Page 6 of When the Silence Breaks

“I met Ryder earlier today.” She spoke loudly so the woman could hear through the glass. “He saved me from a mudslide. I’d like to thank him.” Oh, good grief. She could have come up with something better than that. Then again, the truth worked too.

The woman’s brow arched, and with a smile, she unlocked the door, opening it wide for Sarah. “Well, hello. I’m Dinah Goodwin, Ryder’s mother. I run the Whispering Pines Café and help at Adventures when I can.”

His mother? Oh, this wasn’t exactly going the way Sarahintended.Come on, get your act together.Was she that out of practice?

Dinah pulled Sarah all the way into the establishment and closed the door but didn’t lock it. A concerned frown filled her face. “So, what happened today? You said he saved you from a mudslide?”

“Is Ryder here?”

“I’m afraid not. I haven’t seen him since early this morning. That’s why I’d love to hear your story.”

“Oh. Well, there was a mudslide on the mountain. A small one, really, but I got caught in it. I don’t know how he did it, but he saved my life. Your son is a true hero.” Sarah might have been laying it on too thick.

“Yes, that’s my boy. Proud mama here. I’m so relieved that he was there for you. How’d you like to join us for dinner? Ryder’s supposed to stop by the house. You can thank him then.”

Sarah might have been reading this all wrong, but it felt like Ryder’s mother was on a matchmaking mission. Or she could just be a kind person and everyone in town was this generous and welcoming.

“I ... uh ... I don’t know if that’s a good idea. The truth is, I’d like to hire him as a guide.” She should have gotten right to the point to begin with.

“First, what’s not good about my idea? And second, Ryder doesn’t guide anymore. Hasn’t...” Dinah’s forehead crinkled. “He hasn’t in more than a year. We have three others available for our fall activities—Nico, Taryn, and Benji—but they’re unavailable the rest of the week. Mushroom-foraging guide starts next week, but I think that’s full. And there’s fly-fishing—are you into fishing?”

“I ... uh...” Sarah took a step back.

“What am I saying? We can talk about that later at dinner!Everyone has to eat, including you. I brought chicken pot pies home from the diner earlier today.”

“I don’t want to intrude. I ... he only saw me covered in mud. He probably won’t even recognize me.” Now she was digging herself in deeper. That didn’t sound good. She was on a mission. A daring, potentially deadly mission. Surprising Ryder at dinner could send the wrong signal.

Maybe in the past she would have seen this as the way in, but not now. “I’d better go. Thank you for letting me in, and please pass a message on to Ryder that I appreciate his help.”

And I need his help on the mountain.But this conversation had taken a weird direction and now seemed like the wrong time to hire him, especially if he wasn’t here. For crying out loud. He wasn’t even guiding anymore.

She’d have to find another way to talk to Ryder and convince him that he was the guide for the job. She’d researched him, felt like she knew him—to a point—and today had confirmed that for her.

Before she turned to leave, a man entered through the front door. For a split second, Sarah’s hopes rose. But it wasn’t Ryder. Still, he looked like a guide. A person couldn’t mistake that build, that attire, for anything else but an outdoorsman who loved trails and climbing mountains.

“Hi, Dean. What can I do for you?” Dinah asked.

“I heard Good Adventures mapped that new route on the north slope. Just wondering if you’d share the track—or your waypoints. A client is asking for a guide, and we’re heading out soon.”

Dinah’s smile was warm yet tight. “Why didn’t you just send them on over here?”

He laughed. “Funny. You don’t have anyone to take people up that way this time of year.”

“It isn’t advised, of course. I’ll ask about the route file. Of course we’ll share what we know. Don’t want anyone getting hurt on Blackspire Mountain. Not good for business.”

“Thanks for being so understanding, Dinah. There’s enough business for all of us here.” He shook Dinah’s hand, then turned his attention to Sarah and flashed a smile.

Brilliant and insincere.

“I’m Dean Rourke. I work at Backcountry Bound, just down the road.”

“Dean is our competition.” Dinah winked. Her teasing smile held a hint of animosity.

“I’ll leave you to your business and catch Ryder later,” Sarah said.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

She turned and headed for the door. Dean caught up to her. “I can help with anything you need. No need to catch up with Ryder. If you need a guide, I’m available for the next few days. We had a cancellation.”