Chapter 7
Sabrina had seen enough evidence collection teams in her career to know they operated like well-oiled machines. But she’d never watched one meticulously photograph and document a dusty baseball cap while standing next to a guy she couldn’t label.
Was this a date? Did she introduce Noah as her boyfriend? Sexy SAR Expert?
Thank God no one had asked her. Though as the morning sun climbed over Dark Canyon’s jagged peaks, it occurred to her that any given member of Dark Canyon’s police department staff might already know Noah.
If they did, they’d assume he’d arrived on the scene in an official capacity, especially since Dancer sat right by his left leg.
Well, didn’t he have an official capacity?
He certainly wasn’t here because she’d invited him—he’d been the one to issue the invitation.
The fact that she knew exactly what he tasted like and wished she could kiss him again right now had nothing to do with baseball caps, Jane Does, homicide investigations or evidence.
That was on her. She’d mixed business with pleasure, no one else. It was screwing with her, thinking about how unprofessional it was. How she always had to think about people’s—men’s—perception of her.
Ugh. This uncertainty was not going to work.
Noah worked for her, though, every inch of his glorious hard body and messy hair. Their conversation during dinner had been off the charts. Never had she felt so seen before. He understood her, recognized her drive without it feeling like he wished she’d throttle back a little.
Maybe she could get over herself and just worry about the investigation and not that everyone here knew her mouth watered when Noah shot her secret smiles.
They’d found a legitimate piece of evidence. Probably. It was on the PD to prove that, unfortunately, but she had enough brain cells not dedicated to Noah to start thinking through how to get her hands on that part of the investigation too.
That’s what she needed to be focusing on.
Work. This was her job, her identity, and Noah was…
a fun addition. She knew these canyons, every twist and shadow, every game trail that wandered off the beaten path.
Yet somehow Noah had shown her a new way to approach them, approach how she interacted, not just in the way he worked with Dancer but in how naturally they’d fallen into step together.
She’d never been much for teamwork. Not that the guys in her department gave her the impression they wanted to partner with her. Sure, she did her share of growling and barking when they approached her. It was easier that way. No one to disappoint or be disappointed by.
But Noah made her think about everything differently. The way he anticipated her movements, matched her pace without trying to outdo her—it was unbelievably sexy.
Even now, as they watched the evidence team work, she found herself hyperaware of his presence, the solidness of him at her shoulder making her feel oddly secure.
Which was ridiculous. She’d never needed anyone to make her feel any way before.
The evidence team moved with practiced efficiency, photographing the baseball cap from multiple angles before carefully documenting its position in the brush.
Yellow evidence markers dotted the ground, creating a precise grid around their find.
The blonde hairs caught in the closure had generated particular excitement—they couldn’t have asked for better proof that Jane Doe had been brought through here.
More than that though, the location told a story. This wasn’t a hiking trail, not even close. Someone had brought that woman up here deliberately, someone who knew these back routes as well as Sabrina did.
Who? No one she’d ever met.
The unknown pieces of this mystery nagged at her. She wanted answers, both for Jane Doe—and closure on her untimely death—and for Noah. Because it seemed important to him and Sabrina found herself wanting to please him.
“Your dog’s got quite a nose.” One of the police department’s crime scene techs nodded toward Dancer, who sat at perfect attention beside Noah despite the surrounding activity.
It was a nod to Noah’s SAR skills and maybe a subtle thank-you for calling it in. Some of the uniforms got testy when external teams overstepped or didn’t respect jurisdiction, which was exactly why she’d insisted they bring in the proper departments.
“He’s the best,” Noah replied, but his gaze shifted right back to Sabrina. As if he preferred looking at her instead of the view.
And having a man like Noah’s attention was going to her head.
“West.”
She turned to find Marcus Reynolds striding toward them, his expression carved from the same stone as the canyon walls. That was a look she rarely saw on her commander, and she didn’t want to see it now.
He’d gotten wind of her find. Obviously. And had come all the way up here to see why one of his officers was tied up with a police investigation instead of handling her regular patrol duties, no doubt. She had a feeling he intended to ensure she heard exactly how far outside her lane she’d drifted.
