She agreed but… “Problem is, there aren’t any local members of the group, so someone from out of the area has to be doing it. I can check local motels and hotels for possible suspects but a warrant will likely be required to get any info.”

  “Russ can get one.” Tobias nodded at a vintage red pickup parking down the road and two men stepped out. “There’s Reid. Maybe I can ask him to put some pressure on Russ too.”

  She should’ve recognized the driver as Reid Maddox, but she hadn’t caught a good look at his face. The two men quickly marched toward the back of their truck.

  “Perfect timing. I wanted to talk to him anyway.” She faced Tobias. “The former FBI agent I mentioned is Colin Graham, and he’s a part of Reid’s team.”

  She didn’t wait for Tobias to ask any questions, but headed down the road, skirting the large log trucks still hugging the side. Finn had said drivers would be coming back to return the vehicles to the office location.

  She got closer to Reid’s pickup and two sets of footfalls trailed behind her. Finn and Tobias of course. Thankfully the awkward silence between her and Finn had ended. They’d earlier given their official statements to Russ, and as predicted, he didn’t share a bit of information. Then she and Finn had made phone calls, checked email, and otherwise sat staring as water trucks came and went while the firefighters battled on and the flames diminished.

  The other guy with Reid looked up.

  Colin! It was Colin.

  She sped up to where they’d set up a pair of tables and were now unloading other items from the truck bed.

  “Steele,” Colin said, a smile she couldn’t see behind his mask lighting his eyes. “Long time no see.”

  “Hey, Colin,” she said so Finn and Tobias would know who she was talking to. “Nice to see you.”

  Colin set down a box of individual packages of potato chips. “Russ said you were here when they found the body, but I didn’t expect you’d still be on scene.”

  She stopped by the tailgate loaded with food and drinks likely for the firefighters. “We’re waiting to talk to Ryan, but then we planned to come see you.”

  “Me?” His large brown eyes widened.

  “I have a favor to ask,” she said. “But why don’t we help you get this set up as we talk? I assume it’s for the firefighters.”

  “It is.” Colin cast a quizzical glance at Tobias and Finn, who stopped next to Ryleigh.

  Reid stepped closer. “Ryan called to say the blaze was contained, and the guys could use a meal.” His piercing blue eyes fixed on Finn. His look could cut right through a person if he wanted, but he was a kind, Christian man underneath. The contrast had always made him most interesting to watch. “Ryleigh and Tobias are old family friends, but I don’t know you.”

  Finn didn’t balk under Reid’s intensity but held out his hand and introduced himself to Reid and Colin. “Ryleigh mentioned you both.”

  Reid relaxed, but only a fraction. “I was sorry to hear about Felicia’s passing.”

  Finn flashed a wide-eyed look at Reid. “You knew her?”

  Reid nodded. “My daughter Jessie attends elementary school with Avery.”

  “Right,” Finn said. “I need to remember how small Shadow Lake is and that everyone knows everyone.”

  “Not everyone.” Colin’s sarcasm wasn’t even mildly hidden. “But as an outsider, I can say it sure feels like it. Not that people haven’t been friendly. Maybe too friendly if you get my meaning.”

  On the summers Ryleigh had gone into town with the Maddox boys, she’d witnessed the local gossips in full force. “Have you been fixed up on blind dates yet?”

  Colin snorted. “Man, have I, but I’ve managed to put them off. So far, anyway. You too, Durham?”

  “I’ve met my share.” Finn’s voice was strained.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re introduced to all the single women with kids in school by the end of the month.” Colin’s eyes crinkled above his mask.

  Finn shoved his hand into his hair. “Avery and I have enough casseroles in the freezer for a month of dinners. I appreciate the food. Just not sure I’ll appreciate the offers that will come when I give the dishes back.”

  Ah yes, he was reluctant. Not a surprise. He’d always made a point of ignoring women who threw themselves at him. One of the reasons he’d been so interested in her. Sure, she was impressed that he’d survived the sheer torture to become a SEAL, and she liked that he was a hero, but she worked with heroes every day and came from a family of them too. So why put SEALs, in particular, on a pedestal?

