Chapter Ten

Jessie stood out on the ledge, looking across the canyon to the other side as the sun's rays broke across the mountain, hitting her face, warming her. She thought she would feel something here and was surprised when it didn't come. Sixteen years ago, her father had stood on this very spot. What had he been thinking? Was he thinking of her? Or was he thinking of Annie and how she had betrayed him? She would never know. Just as she would never know for sure whether he had jumped to his death or simply slipped after coming up here to do some soul-searching. She wanted to think the latter, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't.

This was the first time she had come up here to the ledge since they had found him. She had walked into the canyon the day she left, but she couldn't bring herself to come up here. Now, she looked around, hoping to feel something, wondering why she didn't. Anger. Sorrow. Something. But nothing came. She simply felt empty, like she had these past sixteen years. She sat down on the ledge and leaned over, looking into the canyon some three hundred feet below, imagining the spot where he laid. She couldn't remember exactly where it was, though in her mind she could picture him falling, no scream coming from him, just the resounding thud as he crashed on the rocks below, his broken body empty, her father gone forever.

She took a deep breath and let her tears come, as she knew they would. For sixteen years, she had not shed a one, not once. But she hung her head now and let the sobs rock her until she could cry no more. She sat there for minutes, maybe hours, as the sun rose higher in the sky and the tears dried on her cheeks. She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest and rested her damp cheek on her legs, her eyes traveling across the canyon, resting on the evergreens on the other side, unseeing. She felt sorry for herself mostly. All those lost years.

Jessie sensed a presence seconds before she heard the scuffing on the rocks. She lifted her head from her knees only slightly, surprised to find someone standing there, watching her.

"You're kinda close to the edge there, ma'am," Chris said, wondering who in their right mind would sit on the ledge like that, only a foot from tumbling into the canyon. There had been no sign-ins at the trailhead but that didn't mean anything. Not everyone followed the rules.

Jessie had half a mind to ignore the woman, thinking it wasn't any of her damn business how close to the edge she sat. But she was getting tired, so she stood up and stretched her back, realizing just how long she had been sitting there.

"I was a little close, I guess," she said to the stranger, looking over the edge and into the canyon one more time. Then she turned and easily hopped over the foot-wide gap in the rock and stopped in front of the woman. For the first time, Jessie noticed the Forest Service patch on the stranger's T-shirt and the radio strapped to the woman's hip. With an arch of one eyebrow, she allowed her eyes to travel over the woman, up past scuffed hiking boots, tanned, well-muscled legs, hiking shorts, and the white T-shirt tucked neatly inside. Her light brown hair was layered and wind blown, strands hanging over the blue eyes that looked back at her. Sexy. Jessie gave one of her most seductive looks and smiled.

"Who are you?"

"Search and Rescue."

Jessie grinned. It was just too easy. "And... who are you searching for?" Jessie asked quietly, stepping closer.

Chris was amazed at how well she hid her surprise, for there was no mistaking those nearly black eyes looking at her so intently. How many nights had she held the book and looked at them herself? The only thing different was the hair, now much shorter than in the picture.

"I'm looking for hikers that don't sign in at trailheads. It's a huge offense, you know."

Jessie teasingly raised both arms over her head. "Guilty. I guess you caught me then." Jessie met the woman's steady gaze, thinking how beautiful her eyes were. Blue. Blue as a mountain sky. She wondered how long it would take for this conquest. A little diversion from the unwanted task of seeing Annie; this woman would do nicely.

Chris was not immune to the flirtatious looks and gestures of J. T. Stone, but she sensed a complete lack of sincerity and she was much too wise to fall victim to that sort of seduction. And despite her fantasies every night, she never really believed she would meet J. T. Stone. But here she was, unabashedly flirting with her. Well, two could play this old game.

"Now that I've caught you, what in the world should I do with you?"

"House arrest?" Jessie suggested, her lips forming into a seductive smile. "Overnight stay?"

Chris crossed her arms and watched Jessie Stone for a moment, letting her eyes travel the length of her, much like Jessie had done earlier. Then she shook her head. "No. I think I'll let you off the hook this time. First offense and all."

Jessie was a bit disappointed. She'd been so close, she was sure. But the game wasn't over. She would be here at least a week.

"Thank you. I guess I should head down then. Want to escort me?"

"Can't. I'm heading up. Sorry."

Jessie shrugged. This woman clearly wasn't interested. And Jessie wasn't about to beg. The women in New York were so much easier. "Have a nice walk then." She gave one more lingering look, then told herself that the woman must be straight not to have taken the bait. Oh well, her loss.

Chris walked on up the trail, purposely keeping her back to Jessie Stone, refusing to turn around to watch. Only when she topped the next ridge did she stop and lean against a tree. She took a drink from her water bottle, wondering what in the world J. T Stone was doing up here. Chris was almost certain that Jessie had been at the exact spot where Jack had jumped. The ledge with the split in it, Annie had said. What's she doing here? Maybe to finally see Annie. Maybe to do research for a new book. Then her eyes widened. Maybe to do both.

