My eyes did one last sweep of the clearing before I jogged toward the motor home.
“Shit,” I muttered when I reached it, lifting my hand to the bottom of the window; they were too high to peer into.
I moved to the far side of the RV, using the behemoth structure to shield myself from the woods as I considered my next move. The windows were too high up, but if I could find something to stand on ... I peered around.If there was a thick branch or log ... or that.
Before I could think better of it, my foot was on the rubber rim of one of the RV’s tires and I was hoisting myself up.
I should’ve thought better of it.Like I should’ve thought better of trying to reach the speaker in the tent.
I lifted myself level with the dark glass just long enough to see a brief flash of light blind me from inside before I realized there was nothing for me to hold on to.
A small sound blipped from my throat as I tried to flatten against the wall of the camper—to stabilize myself. But I couldn’t.
Swearing under my breath, I stepped down, but the height, and then the uneven landing, threw me off balance.
My arms flung out as my foot caught on a branch or rock or something. “Shit,” I whimpered as I pitched backward—straight into something hard and steady andmale.
One arm latched around my waist. Another snaked up, and a hand sealed over my mouth.
Oh god—
“It’s me,” a smooth voice whispered, barely audible in my ear, just as my body tensed, preparing for a fight.
Calder.
I almost collapsed with relief. Maybe that was why he held me to him for another second. “Don’t speak,” he ordered softly, his arms disappearing like they were made of shadows.
Large fingers circled my wrist and led me behind him, wordlessly and cautiously, to the camper’s door, opening it and pulling me inside.
“What the hell are you doing?” Calder growled angrily.
“Me?” I hissed. “I woke up and you were gone!”
“Not a reason to come looking for me,” he chided and clicked on his tiny flashlight, walking deeper into the RV.
The luxury interior now soaked into my perception. Wood-paneled finishes. Stainless steel. Large TV. Leather seating.
The only nature Dr. Julia seemed to be getting in touch with was the refined kind.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back here tonight?” I followed him over to the small desk.
The narrow glaring of his eyes gave me my answer.My safety.
Calder pinned the small flashlight between his teeth, aiming it at the pile of folders he’d pulled out and must have abandoned when he’d heard me outside.
I picked up the top one and opened it.Kevin Erickson and Shaina Marks.Below the names were dates and notes on the couple from the day they arrived, through all their sessions, until the program finished.
Her patient notes.That was what he’d come for.
A quick scan revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Quoted statements. Personality impressions. Dynamics between the couple. Hot-button topics. Areas of strength. Areas of progress. Perceptions. Intimacy assessment.
Nothing.I closed the file, the burn of frustration beginning to claw at my chest until I noticed Calder’s efficient movements.
He opened and scanned files like I did, taking them from the larger pile and setting them into a smaller one. Except there was a third stack on the desk. It was only two folders, but he’d clearly set them aside for a reason.
“What are these?” I whispered, but didn’t wait for an answer, remembering he was holding the flashlight in his mouth, and picked up the one on top.
Amita Lafayette.