Free For All Time by J.M. Powers

Chapter One
    Sage watched the heron skim the trees before making its slow descent to the nearby marsh. When it dipped out of sight, she scanned the area just below where the bird disappeared. She jumped at a shadowy mass in a maple tree a few yards to her left and Tex growled, his silver scruff rising.
    “What the hell?” Her initial shock waned, and she drew nearer, urged by curiosity. High overhead, among the greenery, a man dangled from the branches.
    With her pulse hammering, she looked down the trail then up around the bend. Not a soul. Great. Any other time she would’ve bumped into the park ranger who always seemed to talk to her breasts. For the first time ever she wished the creep was patrolling the reserve today. For a moment she considered returning to her pickup and... And what? Pretend she never saw this dude in a tree? Tex pulled on the leash, leading her closer to the body.
    Her breath caught. “Don’t be dead, okay?” She meant to call out, but all that escaped was a whisper.
    As if in answer, his body twitched, sending Tex into a barking frenzy. Fighting panic, she took a deep breath and attempted to process the situation, which was difficult with her dog yapping like a maniac.
    “Tex, hush!” She tugged the leash, but his barking continued. It wasn’t surprising. Once he started, he refused to stop. This time, she could hardly blame him.
    Tex pulled her to the edge of the trail, which was about six feet from the tree, but she stopped short of actually stepping off it. The guy was close enough to see, yet far enough to run away from—a distance she was comfortable with. She slipped off her sunglasses and hung them on the neck of her tank top, then peered up through the greenery. The man’s clothing looked odd. His heavy coat, pulled taut to his shoulders by a knurly branch, was all that held him on the branch. Pants so tight he looked poured into them, knee boots, and an old-fashioned shirt with lacing completed his ensemble. Or was it a costume? Panic ebbed as she studied him. Why was he wearing a coat in the middle of the summer? Come to think of it, shouldn’t she be more concerned he was hanging in a tree? The thought made her grin. A stupid, inappropriate grin. She did that when she was nervous, and though she was virtually alone, it embarrassed her.
    She cleared her throat. “Uh...hello?” The leaves rustled in the breeze, the birds and squirrels chattered, but he didn’t make a sound. Seriously, couldn’t this dude hear the dog? “Hello?” she repeated a bit louder. Still nothing. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey, wake up!”
    The branch creaked at his startled jerk. Sage cringed, hoping he didn’t plunge to the ground. Gritting her teeth at the incessant barking, she gave the leash a quick tug and pointed at Tex. “Stop that!”
    Tex gave a one last yip and stared at her finger, his dappled gray tail guiding his sturdy body into a full wag.
    A moan returned her attention upward. The man’s eyes slowly opened. She sucked in a breath when their gazes met. Brown, nearly black eyes...or was it the sunlight reflecting off the leaves that made them look so deep and gorgeous? Damn, what was wrong with her? The naughty tingles he caused with a simple look upon her were totally inappropriate—and kind of nice. The colliding thoughts and reaction confused her.
    She blinked and shook her head. Silence stretched, neither saying a word. Tex’s whine interrupted the moment and she frowned at his furry face.
    She rubbed her eyes, glanced up, then back to the dog. “It’s the heat. There’s no one there, right?”
    Tex sat and stared up through the branches.
    “I am here, fair one.” The stranger’s deep voice permeated the still air. She’d rather her dog answered.
    She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Dammit.” With a huge sigh, she stepped off the path, underbrush crunching as she made her way to the tree. “Hang out here much?”
    Dangling dude’s eyes widened.
    She