I grabbed the bag and slung it over my shoulder. “I’ll be down in ten, and I will take that lunch to go,” I said and placed a tender kiss on Mrs. Weller’s cheek, surprising both her and my sister.
“Bet you didn’t see that one coming.” I chuckled, proving that even I wasn’t always predictable.
I jogged up the stairs and walked into the guest room she’d said to use. Dropping my bag on the bed, I unzipped it to see exactly what my sister thought I might need. Sitting on top of everything inside was my badge and gun, and beneath that was a note.
I slipped the note out and found Clara’s familiar handwriting.
Don’t be mad at me, but I’ve already packed your camping gear and backpack and slipped it all into your truck. You’re going to need everything in it. I love you. Be safe and trust your gut.
XOXO, Me.
Clara knew things. More than the rest of me and my brothers. Her showing up here and now this note, didn’t bode well. My shoulders tightened and a headache started to bloom. I didn’t need this. I had no interest in playing games with her today.
I tossed the letter onto the white fluffy comforter, dug out my clothes and toiletries, and stepped into the bathroom.
Cleaning up could have waited until I got home, but in the end, fighting two headstrong women wasn’t worth the battle.
I was quicker than ten minutes. I grabbed my bag and was headed for the door when my phone rang.
I glanced at the caller ID and smothered an aggravated sigh as my boss’s name flashed on the screen.
Was this why I needed my badge and gun?
I dropped my bag onto the bed. Moving to the window for better reception, I answered. “It’s my day off, Mark.”
“Bennett. Glad I caught you,” Mark, the forest supervisor for our region, said as a way of hello.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“Yeah, well. I think so. Listen, I have an assignment for you.”
I glanced at the phone, unsure I heard him correctly. What kind of assignment could he possibly have? “The woods are good here. I’ve caught all the illegal hunters I could find.” The jury was still out on whether those guys had another brother hunting up on the hill. “My side of the mountain is pretty quiet.”
“I need you to accompany a scientist up onto the mountain.”
“Mark…you know…”
“That you aren’t a people person. Yeah, I know, but you’re the best tracker and guide we’ve got, and she needs access to the woods in your area.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Do I have a choice?”
“Not really. I’ll send you the contact information. She’s going to want to get a quick start, so make it happen.”
“Mark, listen, I don’t have—”
“Time?” Mark asked, finishing my complaint. “You’ll want to take this one. Trust me. It’s unusual. Stay safe and check in.”
Mark hung up before I protested again.
“Unusual?” I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket and grabbing my bag again. Unusual I could relate to. My entire family had unique abilities. Unusual for a scientist, well, that idea made my stomach tighten in knots.
I stepped out into the hallway and jogged down the stairs as my phone beeped again. I glanced at the screen as I hit the last step and opened the text to find a picture of a woman, along with a name. Destiny Blake. Just great.
“Mrs. Weller, I’m afraid I can’t stay,” I called out toward the kitchen.
“In here, Walker,” she called out from the sitting room, where there was a big window with a picturesque view of the mountain.
I rounded the corner to find two sets of eyes on me. “Walker, I’d like you to meet Destiny Blake.”
Her light green eyes were assessing. Her red hair fit her creamy completion. Little strands of curls had escaped their binding.
“You’re the woman who wants to go up the mountain,” I said, already knowing the answer.
Destiny gave a half-smile. “I guess you’re the man who’s saddled with me.”
I wasn’t a know-it-all like my sister, who just knew things. But I didn’t have to be to know two things instantly. Destiny’s name was a lie, and so was the reason she was in town.
