God, she looked scared to death. The little girl huddled beside a dying fire, holding her knees. Kiera increased her speed and her leg muscles burned. Rocks tumbled down the trail and the little girl whirled around and peered up the path. The early morning light gave everything an eerie glow and the pebbles sounded loud in the quiet mountainside. It was too familiar. A girl, not quite a teenager, alone up here in the remote wilderness of Humboldt County, it all made old, dead feelings come back to life. For a moment, the girl in the clearing had long, stringy blonde hair, not thick brown curls. It’s all in the past. Leave it there.

Kiera waved. “Are you Nanette?” What a dumb question. What other eleven year old kid would be sitting in the middle of the Trinity Mountains without an adult? After all, the Sheriff begged her to find the girl and avoid an all out media frenzy.

Her little hand lifted and then her arm pumped. “I’m here,” she called and then collapsed. Kiera could hear her pathetic sobs which spurred her on faster. She barely kept her balance on the crumbling rocks and dirt.

Too late. She’d been too late. The poor girl looked traumatized. No surprise. She’d spent the night alone at a camp near The Little Trinity miles from any civilization. The kid’s father had appeared at the trailhead twenty-four hours earlier, bruised, unconscious. The only reason they knew about his daughter was he’d checked in at the Six Rivers National Forest office before he took his seven day hike into the Trinities. What kind of an idiot would drag his young daughter into such dangerous terrain in the middle of May?

She knew all too well. Hadn’t her father done the same thing? And probably for the same insane reason.

Bigfoot.

Kiera stuffed those thoughts away as she approached the little girl. Sweaty and exhausted, she knelt down and summoned a smile. “Are you okay?”

Two thin little arms clamped around her neck and she began to sob. For a several minutes, she was completely incoherent. All Kiera could do was pat her back, hold her tight and whisper meaningless lies about how it was all going to be fine.

“I was so scared. Daddy told me to stay here and then he left and then...” Her eyes were filled with tears. She had the most beautiful blue eyes. “Is my Dad okay?”

Kiera stroked her hair gently. “He’s fine. He’s in the hospital but they say he’s going to recover.”

Her lower lip trembled. “I shouldn’t have let him leave me.”

A twist wrenched Kiera’s stomach. “He kept you safe. That’s the most important thing.”

Tears filled her blue eyes. “I knew something was wrong. He said we were going to come up and find footprints but--”

“Go on.”

“Daddy said we were being followed.” An icy hand gripped Kiera’s heart and she stared at Nanette. The girl continued. “That’s why he left me. He said he’d find out who was behind us and come right back.”

“And then?” Maybe if Nanette talked about it, they’d have an easier time getting out of there. The kid seemed in good shape, well-rested. Kiera had to get home. With her mother’s health, she didn’t want to be gone long.

“And then, it came.”

A cold fist clutched Kiera’s chest. “What came, Nanette?”

“The big man.” She smiled. “He brought me some berries.”

Kiera frowned and her hands clenched on the girl’s shoulder. “What color were they?”

“They were kind of blue, like blueberries, but tiny.”

Kiera relaxed. “Elderberries.”

Nanette’s noise wrinkled. “They didn’t taste very good.”

A laugh escaped Kiera’s throat. “No, I’ll bet they didn’t.”

“Then he stayed in the trees and watched all night.” Nanette stared at a small clump of trees. “It was the only reason I was able to sleep.

“So, there was a man here?” She shouldn’t be asking the girl these questions. She should be getting the girl out of here. But part of her just couldn’t help it.

“Not a man. I mean,” she frowned. “He had hair all over.”

Kiera stared at her, her stomach clenched. Nanette’s lower lip trembled. “You don’t believe me.”

“Of course I do.” Kiera smiled. “Now, let’s get you out of here.”

“I did see him. It was Bigfoot. I saw Bigfoot.” The little girl’s grin lit up her whole face.

“Where did you see him?”

“He stood right there.” The girl pointed to a group of tall Douglas Fir. “The only time he came close to me was when he started the fire.” Her hand waved to a small, charred circle of wood.

Kiera bit her lip. “Did it...make a sound?”

A frown furrowed Nanette’s brow. “Oh yes. It was such a sad sound. Like crying.”

