Epilogue
The late-afternoon sun warmed the red stone beneath Liam’s boots, and heat radiated up from the plateau in shimmering waves. The air smelled of sage and dust—sharp and clean after last night’s rain. Their hike had started cool, but the afternoon desert sun had heated the air quickly.
The park would reopen tomorrow. Tourists would flood back with the first of September, their voices echoing off these ancient walls. But today, it was just them—three backcountry rangers finishing what had started as a routine summer.
Routine. Right.
Liam adjusted his pack and winced when his helmet pressed against the scar from his head injury. Almost three weeks healed, but still tender. He looked up at the rock spire ahead.
The last cache. The final piece of Roosevelt’s puzzle.
“You sure you’re up for this?” Noah fell into step beside him, his tone casual but his brown eyes assessing.
Always the big brother.
“I’m fine.” Liam grinned. “Meg cleared me for full duty. Said my hard head saved me.”
“She’s not wrong.”
Teague came up on Liam’s other side, his auburn curls a little out of control. His eyes were already scanning the route ahead with the practiced ease of someone who’d spent more of his life vertical than horizontal. “Are you two done? Because I’d like to finish this before dark.”
“Lead on, mountain goat.” Noah dropped his pack and started pulling out gear. Rope, harness, carabiners clinking together in a familiar rhythm.
“That’s ‘expert climber’ to you.” Teague was already chalking his hands, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Try to keep up, old man.”
“I’m thirty-five.”
“Like I said. Old.”
They started up the spire. The route was straightforward—good holds, solid rock, nothing technical. The limestone warmed Liam’s hands, textured and rough with good friction. Within thirty minutes, they stood at the top, a flat area maybe ten feet across.
“Here.” Satisfaction filled Teague’s voice. He pulled aside a carefully placed rock and revealed a weathered chest—just like the one Nimue had found.
Liam helped lift it out. The hinges protested with a metallic groan as he raised the lid.
Inside—gold bars. Twenty of them, gleaming in the low sun.
Teague sat back on his heels. “That’s all of them. Roosevelt’s entire cache accounted for. Too bad we lost the second chest.”
“I don’t care. I am just glad it is over.” Noah was already photographing the chest for the official report. “Started with a random tip about a bus parked too close to the rim—”
Liam chuckled. “Thank you, Nimue.”
“—and ended with murder, helicopter rescues, and enough money to totally revamp the SAR team.” Noah lowered his phone. “Not bad for a summer’s work.”
“We saved lives.” Teague stared out at the canyon, his expression thoughtful. “Risked a few too.”
“Speaking of which—” Liam shot him a look. “Xander told me about that gap you jumped when you were trying to get to me.” He let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re insane.”
Teague groaned. “Don’t bring that up around Eden.”
“Seven feet with no room for error. Impressive.” Noah divided the gold into three piles, each bar heavy and solid in his hands. “Stupid, but impressive.”
“High praise coming from Mr. I-Got-Stabbed-And-Kept-Fighting.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I was motivated to protect the woman I love.”
“I was motivated by not letting Liam die.”
“See? Different.”
Liam snorted. “I’m touched, really.”
“You should be.” Teague grinned. “I don’t jump crevasses for just anyone.”
They worked in comfortable silence for a moment, dividing the gold, securing it in their packs. A raven called from somewhere overhead, its cry echoing off the canyon walls.
“Brotherhood forged in fire.” Noah’s voice was light, but something deeper ran beneath it. “Or in this case, forged in canyon heat, cave collapses, and crazy madmen.”
“And the grace of God.” Liam’s voice was quiet but certain. “Every impossible moment. Every time we thought we wouldn’t make it. He was there.”
“Yeah.” Teague looked out at the canyon, his expression softening. “He was.”
The sat phone in Noah’s pack buzzed. He pulled it out and checked the screen. “It’s Meg.”
“Answer it.” Liam grinned. “Speaker.”
Noah hit the button. “Hey, beautiful. We found the last cache.”
“That’s great!” Meg’s voice came through clear and bright. “We’re celebrating here too. Hold on—”
Rustling sounds. Then Eden’s voice. “Did you say you found it? All of it?”
“Twenty bars, still here where Teague left it.” Liam moved closer to the phone. “How’s your day going?”
“Well—”
Meg cut in. “Eden convinced us to try rock climbing. The tourist wall at the rec center.”
