Page 4 of The Triple Play

Foxxy was always able to get that dimple to show.

I gesture to the trail. “Are you heading to the waterfall?”

Her throat bobs up and down before she answers. “Yes.”

We start to walk together in silence, Trip running ahead of us. “So he’s your research assistant, huh?”

She huffs out a quiet laugh. “You heard that. I mean, I do bring him with me on field trips whenever I can. He loves being outside.”

“It’s good his missing leg doesn’t slow him down.”

“He lost it as a puppy, so he’s never known anything different.” A soft smile creases her face as she watches her dog stop to sniff a tree. “It got caught in a wire fence, and the cut got infected. By the time the rescue I got him from was able to intervene, the leg wasn’t saveable.”

Damn. My heart hurts at the thought of a tiny puppy going through a trauma like that. “He’s a happy guy. Says a lot about you as his owner.”

Olivia ducks her head, but I see her smile. “Thanks.”

“How are you liking Cedar Creek so far?”

She looks back up as we step carefully across some large rocks to traverse a spring or mountain runoff. The water’s a lot higher than usual this year, thanks to our unseasonably heavy winter precipitation. It’s good for the snowpack and our water reservoirs, but bad for flood risks and mudslides. As a contracted member of the Mid-Island Ground Search and Rescue, or MIGSAR, team, I’ve already had to help several hikers stranded by washouts along the various trails in the area.

“I haven’t had a chance to see much of the area,” Olivia admits. “But it seems nice. I liked what I saw when I came over for my interview last month.”

“Kyle said you got a job at the university?”

She nods. “I’m heading up a research lab and doing some guest lectures.”

“That sounds like a big deal.” She was always crazy smart. I rack my brain trying to remember if her brother has ever mentioned what type of research she does, but all I can recall is that she was fascinated with plants and trees. “What are you researching?”

She looks over at me, one eyebrow raised skeptically. “You really want to know?”

“Of course.” I frown. “Why wouldn’t I?”

There’s a few seconds of silence before she replies. “My lab focuses on lichens and old-growth forest conservation. If you don’t know what lichens are, it’s⁠—”

“Something to do with moss and fungi, right? Like a separate thing, or a hybrid of the two. I can’t quite remember.”

“That’s actually pretty close, yes.” She sounds surprised, and maybe I should be offended by that, but I’m not.

I tap the side of my head and give her a small smile. “Not just baseball stats up here. Did you know I took an Intro to Botany course my last year at U of V?”

Olivia comes to an abrupt stop, staring at me. “What?”

I nod. “Yeah, guess hearing you talk about plants and trees rubbed off, so when I needed another elective, I decided to see what it was all about.”

Up ahead, Trip barks, as if to tell us to hurry up. I tilt my head in his direction. “C’mon. The waterfall isn’t that much farther.”

We start walking again, and after a couple of minutes, Olivia speaks.

“Denver mentioned the other night that you’ve both lived here for a while now. I have to admit, I was surprised. I guess I always thought you were going to move back to Alberta to join your family’s company. What changed?”

I manage to hide my grimace. “Corporate life isn’t for me.”

If Olivia sees through my curt answer, she doesn’t push for more, thank god. We catch up to Trip, who’s lying in the middle of the muddy path, happily chewing on a stick. Olivia bends down and clips a leash on him, which is smart, seeing as the rocks near the edge of the waterfall are slippery with algae and moss. Trip walks toward a large stump, and Olivia follows him, bending down close before gasping in surprise.

I stay back and watch as she removes her backpack, pulling out a pair of gloves, some tweezers, and a small plastic bag. She carefully lifts something from the stump and slides it into the bag before standing up. Still staring at whatever she’s collected, a serene smile comes across her face.

Trip yips again, and she looks down at him. “I know, buddy, it’s super cool. Good find.”