“I’m sure Ezra will go through everything before he turns us loose in the woods.” Kenneth broke his silence. “This guy should be pretty good. His bio on the website said he’s ex-military.”
More people piled into the van, a blond with a deep tan, a twenty-something couple and several others. Clarissa had chosen the middle of the middle seat, hoping that would shield her from view. The tinted windows helped, too. All the same, she slumped down to be less noticeable from the outside. Now if only Ezra wouldn’t give her up.
The young man he had been talking to earlier wedged in beside Clarissa, providing even more of a shield. He held out his hand to her. “Hi, I’m Bruce Finch, from New Hampshire.” Bruce was thin and light complected. If she had to guess, she’d say he worked in an office.
“My name is Clarissa.” She shook his hand quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the trembling in her fingers.
A man with glasses took the front passenger seat. He turned to introduce himself, and a moment later, most of the people in the van were engaged in a discussion about whether they were doing the two-day survival course with a man named Jack or the weeklong one with Ezra.
Clarissa closed her eyes and willed her heart to slow down. The voices around her faded. How had her life gotten to this point of desperation? She’d tried to do the right thing. She’d worked hard for ten years. As a homeless teenager, she’d been given a job on Max’s cleaning crew, even though she was only fifteen. That he had been willing to hire her illegally should have been her first clue as to what kind of man Max really was. But she’d been desperate and hungry. She’d finished her GED and taken college classes at night, until she’d been promoted to the position of his assistant. The day she’d started that job, she’d thought she had put a childhood of neglect behind her.
The back hatch of the van flipped open. Ezra’s warm tenor voice floated in on the night air. “Just be a minute here, folks, while I load up.”
Clarissa sank down farther into the seat, not daring to turn around. Some of the seats in the van were still unoccupied. That clipboard he hauled around probably had a list of who he was supposed to pick up. Why had she ever thought this would work?
Please, God, don’t let him toss me out.
The first suitcase hit the floor of the van with a thud. “So glad...everyone could make it without any flight delays.”
Clarissa tensed, anxious thoughts plaguing her. She’d heard the stutter in his voice. No doubt he’d counted heads and seen that there was one too many. Her mind scrambled to come up with an excuse before he kicked her out on the curb.
The back hatch closed.
“Excuse me, sir, I’m wondering if you have seen a woman—blond, skinny, wearing a gray suit.” Clarissa’s stomach coiled into a tight knot as Don’s gruff voice came through an open window.
Ezra said, “Why are you looking for her?”
“I thought I saw her walking over this way. If you don’t mind, I’d like to check in your van.”
“Are you a police officer? Is she in trouble with the law?” Ezra’s voice held unexpected resolve.
A tense silence followed.
Don lowered his voice a notch, rage evident in each syllable despite the forced courtesy of his words. “If I could just have a look inside your van...”
Clarissa dug her fingers into the armrest.
Bruce leaned toward her. “You all right?”
She managed a spastic smile. “Just tired and tense from the flight, I guess.” Her heartbeat drummed in her ears.
She turned her attention back to the conversation outside the van. Ezra’s answer was a long time in coming. When he did respond, he spoke deliberately. “Sir, it’s clear you have no authority to search my van. These people are my paying customers. They signed up for a survival class, not to be harassed. Good day.”
Ezra’s footsteps pounded around the side of the van.
The tension Clarissa had felt since leaving California eased from her muscles. She was safe for now.
Ezra slipped into the driver’s seat. She felt self-conscious as he peered in the rearview mirror at her. She studied the back of his head where his brown hair touched the collar of his flannel shirt. She breathed a silent prayer of thanks for Ezra. But why had he protected her?
* * *
Ezra caught a glimpse of the blonde woman with the delicate features in his rearview mirror. He’d first noticed her as she’d stepped out of the airport, clutching her bag to her chest. Everything about her, from the high heels to the gray suit that showed off her curves, said city girl. But it was the look on her face right before she’d slipped into the shadows by the building that had stabbed at his heart. He’d seen something that ran deeper than fear in her expression and body language. The woman had been terrified.
As he pulled out onto the road that led back to Discovery, he wondered what her story was. Who was she and who was the rude man who was looking for her?
He let go of his speculation about the blonde woman and tuned into the small talk of the other clients. He loved the sense of excitement they had at the prospect of a week in the woods learning survival skills. Forget the vacations where people lounged on beaches and had meals brought to them. He taught people how to find their own food, build shelters and work together. In the process, he made them feel better about themselves and what they could accomplish.
The headlights ate up the yellow line on the highway as the warm glow of a thousand lights indicated that they were nearing Discovery.
He glanced one more time at the woman in the middle seat. Was the guy back at the airport an angry boyfriend?
Ezra still wasn’t sure what impulse had made him not turn her over to the gruff man with more muscles than social skills.
His experience in the wild had taught him to read the signals for when an animal would charge or run away. And something about that man gave off a dangerous vibe that seemed to say his intention was to hurt the woman. Getting her away from him had seemed the only option.
That said, Ezra had no desire to get involved with whatever trouble she’d brought with her. The slight build and soft features reminded him of his little sister. Melissa had been the only girl in a family of four boys. They’d doted on her, spoiled her, loved her. But it hadn’t been enough. Neither he nor his brothers had been aware of how controlling the man she was dating was...until it was too late. Melissa had married and moved to another state, cutting off all contact with the family.
It still broke Ezra’s heart. He hadn’t been able to protect his little sister. Was he trying to make up for it by helping this woman? He’d like to think he could have made a difference for Melissa if he’d acted earlier—but he couldn’t change that now. Helping this woman wouldn’t bring his sister back. And besides, he knew nothing about her. It wasn’t his place to interfere in her life or her problems.
He glanced into the rearview mirror one more time. She was scared and alone. He could at least give her a ride into town. His kindness didn’t need to extend any further than that.
He slowed down as he entered the city limits. He drove past a pizza place full of late-night activity, along with offices, art galleries and boutiques. Discovery was known as the gateway to Yellowstone Park, but the town was surrounded by wilderness. People bought vacation homes here to take advantage of the skiing in winter and hiking in the summer. The core population hovered around fifty thousand.
He pulled up beside the Jefferson Expeditions office. After coming to a stop, he turned to face the people in the van. “Okay, folks, get a good night’s sleep. The Black Bear Inn is just across the street. Those of you doing the weekend school, my partner, Jack, will meet up with you in the hotel lobby