about Crescent Mountain.
“This spot was named by a trapper who traveled the summit of the hills and decided he’d walked in a curve that made him think of a crescent moon. That somehow stuck and so this curved hillside became Crescent Mountain.”
Adan had studied several maps of the area. “It circles west of the lower White River. I can see how it got that name.”
“Yes, and it also has a reputation for being a kind of retreat since it’s so near a big national forest. Few people know about our little community. We’re pretty self-sufficient. We take turns going down the mountain to town for supplies and groceries and if someone is in need, we either take care of them or get them help at the regional medical center about forty miles from here.”
Adan didn’t respond. Maybe he thought she was issuing him a warning. Good. He needed to back off and leave her alone. She’d only give him as much information as she thought he needed.
They followed the beam of his flashlight and stayed on the path, retracing their earlier footsteps. When they reached Sophia’s yard, he moved the light over the path and out into the nearby woods. The eerie yellow glow shined brightly against the stark ghostly white curling around the trees, making Sophia feel as if shrouded fingers were reaching for her.
Sophia shuddered, the cold wet wind piercing her skin. How could anyone survive out here tonight? The temperatures had dipped well below freezing.
“We don’t normally get snow this heavy,” she said, glad to have a warm place to stay. “A rare winter storm right here before Christmas.”
She was about to go inside when she thought she saw a moving shadow just past Adan’s beaming light. He must have seen it, too. He stopped, held up the light again. Then he walked toward the encroaching woods and held the light up and out.
Nothing but trees and snow. The blanketed woods held no sounds except that of the occasional dripping of snow off drooping branches.
Sophia didn’t want to think about who might be out in those dark woods. She’d escaped death once and this isolated mountain community had taken her in, no questions asked. The Crescent, as the locals called the mountain, was known for accepting quirky characters who wanted to get away from the world. She wasn’t all that quirky, but she did want to stay hidden. She had no other choice.
Now a mountain of a man had come pushing into her quiet, safe world. And he was a man of the law. Which could only mean trouble was sure to follow. If Adan Harrison found out the real story about her, he’d haul her off in handcuffs without another word.
“What did you see out there?” she asked, trying to sound brave. But her teeth chattered from the cold. And from that deep fear she’d tried to hide for so long.
“I don’t know. Probably nothing.” Adan stomped the snow and mud off his boots. “Just the wind pushing at a tree.”
Sophia cast one last look out into the darkness. The hills and valleys beyond the level lane glistened in an eerie shimmer against the dark night. The woods were hushed and still and the snow fell in soft lacy threads that covered the ground like an icy white blanket.
How could anything evil be in such a beautiful setting?
“Let’s get inside,” Adan said, his hand on her arm.
Sophia normally didn’t allow strangers to touch her, but she didn’t push his hand away. They’d reached a tentative unspoken truce and she intended to keep it that way until this storm was over and she could decide what to do with this cowboy who’d invaded her space.
They shook off the snow then went inside to take off their coats and scarves. Sophia took Adan’s big still-warm coat and hung it on a peg by the door, her actions making her think of the kind of life she might not ever have. A life that included a husband and a family. A real Christmas.
“Want some more coffee?” she asked, tongue-tied now that she was alone with Adan Harrison.
“Yes.”
He did a quick visual of her cabin, his gaze sweeping and serious. Whoever he was after, he seemed intent on getting the job done. And intent on finding out her secrets, too.
“Can you talk about this man, the one you’re tracking?” she asked after she brought over two cups of fresh coffee.
They settled by the fire, him on the sofa and Sophia in her favorite old leather chair between the Christmas tree and the fireplace.
“That depends,” he responded. “Can you tell me if you’ve seen anyone suspicious around here?”
She shook her head, her fears about her past at bay now that things had quieted down. “Like Bettye said earlier, you’re the first stranger we’ve had all winter. We usually get lost hikers or vacationers thinking they can rent a cabin for the night, but most of us live here year-round except for one or two couples. The Burtons—one of those couples—are here now, at least through Christmas.”
“How many people?” he asked, his expression serious now.
“Bettye and me,” she said. “Jacob Miller—he’s got a bad crush on Bettye and she doesn’t even realize it. David and Karen Harper. Mostly retired people or...people who’re single. It’s a mixed bag. I’m an artist and Bettye is a collector—mostly junk, as you saw if you looked in her cabin—and Jacob builds stuff and helps us keep up the cabins. The Harpers fish and go for long walks, and the Burtons—Maggie and Arnie—they go on more rigorous hikes all over the mountain. We have a few more who rent part of the year, but they usually only show up in the summer. We come together for meals and picnics and holidays and we leave each other alone other times.”
“No odd person lurking about?”
Sophia got that uneasy feeling in her gut again, a stabbing, sick feeling. “No. We’d notice that, trust me. We’re all accounted for and we watch out for each other.”
Something snapped outside.
“The tree limbs are starting to crash,” she said, hoping that was all they’d heard. Her stomach clenched in a jittery snap of its own.
When another snap echoed against the porch, Adan got up. “Limbs, maybe, but I’d better check.” He set his coffee cup down and put a finger to his lips. “Don’t move.”
Sophia’s heart hit her chest and caught against her ribs. Was someone out there? She didn’t want to have a panic attack, but between this rugged Ranger and whomever he’d been tracking, she couldn’t help but fear the worst. And if her fears overtook her, she’d get that racing heart feeling and lose her breath. Taking a deep, calming gulp of air, Sophia willed herself to go into a silent strength.
And then another sound outside. A tap at the back door, maybe?
Adan’s hiss hit the air. “Where did you put my gun?”
She rushed into her bedroom and came out with his big, heavy handgun. “And here’s your badge, too.”
Taking both, he checked the gun then stashed his badge in his pocket. Grabbing his coat, he glanced back at her. “Stay here,” he said. “I’m going out to check.”
Sophia’s emotions ran the gamut between scared and anxious to sad and full of regret. She’d only known Adan Harrison for about three hours, and in that time, she’d held a gun on him, watched her friend knock him out and they’d tied him up and put tape over his mouth. Now, she was so glad he’d come to Crescent Mountain. The man exuded confidence and power and made her feel secure. But those traits didn’t hide the one glaring thing Adan’s presence had brought out in her—the solid fear she’d managed to keep at bay by sheer force and willpower.
For the first time in years, she didn’t feel safe here.
* * *
ADAN SLID ALONG the rough plank walls of the square brown cabin. He’d checked around the big front porch and found nothing. But here on the side of the house, he hit the ground with a penlight