MAYA
The scent of pastry and berries filled the harvest shop, doing its best to soothe my nerves. Noah hadn’t called. It was past two in the afternoon, and I was starving. I wasn’t about to wait around for a cowboy who apparently couldn’t use a phone.
Mrs. Sutton beamed as she pulled a fresh buffaloberry crumble from the display case. “Now, sweetheart, I know you’re not leaving without a slice of this.”
She had the kind of energy that said she didn’t just run this place. Shewasthe place.
I huffed a laugh. “I’ve only been here a few days, and it already feels like you’ve known me since I was a baby.”
“I know everybody too well,” she teased, wrapping up my order with expert hands. “Heard you were at the wedding rehearsal last night. Sheryn’s been raving about the whole setup…says Claire’s got that special touch.”
I nodded, pretending my brain hadn’t just conjured Noah’s hands on my waist the second I heard “the whole setup.”
“Yeah. The Lazy Moose cleans up nice,” I said.
My fingers twitched. I glanced at my phone again.
Nothing.
He’d practically looked like an eager puppy when I’d asked him to lunch. And now? Radio silence. Maybe he got busy. Maybe he changed his mind.
Or maybe?—
What if he’d found the necklace?
I sucked in a breath. No. No way. It was hidden. No one had been out there last night.
Shaking my head lightly, I shoved the thought aside.
Mrs. Sutton gave me a look, as if she saw more than I wanted her to. “You taking this feast somewhere special? Fresh air is good for the soul.”
I tapped the second bag I’d added to my order—a sandwich and fresh cider. “Thinking I’ll eat down by the river. Might even check out the waterfalls.”
She tsked approvingly. “That’s a fine idea. And don’t let a single soul guilt you out of it.”
I smiled. That was the thing about Buffaloberry Hill—people could be nosy, but never cruel.
My mind was made up. I was going to enjoy my lunch. The river sounded perfect. Peaceful.
I wasn’t sure exactly where I was going, only that Raven Bluff Trail led to the river. I’d overheard enough in town to piece it together. Locals kept talking about some tucked-away spot where you could hear the waterfalls before you ever saw them.
Good enough.
I followed the winding dirt road, letting instinct guide me. When the tree line broke into a small clearing, I pulled over, stepping out.
A narrow path cut through the brush, uneven and wild. It was probably not even a real trail, but I walked it anyway.
No waterfall. No river. No Noah.
Still, the view wasn’t bad. The trail led me to a cliff, a littleledge facing out across a dense forest of pine and aspen. The Rockies rose jagged and indifferent in the distance. Quintessential Montana.
I sat, brushing pine needles from the log beside me and brushing off the disappointment just as quickly. Of course he hadn’t shown. Whatever the reason, I didn’t want to think about the worst yet.
I just had to get through this wedding. That was the deal. No backing out, no letting Sheryn down. Not after everything she’d done for me.
One day at a time.
Lunch now. Tomorrow, the vows and the crowd. After that…I’d figure something out.
