“Georgia’s probably gone home to freshen up. I know I would after a night with a handsome woodsman like yourself…”
“I’ll check her place. Thanks.”
She puts her hand on my arm. “Be careful with that girl. She’s sensitive. Some guys at school were mean to her about her scars, her Mom told me she never got over it. That’s why she’s so covered up all the time in those old-fashioned styles.”
“I promise.” I head back out to the truck and Albert starts knocking on the window when he sees me. I drive back up the mountain road to her cabin. Her car’s outside, but there’s no answer to my knock. Tristan’s done a good job of making the roof secure and it looks like it stayed watertight through the storm. I double-check she’s not inside, circling the property and peering through the windows as the rain comes down even harder.
Albert stays in the truck while I’m inspecting the cabin. When I stand outside, debating whether or not to break inside, he finds the horn and starts tapping it. I walk back over to the truck. He presses the horn again and then jumps up and down, chirping.
He’s trying to tell me something. All my logic about where Georgia should be hasn’t worked out, so maybe I should pay more attention to my clever racoon friend. But what does he want me to do?
I drive back home. Albert’s happy for me to be heading back, chirruping and standing to look out of the window. When we get home, I open the window and he jumps out. He dashes away from the cabin, then back to me, then out to the edge of the yard.
I follow him, my boots sliding on the mud.
There are tracks here.
Small footprints.
Georgia must have walked back. But she should have been home by now. Albert’s been trying to tell me all along, while I’ve been wasting time going into town.
Shit.
He dashes ahead of me and I jog to keep up with him.
I will find her.
Chapter Eight
GEORGIA
I’ve made a huge mistake.
I was in my own head so much this morning that I stupidly thought that getting away from Declan’s cabin as fast as I could was the most important thing. Trying to protect myself at all costs, I’m now out in the elements wearing an evening dress and a pair of highly unsuitable shoes.
The fine mist when I left Declan’s place is now a heavy, driving rain. My dress is soaked again and there’s no gorgeous woodsman to put me in a bath to warm up. I used my phone to plot out the route, which looked like a pretty straightforward path between our cabins, through the woods.
But now, on the side of the mountain, I have no cell phone service. And, even worse, the path that I’ve been following branches into three. I stand there, rubbing my arms and moving from foot to foot in an effort to keep warm.
I pick the right-hand path and follow it for five minutes, before it becomes clear that it’s leading me uphill. I trace my steps back to the beginning, then try the middle path. I’m deep in the woods now.
The trees are so thick overhead they offer some protection from the rain, but there’s a rumble of thunder which worries me.I keep expecting to see the trees thin out, but instead the dark green forest continues endlessly.
Biting my nails, I stop. My shoes are starting to rub my feet. At least they aren’t high, even if they’re not hiking boots. But I’m not on the path anymore. A wave of panic rises in my throat as a flash of lightning illuminates the trees around me.
I have no idea where I am.
This is all so stupid. Coming here, thinking I could run away from my problems by living by myself. And now those same problems have led me out here on my own. Because I couldn’t believe that someone as amazing as Declan would love me, scars and all.
Tears run down my face, mingling with the rain and I stop under a gigantic tree. I’m sure I saw something on YouTube that advised finding an open field during a lightning storm. Out here, the trees are so tightly packed that there’s no chance of that. I scoot down so I’m leaning against the tree and try to work out my next move.
Once I’m down, I can’t get up again. I start to sob. Then I make wild promises out loud, praying that if I get out of here, I’ll be more careful in the future. I swear I’ll be more grateful for what I have. Falling silent, the only noise is the wind in the trees, the occasional boom of thunder and the steady rain.
My eyes are sore and my head hurts. I close them and rest my head on my knees.
A tap on my knee makes me jump.
Albert is standing in front of me, his head tilted to one side and one little paw on my knee. I reach my arms forward and he scuttles up into them. I never thought I’d be so happy to see a racoon.
