The Twin Switch by Barbara Dunlop

Author:Barbara Dunlop
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-10-10T16:10:39+00:00

Seven

We made it onto solid ground with nothing more than minor scrapes and bruises. Rick headed up the side of the hill with the radio to try to raise a signal. Meanwhile, Max sized up the trapped basket.

“It’s not coming down,” he said, coming over to where I was sitting on a smooth rock. “Not without help, anyway.”

I was watching a moving shape on the horizon. “Is that a coyote?”

Max followed my gaze. “It is.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Only if you’re a jackrabbit. It won’t bother us.”

“Are you sure?”

It was possible Max was lying to make me feel better. The animal had stopped now. It was staring right at us, and it looked hungry. There wasn’t a lot of game out here in the desert. We probably looked delicious.

“What does your brother do for a living?” Max asked, sitting down next to me.

“He could have friends lurking out there.”

“James?”

“The coyote.”

I watched the nature channel. I knew coyotes traveled in packs. They might not be big, but a well-coordinated pack could take down a deer. I’d seen it happen, and it wasn’t pretty.

“Is he a teacher like you?” Max asked. “Lawyer? Banker?”

“James is an economist.”

The coyote put his nose to the ground and started toward us.

“Should we climb the tree?” I asked.

“Does he work for a government? A chamber of commerce? A Fortune 500?”

“A consulting firm.”

Max seemed very calm. I decided to assume our lives weren’t in imminent danger.

“I assume he’s a good-looking man.”

I took my gaze off the approaching coyote long enough to check Max’s expression. That was an odd assumption.

“He’s your brother,” Max said. “The genetic odds seem to be in his favor.”

The oblique compliment took me by surprise. I couldn’t decide if I should thank him and seem conceited or let it slide and seem ungrateful.

Suddenly Max jumped to his feet and shouted, “Ha!”

The coyote startled about thirty feet away.

My insides froze with fear.

Max waved his arms. “Go on!”

The coyote twisted his body, turning away, but watched us over his shoulder as he trotted.

“Ha!” Max shouted again.

The coyote began to run.

“You said he wasn’t dangerous.” My voice had a definite shake to it.

“He’s not.”

“He was coming for us.”

“He didn’t know what we were. We’re pretty far out in the desert right now. I doubt he sees a lot of people.”

“He wanted to eat us.” I was sure of that.

Coyotes were predators, and we were prey.

“He ran away,” Max pointed out.

“You had to scare him away.”

“I just let him know we were bigger than he is.” Max sat back down and took my hand. “Relax. You’re perfectly safe.”

I gazed at the hill where the pilot had climbed. “What about Rick?”

“He’ll be back soon.”

“I hope he’s okay.” I wouldn’t have wanted to be climbing around up that hill all by myself.

“What’s the name of your brother’s firm?”

“O’Neil Nybecker.”

“That’s a solid firm.”

“He’s a solid guy.” I’d been bragging about my brother most of my life—except when I was really young, and except for those teenage years when he embarrassed me nearly to death.

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