Free Every Vow She Breaks by Jannine Gallant

moment, Ian shook it.
    “How’re you doing? Hope you don’t mind I tagged along. I’m fascinated by your Bigfoot research. Claire tells me you document each step so there’ll be no doubt about the authenticity of your findings.”
    Some of the tension around the other man’s mouth eased. “Sorry if I seemed unwelcoming. I was just a little surprised. Nice to meet a fellow enthusiast.”
    Claire turned away, pressing her lips together to hide a grin. Jed’s wide-eyed innocent act was perfect for gaining Ian’s approval. He’d always loved having adoring disciples hanging on his every word.
    She pointed toward Scoop, tail waving as he thrust his nose into a hole. “Is having my furry pal along going to be a problem? I can always leash him.”
    The glower returned as Ian rolled his eyes. “You’re turning what’s supposed to be a routine hike into a freaking circus. We’re here to work, for Christ’s sake.”
    “I suppose I can leave him in the car, but he’ll be miserable.” Her shoulders sagged.
    With a snort, Ian turned away. “Bring him, but keep him under control.”
    “Oh, I will. Where’s the rest of the group?”
    “Lee and Margaret left a while ago. I waited for you. Bart is—”
    “Right here.” The other scientist hurried out of the trees, smiling as he approached. “I had a few calls to make, and service out here is spotty at best. Good to see you again, Claire.”
    “Likewise. This is a friend of mine, Jed Lafferty. Jed, Bart Kelton.”
    The men shook hands, eyeing one another up and down like two alpha dogs meeting for the first time. If they’d had fur, it would have bristled. With a whistle to Scoop, she followed Ian, leaving Jed to fend for himself.
    “I hope you’re prepared for a fairly long hike. It’ll be close to ten miles, round trip.”
    Claire patted her backpack. “I brought water and lunch along with my camera. Thanks for being a good sport about Scoop. I didn’t want to leave him tied up or stuck inside my motor home all day.”
    Ian shrugged. “I guess he won’t be a problem.” His glance slid toward her then away as he held back a limb. “How’d you hook up with that Jed guy?”
    “We were both at Ralph’s Diner the day I arrived. I almost fell off my seat when I realized he was the daredevil little boy who lived across the street from me when I was a kid, all grown up. We got to talking, and since he was interested in your project, I invited him along.”
    “Oh.” The word fell hard and flat into the silence. With their footsteps muffled by a thick layer of needles, tree branches sowing in the breeze high overhead barely ruffled the stillness. Ian let out a breath. “If we don’t discover any new evidence of Bigfoot on our hike, will you leave?”
    “I’m not sure. I may give it a couple more days. I took a lot of tree pictures yesterday after the fog lifted, just in case I need to change the focus of my story.”
    “Typical Claire. Ready with a backup plan at a moment’s notice.”
    She stopped and fisted her hands on her hips. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    “Just that you’re always prepared. When you didn’t want to be married to me after our ill-fated trip to the Elvis impersonator, you were damn quick to start annulment proceedings.”
    “Because your father—the lawyer—told me exactly what steps to take.” Her voice rose. “Your parents weren’t any more thrilled about our marriage than mine were.”
    “True. But how about us?” He shrugged. “Don’t answer that. It all worked out for the best. Right?”
    “Right.”
    “Hey, kids, no fighting.”
    Claire glanced over her shoulder and met Bart’s curious blue gaze as he and Jed caught up with them. Jed gave her a questioning look but didn’t comment.
    Bart cleared his throat. “Everything okay? Ian mentioned you two have a colorful past. Care to share?”
    Claire glanced from one man to the other. “I need all my breath for hiking. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to