Meg eyed him. “You think this is about you, and not your girlfriend?”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it over the past two years. I was investigating some missing money when she was killed. Obviously, getting put behind bars stopped that. And then in prison, I was attacked. Twice. It was too much to be a coincidence. I think someone was trying to get me killed.”
“Were you hurt?”
Cade lifted his shirt on his left side and showed her a scar. “The first time, he got me.” He put his shirt down. “The second time, I got him.” He flexed his hand, his muscles bulging, the tattoo of the dagger standing out against his skin.
Meg’s chest constricted. Had he killed the other prisoner? She swallowed back that question. “I’m glad you didn’t get seriously hurt.”
“Me too.”
She stared at the tattoo. It didn’t fit his businessman personality at all. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Did you get the tattoo in prison?”
Cade stared at her a second before he shook his head. “No.” His gaze fell to his wrist. “That was a drunk college kid decision.”
Meg didn’t know what to say to that. She changed the subject. “So, your brother knows we’re here?”
“Not yet.”
She rubbed a thumb against her palm. She didn’t know Cade or his brother. Would he get mad at her if she insinuated he should be careful? She watched as the fire grew, licking the wooden logs. Then the words just came out. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell him.”
Cade snapped his gaze at her. “Why not?”
“Just...to be safe.”
Cade stared at her a long time before he stood, grabbed a log and sat it next to her. “He’s my brother. He wouldn’t...” His voice broke off.
“I know. But if his phone is tapped or something...” The words sounded stupid to her ears, but she couldn’t help it. He was an escaped convict. Surely the police would monitor calls to his brother.
Cade shrugged. “I suppose you’re right. But if I don’t call my brother, I can’t get any money wired to me.”
“I could apply for a job in town.”
“You’d stay here, without power?”
She couldn’t help but crack a smile. “If you can figure out how to get me a hot bath, I’d be much more employable. I’m starting to smell ripe.”
Cade laughed and leaned over to her. “Not to me.” He said it jokingly, but then he sobered, and her breath caught.
He was too handsome. Too close to her. And her heart was pounding a million times a second. She playfully shoved him. “You creep.”
His laughter rang out through the trees. “Okay. All kidding aside, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
Cade picked up an iron tool and lifted the Dutch oven into the fire.
“I’ve only seen those things suspended. Is it okay like that, in the fire?”
Cade sat back down. “Sure. Usually, you just heat up some coals and put those on the lid, and around the oven, but we don’t have any. This will have to do. It will cook it enough for us to eat.”
She looked at him sideways. “How do you know so much about this stuff? I thought you were a city boy from Omaha.”
“My uncle used to take me and Nicholas and our friend, Zane, camping when we were kids.”
“Nicholas...your brother?”
“Yep.” Cade scratched his jaw. “I remember one time Zane and I were around nine and Nicholas was maybe seven. Uncle Hal had taken us up to the Niobrara River. Our campsite was near the top of a hill. It was beautiful...until it started raining. We grabbed our things and got into the tent. Uncle Hal told us stories until we fell asleep. When we woke up the next morning, we were confused. The tent was at the bottom of the hill. Apparently, Hal had forgotten to stake the tent, so the rain had washed us down the hill.”