Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Connor
"A nd if you look to your left, you'll see a pair of golden eagles circling near the ridge." I point toward the distant outcropping where two large birds of prey ride the thermal currents. "They've nested in that same spot for about three years now. Golden eagles mate for life and return to the same nesting site year after year."
A chorus of appreciative murmurs rises from the group of hikers I'm leading along Wildflower Ridge. Six tourists, all decked out in brand new hiking gear that hasn't seen enough dirt yet to look authentic. They're nice enough, though and genuinely interested in the landscape and wildlife. Not just here for Instagram photos like some groups.
"How much farther to the waterfall?" asks a woman in a purple jacket. Linda, if I remember correctly. She and her husband are celebrating their anniversary.
"About another mile," I tell her, checking my watch. "We should be there in?—"
Something stops me mid-sentence. A feeling. Nothing I can point to or name, just a sudden unease prickling at the back of my neck.
I turn slowly, scanning the trail behind us, then looking up at the sky. The morning had started clear and bright, but now I notice darker clouds gathering over the eastern peaks. They weren't in the forecast when I checked at dawn.
"Everything okay?" asks Richard, the most experienced hiker of the group.
"Yeah," I say, but I'm already calculating distances and times in my head. "Just keeping an eye on those clouds."
As if on cue, a low rumble reaches us, distant but unmistakable.
"Is that thunder?" Linda's husband asks, looking concerned.
I nod, decisions already made. "Change of plans, folks. We're going to head back to the lodge."
"But the waterfall—" begins the youngest member of the group, a college student named Tyler.
"Will still be there tomorrow," I finish for him. "Mountain weather can change fast, and I don't like the look of those clouds. Trust me, you don't want to be caught on an exposed ridge during a thunderstorm."
Years of guiding have taught me that maintaining a calm demeanor is half the battle. I keep my voice steady, my expression relaxed, even as I pick up the pace slightly on our return journey.
Another rumble of thunder, louder this time. The clouds are moving faster than I expected, rolling in from the east. My gut instinct is rarely wrong about these things.
"Will we make it back before the rain?" Linda asks, slightly breathless as she navigates a rocky section of trail.
"That's the plan," I say with a reassuring smile that doesn't quite match the concern building in my chest.
We're making good time, about a mile from the trailhead where our lodge shuttle waits, when the wind picks up, sharp and cool against my face. The first hint of rain scents the air. I glance at the clouds again. They're darker now, heavy with the promise of a serious downpour.
"Let's pick up the pace a bit," I suggest, offering a hand to Linda as we descend a steep section of switchbacks.
By the time we reach the final stretch of trail, I can see our shuttle in the small parking area ahead. Perfect timing. The first fat raindrops are beginning to fall, spattering the dusty trail and raising that distinctive scent of rain on dry earth.
"Looks like we're going to get wet after all," Richard comments good-naturedly.
"Better a little rain than a lightning storm on the ridge," I reply, ushering everyone down the last slope.
We're nearly to the parking lot when something catches my eye. A vehicle that doesn't belong to the lodge or any of the regular guides. A small blue hatchback parked at the far end, near the trailhead for Eagle Point.
I stop so abruptly that Tyler nearly bumps into me.
I know that car. The faded bumper sticker on the back window. The small crack in the taillight that I've been telling her to fix for months.
Sarah's car.
My chest tightens. Sarah Miller is not a hiker. In the decade I've known her, I've never once seen her on a trail. What in the world is she doing up here, today of all days, with a storm rolling in?
"Connor?" Richard prompts, drawing my attention back to the group.
"Sorry," I mutter, forcing myself to focus on my current responsibility. "Everyone into the shuttle. We need to get back before this really starts coming down."
I drive the group back to the lodge in record time, my mind racing faster than the approaching storm clouds. The rain is coming down harder now, drumming against the roof of the shuttle as I pull up to the lodge entrance.
"Thanks for getting us back safely," Linda says as the group files out.
"My brother Rowan will help you get settled," I tell them, spotting my youngest brother on the porch. "I need to head back out."
I catch Rowan's eye as the group moves toward the shelter of the lodge. "Storm's coming in fast," I call to him. "Can you make sure Liam knows this group is back safe?"
He nods, immediately picking up on my urgency. "Everything okay?"
"I spotted Sarah Miller's car at the Eagle Point trailhead."
Understanding dawns on his face. "Go. I've got this." He glances over his shoulder toward the main office. "Heads up though, Liam's in a mood. Mom's new bookkeeper showed up this morning. Turns out it's Lauren Abbott."
Lauren Abbott. Liam's ex-wife. No wonder my brother's in a mood. Leave it to our mother to hire the one person guaranteed to turn Liam's world upside down without warning any of us. But that's a Callahan family drama for another day.
"He'll survive," I say, already backing up the shuttle. "I've got more urgent problems right now."
I don't wait for further discussion. As soon as the last hiker is safely inside, I throw the shuttle into reverse, then spin it around, heading back toward the trailhead at a speed that would make Liam lecture me about lodge liability.