over. Imagined herself running from Layne and getting stuck in the wilderness, losing her way and not possessing the skills to start a fire to keep warm. Freezing to death.
Panic had set in, her hands and movements turning clumsy. Despite her best efforts, she’d let the spindle jump the hearth board too many times.
Grr.
She’d drawn attention to herself. Not only from Micha but the other guys. Not a good thing when she was wanted by the law. But maybe Layne hadn’t handed over the video to the police that made Ava look guilty of killing Holly. Ava had been hiding out for two weeks now, waiting for this week’s camp to start, so she believed he would’ve handed it over by now. Or maybe Layne would try to track her down on his own and follow through on his threat to kill her instead. Or even a combination of the two.
She didn’t know, but she had to figure it out if she was to stay alive.
She got out the burner phone she’d kept hidden from Micha. Sure, she’d given him a phone. Her everyday one, also a burner, but when she’d read in the orientation packet that all electronics had to be surrendered, she’d bought a second one.
Against the rules? Yeah, sure. More anxiety when she was a rule follower through and through. But no way she’d be here without some means to get help if needed. Or hide out here and not know what was going on with the murder investigation back home in Portland.
She grabbed the towel from her shower and slipped into the bedroom closet, the only windowless room in the cabin. She sat and pressed the towel along the bottom of the door, sealing herself in utter darkness.
Perfect.Exactly what she needed. She’d closed all of the blinds in the other rooms, but she couldn’t risk the light from her phone flickering and shining through. With all electronics off limits, she didn’t need Micha’s amazing brown eyes fixed on her even more. Not when looking into them did funny things to her stomach, and she’d lost her focus.
She turned on the phone. Watched the light flicker over the wood walls as she inhaled the familiar scent of her coconut shampoo. The phone came to life and fully booted. She double-checked to be sure the volume was muted. Sound traveled a long distance in God’s amazing yet quiet wilderness. She couldn’t risk any hint of the device making it out of the closet.
A few taps of her thumbs, and she’d entered a search for updates on the death of Layne’s mother.
The screen flashed several new links.No. Oh, no.
She bit her lip to keep from crying out over the top story.
Recent hospital death deemed suspicious. Local nurse wanted in connection.
She scanned the interview with Layne. He’d gone to the police and was quoted as saying as much. Would Micha see this?
