Werewolf in the North Woods by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

the very thing he was supposed to discredit wasn’t in his job description. He took the chance of alienating the Gentrys, who were friends of his family.
    Viewed that way, Roarke’s decision not to tramp through the woods with her became less personal. Still, she would have liked to see some sort of reaction when she’d kissed him. But she hadn’t, and that was that. End of story for her and the gorgeous Dr. Wallace.
    “Abby, I need to ask a favor.”
    “That’s why I’m here. To help.”
    “I want you to watch the store so I can go back out and find Bigfoot and his mate.”
    Abby thought carefully about her answer. She didn’t want her grandfather to think she considered him incapable of that, but she couldn’t let him go out by himself and wander around in the woods. He didn’t move very well, and he could trip.
    Maybe if he’d been willing to carry a cell phone, she’d feel better about his hiking alone, but he wasn’t. The computer he’d bought ten years ago was as far into the electronic world as he wanted to go. Besides, cell phone reception wasn’t very reliable in the woods.
    “You don’t think I’m up to it,” her grandfather said quietly.
    “You’d probably be fine, but I would spend the whole time you were gone worrying about you. At some point I’d probably close up the store and come after you, which wouldn’t be a good thing for business. If you want more evidence, and I don’t blame you for that, then I’ll go.”
    “I wish we’d been able to talk Roarke into searching. It’s better if two people go. Then even if the camera malfunctions, you have a witness to what you’ve seen.”
    “But Roarke doesn’t want to go, Grandpa. So you’ll have to make do with me.”
    His expression was adorably serious. “I couldn’t ask for a better person than you, Abby.”
    “So do we have a deal?”
    “How would you feel about camping out by yourself ?”
    Abby hesitated. She’d never actually done that. Pitching a tent in the backyard wasn’t quite the same as hiking into an unspoiled forest and setting up camp all alone. A person would be pretty damned isolated out there.
    “You don’t have to stay overnight,” he said gently. “It was only an idea. Hiking in a different area every day will probably accomplish the same thing.”
    Abby nodded enthusiastically. “I’m sure it will. In fact, I’ll take a short one this afternoon. I’ll do a grid search over the next few days and chart where I’ve been. This’ll be great. I’ll take my camera, and . . . damn. I probably need a better camera than my little digital.”
    “Take mine.”
    “I hate to tell you, but I don’t like yours. With the zoom attached, it’s awkward and heavy.”
    “But it’s far better than that little toy of yours, Abby. Maybe I should go, after all. I know that camera, and if I keep the zoom attached instead of carrying it separately, then I won’t have the same problem that—”
    “Let me try it this afternoon.” She dreaded hauling that monster zoom around, but her grandfather was right about the quality of the pictures it took. She’d have to spend a bundle to get a small camera that would come anywhere close.
    He brightened. “Good. I’ll bet once you’ve worked with it awhile, you’ll come to appreciate what a great camera it is.”
    She doubted it, but now that she’d volunteered herself to go on a Bigfoot search, she was determined to do it to Grandpa Earl’s satisfaction. Hearing him repeat his story to Roarke had impressed her all over again. He might not have convinced Roarke, but he’d convinced her. Bigfoot was out there. Although her chances of spotting the creature were slim considering she had only limited time to look, she had to give it her best shot.
     
    Many hours later, as she trudged through the forest with her grandfather’s camera looking like an AK-47 concealed under her jacket, she began to doubt again. Maybe she’d secretly thought that agreeing to carry the