“Sir.”
He crossed his arms. “Care to explain what’s going on?”
At least he was giving her the opportunity—and hopefully the benefit of the doubt. She gestured to where the team worked. “Dancer indicated a baseball cap during a training exercise and we noticed hair caught in the closure. It appears to match our victim’s.”
Not exactly a lie. Noah had been the one to mention bringing Dancer out here. And SAR dogs did have to go through regular training exercises, which she’d learned while researching how one went about getting SAR certified before going to bed last night.
Reynolds’s weathered face didn’t give away much as he surveyed the scene, but she caught the slight narrowing of his eyes that usually preceded a thorough dressing down. “Training exercise? You’re supposed to be patrolling the south rim. Looking for evidence falls under local PD jurisdiction.”
The reprimand stung, but she’d been dealing with male authority figures her entire life. She knew the drill—stand straight, maintain eye contact, don’t show weakness.
“With all due respect, sir—” she started, but Reynolds cut her off.
“Respect would be following the chain of command.” His voice dropped lower, the way her father’s used to when he was particularly disappointed. “We have protocols for a reason. Your job is to protect and monitor forest resources, not conduct investigations.”
Heat crept up her neck. She’d followed her instincts and found actual evidence. That should count for something. But he was right—this wasn’t her jurisdiction. As a Forest Service officer, she should have suggested the search area to the police department and let them handle the investigation.
But before she could defend herself, Noah stepped forward.
“Commander Reynolds.” Noah’s voice carried that perfect blend of authority and respect that seemed to come naturally to him.
“I take full responsibility. I asked Officer West to help me run through some advanced tracking techniques. Given her knowledge of the local terrain, she was the ideal candidate to assist with Dancer’s training. ”
Her first instinct was to bristle—she could handle Reynolds on her own. She’d been managing difficult men her entire career. But something about Noah’s presence at her shoulder calmed her. It said they were in this together and he’d never abandon her. Which shouldn’t feel so good.
Reynolds’s attention shifted to Noah, his expression skeptical. “Training? Or were you hoping to stumble onto evidence related to our Jane Doe?”
“Both.” Noah didn’t flinch under that hard stare.
“Officer West mentioned her interest in SAR certification. As someone who regularly works with law enforcement, I know how valuable those skills can be. When she agreed to help with today’s training exercise, I saw an opportunity to evaluate her aptitude while covering ground that might be relevant to the police investigation.
It’s just smart to run a training exercise in an area where there might be something to find, sir. ”
Reynolds’s skeptical look said he wasn’t completely buying it, but Noah’s explanation had given him a way to overlook the protocol breach without losing face. “Is that right?”
“We understand the jurisdictional concerns,” Noah said, answering the real question Reynolds was asking. “That’s why Officer West immediately called in the evidence team when Dancer alerted. She followed protocol to the letter.”
Sabrina held her breath. She hadn’t asked Noah to cover for her, hadn’t expected him to step between her and Reynolds’s justified anger. The surge of emotion that rolled through her caught her off guard. Usually, she hated when men tried to fight her battles.
But Noah hadn’t rushed in to save the damsel in distress. He’d merely repeated what she’d already told her commander, supporting her position. Complementing her. Like they were a real team and he’d always have her back.
Was this what true partnership felt like?
Reynolds crossed his arms. “SAR certification? Is that what this is about, West? Using an active investigation to pad your résumé?”
“No, sir. Though I won’t deny the certification would look good for the district ranger position.
But mainly—” she glanced at Noah, drawing her next words carefully from a heartfelt place deep inside “—I’ve seen how effective SAR teams can be.
How they make a real difference. That’s something I want to be part of. ”
It wasn’t until the words left her mouth that she realized how true they were.
Yes, the certification would help her career.
That was the obvious reason, the first one that came to her after Noah casually dropped the suggestion in her lap during dinner.
But watching him work with Dancer, seeing the strong bonds between them—it stirred something in her.
A longing she hadn’t even known was there.