Protector's Instinct. Janie Crouch

past them to browbeat Uncle Tim into sending someone to watch over her.

      Well, whoever it was, she was sending them right back home.

      She continued organizing her little camp, refusing to let anything get in the way of the peace she had found over the past two days. One of the things she’d worked very hard on with Dr. Parker was accepting what she had control over and what she didn’t. Certain circumstances she had no regulation over. But how she responded to them was up to her.

      She left her little camp and made her way the few hundred yards to the jagged edge of one of the cliffs Big Bend was known for with a stunning view of the Rio Grande river. She could feel her babysitter’s eyes on her as he or she got off the plane and walked toward her, but she didn’t pay any attention. Instead, she continued to stare out at the river as the sun began to dip in the sky.

      Finally, she knew she couldn’t avoid it any longer and turned back around.

      And found Zane standing about twenty yards behind her. She froze.

      “What are you doing here?” she stammered. Captain Harris had sent Zane to babysit her?

      And what’s more, Zane had actually agreed?

      “I didn’t mean to startle you. The ranger station was supposed to let you know I was coming.” He took a few steps toward her.

      “They did. I mean, they said Harris had called and told them someone was coming out here and to let me know. But I didn’t know it would be you. What are you doing here?” she couldn’t help but ask again.

      “Right now? Enjoying the beautiful view.”

      Caroline turned back out toward the river. “Yeah, amazing, isn’t it? The sun has set on the river this way for thousands and thousands of years. Makes you feel part of something much bigger than yourself.”

      Zane didn’t say anything, simply absorbed. They stood in silence watching the sun drop farther, casting a purple hue throughout the entire area. Caroline just took it in with him. She had to admit, there was no one else in the world she’d rather share this moment with than Zane. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the setting sun on her face.

      When she opened them again, she found him studying her.

      “What?”

      “Nothing. You look good. Peaceful, capable. Being here, at this place, obviously agrees with you. I was wrong to tell you not to come.”

      “You got that straight. I still don’t know why you’re here.”

      “I needed to make sure you were all right.”

      He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets just like he always did when he wasn’t telling the full truth. She’d never told him she knew that tell because she’d never wanted to give up the upper hand.

      “You know I’ve been checking in with the rangers every few hours. You could’ve just asked them. I’m sure some of the CCPD have, including Captain Harris.”

      He shrugged. “I needed to see it with my own eyes.”

      He still wasn’t telling her everything, but she trusted him enough to know that if there was some true emergency he would’ve already hustled her off to the plane and gotten her out of here.

      A thought struck her. “My parents didn’t call you and make you come, did they?”

      He chuckled. “No. I just wanted to see you for myself.”

      Her eyes narrowed. “You flew a long way just to look at me, Wales. You might want to consider taking a picture. It would be a lot cheaper.”

      “A picture of you, here, in this light couldn’t possibly do this moment justice.”

      Damn it if the man didn’t still know how to make her insides go gooey.

      “Are you here to try to get me to leave?”

      Zane looked around, taking in the vastness surrounding them. “No. I don’t think there’s any place else you ought to be than here right now. Like I said, it obviously agrees with you.”