Jessie passed the trailhead, her mind still on the woman she'd met on the trail. She picked up the pencil, thinking she would have just a little more fun. She wrote: Jennifer Parker. Out safely. It was gorgeous at the top... view included.

She smiled as she closed the lid on the box. She didn't doubt the woman would look on her way back down. She passed the dusty Jeep on her way to her rental car, assuming it belonged to the SAR woman. She paused, looking at the neat interior. It suited her, the woman with the wind-blown hair.

Opening the window on her own car as she drove, Jessie let the cool breeze hit her face, drying the sweat from her hike. It had felt good to use muscles that were dormant too long. And it had felt good to cry, she admitted. The hardest part would be facing Annie.

If she could even manage it. She wondered what Annie would be like after sixteen years. She wondered if she had gone and married that man in San Francisco. Probably. Annie may not even be in Sierra City anymore. Wouldn't that be ironic? She finally got up enough nerve to come back and Annie wouldn't even be here. On impulse, she pulled into the gas station and walked up to the phone booth, flipping through the directory. Her fingers found the S's and she held her breath, pausing at Stone, Annie. So, she was still here after all. Jessie closed the book and walked away, her heart hammering in her chest.

She made a sandwich for lunch and chased it down with a glass of wine, then lay on the sofa, letting sleep take her. She had not slept well the night before and she was a little tired after her hike. She would have plenty of time to decide about Annie, she thought as she drifted away.

Chris followed the Ridge Trail loop, enjoying the quiet of the weekday. She had met no one since encountering Jessie Stone that morning and figured she would not. Friday, the tourists would begin showing up and by Saturday, there would again be people on the trails, trying to leave the city behind for at least the weekend. She passed the cutoff to Lake Trail and continued down the hill to her Jeep. She was tired and wanted a shower, glad she had worn shorts that morning instead of jeans. But they still clung to her now and she pulled her shirt out, letting the cool air hit her bare waist.

On her way past the trailhead marker, out of habit she lifted the sign-in box and glanced at it, wondering if anyone had gone up after her. Jennifer Parker? Chris smiled. Who was she kidding? Then she laughed. The woman was still flirting, even on the sign-in sheet.

Chris passed her road and went on to the office where Ruth Henninger would be. Maybe Jessie Stone was staying at the cabins. It would be much more private than the lodge and she apparently was looking for seclusion, judging by the alias she used.

Ruth came out to meet her, as Chris assumed she did everyone. She slammed the Jeep door and walked up.

"Good afternoon, Miss Henninger," Chris greeted.

"Oh, please, I've told you, it's just plain Ruth." She turned and beckoned Chris to follow. "Come inside. I have fresh baked cookies, Chris."

At least once a week, Chris stopped by, just to chat. She suspected that Ruth looked forward to her visits now.

"You look hot. Want some iced tea?"

"That sounds great, thanks." Chris sat at the table and took a cookie, still hot from the oven.

"How are all die rangers doing, dear?" Ruth asked, as she always did.

"They're fine," Chris answered, as she usually did.

"How do you like that Robert?"

Robert Hatcher. Chris had to force a smile onto her face. He was probably one of the most handsome men Chris had ever seen. He had been with Roger a little over a year but few liked him. He rarely worked the trails, usually making some excuse or other about staying inside or having urgent paperwork to finish. He pretended to tolerate her, but still, Chris had little use for him. She detested laziness.

"I don't get to see him much," Chris said. "He doesn't get out on the trails a lot."

"Now he's a handsome one, with that moustache of his. I saw him at the grocery store. What about Matt?"

"I like him fine," Chris said. "What's with the questions?"

"Well, a woman your age, you need to be dating. I would hate to see you end up like me, an old maid."

Chris laughed, drawing a smile from Ruth. "I'm serious. And don't tell me they haven't asked you. As pretty as you are, they're probably banging your door down." Then she leaned closer to Chris. "A little too skinny, though, Chris. Men like to have a little to hold on to."

Chris laughed again. "Thanks, but I'm not looking for a man, Ruth."

"Women nowadays, think they have to be so independent. I declare, in my day, we wanted a man to take care of us."

"What happened to you, then?"

"I guess I scared them off, what with having a business to run and all," she said wistfully, staring out the back door.

"And how is business, Ruth?"

"Oh, the cabins are full on the weekends, that's all. Now that school has started up again, the families have all gone home. Had a new one come in yesterday, though."

"Really?" Chris asked.

"Pretty girl. Alone, too. I put her up at number seven. She was looking for a secluded place, just like you. Why you young women want to be by yourselves so far back in the woods, I'll never know."

"Number seven? That's across the stream from me, isn't it?" Chris asked innocently.

"Yes, through the woods. Her name is Jennifer Parker. She looked so familiar to me, but she said she'd not been here before."

Yes, Ruth would have known Jessie as a young girl, Chris supposed. No wonder she didn't use her real name.