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this. I should have listened to you and packed a bag.”
    “I wish I’d packed more food. We gave the bear the last of my bars,” she said, her voice quiet.
    As if on cue his stomach grumbled. “I can skip a meal or two.”
    “Let’s hope it’s only the one.”
    To their left was the visible outline of a fallen tree stump. He ushered her over to the round chuck of wood and slipped the bag off his shoulder. “Can you check the stump roots to make sure they aren’t wet? I’ll gather some sticks.”
    He walked away in search of some sturdy, full branches to use as a shield against the wind. When he had an armful gathered, he returned to the stump and laid them on the ground. “This should be enough.”
    Working side by side, they quickly created a windbreak from the chilling wind. Soon they had the evergreen tree boughs in place with the raincoat hanging over them, blocking the gusts of frigid air whistling through the trees.
    “There,” Tessa said, wiping her hands on her pants. “I haven’t made one of these since college.”
    “Part of a class?”
    “No, actually, the forestry club. We went nature camping at least twice a year.”
    She was full of surprises. “You have a seat,” he said. “I’ll stand watch.”
    “There’s room for both of us to sit,” she said. “You can keep watch from a seated position, can’t you?”
    The tone in her voice held an edge of challenge. And no doubt if he refused to sit, she’d refuse, too. He sat. She followed suit and tucked her bag between them.
    Armrest or boundary?
    She had nothing to worry about from him. He had no intention of crossing the boundary.
    He may like the fish doctor and, sure, found her attractive and quick-witted and resourceful and generally good company, but a budding romance that had nowhere to go and would only end in heartache wasn’t on his agenda.
    Despite how self-reliant and independent Tessa was, she struck him as the type of woman who wanted a happily-ever-after. He didn’t believe such a thing existed.
    Despite his parents’ long marriage, he couldn’t say they were happy. But then he’d never asked them if they were.
    Frowning as he turned the thought over in his head, he settled into a semicomfortable position with his back propped against the stump, his hand on the butt of his holstered weapon.
    Not ready to commit to approaching his parents with the question of their happiness, he tucked all thoughts of his family away.
    Getting to safety and putting a stop to the water pollutant were his priorities. Until he knew this situation wasn’t going to turn into an international crisis, he had to bring on his A-game. That meant staying alert and ignoring his attraction to the woman beside him or thoughts of marriage or family or happily-ever-afters.
    The sound of Tessa’s jacket scraping along the tree roots as she moved to a more comfortable position brought his attention to the moment. She was a trouper, that was for sure. Not one complaint about being cold or tired or uncomfortable. His respect for her continued to grow.
    She shifted again. Her head came to rest against his biceps.
    His blood pressure spiked. He gritted his teeth. Not for the life of him would he shake her off.
    She jerked upright. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be. You’re welcome to use my shoulder as a pillow.”
    “No, we should stay awake.”
    “Don’t worry. I’m sure Ranger Harris and the sheriff have a search party out looking for us. We’ll make it back to civilization long before we starve or freeze to death.”
    “I’ll hold you to that.” There was a smile in her voice.
    Though her face was shadowed, there was enough ambient light for him to see the fatigue around her eyes and in the tightness of her shoulders.
    “Tell me about Seattle,” she said, her voice low. “I hear it rains all the time.”
    He laughed. “That’s just something we tell people so they don’t move there.”
    “What? It’s not true?”
    “No,” he admitted. “But