Nausea rippled through her stomach in waves again, but she would hold it together. “Since you’re theorizing, what do you think happened? Did he jump to his death?”

“Or was he taking a selfie and fell? That happens far too often these days.”

She bit back her words. The sheriff’s department would theorize too—they all did—but they wouldn’t say a word until they received the official report on the cause of death.

She spotted no footprints around the body, though pine needles could often hide the evidence. Still, as she observed the area, she couldn’t see signs that the body had been carried or dragged.

She peered up at the cliff through the treetops. Could they find pieces of torn clothing in the trees?

“Here they come,” Case said.

She glanced behind the volunteers and spotted deputies approaching.

A sound drew her attention back to Case and, beyond him, a man emerged from the woods, coming from the direction of the cliff.

Sunglasses sat on his sandy blond hair, and the angles of his face were sharp and jagged like the rock wall he’d descended. His navy-blue Grayback County Search and Rescue T-shirt stretched across his chest and left no doubt of his toned physique.

Familiarity crawled over her. Terra feared everyone could hear her pounding heart. She wanted to turn away, but her gaze was drawn to his piercing forest-green eyes. Recognition slammed into her with full force.

Jack Tanner.

So, he was the deputy who’d spotted the body? He’d been the guy rappelling the ridge? Of course. That made total sense.

Except . . . well . . .

What was he doing here? He’d been FBI, working somewhere else. Gone from her life forever. Now he was a deputy?

Shock ricocheted through her. Calming her breaths, she slid her sunglasses back on. She kept her features straight when Jack stumbled but quickly righted himself as he hiked through brambles, stepping over fallen trees with ease. Was he shocked to see her too? Honestly, he didn’t seem all that surprised.

At about ten yards out, he dropped his pack. Case rose from where he was crouched and waited by the body as Jack approached.

“Deputy Tanner.” Terra kept her tone even.

Jack stared at the body, hands on hips. “It’s Detective Tanner.”

“Detective Tanner.” She wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

He turned his attention to her. “It’s been a long time, Special Agent Connors. It’s good to see you.”

Well, that told her a lot. He wasn’t surprised to see her because he knew she was back in the area and also had a new title as a special agent. She’d changed over from NPS—National Park Service—after her undercover work on a task force investigating pothunters. The rest of it, nobody needed to know.

Jack returned his attention to the body.