He left the study cube and met up with the girl in the small niche off to the side she seemed to prefer over the long tables where many of the students congregated.

The rich white girls who she’d hinted to Cate had made her feel less than welcome.

“Hi, Mr. Martinez.” The girl set her paraphernalia on the table as he drew close.

“Hi. I’m supposed to meet your roommate for a study session, but she hasn’t shown. Do you happen to know where she is?”

Twin grooves creased the girl’s forehead. “No. She went for a walk about an hour ago. I figured she came straight here afterward.”

A sense of foreboding swirled through him. “Do you know where she went?”

It was a logical question, one any teacher would ask, but he already knew the answer.

She’d been to the barn again. Searching for evidence Stephanie had been there.

“She usually takes the trail at the back of school.” Kayla played with the drawstring on her hooded sweatshirt, working her lower lip between her teeth. “Do you think there’s a problem?”

“I wouldn’t worry yet.” He tried for a casual tone, but his slight vibrato was telling. To him, anyway. “I’ll take a walk around, see if I can find her.”

He headed for the library door, quashing his first impulse to barrel outside coatless and race toward the barn.

Not smart if he wanted to protect his cover. As a teacher, of course he’d be concerned about any student who could be in trouble—but he wouldn’t go off half-cocked like a man in love would.

Man in love.

Slowly, he exhaled.

Yeah, that was him.

He pushed through the door.

Hard as he’d tried to forget about Cate, hard as he’d tried to convince himself he was in control of his feelings, hard as he’d tried to console himself with the hope that maybe when the time was right he’d meet a woman he could love as much as he’d loved her, it had all been a lie.

He’d never forgotten her.

Never stopped loving her.

And he never would.

Quickening his pace, he detoured toward the teachers’ lounge. Snatched up his coat. Sped toward the door at the rear of the school and exited.

Dusk was falling, but there was ample light in the open area around the school.

The woods, however, were a different story.

They were already dark.

And perhaps dangerous.

Drug deliveries and pickups didn’t take place at this hour, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t risk in wandering around the—

Zeke squinted.

There . . . a few yards back in the gloom of the woods. Was that shadowy form weaving about a . . . person?

Moments later, as the figure drew closer to the light, he had his answer—and his pulse rocketed.

It wasn’t just a person.

It was Cate.