Chapter Ten

Chase rounded the corner to the facilities building and paused. Sarah sat on a plain wooden bench adjacent to the staircase leading up to Chase’s temporary sleeping quarters, which she’d yet to use.

“Morning.” Chase sat down beside her, cradling the cup of coffee she’d snagged from the kitchen, and waited for Sarah to say her piece. She’d been a player in a scene like this, in various forms, since her mom had died and Sarah had changed her life to come home and take care of her.

“I saw your Jeep,” Sarah said, “when you came in an hour or so ago.”

“Yeah,” Chase said, wondering which direction Sarah was about to go in. Reminding her that she’d been notably absent for the first week of camp? Even though she had good reasons for it, Sarah might consider it suspiciously convenient. Then again, there might be other topics on Sarah’s mind.

“Nat said you had a run-in with a bear last night,” Sarah went on in a quiet voice that didn’t give a hint as to where she was going.

Chase let out a breath. Why did she ever think anything would get past Sarah with her network of informants? Okay, maybe informants was a little strong, but really, she wasn’t ten years old anymore. “I wouldn’t call it a run-in. More like she was just running in her sleep.”

“You can’t always laugh away the things you don’t want to talk about,” Sarah said, staring down toward the lake.

“Why don’t you say what you have on your mind, Sare—it’s been a long night.” Chase held on to her temper, barely. No one could get to her like Sarah, and she ought to know that by now.

“I don’t suppose you had it checked out at the hospital.”

“Jerry Malloy was out with us,” Chase said, although Nat had undoubtedly told Sarah that also. “He’s a paramedic, remember? He looked at it.”

“Right, in the field. Wounds like that—”

“Sarah,” Chase said gently, because after all, her sister was just worried about her, “I’m fine. But if it makes you feel any better, Lily checked it out a little while ago. Shot me full of antibiotics, and she’ll keep an eye on it.”

“Lily.” Sarah slowly turned her head and met Chase’s gaze. “Lily seems to be your first stop whenever you turn up here.”

The reins on Chase’s temper unraveled just a little more. “Right. Lily. You know, the camp medic. The emergency room physician from the big New York City hospital with credentials probably as long as both my arms? She’s more than qualified to handle a big scratch.”

“I won’t even point out that bear claws leave more than a scratch,” Sarah said with the first hint of a bite in her voice, “and I know all about Lily’s credentials. She’s a superstar, you’re right. Top of her class, every class. Destined, I’m sure, to head the ER at that big city hospital. She’s also…fragile right now.”