Page 2 of Her Protector (Ember Heart Ridge Search and Rescue #4)

Chapter Two

MARCUS

I'm halfway down the mountain before I acknowledge the truth. The interaction with Abby had all the success rate of a real-world cold fusion experiment.

Gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary, I replay every moment of the conversation.

The way Abby looked when she opened the door, all wild hair and challenging eyes.

Beautiful. How she saw right through my bullshit excuse without breaking a sweat.

That perfect, rosy flush that crept up her neck when I stepped into the cabin.

Seven years, three months, and twelve days. For the love of Kepler, I actually said that out loud.

I pull over at the scenic overlook and cut the engine.

The valley spreads out below, Ember Heart nestled between the peaks, but I'm not appreciating the view.

All I can see is the face of the girl who used to be my best friend, now a beautiful, confident woman who clearly wants nothing to do with me.

And she's hiding a secret. A big secret.

The scientific part of my brain catalogs the evidence. One, her nervous energy when I knocked. Two, the way she positioned herself to block my view of the living room. Three, that split second of panic before she covered it with attitude.

She found something in that cabin. Something related to the treasure.

My phone buzzes with a text from my twin.

Hunter: How'd the 'safety inspection' go?

Marcus: About as well as you'd expect.

Hunter: That bad? Want to grab a beer and talk about it?

Marcus: Can't. Have work to do.

I start the truck and head back down to town. If Abby's planning to go treasure hunting, she's going to need more than whatever Jasper left her. She'll need geological surveys, topographical maps, maybe even ground-penetrating radar data.

And I have access to all of it.

The Ember Heart Search and Rescue headquarters doubles as one of the county's geological monitoring stations. We track seismic activity, landslide risks, and weather patterns. But the real treasure trove is in the basement: decades of mining surveys, historical records, and geological assessments that most people aren’t even aware exist.

I've been through it all. Every map, every report, every theory about where the legendary treasure might be hidden. The irony isn't lost on me. The woman I've been trying to forget is now chasing the same mystery I've been obsessing over for years.

I park behind the SAR building and let myself in. The basement is cool and quiet, filled with filing cabinets and computer servers that hum softly in the darkness. I flip on the lights and head straight for the geological archives.

Abby’s grandfather’s research takes up an entire drawer.

The old man was thorough, I'll give him that.

Purchase orders for mining equipment, correspondence with geological survey teams, and even receipts for dynamite.

Most of it I've seen before, but I spread it out on the work table anyway, looking for clues I might have missed.

A pattern starts to emerge. Jasper wasn't just interested in the treasure legend. He was tracking something specific. Mineral compositions, water table fluctuations, electromagnetic anomalies. The kind of data that suggests he knew exactly what he was looking for.

Caves. Or mine shafts.

I lean back in my chair, pieces clicking into place. Jasper wasn't chasing a legend. He was following real geological evidence. And now his granddaughter has inherited not just his property, but his research.

My phone rings. Troy's name flashes on the screen and I pick up.

“You still at the office?” he asks.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Logan wants to talk about the new data system.”

“Okay… and?”

“ And I hear Abby Brooks is back in town.”

I grunt.

Silence on the other end. “You remember, Marcus. Josh's sister? Red hair, freckles? Broken wrist from falling out of the oak tree, stitches in her forehead from the camping trip, burns from the campfire incident... the one you used to follow around when we were kids?”

I roll my eyes. My brother’s memories always have a medical flavor. “I never followed her around.”

“ Right . And I never had to patch you both up after she talked you into jumping off Miller's Bridge.” Troy chuckles. “So what's the plan?”

The question catches me off guard. “Plan?”

“Marcus. We all know you've been carrying a torch for that girl since high school. She's back in town and you're sitting in that damn basement instead of doing something about it.”

“She doesn't want to see me.”

Troy's voice softens. “Why?”

The memory hits me hard. Abby and I back in Ember Heart at the same time, seven years ago, after I’d completed my Master’s in Geological Engineering.

Getting closer, until Josh abruptly told me he'd seen the way I looked at Abby.

Warning me that she had big dreams, a job offer in the city, a whole life waiting for her.

That she didn't need me holding her back. That he couldn’t be my best friend if I dated his sister.

“There are complicating factors. Numerous variables.”

“Look, I'm not saying you should storm up there and demand she kiss you. But maybe you could try being her friend.”

After he hangs up, I gather Jasper's files and lock them in my desk drawer. Whatever Abby found in that cabin, whatever she's planning, I'm going to figure it out. Not so I can stop her, but so I can help her do it safely.

Even if she doesn't want my help. Even if she never forgives me for walking away.

I lock up the building and head home, but my mind is already working on the problem. Abby's going to start her treasure hunt soon. Probably tomorrow, knowing her impatience. She'll head up the northeast ridge, following whatever clues Jasper left her.

And when she does, I'll be there. Not watching from a distance, but close enough to help if she needs it.

Close enough to finally tell her the truth about why I've been protecting her all these years.

Even when she didn't know I was doing it.