Page 15 of Wilderness Search (Eagle Mountain: Unsolved Mysteries #2)

Tuesday was Aaron’s father’s birthday, and nothing short of a genuine emergency could excuse Aaron and his siblings from their presence at the family table.

“Everyone is pulling extra shifts right now, trying to find this missing girl,” Aaron said when his mom called to remind him he was expected for the birthday celebration.

When they weren’t actively scrutinizing the countryside for any sign of the missing girl, they were combing through evidence for any clue as to her whereabouts.

“You still have to eat,” his mother said. “If you can’t join us, I’ll bring a plate to you at the sheriff’s department.”

Aaron could only imagine the ribbing he would endure if his mother showed up with dinner for him. Though some of it would probably be jealousy—Diane Ames was a good cook. “I can stop by for a little while,” he said. “But I have to eat and run.”

Thus, he found himself in his usual seat at the family table, across from Bethany and her fiancé, Ian.

Aaron hadn’t been so sure about the professional mountain climber—and reputed billionaire—when they had first met.

He had been afraid the guy would end up hurting Bethany, who had a tender heart and a history of poor judgment when it came to men.

But he had been happy to admit he was wrong.

Ian had proved to be a stand-up guy and he truly seemed to care about Bethany.

Twins Carter and Dalton sat on either side of Aaron—two years younger than him and showing no sign of settling down.

They worked as drivers, tour guides and general handymen for the family business, Peak Jeep Tours and Rentals.

Their parents—married thirty years and still doing everything together—were at either end of the table, which was loaded down with lasagna and a huge salad, a basket of bread sticks and a lemon birthday cake for dessert.

“A group of us are getting together to search those gullies and caves on the back side of Mount Wilson tomorrow afternoon,” Carter said as he doused his salad in dressing.

“I’ll help,” Ian said. An internationally known climber, Ian Seabrook had settled in Eagle Mountain to open a via ferrata, a public climbing route.

“We should ask Willa to come with us,” Bethany said. “I know she wants to help, and I’d like to get to know her better.”

“Yeah, I want to meet her,” Carter said. “Every search and rescue call she’s been on, I haven’t had a chance to speak to her. I hear she’s really good-looking.”

“I noticed her watching you, Aaron,” Bethany said. “She was really checking you out.”

Aaron forced himself not to react. “When was that?”

“When we responded to the call about the guy who drove off Dixon Pass. And again at the youth camp, that first day we searched for Olivia. Willa couldn’t take her eyes off you. You should definitely ask her out.”

He shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” his mother asked.

He debated lying but the truth was going to come out. “Do you remember the woman I was seeing in Vermont?” he asked. “Kat Delaney?”

“I remember her,” Carter said. “The two of you broke up after her brother was arrested for the murder of that little girl at the summer camp.”

“What murder?” Bethany asked. “And the woman you were dating was named Kat?”

“Short for Katherine,” Carter said. “And this little girl at a summer camp in Waterbury was murdered.”

“You had already moved away when all that was going on,” Dalton said.

“What about her?” Carter asked. He stabbed at his salad. “You can’t ask Willa out because Kat broke your heart?”

“I can’t ask Willa out because she is Kat.” He shoveled a forkful of lasagna into his mouth and chewed, though he might as well have been eating packing peanuts.

“What?” Carter paused, fork halfway to his lips. “Willa and Kat are the same person?”

Aaron nodded and swallowed. “I guess she and her brother were harassed so much they moved and changed their names. They had no idea I was living here.”

“If Willa is Kat, why didn’t I recognize her?” Carter asked.

“She was out of context,” Dalton said. “We didn’t expect to run into Aaron’s ex here. Plus, the name change threw us. And we never got that close to her.”

“Still, makes me think I’m losing my touch.” Carter returned his focus to his food. “I usually have a good memory for good-looking women.”

“So do you think her brother did it? ” Dalton asked. “Killed that girl? And does he have anything to do with Olivia’s disappearance?”

“The charges were dismissed because we didn’t have any real evidence against him,” Aaron said. “Just a couple of girls who had seen him talking to Rachel earlier in the day, and he fit the FBI profile. At the time, the sheriff thought he was acting guilty, but he was probably just scared.”

“Yeah, but what does your cop instinct tell you?” Dalton asked.