The early morning air seemed chillier, icier. Kiera shuddered. Her gaze drifted to a spot across the valley below, where Deadman’s trail began the steep climb up The Little Trinity. When her gaze shifted to Nanette, the girl stared at the same spot.

“Let’s go see your mom.” Kiera turned her face away so the little girl wouldn’t see her tightened lips. Damn it. Did it ever stop?

She dropped her pack, opened her canteen, and grabbed her radio. After a refreshing swig, she contacted Sheriff Covey. “Sheriff, this is Kiera. Come in.”

A loud crackle and Jeremy’s voice reached her. “This is Jeremy. Is the girl okay?”

“She’s fine. We’ll be there by nightfall.”

“The word is out,” Jeremy’s tone seemed cautious. “You may have a welcoming committee.”

Great. That was just fucking great. “Acknowledged. See you tonight.” She studied the sky and wondered if the girl would be up to the pace Kiera wanted to set. The last thing she wanted to do was spend a night out here. Not now.

Non-stop for the next eight hours, Nanette told Kiera all about the hairy man, the berries he brought, the fire he built, how his eyes were a muddy brown and how she felt safe. By the time Kiera reached the trailhead, she’d had no sleep in forty-eight hours, hiked a good twenty plus miles, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

Before they reached the bottom of the trail, Kiera stopped for a rest. Nanette’s energy had petered out and Kiera was damn near exhausted. “Listen, Nanette, when we get to the trailhead, there’s going to be a lot of people there.”

“Why?” Her face, tired and drawn, crumpled in confusion.

Kiera chose her words carefully. “Because your father was found hurt and people think they know what hurt him.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand”

With a sigh, Kiera stared at the setting sun and tried to find the right words. They didn’t come. She gave up. “I don’t either, honey. But the fact is that there are going to be a lot of people there and they’re going to be asking you a lot of questions.”

“You’ll be there right?” Her eyes silently pleaded with Kiera.

“I’ll be there,” she said firmly. “I promise I won’t go anywhere until you’re with your mom.”

Abruptly, Nanette asked, “You’ve seen him, haven’t you?”

Kiera’s heart stuttered. “Who?”

“You know what I saw. You’ve seen him.”

A lump jammed Kiera’s throat and she swallowed hard. “Once. When I was a kid.”

She stood and hefted her pack. Nanette didn’t ask her any more questions and they finished the last leg in silence.

Instead of the Sheriff and an ambulance, a fucking circus awaited her. Where was the kid’s mother? Crammed into every available space at the small dirt clearing were cars and people. Lights from cameras and flashlights stung her eyes. Tired, dirty and hungry, Kiera definitely didn’t feel up to dealing with curiosity.

Luckily, Nanette was the center of attention.

However, she couldn’t stop a heartfelt groan when Amanda Amber appeared at the forefront of the crowd. Pink was the woman’s signature color and her long, predatory nails clutched a Pepto Bismal colored notebook that matched her completely ridiculous carnation heels. Amanda was well known to anyone who lived in Humboldt County. A reporter who was less concerned with facts than headlines, she led the charge for investigation into the Bigfoot sightings. Though she wrote articles that played fast and loose with reality, Kiera knew she was widely read and, unfortunately, often believed. Of course, that was not the only reason Kiera found her annoying. The Pink Monster was certainly on the ball today and thrust a small digital recorder in Nanette’s face. “Nanette, how do you feel knowing that your father was attacked by Bigfoot?”

Nanette’s eyes widened. “He wasn’t--“

Another reporter shoved forward. “Did your father say anything before he was attacked?” Two more people surged toward the little girl who stumbled back against Kiera.

Unable to take another minute, Kiera stepped in front of Nanette. “That’s enough.”

“Trying to debunk another sighting, Kiera?” Amanda said at her elbow.

“Everyone back away. We need to make sure Ms. Turner is okay.” Jeremy, the local sheriff and her best friend, pushed the reporters back. Amanda and Jeremy stared at each other for a moment. The moment was broken by Nanette’s cry of joy when her mother finally pushed through the crowd and reached her.

“Oh baby!”

