Known by Kendra Elliot Read Free Book Online

Chris opened the door as the ranger stepped onto the small covered porch.
    “Good morning,” Chris said as the ranger stomped the snow off his boots.
    “You Chris Jacobs?” The ranger was rather short, with a narrow face and a thick beard. He touched the brim of his hat at Gianna as she peered around Chris, who’d blocked most of the doorway with his body. Chris nodded at the ranger.
    “I’m Francisco Green with the forest service.” He paused, looking back and forth between Gianna and Chris. “I found your note in the Suburban at the Abell cabin. What the hell happened over there?”

    Chris watched the forest ranger politely accept the coffee Gianna handed him and wrap chilled fingers around the mug with a sigh. He’d asked them to call him Frisco.
    The three of them had taken a seat at the small table after Chris invited Frisco inside. The ranger had serious eyes and Chris had yet to see him smile, but he’d shown concern over Gianna and Violet’s escape from the cabin.
    Frisco hadn’t mentioned the burning flesh odor, and Chris wondered if he’d looked inside the damaged cabin. Probably not. The cabin shell was an accident waiting to happen.
    Violet emerged from the tiny bathroom, her face damp from a wash, and joined them at the table after grabbing a slice of bacon. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head when Chris asked if she wanted coffee.
    “We’re not sure what happened,” Gianna said. “My daughter and I were both asleep when the fire started. She woke first and managed to get me out.”
    “Get you out?” Frisco repeated. He scowled and scratched at his beard.
    Chris ran a hand over his own three days’ worth of light stubble and briefly pictured himself with a full beard.
    Nope.
    Gianna looked down as she traced a gouge in the table with her finger. “I couldn’t wake up. I honestly don’t even remember her getting me out of the cabin, and then I vomited several times during the night as we waited in the car. There’s a possibility I was drugged.”
    “What?” asked Violet, her eyes opening wide as she stared at her mother. “What are you talking about? How were you drugged?”
    Chris studied her for any signs of guile; he saw none. The girl seemed sincerely stunned by her mother’s comment.
    Frisco’s dark eyes silently scrutinized Gianna, and she squirmed. His stare was intimidating, and Chris figured the ranger didn’t get much back talk while handing out tickets to overzealous fishermen and hunters.
    “I know it sounds ridiculous,” she said. “But I didn’t take any medication, and I’m nearly positive I had one glass of wine last night. I didn’t do anything that should have rendered me nearly useless. The only conclusion I can come up with is that I was somehow drugged.”
    “Nearly positive?” asked Frisco.
    Annoyance flashed across Gianna’s features. Twice the ranger had simply repeated what she’d told him. Chris understood. The man didn’t want to put words in Gianna’s mouth, but he wanted more answers.
    “I can’t remember. I know better to drink more than one glass. I’m tiny; alcohol can knock me on my ass with two glasses. It’s ingrained in me to never have more than one drink.”
    “It sounds like you were knocked on your ass last night,” Frisco stated. He took a long look at Violet, who stared right back at the ranger. “You see your mom drink?”
    “I saw her with a glass of wine. That’s normal.”
    Gianna coughed.
    “I mean, it’s not odd for her to have a glass of wine in the evening, but I’ve never seen her drunk,” Violet amended.
    “How do you think the fire started?” Frisco asked.
    Violet raised a shoulder. “When I saw it, most of the flames were in the kitchen area. Something went wrong there. Maybe some bad electrical?”
    Chris held Gianna’s gaze and tipped his head in Violet’s direction, hoping Gianna understood he wanted to bring up the odor in the cabin but wasn’t sure about doing it in front of her daughter.