Aaron shook his head. “I don’t know if I believe in ‘cop instinct.’ At the time, I convinced myself he was guilty, because that’s what everyone around me said they thought. Now—I don’t think he was.”

“What a terrible thing to happen,” his mother said. “I can’t imagine having to change my name and move all the way across the country to start over, just to get away from a scandal like that.”

A scandal Aaron had helped to set in motion. Whatever Gary may or may not have done, Kat—Willa—was innocent. But she had suffered just as much as her brother had. She was still suffering.

This afternoon, when he had opened the door to find her there, it had taken all his will not to pull her close.

She had looked so shaken and afraid. And when he had dared to touch her he had felt the connection like an electrical current.

He had looked into her eyes and thought she felt it, too.

The connection and the longing to be together again.

Then he had realized he was letting his emotions lead him in the wrong direction. Willa hadn’t come to his home for help. She had come to accuse him of arresting her brother. That was still how she saw him—as the enemy. The person who had ruined her life.

So he had done the only thing he could see was right and let her walk away.

She would never know how much that had cost him.

He turned to Carter. “Do me a favor, and don’t ask her out,” he said.

He doubted Willa would say yes—not when she realized who he was.

But no sense taking chances. The only thing worse that not having Willa would be seeing her with his brother.

“And don’t say a word about her name change. ”

“I won’t,” Carter said. For once his brother wasn’t making a joke out of the situation.

“Let me get this straight,” Bethany said.

“Kat—who is now Willa—broke up with you because her brother was suspected of murdering this little girl at the summer camp. Except now you don’t think he did it, and in any case, he was never charged with the crime.

And now your former girlfriend and her brother are living in Eagle Mountain, with new names. ”

“Yeah.” Aaron looked down at the remains of his lasagna; his appetite vanished.

“Wow,” Bethany said. “Of all the places for her to end up. Maybe it’s because the two of you are meant to be together after all.”

“That’s not how life works, Bethany,” Aaron said.

“You only say that because you’re a cop,” Bethany said. “But there are people who believe—”

“Bethany, did you look at those bridesmaids dresses in the link I sent you?” his mother interrupted.

Aaron guessed after so many years of raising four children his mom was an expert in heading off an argument.

And he really didn’t want to argue with his sister about fate and destiny and all that nonsense.

He and Willa had been good together, but now she hated him and he had to learn to live with that.

“I did, Mom.” Their mother couldn’t see it, but Aaron didn’t miss the conspiratorial look Bethany sent Ian. “We’re thinking of something a little simpler.”

“Some of those dresses were quite plain,” his mother said.

“Yes, but we’re looking or a more rustic wedding venue. We want to keep it very casual.”

“I don’t see why you can’t have the wedding in a church and the reception in the canyon,” his mother said.

It was an old argument. One his mother was not going to win. Bethany had defied her parents to see Ian and that had given her all the courage she needed to stand firm on her wedding plans. Good for her. But Aaron didn’t want to get involved. He slid back his chair.

“I have to go now,” he said. “Thanks for the dinner, Mom. It was great.”

“But you haven’t even had dessert. It’s lemon Italian cream cake—your father’s favorite.”

“And we have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Dad,” Bethany said.

“Think I’ll skip the cake tonight.” He patted his flat stomach. “Have to stay in shape.”

He lingered long enough for “Happy Birthday,” then he left, back to the side of his life he felt better equipped to handle.

He might not solve every crime, and they were no closer to finding Olivia after two days of intense searching, but he knew how to investigate and dig and the next steps he should take.

Relationships—whether romantic or familial—were a lot more unpredictable.

Willa’s first patient after lunch on Wednesday was a camper from Mountain Kingdom who had fallen on a hike and broken her arm.

Juliet was twelve, with a cloud of curly red hair and a gangly frame.

She had a tear in her shorts and tears running down her face, but Willa praised her for being brave and talked about what a great story she would have to tell her friends back home, and eventually coaxed a smile from her.

After X-rays and an examination by the nurse practitioner, Willa presented Juliet with a lollipop and set about casting the injured arm. While this was being done, the counselor was called into the business office to complete some paperwork.

Willa watched the woman leave, then asked, “Did you know Olivia, the girl everyone is looking for?”