“Mama! I was so scared!” Nanette’s tears streamed down her face and cameras intruded as her mother led her away from the crowd to a Sheriff’s vehicle. Kiera watched with satisfaction as the little girl left safely. Nanette even stuck her hand out and waved ‘goodbye’.

Unfortunately, not all the reporters followed Nanette. Amanda still hung around them. “Sheriff, can you tell me why you sent a cartographer up to find the little girl?” She jammed the recorder in Jeremy’s face.

He spoke slowly and carefully. “Kiera McConnel knows the terrain better than anyone. I asked her to find Nanette because I knew she’d do it quickly.”

“Was it because she’s Doc McConnel’s daughter? Because you knew there’d been another Bigfoot sighting? You can’t cover up what happened, Sheriff Covey.” Amanda glared at the Sheriff with her cornflower blue eyes. Considering their past, Kiera wondered why they even spoke to each other at all.

“I would prefer to have all the facts,” Jeremy answered her and Kiera noted a small twitch of his left eyelid.

“You can’t deny that this is physical evidence of the existence of Bigfoot.” Amanda and the others crowded around Jeremy and Kiera as he pushed through the crowd. “What about the claw marks?”

Amanda’s voice was cut off suddenly as Jeremy slammed the passenger door of the Sheriff’s SUV and shut Kiera inside the vehicle. She slid down in the seat and relief that the ordeal was over washed over her.

“How’s the father?” she asked Jeremy when he slid into the driver’s seat.

“He’s still unconscious. I have no idea what happened to him.” The Sheriff glared at the crowd who moved slowly out of the way of the official vehicle.

“Did he really have claw marks?”

“That’s not been determined.” He shot her a glance and sighed. “I don’t know. The doctor says Nate Turner has four deep scratches on his thigh. He wouldn’t say if they were animal claw marks or not.”

“Nanette says he told her to wait and left her at the camp above Fanning Creek. That’s where I found her.” Kiera shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “She also said she saw a hairy man.”

“Fuck.”

“Exactly,” Kiera’s nose wrinkled. “You know what comes next.”

“Kiera,” Jeremy’s voice held a warning. “Try not to do anything stupid.”

“Hey, I warn them,” she snapped and opened her eyes to glare at him. “It’s not my fault most of those wackos can’t read.”

“Damn it, Kiera.” Jeremy’s muscle in his jaw pulsed. “It only adds to the circus.”

She crossed her arms, the vision of Nanette’s confused expression and the sensation of her thin, little muscles when she hugged Kiera still fresh. “I’m not going to contribute to the insanity.”

Jeremy shook his head. “I can’t believe we have to go through this again.”

“Believe it,” she said firmly. She stared out at the thick forest. “It’s only going to get worse.”

Silence filled the cab for a few moments before Jeremy spoke again. “I swear, Kiera, if there had been anyone else to send--”

“Skip it.”

“I know how it must have felt--”

A lump in her throat choked her. “I said, skip it, Jeremy.” She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. “I’ll be fine if everyone would just leave me alone.”

The words rang hollow. They were going to come out of the woodwork. Everyone would start searching for Doc McConnel’s only daughter, the one who was there when he discovered the picture of Bigfoot.

Tears burned her eyes. She was just tired. That was it. It couldn’t be anything else.

*

Maybe the gun wouldn’t be loaded. Maybe she’d just maim him. Ben could see the headlines now. Paranormal author, in search of Bigfoot, crippled by buckshot from crazy recluse. Finding Bigfoot, that was going to be the easy part. Getting Kiera McConnel to help him before she shot him, now that was going to be a royal pain in the ass. The closer he got to his destination, the more Ben felt restless, like bugs crawling under his skin.

Rain pelted his window and a gust of wind spattered the drops sideways. The inside of the cab fogged up and obscured his vision, but he managed to spot the turn off and eased on to the road. Trust him to not only head out into bum fuck Egypt to get his head shot off, but do it just in time for a heavy rain storm. His wheels spun in the mud and rocks whacked the undercarriage. This wasn’t a good place to get stranded.

Of course, he’d take a risk like this for kicks, Reb and Lena just shook their heads when he announced he was going to see Kiera McConnel. They thought he was nuts. But then, his family always had thought he was one fry short of a Happy Meal.

