“I can’t answer your thousands of questions, even if you ask them one at a time.”

Mackenzie didn’t want to see danger where none existed. After all . . . “It’s probably just a hobby drone. A toy. Those things are everywhere.” Though she didn’t like the idea that a drone was up there—on private property. “Maybe just answer the one, then. Why are you here?”

“I’ll answer that, but let’s get out of here first. You can ride my bike, and I’ll haul this one back for you.”

“That’s nice of you, but I can’t ask you to do that. I’ll be fine.” Her voice cracked. “This trail is private. You know that, right?”

Mackenzie stalked up the incline. She’d come back and get the bike.

“Mackenzie.” He said her name softly and with concern.

She stopped and hung her head.

“Remember the day I gave you the tour?”

She risked a glance at him. Saw the emotion in his eyes. Her throat grew tight. How could she forget? “Vaguely.”

Disappointment rippled subtly over his features. She continued hiking up the hill to the trail, angling now and then, but she still didn’t see any drone. He could have made it up.

“Why do you ask?”

He sidled next to her, his masculine scent wrapping around her, teasing her senses.

“After that day, I would have called you. But I left the country the next day. I haven’t been back in three years. Well, briefly last fall, but I returned to the States two weeks ago.”

Why was he bringing it up? “You were under no obligation to call. You were only showing me around because they asked. We had fun.” The best day of her life. “I didn’t expect to see you again, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Good to know. Here, take my bike.” He handed it off, and she took it before she thought to refuse.

“I’ll get yours.” He half slid down the incline to secure hers.

Okay, then. Not like she could stop him. He lifted the broken bike over his shoulder, his biceps and back muscles bulging. Why did the guy who’d shown her one of the best times of her life have to be so heart-wrenchingly good-looking? But even more than that, why did he have to be kind, thoughtful, and caring? Because Mackenzie was at the absolute worst place in her life right now to even think about a relationship.

Once he was on the trail with her, she started forward, pushing his bike over the rough dirt. Not riding it.

He sighed, and she could almost feel the regret, the emotion in that one sound.

“I know your brother died, and I’m so sorry.”

My brother’s dead . . .