path, confident and secure. The girl wouldn't risk having her secret exposed.
When Jake had handed her the list of people going on the trip to the Nahanni, she had asked her brother to run a background check. Sometimes it was useful to have a cop in the family. Not only had her brother dug up the sealed records on Miki Tanaka, he had discovered a few other startling facts about Francesca's fellow travelers.
Some of them were hiding secrets.
Hell, she even had a few of her own.
As for the others...secrets had a way of revealing themselves.
Eventually.
Pacing outside the cave's entrance, Del refused to think about the missing canoe. She pursed her mouth in determination and tugged on a wide-brimmed hat, pulling it low over her eyes.
Keep your eye on the goal.
"We can be at the falls before suppertime," Hawk told her. "If we paddle hard."
She bit her bottom lip. "Miki hasn't broken the code yet."
"Give her time. She's a smart girl. She'll get it."
He handed her a mug of coffee, then wandered over to a flat rock.
Standing silently in front of it, he closed his eyes. Then he reached up, grabbed his ponytail and, with a pocketknife, cut off a few strands of long hair. Placing them on the rock, he covered the hair with three pebbles.
"What are you doing?" she asked, fascinated by the ritual.
"The Dene believe that the land provides all things for us."
Hawk looked at his meager offering. "The cave was here when we needed it so I leave the land a token of my gratitude."
Without saying a word, she held out her hand. When Hawk passed her the knife, she cut off a curl, adding it to his. For a moment she stared at the two contrasting strands―one dark brown, one blond.
Two people…from two different worlds.
"We're not that different," he said, reading her mind.
Del was almost relieved to be back on the river.
Miki, however, looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"You okay?" Del hollered.
The girl dipped her paddle into the water and nodded solemnly. She didn't even crack a smile.
Del frowned.
What the hell was going on? Miki had been unusually quiet all morning. And she had avoided Francesca like the plague.
Francesca had done nothing but complain about the food, the sleeping arrangements, the bugs. And she never missed an opportunity to suggest they turn back. It was these things, more than the woman's interest in Jake, that irked Del the most.
I wish to God that Francesca had never joined us.
Pushing the woman from her mind, she wiped the stream of sweat from her brow as the searing sun mirrored off the Nahanni and a sticky heat enveloped them―the kind of heat that made her want to strip off her clothes and plunge headfirst into the churning river.
The pulse of the Nahanni was deceptively persuasive. Each canoe fell into an easy rhythm, growing silent with the effort of paddling. Cumulous clouds partly covered the sky, occasionally shading them from the intense heat, and the infrequent shaded bends in the river were a welcome reprieve. They paddled for hours…but it seemed like days
Del tugged at her life jacket.
The thing was on so tight, she swore she felt her ribs snapping when she inhaled.
"Keep it on," Hawk scolded lightly.
With a streak of stubbornness, she slid the zipper a few inches lower. "A girl's gotta breathe, you know."
Jake threw her a worried smile and she scowled.
"I'm fine, Jake. Except for this heat. Give me an hour and I'll be a pro at this."
And a pro at lying.
She wasn't fine at all. Her vision was wavering so much she had to close one eye just to focus―but damned if she'd say anything.
After a while, her fingers grew numb and the paddle felt like a lead weight. In a split second, it slipped from her hands and was sucked beneath the water.
"I've got it," TJ called out behind them.
When he passed her the wayward paddle, she gave Hawk and Jake a rueful look. "Sorry."
Hawk smiled. "No big deal. That's why they float."
"Take a break, Del," Jake insisted. "We
When Jake had handed her the list of people going on the trip to the Nahanni, she had asked her brother to run a background check. Sometimes it was useful to have a cop in the family. Not only had her brother dug up the sealed records on Miki Tanaka, he had discovered a few other startling facts about Francesca's fellow travelers.
Some of them were hiding secrets.
Hell, she even had a few of her own.
As for the others...secrets had a way of revealing themselves.
Eventually.
Pacing outside the cave's entrance, Del refused to think about the missing canoe. She pursed her mouth in determination and tugged on a wide-brimmed hat, pulling it low over her eyes.
Keep your eye on the goal.
"We can be at the falls before suppertime," Hawk told her. "If we paddle hard."
She bit her bottom lip. "Miki hasn't broken the code yet."
"Give her time. She's a smart girl. She'll get it."
He handed her a mug of coffee, then wandered over to a flat rock.
Standing silently in front of it, he closed his eyes. Then he reached up, grabbed his ponytail and, with a pocketknife, cut off a few strands of long hair. Placing them on the rock, he covered the hair with three pebbles.
"What are you doing?" she asked, fascinated by the ritual.
"The Dene believe that the land provides all things for us."
Hawk looked at his meager offering. "The cave was here when we needed it so I leave the land a token of my gratitude."
Without saying a word, she held out her hand. When Hawk passed her the knife, she cut off a curl, adding it to his. For a moment she stared at the two contrasting strands―one dark brown, one blond.
Two people…from two different worlds.
"We're not that different," he said, reading her mind.
Del was almost relieved to be back on the river.
Miki, however, looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"You okay?" Del hollered.
The girl dipped her paddle into the water and nodded solemnly. She didn't even crack a smile.
Del frowned.
What the hell was going on? Miki had been unusually quiet all morning. And she had avoided Francesca like the plague.
Francesca had done nothing but complain about the food, the sleeping arrangements, the bugs. And she never missed an opportunity to suggest they turn back. It was these things, more than the woman's interest in Jake, that irked Del the most.
I wish to God that Francesca had never joined us.
Pushing the woman from her mind, she wiped the stream of sweat from her brow as the searing sun mirrored off the Nahanni and a sticky heat enveloped them―the kind of heat that made her want to strip off her clothes and plunge headfirst into the churning river.
The pulse of the Nahanni was deceptively persuasive. Each canoe fell into an easy rhythm, growing silent with the effort of paddling. Cumulous clouds partly covered the sky, occasionally shading them from the intense heat, and the infrequent shaded bends in the river were a welcome reprieve. They paddled for hours…but it seemed like days
Del tugged at her life jacket.
The thing was on so tight, she swore she felt her ribs snapping when she inhaled.
"Keep it on," Hawk scolded lightly.
With a streak of stubbornness, she slid the zipper a few inches lower. "A girl's gotta breathe, you know."
Jake threw her a worried smile and she scowled.
"I'm fine, Jake. Except for this heat. Give me an hour and I'll be a pro at this."
And a pro at lying.
She wasn't fine at all. Her vision was wavering so much she had to close one eye just to focus―but damned if she'd say anything.
After a while, her fingers grew numb and the paddle felt like a lead weight. In a split second, it slipped from her hands and was sucked beneath the water.
"I've got it," TJ called out behind them.
When he passed her the wayward paddle, she gave Hawk and Jake a rueful look. "Sorry."
Hawk smiled. "No big deal. That's why they float."
"Take a break, Del," Jake insisted. "We
Similar Books