His old truck rattled along the dirt road towards another puzzle, another mystery, this one more intriguing than most. After her rescue of Nanette Turner, she’d been approached by every newshound and Bigfoot enthusiast for miles. That reporter, Drew, told him the woman had blown away his satellite dish on the T.V. van when he’d tried to interview her. When Drew complained, he said the Sheriff’s office laughed and pointed out she had “No Trespassing” signs everywhere. It was definitely a risk to confront her. Still, she hadn’t actually killed anyone. Yet.

Whatever Kiera McConnel issues might be, he’d deal with them. The road meandered toward a small, well-kept cabin surrounded by wild flowers that splashed color along the front of the house. In the heavy May rain, the color contrasted with the dark surrounding trees that spread a canopy behind the residence. Puddles gathered in a vegetable garden and droplets of water clung to the tall, wire fences surrounding the yard. He studied the cabin closely. She’d grown up here. The details all screamed self sufficient and remote. He wondered if her home reflected her personality or the other way around?

He parked the truck and hopped out, rain instantly soaking his boots and his jeans.

The door opened with a bang and Ben froze. All he could see were two long barrels of a shotgun aimed directly at his head. Even expecting it, his heart still jumped into his throat. The only sound was the slap of the rain on his jacket. His gaze narrowed on her face to register every twitch, every movement. If she was going to shoot him, he wanted to see it coming.

“What do you want?”

He wanted to get his first look at the woman who could help him, but the shotgun was distracting. Her long fingers rested on the slim piece of metal that only required one jerk and he’d be riddled with buckshot.

“My name is Ben Harmon.” He managed through a lump in his throat. He swallowed and peered behind the length of the gun. She was tall, short blonde hair and long, tapered fingers, one of which rested on the trigger. Her eyes were green and glittered in the muted daylight. He hadn’t expected to be rattled by barrel of the shotgun, but his heart beat fast. Apparently, the thought of being a target wasn’t as bad as the reality. Come on. You’ve faced ghosts and demons before. What’s so scary about a double barreled shotgun in your face? He took a deep, cleansing breath and let it out slowly.

“I know who you are. So?” Her tone resembled gritty leaves, harsh and crisp.

Time to prove he had a set of cajones. “I have a letter from your father.”

*

Her stomach churned, and Kiera shifted her grip on the shotgun, her arms strained as she tightened her muscles to keep it trained on the tall stranger. This was unexpected. A letter from her father. Why did everything circle back to him? The cold hearted son of a bitch was dead. Why couldn’t he stay dead? She snorted. Even being buried in the ground didn’t stop him from fucking with her. The man was capable of doing anything.

“My father is dead.” She stated in a flat tone. Dead. In a drunken stupor after having two strokes.

“He sent it to a lawyer before his death. It involves you.” The tall stranger took a single step forward and reached the bottom step. Kiera resisted the instinct to step back and she kept the gun leveled at his heart. He didn’t look dangerous particularly, but her blood ran colder anyway.

It wasn’t the way he looked, though he had to be over six feet three. His sandy brown hair was slicked by the rain and his blue eyes peered into hers as if he knew her thoughts. It was unnerving. He didn’t look anything like the picture on the back of his books. For one thing, he seemed taller and more muscular. The pictures showed him sitting, which was a shame since the lower half of the man’s body was damn nice to look at.

She wrenched her thoughts away from his hot body and focused on the reason for his intrusion.

“Nothing about my father involves me.” The bitterness in her own voice caused her to wince. After all this time, she thought she had exorcised her father’s ghost. Apparently not.

He stepped forward again which brought him beneath the awning over the porch and half-way up the porch steps. “This does.” The man reached into his back pocket and removed several pages and began to read them as if she didn’t have her finger on the trigger ready to blow his head off. Bold.

“If this letter is opened then my wife is either dead or her power of attorney has been passed to my daughter, Kiera McConnel. Since I left the money from my retirement and the trust I set aside for Bigfoot research to my wife, I wish to add an addendum to my will.” His gaze flicked to her face and back to the paper. Stunned, she could only snap her mouth shut. Even in death, her father was a bastard.