  Reid shifted and toed the dirt. His wife died a little over a year ago, and the single women were likely starting to approach him too. He waved a hand over the bed of his cherry red Ford truck and looked at Colin. “If you’ll get things unloaded and the tables set up, I’ll go tell my brother we’re here.”

  “We can help.” Finn grabbed a bin of disposable dishes and silverware and took them to the table.

  “You’re in charge.” Reid nodded at Colin as he passed.

  Colin gave a mock salute and looked back at the others. “Let’s get to it. These guys are bound to devour this stuff.” He picked up a cooler and carried it toward the table.

  Tobias followed Reid, and they stopped to talk. Ah yes. He was putting that pressure on Russ that Tobias said he would exert.

  Finn picked up a large platter of sub sandwiches in an open cardboard box and headed for the table by Colin. “So you work in the Maddox resort that Ryleigh used to come to in the summers.”

  Colin set down the cooler. “Not hardly a resort anymore. “

  “It’s now Shadow Lake Survival.” Ryleigh grabbed the nearest item, a trashcan, and stepped over to Colin. “A few years ago, they started the business to teach survival skills to people who want to live off-grid. It’s an immersion kind of course and really intense.”

  Finn looked at Colin. “There’re enough customers for that line of work?”

  Colin nodded. “With more people working from home and moving from cities, the business is booming. That’s why they hired me. Hired my brother Devon too. He’s a former Clackamas County deputy. Also recently brought Micha Nichols on board. He served with Russ in the military.”

  “From what I’ve heard, you guys are always booked.” She unfurled a bag in the trashcan.

  Colin turned to study her. “What’s this favor you mentioned?”

  “Before I ask, I want you to know I respect your decision to walk away from domestic terrorism.”

  “Okay. Butter me up first. I get it.” His eyebrows rose. “But…”

  “But we believe this bomb could be a result of ecoterrorism.”

  He stopped moving. “And…”

  She settled the can by the table. “And I’ve done all I can think of to find a solid suspect, but I’ve come up empty-handed. You have such a deep understanding of this kind of crime, I hoped you could find something I missed.”

  He simply stared at her. She got it. He didn’t want to do this.

  As much as she respected him and didn’t want to inflict any further distress on him, she couldn’t give up. “I know this is a big ask, but a man has died. With so many threats sent to Tobias, I’m worried this might not be over.”

  He scrunched his forehead. She hadn’t convinced him. Far from it.

  “Tobias reported the threats to Russ, right?” he asked.

  Good. At least he hadn’t given her an outright no. “He did, but from what Tobias told me, Russ struck out too. Of course, this bomb changes everything. Russ now has a murder to investigate. He’s bound to throw additional resources at it, but they don’t have a budget for hiring someone with your skills.”

  Colin reached into the cooler and shifted chunks of ice to expose bottled water. “I’m sure we could get Nick Thorn at Veritas to help. They do pro bono work all the time. I know him and would be glad to ask.”

  “Already in my plan, but he doesn’t have a terrorism background like you.” She moved closer, hoping he would look up again as she planned to plead with more than her words. “And remember, not long ago you would’ve done exactly what I’m doing if you had an expert who could help.”

  “Yeah. I would’ve.” He ran a hand over deep brown hair styled in a buzz cut then let out a long breath. “I’ve finally let that all go, and I really don’t want to drag it up. Especially not so soon. I’ve just started sleeping well at night again.”

  Ouch. That cut her to the core. But if she could bring in a killer and at the same time save her company’s reputation, she would pull out all stops. “Trust me. If I thought we could do this without you, I wouldn’t ask.”

  “I don’t know.”

  She hated taking advantage of their friendship, but she had no choice. Yet to be fair to him, he needed to know her motivations. “You know I want to bring in the bomber at all costs, right?”

  “That goes without saying.”

