Free Every Vow She Breaks by Jannine Gallant Page A

bore you with ancient history.”
    Bart’s gaze dropped, skimming down her light jacket and running pants before rising again. “I bet I wouldn’t be bored in the least.” White teeth gleamed. “If you don’t want to rattle Ian’s cage with personal revelations, let’s talk about Bigfoot. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”
    “You bet.” She whipped her notebook out of her pocket. “I’d love to hear your perspective on the project. Ian can keep Jed company while we talk.”
    With a shrug, her ex dropped back, and Bart walked at her side. “I was just trying to get a rise out of Ian. He’s a good guy, and we get along well, but with his uptight attitude, he’s an easy target.” He shook his head and smiled. “Guess it’s my fault I take advantage.”
    Claire eyed his sun-bleached blond hair and deep tan. “You don’t seem the type to spend your days in a lab analyzing DNA samples the way Ian does. What exactly do you do?”
    That smile flashed again. “God forbid. I’m a zoologist. My specialty is primates.”
    “You play with monkeys all day?”
    He coughed then let out a laugh. “Something like that, but apes, not monkeys.”
    “Ah, the Bigfoot connection. Lee mentioned you saw something—”
    With a grimace, he held up his hand. “I should have kept my big mouth shut. The locals—” On an eye roll, he let out a sigh. “—blew a single comment made over a beer all out of proportion. I caught a glimpse of something large and brown at quite a distance. It could easily have been a bear standing on its hind legs. They’re pretty creative foragers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in an area conducive to gathering prints, and we discovered no collaborating evidence when we searched.”
    “Now you sound like a scientist.”
    Bart chuckled. “I may look like a beach bum, but I do have a serious side. When it comes to my work, I can be every bit as staid and systematic as Ian.”
    “That’s great, but staid doesn’t translate into an exciting article. I want to hear some fun facts about Bigfoot.”
    “I have plenty of those. Did you know Bigfoot sightings have been reported all over the world for hundreds of years?”
    Stumbling over a protruding root, she jotted notes. “Very cool. What else?”
    “Though there’ve been many, many sightings, we still don’t have definitive proof of Bigfoot’s existence. Add to that, idiots who plant fake evidence have given the rest of us a bad reputation. Our intention in establishing this retreat was to provide the world with some indisputable facts and photographs.”
    She glanced up from the notepad. “I hope you do. Even if I don’t get a career-changing picture while I’m here, I hope you uncover the evidence you’re looking for.”
    “Every indicator tells us this is prime territory to sustain the species. Bigfoot quite likely migrate in search of new food sources and to mate, but we believe there’s a well-established colony in this area. It’s one of the few spots where sightings have been consistent during all four seasons.”
    “So it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.”
    “Exactly.” He cast her a sideways glance. “You and Ian aren’t…”
    “God, no.” She frowned. “That came out a little stronger than I intended.” She lifted one shoulder. “Ian and I…dated in college. I respect him completely.”
    “But?”
    Claire smiled. “No buts. Our romance died years ago. I’m not here to rekindle it.”
    “I wondered about that. The guy’s been a bear the last couple of days. How about Lafferty?”
    “We’re…old friends.”
    “Hmm.”
    When Scoop leaped into a salmonberry bush, she jammed the notepad into her pack before running forward to grasp his collar and haul him out. “Damn it, Scoop, behave or you’ll get us both in trouble.” Releasing her grip, she turned toward the grinning zoologist. “Hmm, what?”
    He angled his head toward the dog. “Who’s the boss, you or