Chapter 6
Wyatt didn’t go home after leaving Graham’s.
Instead, he pointed the truck back toward town.
Snow thickened across the windshield in uneven bursts, the storm moving in faster than forecasted. By morning the forest would look untouched—beautiful and silent in the way fresh snow often left it.
But silence didn’t mean safety.
As he drove, he reached for his phone and hit Caleb’s number.
It rang twice before his brother answered.
“Let me guess—you’re out in this weather, aren’t you?” Caleb said without preamble.
“I’ve been out in worse.”
A huff of sound came through the speaker. “I’m sure you have.”
Wyatt tightened his grip on the wheel. “How’s it going at Refuge Cove?”
Refuge Cove was the shelter his brother and sister ran, located about twenty minutes outside town. To anyone passing the sign at the end of the gravel drive, it looked like a small animal rescue and boarding facility.
And it was.
But it was also a place women could disappear to when they were in trouble or danger.
“We’ve got three guests right now,” Caleb said. “Max and I are trying to get ahead of the snow before it decides to bury the driveway. Plow’s fueled. Generator’s full. Fridge is stocked. We should be good.”
Wyatt pictured the place—the long gravel drive, the house lights glowing against the trees, the kennels along the east side of the property.
He shifted his thoughts. “How’s Naomi doing with Grace?”
“Tired. Grace didn’t love naptime today. She’s got some lungs on her.”
Wyatt smiled.
Grace was the baby Naomi was fostering. Despite the circumstances that had brought the child there, the little girl had been a blessing. Wyatt’s family had always been close, but Grace had drawn them together even more.
Caleb paused before asking, “How’s the new job going?”
Wyatt watched the dark line of trees surrounding the road. “I’m doing a search and rescue operation tomorrow morning. Lost Hollow Trail.”
“Lost Hollow, huh? Seems like that trail is always giving you trouble.”
“Unfortunately, that’s correct.”
Wyatt knew his brother understood.
After the trail officially ended, people could keep walking. If they did, the terrain would eventually curve toward the old logging ridge behind Refuge Cove.
Most people didn’t know that.
His family did.
“If someone got turned around out there,” Caleb said, “they could end up near our property.”
“That’s correct.”
Another pause.
“You think this hiker might head our way?”
“I don’t know.” Wyatt exhaled slowly. “But you should keep your eyes open.”
“You got it.”
Wyatt looked toward the dark mountains rising beyond town.
Lost Hollow Trail didn’t just disappear into wilderness.
It curved.
Toward the place where the people who meant the most to him lived.
Kori stepped out of Hollow House, not to hike or do anything reckless.
She just needed to move—to break in her new shoes. To get some air. Maybe even to grab a bite to eat.
Her new boots were stiff at the ankles, the leather resistant as she crossed Main Street. She studied the town as she walked, noting its charm. She’d always thought there was something cozy about it.
As she glanced down the street, she spotted a general store, a coffeeshop, and even a vet clinic. Everything a person needed, right here in one place.
As she walked, her feet seemed to be on autopilot. She turned the corner—and immediately wished she hadn’t.
A building halfway down the block caught her eye.
Her chest tightened.
She’d been inside that building before.
It was the place where her heart had been shattered.
It still looked the same—a square, brick-fronted structure that rose three stories and had twelve apartments inside. Flint Gentry had been so excited to call that place home, at least until he got something of his own.
Life had seemed so full of possibility back then. Flint had even mentioned moving to the DC area. They’d been making future plans together. Life had been moving forward, and her checklist was right on track.
Then that had ended, and Kori had learned it was better to navigate life alone. Doing otherwise was only setting herself up for disappointment. She’d thrown herself fully into her career, determined to be successful at something if not relationships.
She shoved the thoughts down and kept walking.
Suddenly, a truck engine roared behind her.
She jumped, heart slamming into her ribs.
What if it was the person who’d been on the fire escape? What if he’d followed her?
Fear pulsed through her.
Should she run? Or would that be an overreaction?
The vehicle slowed at her side, and the window nearest her rolled down.
Wyatt’s apologetic face appeared. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The air left her lungs as relief filled her.
It was just Wyatt. No one scary.
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
Thunder’s head appeared at the open window, his ears forward and his eyes steady. For a moment, she warmed toward the dog. How could she not? He was adorable as he stared at her with those friendly eyes.
“Taking a walk?” Wyatt asked.
“Something like that.”
The truck idled alongside her. “You’re not heading toward the trail, are you?”
“No. I thought about it, but I know how stupid that would be.”
“It would be,” he agreed. “Storm’s coming in faster than expected. The whole town will be shutting down soon.”
“I figured as much.”
“Listen, there’s a restaurant called Ember & Oak up ahead. They serve the best dinner in Blue Ridge Hollow—other than my mom’s, of course.”
She chuckled. “Smart man for realizing that.”
“Why don’t we grab something to eat and talk? I’d like to learn more about Mackenzie. And I have a feeling we both need to eat.”
It sounded like a purely professional dinner together. That was manageable.
She nodded. “I suppose I should eat.”
“You should. Want a ride?”
“Why not?”
He leaned across and pushed open the passenger door.
She climbed into the truck and shut out the cold. Thunder sniffed her from the back seat, and she stiffened, bracing herself for any sudden moves on the canine’s part.
Instead, he lay down on the back seat.
She released a breath.
As Wyatt pulled back into the street, Kori glanced in the side mirror and paused.
Was that a shadow in the distance—one that had quickly retreated when she looked back? Or was she imagining things?
She wasn’t sure.
It was probably nothing.
Still, her fingers curled slightly against her palm.
“Everything okay?” Wyatt asked, his eyes still on the road. “I mean, other than your sister . . . ?”
Kori swallowed hard before nodding. “Yes, everything’s fine.”
She hoped her words were true.