Richard, Trey, the helicopter pilot, and Richard’s other full-time guide, Humberto, standing on the front porch. She and Zach joined them as the truck skidded to a halt in the gravel.
“Expecting someone?” Richard asked.
“No.” Jacie’s eyes narrowed as a tall man with short-cropped brown hair dropped down from the driver’s seat. “Wait, that might be Tracie’s boyfriend, Bruce Masterson. He said he’d get here as soon as possible.” She glanced at her watch. “He must have broken every speed record between here and San Antonio to make it so quickly. It’s okay, he’s another FBI agent. Can’t hurt having more help finding her.”
Zach stood beside Jacie, his bearing stiff, his face unreadable.
The man approached Jacie, frowning. “Jacie?”
“Yes, I’m Jacie.” She held out her hand. “And you are?”
“You look so much like your sister, it’s uncanny.” He climbed the steps and took her hand, staring down into her face. “Bruce Masterson. Tracie’s fiancé.”
Jacie’s eyes widened. “Fiancé? She failed to mention that part. I thought you two were just living together to save on rent.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Her words. I asked her to marry me before she moved in. She wanted to wait on the engagement, claiming she wasn’t ready to settle down. Something about proving herself in the bureau.” The smile faded. “Heard anything yet?”
Jacie shook her head. “Nothing.”
As if finally aware he and Jacie weren’t alone, Bruce glanced at the men gathered. “I assume you’re the posse.”
Jacie introduced Richard, Humberto and Trey, leaving Zach for last. “And this is my...boyfriend, Zach Adams.” For now, it was easier for Bruce to assume Zach was her boyfriend versus her bodyguard. She didn’t want any of the focus to shift to herself when her sister was the one who needed to be found.
Bruce tipped his head. “I don’t recall Tracie mentioning that you have a boyfriend.”
Her skin heated at Bruce’s intense stare. “Apparently Tracie needs to work on her communication skills.”
Zach shook Bruce’s hand. “Don’t worry, it’s almost as new to you as it is to us. I just showed up recently in the hope of rekindling our college romance.” Zach hooked an arm around Jacie’s body, pulling her against him. “Seems the feelings are mutual.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Tracie’s fiancé’s eyes narrowed. “Zach Adams. The name sounds familiar.”
Jacie’s heart clambered against her ribs. The FBI community was big, but agents ran into each other often. Would Bruce recognize Zach? Did it matter if he knew? Zach hadn’t mentioned it to Bruce, so Jacie kept her mouth shut.
“My name’s pretty common.” Zach’s arm dropped from around Jacie. “Our main concern right now is getting Tracie back, safe and sound.”
“Right.” Richard clapped his hands together. “The chopper has seating for four.”
“Chopper?” Bruce’s glance shifted to Richard. “The FBI requisitioned a helicopter for the search already?”
“I don’t know about that, but we’re not waiting.” Richard nodded toward Trey. “We have a helicopter we use for scouting out game. Trey is our pilot.”
“I’d like to get on board if possible.” Bruce glanced from Jacie to Richard.
Jacie shook her head. “Sorry. I’m going.”
“Which leaves one seat,” Bruce pointed out.
“No, it doesn’t.” Zach claimed Jacie again by draping an arm over her shoulder. “I go where she goes.”
Bruce frowned. “Wouldn’t you rather a trained operative help in the search?”
“I’ve explored canyons before,” Zach said. “I know my way around.”
“With a weapon?” Bruce argued.
Zach’s jaw tightened. “I know how to shoot.”
Richard turned to Humberto. “Humberto, you’ll take the truck and trailer loaded with two four-wheelers over to Hank’s and take off from there.” He faced Bruce. “If you’re set on going, you can ride with
“Expecting someone?” Richard asked.
“No.” Jacie’s eyes narrowed as a tall man with short-cropped brown hair dropped down from the driver’s seat. “Wait, that might be Tracie’s boyfriend, Bruce Masterson. He said he’d get here as soon as possible.” She glanced at her watch. “He must have broken every speed record between here and San Antonio to make it so quickly. It’s okay, he’s another FBI agent. Can’t hurt having more help finding her.”
Zach stood beside Jacie, his bearing stiff, his face unreadable.
The man approached Jacie, frowning. “Jacie?”
“Yes, I’m Jacie.” She held out her hand. “And you are?”
“You look so much like your sister, it’s uncanny.” He climbed the steps and took her hand, staring down into her face. “Bruce Masterson. Tracie’s fiancé.”
Jacie’s eyes widened. “Fiancé? She failed to mention that part. I thought you two were just living together to save on rent.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Her words. I asked her to marry me before she moved in. She wanted to wait on the engagement, claiming she wasn’t ready to settle down. Something about proving herself in the bureau.” The smile faded. “Heard anything yet?”
Jacie shook her head. “Nothing.”
As if finally aware he and Jacie weren’t alone, Bruce glanced at the men gathered. “I assume you’re the posse.”
Jacie introduced Richard, Humberto and Trey, leaving Zach for last. “And this is my...boyfriend, Zach Adams.” For now, it was easier for Bruce to assume Zach was her boyfriend versus her bodyguard. She didn’t want any of the focus to shift to herself when her sister was the one who needed to be found.
Bruce tipped his head. “I don’t recall Tracie mentioning that you have a boyfriend.”
Her skin heated at Bruce’s intense stare. “Apparently Tracie needs to work on her communication skills.”
Zach shook Bruce’s hand. “Don’t worry, it’s almost as new to you as it is to us. I just showed up recently in the hope of rekindling our college romance.” Zach hooked an arm around Jacie’s body, pulling her against him. “Seems the feelings are mutual.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Tracie’s fiancé’s eyes narrowed. “Zach Adams. The name sounds familiar.”
Jacie’s heart clambered against her ribs. The FBI community was big, but agents ran into each other often. Would Bruce recognize Zach? Did it matter if he knew? Zach hadn’t mentioned it to Bruce, so Jacie kept her mouth shut.
“My name’s pretty common.” Zach’s arm dropped from around Jacie. “Our main concern right now is getting Tracie back, safe and sound.”
“Right.” Richard clapped his hands together. “The chopper has seating for four.”
“Chopper?” Bruce’s glance shifted to Richard. “The FBI requisitioned a helicopter for the search already?”
“I don’t know about that, but we’re not waiting.” Richard nodded toward Trey. “We have a helicopter we use for scouting out game. Trey is our pilot.”
“I’d like to get on board if possible.” Bruce glanced from Jacie to Richard.
Jacie shook her head. “Sorry. I’m going.”
“Which leaves one seat,” Bruce pointed out.
“No, it doesn’t.” Zach claimed Jacie again by draping an arm over her shoulder. “I go where she goes.”
Bruce frowned. “Wouldn’t you rather a trained operative help in the search?”
“I’ve explored canyons before,” Zach said. “I know my way around.”
“With a weapon?” Bruce argued.
Zach’s jaw tightened. “I know how to shoot.”
Richard turned to Humberto. “Humberto, you’ll take the truck and trailer loaded with two four-wheelers over to Hank’s and take off from there.” He faced Bruce. “If you’re set on going, you can ride with
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