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idle.
    Keith burst out of the barn on his bike. Jenna clicked on her headlight and sped out after him. He waited for her on the road. The hum and putt putt sound of the bike motor surrounded her as she caught up with him, and they headed toward the dark horizon.

FOUR
    T he helmet enveloped Keith’s head, pressing on his ears and creating an insulated sensation. He glanced back, taking note of the soft glow of Jenna’s headlight. Despite the rough terrain, she kept up pretty well. Part of him wished he could leave her behind and check out the danger on his own. He didn’t want to put her at risk. But he doubted she’d let him go without her, and he wasn’t about to let her go into the canyon by herself. Even after all these years, he felt the need to protect her.
    Still, the pinprick to his heart, the memory of her rejection, had made him hesitate. When he had held her in his arms on the roof, her hand on his chest had seared through him. It had taken every ounce of strength he had to pull away.
    At seventeen, he had just begun to see Jenna as a young woman. He had been clumsy and unsure of himself. His attraction for her came out through roughhousing and verbal jousts. When they were on the roof, her touch had been like breath on a glowing ember. He clenched his jaw. He revved the throttle on the bike and lurched forward. So what if the feelings were still there, stronger than ever? That didn’t mean he had todo anything about the attraction and be hurt by her all over again.
    The road narrowed. The bike bounced over the rocks. Up ahead, he could see the dark shadows of the granite boulders that formed the opening to Leveridge Canyon. He stopped the bike and flipped up his visor. The smooth hum of Jenna’s bike growing closer filled the night air. The crescent moon hung just above the flat-topped buttes in the distance.
    Jenna came beside him, geared down the dirt bike and flipped up her visor.
    Keith pointed. “If we go this way, we can get pretty far into the canyon before we have to hike in.”
    She nodded. “Sounds good,” she shouted as she revved up the bike motor. She flipped down her visor and sped off, kicking up dirt.
    He closed the distance between them and rode beside her. She nodded in his direction and then sped a little ahead. Finally, she brought the bike to a stop and dismounted. Keith caught up with her, stopped his bike and pushed the kick stand down.
    Jenna pulled off her helmet, gathered up her long hair and twisted it into some kind of knot that held it off her face. He had never quite figured out how she did that. Moonlight washed over her tanned skin accentuating the melting curves of her neck.
    She hung the helmet on the handlebars.
    Keith turned away. His forearms had begun to hurt from shifting gears and managing the bike over uneven terrain. “You probably ride all the time.” He massaged the area above his wrist. Frustration shot through him.He just wanted to be able to do the things he used to do and not have to be reminded of his injury.
    â€œBikes do come in handy for work sometimes. Only when I try to start one, it takes three or four tries. It was nice to have help this time.”
    He detected a tone of gratitude in her voice.
    She turned off the headlight on her motorcycle and took in a deep breath. “Tell me we have a flashlight.”
    â€œWhy? You scared of the dark?” he teased as he clicked off his headlight.
    â€œI’m not scared. You’re the big chicken,” she said.
    He picked up on the strain in her voice. They were joking because they were both nervous about what they might find in the canyon.
    Sitting in the darkness, he said a quick prayer that he would be able to keep Jenna safe. His calm returned.
    He loved the remote parts of the ranch far away from houses and any artificial light. The intensity of the darkness had always caused his heart to beat faster. Tonight, the surrounding vastness reminded him