  “But once the news media finds out Steele Guardians knew about the threats and failed to stop this bomber, it could be disastrous for our family business.”

  “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” He lifted his mask to his forehead and scratched his chin. “Your family took me in on Thanksgiving that year I couldn’t go home. They made me feel like one of the family. I’ll do it for them. You too, of course, because you’re one of them.”

  “Thank you, Colin.” She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug, something she would never have done while they were fellow agents, but it felt right at the moment.

  “If I’d known I’d get a hug out of it, I would’ve said yes right away.” Colin grinned, his face blooming in attractiveness.

  Why couldn’t she fall for a wonderful guy like Colin?

  But not her. She always liked men who bordered on a bad boy. Men like Finn. Guys who weren’t available. A challenge. Even now. He’d hurt her big time, and he still got to her. Truth be told, she’d never forgotten him and had imagined what might’ve been off and on since they split over two years ago.

  Totally odd for her. She was a free spirit as Russ had said and rarely lived in the past. She moved on. Tried new things.

  And yet, here she was caring about what he was thinking. That had to stop and it had to stop right now.

  4

  Finn unloaded and set up chairs near several tables for the men, his gut churning as he watched Ryleigh and Colin reminisce about their past at the FBI. That after a shared hug. Finn wanted to march over to Ryleigh, stamp his claim on her, and warn this Colin fella off.

  Seriously, where had that come from? Finn had never been a jealous guy. No need to be when he usually had no trouble convincing the woman he was interested in to go out with him. Not bragging. Just stating a fact. SEALs were chick magnets and women flocked to them. He didn’t play that up like some of the guys did. In fact, he never put it out there until after a first date. But Ryleigh had been different. She hadn’t succumbed to his charms on that date. Far from it.

  He'd met her at church when he was on medical leave and visiting his cousin in Portland. One look at her, and he’d fallen hard. He’d tried to get her attention, but she didn’t pick up on his most obvious signals. He’d had to get the pastor to introduce him. Seriously. She unsettled him so badly that he’d had to ask a pastor to be his wingman. Didn’t matter. Finn was hooked and would do whatever it took to meet her.

  Did she care? Nope. She was more interested in what her family was up to than talking with him. Took her sister, Mackenzie, to act as a go-between to procure that first date. Even then, Ryleigh seemed more interested in everything around them than him.

  So he broke his hard, fast rule and told her he was a SEAL on that first date. Waited for a positive reaction. Got little to nothing other than respect. What he wanted, right? No. He’d wanted her to be the one to ask for a second date. Or at least hint that she wanted it instead of a reluctant agreement.

  He’d learned on the first date that she was an eternal optimist and a real free spirit. Fine. He had to play into that. Plan an adventure together. He did some recon with her sister and found out Ryleigh had never been on a hot air balloon ride. That would be an adventure a free spirit could get behind, so he arranged a flight over the Willamette Valley.

  What an afternoon. She finally opened her eyes and really saw him. Well not until they were back on the ground. In the air, she was bursting with joy and wonder at her surroundings. Her big eyes blazing with enthusiasm. Her face filled with astonishment. So beautiful he could barely remember to breathe, and he’d hardly seen the landscape.

  He would never forget that day. Her smile. Her passion. Her pure joy.

  In fact, he never had forgotten it or her, and after he’d gotten Avery settled, he’d planned to look her up again. He had to apologize for the way he’d left things after the amazing month they’d had together before his leave ended, and he had to deploy again.

  Everything came crashing down on him that day. All the rules. The problems. The reasons they didn’t work. Why relationships with a SEAL often failed.

  He lived in California when not deployed. She might be a free spirit but family was everything to her, and she was entrenched in Portland. He wouldn’t mind living in Portland again. He liked the city just fine, but he couldn’t leave the team. They were his extended family.

  So he’d ended things. Bam. Just like that. Cold turkey. The way he did everything. Decide. Act. Move.