The stranger went on. “If Kiera McConnel will not lead an expedition to discover new information on Bigfoot, the money will all go to the list of research groups below.”

He folded up the letter. “There’s more, but it’s all legalese. When your mother signed the Power of Attorney, your father’s lawyers notified me.” His eyes studied her and she was amazed that he remained calm in the face of her violent hostility.

“Why?” Why hadn’t she been notified? How was she going to pay for her mother’s surgeries if the money was cut off?

“My research company is first on the list.” His gaze was steady, almost compassionate. “Rather than be a part of cutting you off, I thought I’d see if you would lead me on an expedition.” It wasn’t a plea or a demand. His tone was even, matter of fact and emotionless. “The lawyers were interested in avoiding a legal entanglement.”

There was no fucking way. She gritted her teeth. “I’m not going.”

“You’re a cartographer. You know the areas I need to research like the back of your hand. I need you to come with me.”

She lowered the gun and she backed into the cabin. She started to swing the door shut and shook her head. “No.”

A large hand slapped on the door holding it open and her heart jumped into her throat. Didn’t he understand she had a gun? Okay, so the only thing she’d killed lately was a satellite dish, but he couldn’t know that. The man should have looked stupid, with raindrops dripping from his hair, but he didn’t. “I don’t know what happened between you and your father but this is about more than just you. Give me five minutes and I’ll make my case. If you still don’t want to go, I’ll leave you alone.”

Inside her head, she screamed. If it ever escaped, it would scare the shit out of everyone within hearing, but she held it in. Her throat hurt from holding it back. She didn’t want to go. Her father wasted his life searching for Bigfoot. Going on this harebrained adventure would only bring the past forward from the dark places she shoved it.

“You’ve been hiding out for two years. Don’t you think it’s time you started living again?” His question ripped through her. Hiding? He was out of his mind.

Her chin raised and she glared at him. “I have a life. Just because I don’t live in a cracker box surrounded by people doesn’t mean I’ve been hiding.” Or that was she still dancing to the tune her father played. She squashed that thought like a bug.

The man inched closer and she caught the scent of rain and pine wafting from him. “You’ve been hiding.”

Her hand gripped the door and started to shut it in his face. This time, he used his shoulder to stop the door and his hand grasped her chin. Shock rippled along her nerves and she flinched at his touch. His fingers were warm and firm. Her skin tingled, but no one touched her. Ever.

Her hand gripped the barrel of the gun. “Don’t touch me.” She wanted to jam it into his stomach and pull the trigger. Not because he invaded her physical space, but because he seemed to see through her façade, her mask she presented. Instead, she froze.

The fingers on her face softened and his gaze mesmerized her. Adrenaline shot through her veins, not from fear but from something else, something frightening and seductive in his touch. Instead of shooting him, she trembled. He released her chin but invisible chains held her captive.

He blinked twice and then he frowned. His voice was low as he said, “Give me the five minutes.”

Unwanted tears threatened. There was no way that Kiera was going to cry in front of this pushy jerk. Why did he have to show up now, when she was at her lowest point? He didn’t know her.

“I am not going to hunt for Bigfoot.” She clenched her teeth as he nodded.

“It’s clear your father hurt you.” He shrugged. “I’m not exactly one to discuss parental approval but I will say your father has put you over a barrel.” His lips thinned. “Rather than help him do it, I’d rather help you.”

Suspicion made her eyes narrow. She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. “Why?” His eyebrows shot up as if she had missed something obvious. His expression made her grind her teeth. At this rate, there wouldn’t be anything left of them. “You don’t have your father’s...flair for the dramatic. I think that makes you a better guide for a trip like this.”

“You mean, I won’t steal your thunder,” she quipped.

He grimaced. “I don’t really enjoy media frenzies. I presume you don’t either. If you lead the expedition, the addendum is null and void.”

In his gaze, she noted determination, understanding, and something else. Her resistance wavered, and her eyes dropped. Perhaps she was so desperate for someone, anyone, to show compassion she allowed the wall to crumble a little.

“You might as well come in.” She hated backing down, even a little bit. The fight wasn’t over but she only had so much energy. He wasn’t going to go away. He would keep coming back until she gave in. Just like her father, he was a legend hunter.

