Chapter Two
Kinsley
There is no doubt I am lost.
This does not surprise me at all. My mom used to joke I was born lost being a breeched baby, and my sense of direction never got better. They love to bring up the time I could not find my way out of a cardboard box when I was a toddler. Any chance they get, they laugh hysterically at my childhood trauma, but that's what family is for, I guess.
I continue down the road I am positive is not the right one, trying to find a spot to turn around. Of course, cell service out here is abysmal, so I have to rely on the directions and map I printed out just in case, even though they are really no help to me at all.
My little gray car jolts over a couple of deep potholes and all I can do is pray they don't do any major damage, leaving me not only lost but stranded as well. I slow to a crawl, hoping to mitigate any damage. My jaw drops as I round the last curve, revealing a complex of cabins and buildings with the mountains looming over them. It is beautiful.
Pulling into the parking area, I pray there will be someone here who can help point me in the right direction. Slipping on my smile, which always gets me the inside scoop for my interviews, I climb out of the car. The three men exiting the large building closest to me have me doing not only a double take but a triple take.
I blink a few times to make sure I am not seeing triple in this case. They have to be brothers, at the very least, if not triplets. I am sure these men stop traffic wherever they go because not only do they look alike, but they are smoking hot to boot, with short dark hair and beards, olive skin and finely honed muscles. And now they're headed in my direction.
"Welcome to Shadow Mountain Wilderness Escapes. What can we help you with?" The one in the middle asks.
My mouth and throat are suddenly dry from being in the presence of these thirst traps. I attempt to work up some saliva to coat my throat so I can talk. What I end up doing is choking on my own spit. Hacking coughs wrack my body before I am able to croak. "I think I'm lost."
The one on the left looks at me with concern. "Are you okay? Would you like some water?"
Accepting the fact a sink hole is not going to appear beneath me and save me from embarrassment, I nod my head. "Yes, please."
"I'll be right back with a bottle." He spins around, jogging back into the building they just exited.
"That's my brother Colt. I'm Clint and this is our other brother, Cooper." The first guy waves his arm toward where the second man just disappeared before throwing a thumb over his shoulder at the man who has yet to speak.
"I'm Kinsley."
"Hi Kinsley, nice to meet you. Did you say you are lost?"
"Yeah, I'm a bit directionally challenged. I'm looking for Pine Meadow Road."
The man introduced as Cooper, frowns with pinched brows. "Is Liam expecting you?"
"Oh, you know Liam? Yes, I'm supposed to be interviewing him."
Colt appears, handing me a bottle of water. I gratefully take a sip carefully, so as not to have yet another coughing fit. Having heard my statement, he frowns too. "You're interviewing Liam? Liam Banks? I never thought I would see the day he would do an interview. He's as bad as Lucas at shunning the spotlight."
"Um, well, I don't know who Lucas is, but this was all arranged with his sponsor." I chew on my bottom lip, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach from their reactions. This assignment might be more of a challenge than I bargained for.
"Well, good luck with your interview. You found Pine View Road. To get to Pine Meadow, you need to go back out to the Ridge Road. Head north about two miles, then Pine Meadow will be on your left to the west. Liam's place is about three-quarters of a mile in." Clint directs.
My brows pinch as I scramble for a pen and notepad from my purse, repeating the instructions so I can write them down.
Cooper seems to sense my distress. "Hey, I have some time right now. Would you like me to take you over there? You can follow me."
The relief I feel is palpable. "If you're sure you don't mind, that would be great."
His smile puts me at ease. "No worries. My wife still gets turned around from time to time." He heads to a big black SUV parked among several other large vehicles. Calling over his shoulder, he tells his brothers, "Let Stormy know if she needs anything I'll be back soon."
Colt yells back, "No worries." He turns to me as I climb back into my car. "Good luck with Liam."
"Uh, thank you?" I reply before shutting the door of my car, not liking the ominous feeling I now have about this interview.