“But if only he could see that he got rid of a lousy mother and ended up with Sarah, who is wonderful. But no, he has the nerve to be upset with me, as if I had it better than he did because our mother stuck around while I was growing up.”

  Olivia was determined to hang on to her patience. “But if you could see it from his viewpoint, then maybe—”

  “How about if he saw it from my viewpoint? If he had to spend even a week with Diana, he’d be a raving maniac. I guarantee it.”

  She said the words as gently as she knew how. “It’s not a competition to prove who suffered more, Wyatt.”

  “I realize that, but her leaving him turned out to be for his own good.” Wyatt’s body had gone rigid with frustration. “Why can’t he see that?”

  She gazed into his angry eyes. “Does it really matter what he sees or doesn’t see? Why not just acknowledge that he had a rough time and move on?”

  “I wish it could be that simple, but I don’t think it can. He couldn’t even trust me to hold his kid, as if I’m permanently tainted because I’m Diana’s son.” His voice vibrated with pain.

  “Give him another chance. I mean, when the stakes are this high, and you want to be part of this family—”

  “Yeah, what a fantasy that was. To think I imagined blending into life on the ranch. I can kiss that idea goodbye.”

  “Maybe not. Wyatt, be the bigger man. Extend the olive branch to your brother.”

  “I’ve done that, and he slapped it out of my hand.”

  She stood up and faced him. “Could it be because you insisted on claiming that you were more damaged than he was?”

  “Olivia, I made the trip from San Francisco. Twice. He wasn’t particularly welcoming the first time, but I thought he’d get used to the idea, and I…I thought I’d finally found where I belonged.”

  “I know.” She ached for him.

  His jaw tightened. “But I can’t keep laying everything on the line. It’s time for Jack to step up.”

  “It’s not a matter of stepping up.” She began to wonder if she was wasting her breath. “It’s a matter of wanting to heal this breach, of being willing to swallow your pride. Don’t abandon the possibility of being part of that ranch community because you’re too proud to try again.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “It’s no use. I feel like the stray dog that keeps getting turned away. A man has to maintain some sense of dignity.”

  “But if you don’t make peace with Jack then you and I have no future, because I’m here to stay. You do get that, right?”

  He gazed at her, his expression unreadable. “Yes, and I’m sorry.”

  Which meant he wasn’t going to try and work things out with Jack. As the reality of that sank in, a blanket of misery enveloped her. She’d watched him pull off one heroic deed after another, including spending time with her father and losing gracefully at chess.

  She’d thought all he’d need was a nudge to be a hero in this instance, too. Instead he clung to his belief that he’d done all he could. He seemed willing to doom their relationship before it ever really blossomed.

  16

  ACCEPTING DEFEAT, OLIVIA helped Wyatt secure the camp for the night. They sacked the food and dishes together and used a rope to hang the bundle from a tree branch. Then they made sure the fire was totally out before they crawled into the tent, both of them fully dressed. Olivia put her shoes in the corner where she could find them easily.

  “Let me get the flap.” Wyatt started to zip it.

  “That’s okay. I might need to go out during the night.”

  “You’re sure? I thought you were worried about critters.”

  “I’m more worried about desperately having to pee and not being able to find the tab on the zipper.”

  “Okay.” He settled back on his sleeping bag.

  They lay there in silence because there was nothing more to say. Although Olivia might have gotten some sleep, she felt as if she spent the whole night staring into the dark, waiting for the first light of dawn. She’d had such hopes for Wyatt, but if he put his pride ahead of all he had to gain by staying in Jackson Hole then he wasn’t the man for her. Time to cut her losses and get away from him before he broke her heart permanently. It already felt slightly cracked.

  After an eternity her surroundings became more visible. The sun wasn’t up yet but it soon would be, and by then she wanted to be out of here. Wyatt slept soundly, his breathing rhythmic and undisturbed.

  Her heart ached for him, and for Jack and their inability to see each other’s point of view. But she’d given peacemaking a shot and Wyatt was more unwilling to bend than she’d realized. Maybe Sarah would be able to effect some change in the status quo, but Olivia wouldn’t bet on it. Both men seemed as immovable as the granite rock marking the sacred site.

  That rock was her destination now. Logic told her she wouldn’t make it all the way back to the ranch before Wyatt woke up and missed her, even factoring in the time he’d take to break camp. She might not even have the stamina to walk all the way back. But she could make it to that rock and wait for him there.

  Slipping out of the tent with her shoes, she shivered and zipped her hoodie. Then she sat down and put on her sneakers. Any distance she covered before Wyatt caught up with her would be that much less time she had to spend with him. After what they’d shared she couldn’t bear the thought of packing up the camping supplies and enduring a hike with him back down the hillside.

  But she needed to leave a note so he wouldn’t panic. That was a challenge, but eventually she found a scrap of cardboard left over from the pasta box. A small piece of charred wood from the fire worked as a charcoal pencil.

  “Headed down the trail. See you on the road or back at the ranch.”

  Moving as quietly as she could, she crept out of the camp and started down the trail. Every second she expected to hear Wyatt calling out to her, but he must have been really exhausted because the surrounding forest was silent in the gray light.