He nodded briefly and stepped into her home. All she could think was that the Trojan Horse had just entered her sanctuary. The war had just begun. It just didn’t involve bullets.

As she placed the shotgun on a rack above her fireplace, he sat down on her couch. She crossed her arms and stood in front of the river stone mantel. He had five minutes and then she was going to kick his ass out. “Five minutes. The clock’s ticking.”

“I’ve written three books, and they’ve all involved the paranormal.”

“Good for you.” She snapped at him. Like she didn’t know that. Arrogant bastard.

His stare didn’t waver. “This will take longer than five minutes if you keep interrupting.”

She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. Again.

“I’ve got a proposal in to a publisher for this book about Bigfoot.”

Her lips twisted in disgust. “And now that there’s a rash of new sightings and a media circus, you’re going to write a book about it.”

His gaze held hers and her eyes shifted. As he folded his large hands in his lap, she noted they were large and capable with rough calluses. His voice was calm, almost soothing. “Bigfoot is a phenomenon I’ve been interested in for a long time. But yes, the recent sightings did encourage me to come here.”

“I’m not going to help you whip this area into a frenzy.” She bit the words out one by one. “It’s destructive and dangerous. Amateurs go into the forest to find a monster and some of them get hurt.” Like Nanette’s father.

“I’m not an amateur.” His voice was quiet.

“No, you’re worse. You think this is a research project, a little jaunt into the woods, a good book.” She sneered. “But you forget that some of us have to live here when you’re gone.”

“Bigfoot has given this area tourist dollars.” He pointed out.

“As long as Bigfoot is a harmless legend. But people like you make it into a circus and make a quick buck while you do it.”

“I don’t need the money, but you do.”

Her blood boiled over and, for the first time in her life, she thought she might kill another human being. Her fists clenched. “Oh, I do?” She bit the words out.

He nodded. “You do. For your mother.”

She strode over and opened the door. “Your time is up. Get out.” He sat there so calm, she wanted to strangle him.

“Your mother has cancer and you can’t afford the hospital bills. Davis isn’t cheap, is it?” He didn’t turn his head to look at her, but he spoke gently.

She couldn’t take gentle. As quickly as the anger built inside her, it collapsed in the face of his soft voice. Her insides shook and she was a little queasy.

“Your mother isn’t insured and the treatment for your mother must be very expensive. I’ve checked. You’re almost out of money. That’s why you’re here and not there, with her. You need more than the five hundred thousand your father left in the trust. I can provide it. I’m willing to contribute another five hundred thousand along with the money your father had if you’ll guide me into the Trinity Mountains.”

She could barely breathe. She wanted to cry. No way. What right did he have to blackmail her into this? And it was blackmail. Anger gave her voice sound. “You must be selling well.” She taunted him. “You don’t need me. Get. Out.”

He didn’t move. She glared at him. “I haven’t touched a penny of my father’s legacy.” She spat the last word out. “What makes you think I’ll take money now?”

“Because your mother needs more than the thirty thousand dollars a year he left her. Money you can’t access unless you go with me.” The man’s voice was quiet. She opened her mouth and shut it with a snap. He met her panicked gaze and continued. “There’s more. You can approve anything I write. It doesn’t go to print without your final say. I know that you think the Bigfoot phenomenon is a fraud. If that’s what we find, that’s what I’ll write.”

None of it made sense. He had to know she’d reject anything he’d write. She’d do anything to squash the intense interest in Bigfoot his book would produce. She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

He leaned forward. “Close the door and sit down. I can try and explain it.”

Her legs were rubbery as she collapsed in a chair. Her mind whirled. She’d held a gun on him, insulted him, and he sat there as if she was a petulant child having a temper tantrum.

He folded his hands and held her gaze. “Your father’s photograph has created a lot of stir in the scientific community. I’m not going to prove or disprove it. All I want to do is study the evidence and see if I--we--can find out what’s really out there. If you’re familiar with my writing, you’ll know that I’m not trying to create a sensation. I only publish facts I can prove.”

“They’ve been searching for Bigfoot for over a hundred years. What makes you think that you’ll find anything they haven’t found?”

He smiled for the first time and Kiera’s heart raced a little faster. “I’ll have you.”