CHAPTERONE
Tawny Granger pickedup her cell from her cluttered office desk and called her father, the sheriff of Wildwood, Montana.
He answered on the third ring. “Hey, sweetie. This is a nice surprise.”
Since her dad was always busy saving the town from some bad guy, Tawny hated to interrupt him, but this was kind of an emergency. “Hey, Dad, have you heard from Zach?”
Her twin was usually very good about keeping his commitments, and he’d promised they’d have a drink together tonight. The lack of contact in three days worried her.
“No, but you know your brother. He was probably hiking somewhere in the woods, and his cell either ran out of power, or he couldn’t get service. Why?”
Tawny blew out a breath, feeling a little better that her father didn’t seem concerned. Still, Zach should have let her know somehow that he might not make it tonight. “We were supposed to meet up this evening. My gut tells me something is wrong.”
He blew out a breath. “I bet he found a stranded hiker or two and is helping them get situated. I wouldn’t worry about him.” Her dad was not a big believer in her twin-link theory. If he’d had a twin, he might have understood that she often felt what Zach did.
“You’re probably right, but we don’t get a lot of campers in December.” They lived at the foothills of the Montana mountains after all.
“Sweetie, Zach is twenty-six years old and the forest ranger. He’s a survivor. I bet he can live off the land all winter if he has to.”
“I know how old he is.” But her father was right. Of all her siblings, Zach could take care of himself in the wild the best. Considering he could shift into his wolf form, he could last a long time outside. Even though their kind didn’t eat raw meat like real wolves, if he was able to cook the food, he would to survive.
“You sound upset. What would you like me to do? Go into the woods and look for him?”
Tawny hadn’t thought that far ahead. Her dad was sixty and a tad overweight. Besides, he wasn’t the mountain climbing type, despite having been in the military—though that was years ago. “Just call me if you hear anything, okay?”
“You bet.” A knock sounded on his office door. Apparently, he was needed on the job. “I have to go.”
“Sure, but don’t forget to call if Zach contacts you.” Her dad could be preoccupied at times.
“Will do.”
As soon as she hung up, her new hire, Julia Smith, a pretty woman with long, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, knocked and then bounced into Tawny’s office. She stilled. “Is everything okay? You look…I don’t know. Upset, maybe?”
Tawny had hired Julia at the Wildwood Rescue Center to help with office work and occasionally exercise the animals, even though that was Alan and Brett’s job.
“I’m good. It’s just that my twin brother, Zach, hasn’t been in touch for a few days, and we were supposed to go out this evening. He always calls to confirm. I’m sure he’s just doing his job, or else he forgot about our date.”
She nodded. “I’m sure he has a good reason for not keeping in touch. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
Tawny leaned back. “Maybe you can help. In case my date stands me up, do you want to grab a drink and get a bite to eat at the Double G Bar?” Julia was fairly new in town, and she might not have been there. Not only that, it would be good to learn more about her new employee. “My treat.”
“Sure. That sounds great. Doesn’t your cousin own that place?”
“Will Granger. Yes, he does.” Tawny was surprised Julia knew that. “How about we leave in half an hour? I want to make a few calls and check on the animals before we head out.”
Julia smiled. “That works for me.”
As soon as Julia left the office, Tawny called Zach’s best friend, Mike Halperin, a wilderness guide and part-time ski instructor.
“Tawny, this is a nice surprise.”
Since he sounded cheerful, he must not be aware that Zach hadn’t answered his phone in a while. “I’m calling because Zach and I were supposed to go out tonight, but I haven’t been able to reach him. Have you heard from him recently?”
“I spoke with him two days ago. He received a call about some hikers in trouble on East River Rock. I believe he said one of them was injured.”
She blew out a breath. “That’s why he didn’t get back to me. Thank you, Mike.”
“You know, Tawny, if you ever need a drinking buddy, I’m here for you.”