  Once she was out of sight of the tent, she sighed and quickened her pace. She’d made it. Without a pack to weigh her down, she should reach the dirt road in no time. Her hair swung forward as she walked, and as she shoved it behind her ears, she realized that she’d lost the scrunchie sometime during the night. She sure as hell wasn’t going back for it, though.

  As she continued to walk the forest creatures began waking up. Birds chirped in the branches overhead and the underbrush rustled off to her left. A squirrel hopped out, bounded across the trail and scurried up a tree. Cute.

  If Olivia were a heroine in a Disney movie she would break into song about now and the forest creatures would gather round and join in. Then Prince Charming would add his voice to the melody as he rode toward her on his gallant white horse. He’d scoop her into his arms and true love would be born.

  Yeah, right. She could kiss that fairy tale goodbye. Apparently the guy who’d come to her rescue riding his gallant white truck hadn’t read the script. It was all downhill from here. Ha.

  She appreciated the ease of going down instead of up, though. And when she caught a glimpse of three deer watching her through the trees, she stopped to admire them. The sight of the deer reminded her that there was a whole world out there that didn’t revolve around her and her problems.

  That made a very good case for getting out into nature on a regular basis, and she decided to do that. After all, she now lived in the middle of God’s country. She could understand why Wyatt had chosen the profession he had, because seeing natural beauty on a constant basis could give a person perspective. Too bad he hadn’t gained a little more of it.

  Now that she’d challenged his assumptions he’d probably pack up his truck and leave the area for good. If she felt dismal knowing that would be the outcome, she’d have to get over it. Maybe she’d do that by taking more hikes. Obviously it wasn’t that complicated, since she was doing fine all by herself this morning.

  As she congratulated herself on her excellent plan to walk back to the road, showing some initiative and independence, she came to a fork in the trail. For one uneasy moment she stood there, undecided. The rocks and trees along each path looked about the same.

  Finally she shrugged and chose the path on her left. Both of them headed downhill, and if she didn’t come out right where the truck was parked, so what? All she needed to find was the road that would take her to the sacred site, and eventually, the ranch.

  * * *

  WYATT WOKE UP WITH A VAGUE feeling that something was wrong. He lay there with his eyes closed and quickly remembered why he’d feel that way. Olivia, who had seemed so supportive at first, had let him know last night she didn’t approve of how he was handling things with Jack.

  The tent was very quiet, so when he turned to find she wasn’t lying next to him, he wasn’t surprised. Her shoes were gone, but a neon-green bit of cloth lay on the sleeping bag and he picked it up. She’d put that in her hair last night after they’d had such great sex in here.

  His gut twisted. He wished they’d had the kind of night he’d been hoping for, with a lot more sex and absolutely no discussion about Jack. And now…now he didn’t know where they were. Nowhere, probably.

  He didn’t dare dwell on that thought too long or he’d discover just how into her he was. Technically they hadn’t known each other long enough for him to be hooked on her. Then he thought about that kiss while they stood on the sacred site. He’d never had that kind of reaction to a woman before, where he’d had visions of a future with her flash before his eyes.

  They should probably talk some more. He’d bet she could use a cup of coffee. Yeah, that was the way to go. Breakfast, coffee, the peaceful sounds of the forest first thing in the morning—that would bring them closer together.

  Feeling more positive, he grabbed his hiking boots from the corner of the tent, stuck her hair doodad in his pocket and crawled out. A quick scan of the area as he sat down to put on his boots told him she wasn’t there, but that didn’t worry him. She’d probably found a private place to pee.

  After he took care of that little matter himself, he walked back into camp expecting to see her. When she wasn’t there, he called her name. No answer. He called again, louder this time. Still no answer.

  For the first time since discovering she wasn’t beside him in the tent, he became concerned. He searched the campsite more thoroughly and finally discovered the note she’d left on a scrap of cardboard. Shit. She had a head start but he was pretty damned fast when he needed to be.

  Leaving everything except for his cell phone, he loped down the trail. A couple of times he paused to call out for her, but when there was no answer he wondered if she would even answer if she heard him. Maybe not. He kept going and made it to the truck in twenty minutes.

  Still no sign of her. Her purse and cell phone were in the cab where she’d left them, but then they would be. She didn’t have keys.

  Fighting panic, he unlocked the truck and started it up. She wasn’t in shape for a long walk, but adrenaline could make a difference. He drove back the way they’d come, constantly scanning the road for her.

  When he reached the sacred site and still didn’t see her, the cold sweat of anxiety trickled down his spine. This was not good. Not good at all.

  And he wasn’t going to waste any more time. He got out his cell and called the ranch, thinking he’d get either Mary Lou or Sarah. Instead he got—Murphy’s Law—Jack.

  He wasn’t sure why Jack was answering the ranch phone early in the morning when he had his own house on the property where he lived with his wife and that baby he didn’t want Wyatt touching. But no matter. This was an emergency and he had a feeling Jack was good at handling those, in spite of being stubborn as a mule.

  “It’s Wyatt,” he said. “Is Olivia there?”

  “Here? I thought she was with you.”