  But man, oh, man. He wasn’t proud of how he’d left her, but he’d thought he had no choice at the time. If they’d tried a long-distance relationship, he would just have dragged out the inevitable breakup. Better to rip the Band-Aid off instead of taking a gentle approach and getting more invested in a future they couldn’t have.

  Besides, as a free spirit, he hadn’t thought she would be upset. Certainly not hold it against him two years later. But there she was cozying up to this Colin guy and forgetting Finn was even there.

  Leave it alone. Move on.

  He settled the last chair in place and spotted Reid and Ryan stepping down the driveway, ten other firefighters trailing behind.

  Finally.

  Soot covered Ryan. His face. Turnout gear. Gloves. All of it. And his facial muscles were tight, his eyes droopy.

  The man had just given his all, and he deserved a major thank you. Along with this spread of food and drinks.

  But what did Finn plan to do?

  Pounce on the guy and pump him for information. Not something Finn wanted to admit, but finding the bomber had to come first. The only thing more important to Finn was not to let it become all-consuming, take over his life, and let little Avery down. Nothing could be more important than the motherless little girl.

  Not even following these unwanted feelings and trying to rekindle a relationship with the captivating Ryleigh Steele.

  While worn and exhausted firefighters fueled up, Ryleigh shoved her phone into her pocket from calling her family to update the situation and leaned against a logging truck next to Finn. She’d also had a long discussion with Colin about how he could help, and he was fully on board.

  He grabbed another platter of chocolate chip cookies from the truck. “Email me all the details for the searches, and I’ll get on it the minute I get back to the compound.”

  “I’ll do it right after we talk to Ryan.” She smiled her thanks.

  He returned her smile, and she could actually see it as the air had cleared, and they’d ditched their masks. Problem was, she also had a clear look at Finn’s unbearably handsome face, and she kept sneaking glances.

  “You’re both former feds,” Finn said, seeming totally ignorant of her struggle. “Does this bombing fit the FBI’s definition of ecoterrorism?”

  “It appears to.” Colin uncovered the cookies. “But this situation is odd.”

  Finn pushed off the truck, his gaze interested. “How so?”

  Colin tossed the plastic wrap in the trashcan. “I’ve never seen an ecoterrorist group engage in an action like this where there was a potential loss of life.”

  “These groups usually want to protect life,” Ryleigh added. “Means they direct their attacks on property, hoping to cause economic harm to industries that destroy the environment. Sovereign Earth believes logging in any form is bad.”

  Colin strode back to the truck. “Then if we go with their philosophy, they’d need to be sure no one would be on site. Means they could have someone on the inside who knew the place would be deserted at lunchtime today.”

  Finn frowned. “Or they’re just good at recon. This place runs on a routine schedule. If I watched the site long enough, I could predict what would happen at any given time of day.”

  Ryleigh agreed. “Besides, wouldn’t it be easier to set the bomb to detonate on a regular day after the second shift ended, and our guards would be the only people in the area?”

  Colin cocked his head. “Good point, but maybe they thought the bomb would start a fire like it did, and a volunteer response could be slower at night.”

  “Sounds possible,” Finn said. “If not quickly contained, a fire could wipe out the trees the group was trying to protect.”

  A grave expression tightened Colin’s face. “I really need to get a look at those threats.”

  Ryleigh opened her phone to her photo app and held it out to Colin. “I scanned them. You can take a quick look now, and I’ll email them to you too.”

  He swiped the images and studied the files one at a time. “They’re certainly framing the threats as protecting the environment, and no doubt the message is consistent with an ecoterrorist group.”

  “Looking deeper into ecoterrorism seems like the way to start for sure,” Finn said.

  Colin’s lips turned down in a deep frown. “Yeah, but we don’t want to count Virgil Eckles out. He was onsite and could be involved. I’ll start with him before digging into Sovereign Earth and then widen the search to include all ecoterrorism.”

  “Wouldn’t it be faster to limit our focus to groups with their sights set just on logging?” Finn asked.