“I can help when the puppy’s old enough.”
Again the words I can’t accept perched on the tip of her tongue, but one look at her son petting Buddy shut that impulse down. Her son was frightened more than most children because of the memories of his abusive father and his temper, all directed at her. Although he’d only been four when she’d finally successfully escaped Keith, a raised voice still shook Robbie, and any man with curly blond hair like his father’s scared him to the point that he tried to hide if he could.
She didn’t realize she’d stopped walking until Josiah’s worried voice said, “Are you all right?”
She blinked, noting her son had paused by a big tree and waited for them to catch up. “Thanks for the offer to help train the dog when we get it.” She hoped by the time the puppy was old enough to be separated from its mother, she’d know for sure who the man in the woods was.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “Good. My sister has been teasing me lately. Accusing me of being a hermit when I’m not working.”
“When did you leave the Marines?”
“Eighteen months ago. Alex and I grew up in Anchorage. We both left, but she came back when our parents died in a small plane crash and took over the running of the family business, Outdoor Alaska.”
“Your store has really grown since I first arrived.”
“That’s all my sister. She’s driven.”
“And you aren’t?” She started walking again, the darkness of the woods throwing Josiah’s face in shadows.
“Driven? I’m not sure I would use that word to describe me.”
“What word would you use to describe yourself, then?”
“I’m just not as driven or singularly focused as I once was. Except when searching for a lost person—when someone else’s life is in the balance.”
What was he not telling her? Studying his closed expression, she knew there was so much more he kept to himself—like she did. She couldn’t share her past with anyone. That would put her and her son in danger. What happened today had ended well for Robbie, but if Keith ever found them, she knew it wouldn’t. The thought sent a shudder down her spine.
When they arrived at the camp, Robbie saw Travis and ran toward him with Buddy trotting alongside.
Ella scanned the area and glimpsed Detective Thomas Caldwell talking with David. “I hope Michael was found,” she said to Josiah.
“I’ll get Robbie and Buddy and be right there,” Josiah said, and then headed toward the two boys, who stood near a couple of camp counselors and Travis’s parents.
Both Thomas and David were frowning. That didn’t bode well for Michael. Ella’s chest constricted at the thought of the boy still out there. Not far from David stood his wife with Michael’s mother. Tears ran down the young woman’s face while Bree consoled her.
When Ella joined David and Thomas, she asked in a low voice, “Has Michael been found yet?”
David’s mouth lifted in a grin. “Yes, just two minutes ago. He hurt himself. Jesse thinks it’s a sprained ankle. He’s bringing him in.”
“Thank God he’s safe. Good thing Bree is here. She can check him on-site.” Ella spied her son and Josiah making their way toward her.
David peered at his wife with love deep in his eyes.
David had been fortunate last winter to rescue Bree, a doctor who flew to remote villages, from a downed bush plane in the wilderness. That had been the beginning of a beautiful relationship, which had just culminated in their wedding on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes Ella wished she had a special man in her life again, but her marriage to Keith had soured her on marriage. But David deserved some happiness.
How about you? a little voice in her head said.
She was happy. She had her son, friends, a good church and a fulfilling job. She didn’t need a man to be happy. And yet, when she saw other married couples who obviously loved each other, a twinge stabbed her with the idea of what could have been if she hadn’t married Keith.
“Travis’s dad told me Michael has been found,” Josiah said.
“Yeah, Mom. Can we wait until he arrives before going to dinner?”
Ella slid a look to Josiah, and he answered her son, “Yes, of course.”
“Good. Travis is staying, too. I’m gonna sit with him until Michael shows up.”
“Ella, I’d like to ask Robbie a few questions,” Thomas said.
“Yes, of course.”
Thomas smiled at her son. “It’s nice to see you again. That picnic David threw on the Fourth of July was great. We’ll need to work on him to have one for Labor Day, especially if his father is going to be the chef.”
“Yeah. My favorite part was the fireworks.” Still clutching Buddy’s leash, Robbie stroked the German shepherd as he craned his neck to peer up at Thomas.
“Travis told me what happened, but I’d love to hear it from you, too.”
The grin on her son’s face vanished. “We were over there.” Robbie gestured toward the line of trees near the camp base. “We heard an owl but couldn’t see it so we thought we would try to find it.” He swung his attention to Ella. “I know we shouldn’t have gone away from the camp, but I love birds. I saw a bald eagle earlier today.”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, just tell the detective what you remember.”
Pausing for a moment, Robbie tilted his head. “Mom, I think I need to learn how to track. That way I would have known how to get back to camp. We walked for a while, listening to the owl hoot.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds, balling his hands. “When I saw a man with a mean face standing by a tree staring at us, I looked around. None of us could really tell which way we’d come from. We were talking and not paying attention. I was gonna inspect the ground for footprints, but the man started heading for us. We ran. Me and Michael followed Travis, thinking he must know the way. He didn’t.”
“I understand you all split up. Why?” Thomas asked.
“Because the man was still behind us. I’ve seen it on a TV show. People split up when they are being chased. That way one of us could run back and get help.”
“What happened when you did that?” Thomas asked.
“At first, he went after me, but then suddenly he turned and started in the direction Michael went. I decided to climb a tree, but the first one wasn’t good. The second one was better.” He dropped his head. “Except I couldn’t get down. Then Josiah saved me.” Robbie’s gaze fixed on Josiah.
“What did the man look like?” Thomas wrote on his pad.
“A grizzly bear.”
“Robbie, no kidding around. This is serious,” Ella scolded him.
“Mom, I know. He was huge—” Robbie’s arms spread out to indicate not only tall but wide “—and had so much dark brown hair all over him. When I was running and looked back, that was what he reminded me of.” Her son trembled. “I don’t ever want to see him again. I promise, Mom, I won’t ever go off like that.”
Relieved that the description didn’t fit her ex-husband at all, especially all that dark hair, she released a slow breath. “I’m glad you learned a good lesson.” Ella patted his shoulder, realizing the fear Robbie had experienced would be more effective than if she grounded him for a week.
“Anything else about the man that might help me find him?” Thomas scribbled