  “We had a…disagreement last night and I think she must have decided to walk back.”

  “I’ll check.” Jack was swearing as he got off the phone.

  Sarah picked it up. “Wyatt? What’s going on?”

  “I think Olivia decided to walk back to the ranch.”

  “What on earth would have made her— Hold on. Jack’s here.” She came back in a second. “He says she’s not in the house and her Cherokee is still parked where she left it. He’s driving out there. Where should he meet you?”

  “I’m at the sacred site, but I’m going back to the trailhead and make sure I didn’t miss her somewhere between here and there. Tell Jack to keep going beyond the site about two miles and look for my truck. I’ll stay there and wait for him.”

  “Got it. And, Wyatt?”

  “Yeah?” He braced himself for whatever blame she might heap on his head.

  “Don’t worry, son. You two will find her.”

  “Thanks, Sarah.” He wasn’t used to quiet confidence in a mother figure. He was used to blame and panic. Rafe had done a disappearing act when they were about ten and Diana had been next to useless.

  Yeah, he envied Jack having Sarah as a steadying influence most of his life, but Olivia’s comments had stuck with him. He knew what total rejection felt like. He’d just experienced it from his half brother. How much worse would it be if it was your mother, and you were only two?

  Turning the truck around, he started back down the road, going slower, checking the roadside in case she’d gone into the trees to rest or…no, he wouldn’t start imagining all the terrible things that could happen to her alone out here. That wouldn’t help.

  No matter how thoroughly he searched both sides of the road as he crept back down the road, he saw nothing but rabbits, some quail, and back in the trees, a lone buck. What color had her blouse been? Oh, yeah, the same green as the scrunchie in his pocket. It was a color that could blend with the landscape, especially if she’d fallen down and… Once again he pulled his thoughts away from disaster.

  Because the plain fact was he couldn’t lose her. Not physically, and not emotionally either. She’d only tried to help last night, and he’d been a jerk who didn’t realize what an incredible woman she was. She probably wanted to knock his and Jack’s heads together, and he had to admit they deserved it.

  But in order for her to do that, they had to find her. And by God, they would. He’d thought he never wanted to speak to Jack again, and here he was filled with relief and gratitude that his half brother was coming to the rescue.

  * * *

  OLIVIA HAD DONE SOME BONEHEAD things in her life, but this one had to be the worst. She’d hiked for well over an hour, although she couldn’t be sure because she had no watch. And she had no idea where she was.

  Instead of continuing down, the trail she’d chosen ran along the side of the hillside. Once she realized her mistake, she’d turned around and started back only to find another fork she hadn’t noticed before. Once again, she’d picked wrong.

  She’d crossed a stream, thinking she was finally headed in the right direction because she remembered she and Wyatt had crossed two streams. The trail ended in a bluff that dropped thirty feet. She gazed out across the canopy of trees and searched in vain for the road. If it was there she couldn’t see it from where she stood.

  After wandering around on different trails, she’d finally had to admit that she was truly lost. And what did she, a girl from Pittsburgh, know about getting lost in the woods? Somewhere she’d read that you were supposed to signal searchers with something like a mirror or smoke.

  She had no mirror and no matches. No doubt Wyatt had all that kind of stuff, but she’d elected, in her infinite wisdom, to set out on her own and leave her wilderness guide. But he was looking for her. She never doubted that for a second.

  The only tool she had available was her voice, so she sat down on the bluff and started shouting for help. That lasted for about thirty seconds before her throat hurt. All she’d accomplished was putting a major scare into the little brown birds watching her from a nearby branch.

  Besides, if Wyatt was searching, wouldn’t he be calling for her? Therefore, if she couldn’t hear him, he couldn’t hear her. Then she remembered something else she’d heard about getting lost. Stay put and let the searchers come to you.

  She could do that. She was dead tired, thirsty and hungry. If she sat here and listened for Wyatt calling her name, then she could respond when she heard him. Although she’d wanted to get as far away from him as possible this morning, she would be very glad to see him now.

  She stretched out on the rock in the sunshine. With her head cradled on her arm, she closed her eyes. Just one short nap was all she needed. Then she’d be fresh and ready to respond to her rescuers. In seconds she dozed off.

  * * *

  WYATT PARKED THE TRUCK at the trailhead and got out. He wanted to start back up the trail to search some more, but he’d told Jack he’d wait for him. So he paced beside the truck and tried to estimate how long it would take Jack to get there.

  No matter how long it took, waiting for Jack was the bright thing to do. Jack had grown up here and knew the trails, plus two searchers were better than one. If they didn’t find her in the next couple of hours Wyatt was prepared to call in Search and Rescue.

  But no need to get the authorities involved if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Wyatt knew instinctively that Jack would rather handle something like this internally if at all possible. Olivia hadn’t been missing long… . Missing. What a stomach-turning, sweat-inducing concept. He wanted her back. In every sense of the word.

  About two centuries went by before Wyatt saw a truck coming toward him. Because the road was still slightly muddy, the truck stirred up no dust. This time Jack drove an ordinary ranch truck, which was a lot less imposing than the cherry-red semi.