Teague’s expression was priceless. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes.” That was Nimue now, her voice threaded with amusement. “Eden is showing off. Meg keeps giving safety lectures. And I’m taking pictures of everything.”
“Safety lectures?” Noah laughed. “That’s my girl.”
“Someone has to make sure these two don’t break anything.” Meg’s tone was dry. “Eden’s already tried to free solo the intermediate wall.”
“It’s six feet off the ground!” Eden’s voice was softer now, as though she’d moved away from the phone.
“Six feet is still enough to sprain an ankle, which you would know if you’d listened to my safety lecture.”
“Send the pictures.” Teague was grinning. “I need to see this.”
“Already done.” Nimue’s laugh carried through the speaker. “How’s the view up there?”
Liam looked out at the canyon. The evening light painted the stone in shades of gold and red and orange. The air was crystal clear, visibility stretching for miles. Layers of ancient rock descended into shadow, the river a thin silver thread far below. “You can see forever.”
“Take a picture.” Nimue’s voice was warm. “I want to see it.”
“Will do.”
“Hurry home.” Nimue’s voice softened. “I miss you.”
Something in Liam’s chest unclenched at her words. “Miss you too. Be there soon.”
They signed off, and Noah propped his phone on a boulder. The three of them stood in front of the camera, the canyon stretching behind them, the sun low over Teague’s shoulder.
After a few shots, Noah checked the time. “So. What now? Watch the rest of the sunset like we planned?”
The three of them looked at each other.
Three rangers who’d started the summer as colleagues and ended it as brothers.
“We could.” Teague’s grin was slow and sure. “Or we could get home to our ladies.”
“I vote home.” Liam was already securing his pack.
“Is there really a question?” Noah grabbed his gear. “Let’s move.”
They started down the route, moving carefully. The rock was still warm where the sun hit it directly, cooling in the shadows.
“So.” Noah broke the comfortable silence. “Anyone want to make predictions for next summer?”
“Boring.” Teague said immediately. “Please let next summer be boring.”
“Routine patrols.” Liam added. “Maybe a few lost hikers. Nothing involving murder or gold or getting shot at.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Noah grinned. “Though knowing our luck—”
“Don’t.” Teague held up a hand. “Don’t even finish that sentence.”
“Fine, fine.” Noah laughed. “Boring summer. Totally uneventful.”
“When’s the wedding?” Liam asked. “You never gave us a date.”
“December. She wants a winter wedding in Colorado. Her family’s there. Think you guys can make it?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
They reached the bottom of the spire, the plateau spreading before them. In the distance, the trail led back to the North Rim Ranger Station. Back to civilization. Back to the women waiting for them.
A condor circled overhead, riding thermals in the cooling air.
Tomorrow, the canyon would fill with visitors—families coming to see ancient beauty carved by time and water and the hand of God.
But today, it was still theirs.
Liam took one last look at the canyon. The fading gold light on the stone. The two men walking beside him who’d become like brothers in the truest sense.
Not a bad summer after all.
He shifted the weight on his shoulders and headed for home.
Thank you for reading Nothing But Air. We hope you loved the story. Did you start at the beginning? Make sure to read Over the Edge, the story that kicked of our thrilling Summer Rangers series by Susan May Warren and Tari Faris.
When a woman running from the mob meets a ranger haunted by his past, the Grand Canyon's dangers might be the least of their troubles.
Tech-savvy hacker Nimue Hart has mastered the art of staying invisible, living off-grid in her Airstream and hiding from the Russian mob who want her silenced. But when a rescue mission forces her into the spotlight, her carefully constructed world begins to crumble.
Grand Canyon Backcountry Ranger Liam Kingsley buried his heart in the Swiss Alps a year ago after a tragic climbing accident. Now he keeps tourists safe and his emotions locked away—until a mysterious woman with secrets of her own makes him question everything he thought he knew about safety.
As their worlds collide, Nimue and Liam must navigate more than just the treacherous canyon trails.
With mobsters closing in, a dangerous treasure unearthed, and lives hanging in the balance during a catastrophic flash flood, their growing trust in each other might be their only lifeline.
But when Nimue's past catches up with them at the canyon's edge, Liam faces his worst nightmare all over again—this time with a woman he can't bear to lose.
Perfect for readers who love their romance with a shot of adrenaline, OVER THE EDGE delivers heart-pounding action, breathtaking rescues, and the sizzling chemistry between a protective ranger and a brilliant woman on the run.
Keep reading for a sneak peek…
Over the Edge | Summer Rangers #1