Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (good fiction books to read .txt) 📕

consolidation.” He gestured behind him at the rafting office. “I’m willing to take this off her hands.”

Nora fought back a snarky response. If her aunt had refused to consolidate the companies during their marriage, why would he think she would do it now? What her aunt did or didn’t do wasn’t his business anymore, but at the same time, Nora didn’t want to hinder Aunt Linda’s healing process by fanning the flames of animosity. “I can’t be the middleman, here,” she said instead.

Frank leaned back ever so slightly and looked around as if she’d just told him the weather forecast. “Well, if she asks, my offer to help is genuine.” He strolled off to where he’d parked his Range Rover.

Nora’s insides felt like they were vibrating. She purposefully dropped her shoulders to their normal place and went back to her room to change before spending the rest of the day helping Bobby train the staff. The office cell phone rang. “The Sauvage Run, this is Nora speaking. How may I help you?”

“Hi, Nora. This is Angela Johnson from Wonder Travel Magazine. I sent you an email but—”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but I can assure you we’re still on target for our early season run.” Sauvage Run needed enough visitors to use the permits they’d bought from the forest service, or Nora had no idea how her aunt would stay afloat this year without selling the business. Aside from the small apartment they’d lived in before her mom’s passing, the rafting company was the only home Nora had ever known. Where would she go? And if Maya ever came back, how would they find each other?

“We had an anonymous—”

“Our competitor admitted he gave you that anonymous tip.” She steeled her nerves. This was the last chance to make her aunt’s business stay afloat. She had to make it work. “We did have an unfortunate death here, but I assure you our rafting guides will be ready to give our visitors the time of their lives when the season starts.” Nora blinked back a wave of desperation.

“Sounds good. That’s why we always confirm our sources,” Angela said with a laugh. “If anything changes, let me know. Oh, and the other reason I called is that our photographer is coming with me.”

“Perfect. We’ll see you soon.” Nora ended the call and lifted her face to the sky. Everything needed to start going smoothly. Now. “Please help,” she prayed in a whisper.

She worked all afternoon in the office, already two days behind in the prep work she needed to do. Tomorrow morning, she would hit the fastest currents and prepare all the other sites. She would have to keep a lookout for somewhere besides Sandy Cape for the guides to stop to prepare a lunch break for their rafting guests or, possibly, locate a completely different launch point. She studied maps and made note of potential new break points. The ideas were theoretical at best until she could get on the river to see what the high snowmelt had done. She jotted down a note where Perry had warned her of a mountainous boulder before the final take-out location.

By the time she joined her staff at the campground for dinner, Bobby and Lizzie seemed to be avoiding her pointed gaze. Today, the trainees had learned how to make grilled salmon, salad, and sliced apples for a gourmet dinner. One of the reasons Frank had likely wanted to recruit Bobby was for his renowned cooking and teaching skills. And Lizzie, only seven years older than Nora, was in her late thirties and had been a rafting guide for almost twenty years. Besides Maya and Aunt Linda, those two employees were the closest Nora had to family. Had they finally agreed to let Frank steal them away?

“We said no,” Lizzie said as she handed Nora a paper plate and sat next to her. “But he’s getting harder to resist with the promised increase in pay.”

“You know I would match it if I could.”

“I know, which is why I keep saying no.” Lizzie smiled. “Besides, it seemed obvious he was really there to talk to Bobby more than me.”

Bobby joined them. He looked over his shoulder. “I kept Frank from talking to the guides, Nora, but it’s only a matter of time. Some of these guys are townies and have connections to Frank’s employees. They get back to their cell phones and internet in the lodge at night and they’ll eventually find out they can make more money at Frank’s.”

The salmon no longer melted in her mouth. She forced herself to smile and make conversation about training. At the end of the week, she would be the trainees’ final instructor with a full day on the river, testing their swift water rescue techniques. If the students and Bobby had done their jobs well, the day on the river would be more exhilarating than scary.

Once darkness enveloped the campground, she left the lesson on fireside Dutch Oven pineapple upside-down cake to the professionals. She’d never been a fan of pineapple anyway. Always made her tongue itch. She made her way back to the lodge but slowed as she noticed the moonlit shape of a vehicle at the far edge of the parking lot. The outline of a person shifted in the front window.

Someone was watching her.

* * *

Henry gritted his teeth together. Nora shouldn’t be out at night. He thought she’d be safely inside the lodge by now. Maybe she wouldn’t notice that he was sitting inside the truck. Her hair was loose, something she only allowed in evenings when she was no longer expected to help customers or be on the river. The breeze blew the dark strands from her face as she squinted into the night in his direction. She turned on her heel and entered the employee quarters.

He blew out a breath. If she had noticed him, she wouldn’t have let his presence go without comment. On one hand,