Still nothing.
A chill that had nothing to do with the weather spread through my chest. I gripped the knob and shoved. It was locked. I circled the cabin, scanning for any signs of a break-in, any fresh tracks, for anything that looked off. But there was nothing.
Only the faint glow of the woodstove through the window and the dim flicker of a single lantern near the couch.
She’d made it back. She was safe.
But the way my heart beat against my ribs said that something still wasn’t right. Maybe she was just hiding. Dammit, hiding from me.
And I couldn’t blame her.
I pressed my hand to the cold wooden door, closed my eyes, and exhaled. “Please let me in, baby,” I said. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you everything. I just didn’t know how.”
Inside, somewhere behind the silence, I thought I heard the sound of footsteps. The door creaked open, just enough for her face to appear in the gap. Rain clung to my coat, dripped from my hood, soaked through my boots. But I didn’t feel any of it.
Juniper stood in the glow of the lantern light, wrapped in one of Caleb’s old flannels, her bare feet peeking out beneath the hem. Her eyes were red but dry. Her chin lifted, and defiance glimmered in her beautiful eyes. She was braced for battle.
"You shouldn't have come."
I swallowed, my heart thudding. "You walked out into a storm without a coat. What the hell was I supposed to do?"
"Maybe let me have five minutes to process the fact that you’ve been lying to me since the day we met?”
I flinched. She wasn’t wrong.
“I didn’t lie,” I said. “I just didn’t tell you.”
She let out a breath—half laugh, half scoff—and opened the door a little wider. I stepped inside, the rain pattering behind me, the warmth of the lodge seeping into my chilled bones.
Appie was curled in a tight ball near the hearth, his eyes following me like I was the intruder. Maybe I was.
Juniper crossed her arms. "You had a folder full of reports about my uncle. You knew he was worried. You knew he was being harassed.”
“I didn’t think it would go that far.”
“You didn’t think?” Her voice rose, shaking with hurt. “You found his body, Griff. And then what? Just decided I didn’t need to know that someone might’ve wanted him dead? Maybe the same person who’s trying to scare me off the mountain?”
“I was going to handle it. I didn’t want to scare you.”
“I’m not made of glass. It’s not like I’m going to break.” She put a hand on her hip, her voice low.
“You think I don’t know that?” I ran a hand through my wet hair. “You walked into these woods like you belonged here andhaven’t backed down. You’re tougher than half the men I served with. But that doesn’t mean I want you walking headfirst into danger without knowing what we’re up against.”
Her eyes softened, just a little. “So why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because if I did, you’d run. At first, I didn’t care… fucking wanted that to happen. But now”—I shook my head, not wanting to consider I might be the one who’d actually run her off— “I didn’t want to watch you go.”
She was quiet for a moment. Then she crossed the floor, her bare feet whispering across the planks. She stopped in front of me and reached up, tugging back the edge of my hood. Rain dripped from my hair onto her hand, but she didn’t move.
“Do you think I came here just to inherit a property?” Her voice was quiet and raw. “I didn’t even know the full story. I came here because I needed to prove to myself that I wasn’t broken. That I wasn’t stupid for believing I deserved more than tying my future to someone who didn’t deserve me. And now…”
She hesitated, her fingers brushing my jaw. My heart ached while I waited for what she’d say next. If she’d try to shut down what had started between us.
“Now I’m not sure I can walk away. Even after everything.”
Her words hit like a sledgehammer. Not because she forgave me. But because she still wanted me, even if she didn’t understand why.
“I don’t deserve you, Juniper.” My voice cracked. “But I swear to you, I’ll earn every inch of your trust back.”
