“Who are you?” Lily asked, sounding more abrupt than she intended. The unexpected appearance of the Jeep and its occupant and the surreal isolation of the dense forestland left her mildly disoriented.

“Department of Environmental Conservation,” the woman replied in an alto timbre. “Do you know where you are?”

The question of the hour. Lily almost laughed, although the last thing she felt was humor. She didn’t intend to admit she’d been asking herself the same question. Somehow the probably innocent implication that she might be lost rankled. Lost seemed one step away from incompetent, and she’d just driven five hours to the far end of civilization to escape that oppressive, soul-draining sensation. “No. I mean. Yes, of course. Generally speaking.”

“I see.”

Lily couldn’t remember if DEC officers were actually law enforcement agents or not. She thought so, but she wasn’t sure what laws they actually enforced. Probably not vehicular ones. Not that she could be speeding on this gods-forsaken, bare excuse for a road, but still. “Is there a problem?”

“We don’t see many sightseers out this way.”

Lily bristled, certain she caught a faint hint of amusement. “I’m not sightseeing, and believe me if that was my intention, it would not be here. I have permission to be here.”

“It’s public land, Ms.…?” The officer, or ranger, or warden, or whatever the proper term was, removed her sunglasses, and a dark brow lifted over ridiculously blue eyes. Lily had no trouble seeing that, or the rest of the very handsome face that went along with them. Younger than she’d thought—twenty-five or six perhaps.

“Davenport,” Lily said. “Lily Davenport.”

“So, Ms. Davenport, where are you headed?”

“Nowhere, with you in the way.”

The ranger laughed. A nice laugh, as if that was the tone she saved for friends. Lily flushed at the visceral surge of warmth. Where had that been hiding all these months? And what a bad time to resurface.

“I’ll move unless we have to get you turned around. Mind telling me where you’re going?”

“Thunder Ridge Lodge.”

“In this vehicle?”

This time the incredulity was unmistakable.

Lily’s chin came up. “Do you have something against convertibles?”

“Not in a general sense, but they’re not a good choice for whatever you’re doing out here.”

The hint of a smile lifted the corner of her full mouth, and for half a second, Lily thought she was quite attractive. Irritation chased that thought away quickly enough. Really, she needed condescension and a little bit of arrogance at this point? Not when she was hot, thirsty, and quite possibly on the wrong road. Not lost—simply…misdirected.

“You’re sure about where you’re headed?” This time the ranger’s tone held genuine surprise. “There’s a Thunderbird Lodge off Route Nine another ten miles north of Bolton Landing. Could that be it?”

“I’m quite certain.” Lily decided that pride wasn’t her best choice at the moment. “Am I on the right…path?”

“You are. You’ve got a bit of a climb for another mile or so, but if you take it slow, you ought to be all right.”