She frowned and glanced at her watch.
Right—it was just past six, and he’d obviously been running for a while. “I started early today.”
She nodded, then seemed to change her mind about whatever had brought her outside and stepped back up into the bus. “Have a good morning, Ranger Liam.”
“Maybe I can get those photos now?” He wasn’t ready to end this conversation, and there was no way he was letting her slip away again until he had those photos in hand.
“Of course.” Her smile faltered slightly. “I’ll just…be a second.”
Then she disappeared inside the bus, and the pieces clicked into place, sharp and sudden. That was why she had photos. She’d been camped overlooking where those kids had been.
A bead of sweat ran down his nose, and he grabbed the edge of his shirt to wipe his face. The day was starting to warm, and he could smell the sweat that radiated off him.Nice.This wasn’t really the impression he wanted to make on Nimue when he saw her again.
Not that she’d remembered him, so maybe he just needed to Calm. Down.
The door popped open, and he lowered his shirt. Her eyes went wide, fixed on his chest. Maybe he wasn’t making such a bad impression after all. But still, he didn’t want to come off as one of those guys—the smarmy ones always trying to show off their build at every opportunity.
Liam smoothed down his shirt and nodded at the stickers. “You travel a lot.”
She blinked at him, then seemed to snap back into the practiced persona. “What’s that old saying? Trying to find myself.”
He pointed to the hidden camera. “Quite the tech setup for someone finding themselves.”
Her eyes flicked to it, then back to him, and she shrugged. “Oh, you know. I’m a single girl, traveling alone, camping in the middle of nowhere. I love freedom, but I love being safe more.”
That did make sense. Maybe he was overreacting.
She handed him the iPad, and he swiped through the photos, unease returning to his gut. The shots were crisp—too crisp for an iPad camera. Each kid’s face was high resolution, clear as day. Each teen caught mid-laugh or mid-sip, their features unmistakable. But no wide shots, no context—just tight frames that didn’t show the canyon or the camp’s layout. She’d been careful, deliberate. These were surveillance photos hunting for information, not snapshots from a casual hiker.
“Any chance you can send me these?” He held up the tablet.
“Take it. Just get it back to me. The password is 1111.” She offered a shrug as if she had no concern for security. “I’ll be here, or back where you saw me the first time.”
His steps faltered.Where you saw me the first time.She knew he’d spotted her before—near the rim. Of course. If he’d spotted her camera, then no doubt she’d observed him seeing it. He turned and met her gaze. Some of her bravado had slipped, and her deep-brown eyes blinked at him.
“Just remember if you go back there that you have to be at least a hundred feet from the edge.”
She gave a quick nod, then hurried back into her camper.
Those teens were priority one—drunk kids didn’t mix with cliffs, and he’d seen too many close calls turn into headlines. But Nimue? She was a puzzle he couldn’t leave alone. When he returned the tablet, he’d definitely be asking more questions.
She had to get back to her prime spot before anyone else spotted her. The longer she stayed in this exposed campground, the higher the chance some tourist with a phone would snap her picture and upload it to social media.
Bad idea, maybe, moving last night, but she’d needed decent reception, power to charge her batteries, and gas for her generator, and the temptation of a long hot shower had been too much.
She never thought she’d walk outside and right into Ranger Hero Liam Kingsley’s sights.
Oops.
And then he’d gone and flustered her.Where you saw me the first time.Why had she said that? The words had just slipped out—that was why. There was something about Liam that brought her walls crashing down. Maybe it was the way his intense blue eyes watched her—one part curious, one part suspicious, and weirdly, she got the sense…one part interested?
Then she’d stepped out of her trailer while he was mopping his forehead with the edge of his shirt. And. Sweet. Heaven. Those abs.
She’d known he was built by the way his shoulders filled out his uniform, but this? Even the memory sent heat flooding her face. Well, the abs and the fact that he’d caught her staring. That faint little smirk?—
Yeah, she definitely needed to get her head screwed back on straight.
But she couldn’t afford to be careless. This wasn’t a game—people’s lives were on the line. She’d been running that very mantra through her mind while transferring the photos to the iPad. But since she’d shown her hand and announced she knew he’d seen her bus earlier, she might as well head back to her prime spot and end the risk of being caught on a stray iPhone.