Chapter 1
Elowen Winters hadn’t leftthe mountain and gone into the big city in almost a year. She had no desire to shop or go to dinner or, God forbid, head to a club. Dating apps had turned her off the scene and she honestly thought there was no reason to date. She’d met the perfect guy and lost him a long time ago. All the other men paled in comparison to Justin. Though it might be nice to have a partner on lonely nights, she didn’t want the headache of dealing with some guy who turned into a jerk once he realized he had her.
She smiled to herself at the memory of Justin Williamson chasing her around the old barnyard. They had spent their afternoons laughing and shrieking as they threw snowballs or shot water guns at each other. They’d only kissed the one time, but it had been glorious.
Of course, she was probably building up the memory of Justin through her rose-colored glasses she viewed the past through. One thing she remembered about the past that wasn’t rosy was his dad. The man hadn’t ever hit her, but she’d only narrowly escaped his wrath. That was whenJustin had come to school the next day with two black eyes and a cut above his eyebrow that looked awful.
The teachers had wanted him to talk to someone about the violence he endured at home, but he’d lied and said he’d fallen off his horse. Anyone who knew Justin knew he hadn’t fallen. The memories played through her mind as she checked the downstairs then went upstairs in the cabin, making sure everything was in its place for the guests.
She wanted these guests to be happy. She’d learned they were a group of Navy wives on vacation. Their men were joining them on Saturday, which meant the cabin would be packed and she would probably hear noise from them, but it was only for a little more than a week, then her mountain would be silent again for a few days until her next set of guests arrived.
The cabin she’d remodeled was huge. She still couldn’t believe she’d been able to afford the place, but it had sold for an excellent price. It helped that the previous owners hadn’t known how to take care of their property and when they passed away, their elderly cousins hadn’t wanted to bother with repairing the place.
Once she’d purchased the cabin, she’d switched jobs and started working in an office about two hours away. It had been hell working in an office most of the week, but the location allowed her to spend two years repairing the place on the weekends and during her vacations, getting it ready for guests. Luckily, after working there for nine months, she’d been allowed to work remotely on Fridays, which gave her even more time at the cabin.
When she’d finished the repairs, she’d made a plan to quit that job. Now she had a six-bedroom cabin she rented out and was able to live here on the property. It was nice knowing she never had to deal with working in an officewith other people. She needed the open space out here, not some cubicle in an overcrowded city.
Tires crunched on the road out front and she moved to the window that looked out on the area. The cabin was built up on a hill and she’d cleared out the trees for about thirty feet, so she had a good view of the drive. He was back again. She hated the idea of calling the sheriff. The man wasn’t known for taking threats seriously, and this guy hadn’t threatened anyone. He was just creepy, coming around but never introducing himself.
After a few minutes, the truck backed down her drive and took off. What the hell did the guy want? She needed to put in a camera at the entrance to her property. Guests might not like how intrusive that felt, but she wanted to get the license plate numbers so she could find out who the heck the man was.
She finished at the cabin and checked the list of foods the guests had asked her to purchase, making sure she’d bought everything on the list before heading out. The walk to her smaller cabin only took her twenty minutes. Some people thought she was dumb for leaving the city, but what more did she need than the land? Her garden provided food, and she could hunt and fish for meat. She’d never gone hungry, and she was in better health now than when she’d been in her twenties. Living out here was perfect, and she wouldn’t have it any other way, even with that weirdo showing up at her cabin.
Danika rented a van,and all five of them were crammed in with their bags and food they had picked up on the way. Asher had wanted cookies from a bakery, so they’d stopped before they left town. For the last thirtyminutes, they’d been debating the merits of yoga pants versus sweats.
“I don’t think her teacher should have worn yoga pants,” Amelia said.
Rowan snorted. “Yeah, but those weren’t normal yoga pants. They were sheer. She should have worn something over them, like a skirt or a long T-shirt.”
Amelia nodded. “True.”
“So Lainey had no issue going with Ava last night?” Danika asked.
Amelia shook her head. “No. She loves that family. When Wild was deployed, I kept the girls a couple of weekends, and Ava kept Lainey when I needed a break when our guys were out. We’ve just grown so close.”
Nichole laughed. “I saw them out at the grocery one day and all three of them were acting like siblings.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “They do that. It’s not so bad. If I tell them to cut it out, they stop arguing.”
“I have to pee again,” Asher said.
They all laughed. Asher had found out recently she was pregnant. They were so happy for her. She’d been trying but hadn’t experienced any luck until now.
Danika checked the maps, seeing they were two minutes from the cabin they were renting. “Two minutes, Asher. That’s all we have left until we get to the cabin.”
Asher let go a heavy sigh. “Good, but I’m first into the bathroom.”
“You got it,” they all said in unison.
Danika loved their group. She and Sharp were contemplating having kids, but it was such a huge commitment. She wasn’t sure she was ready for a baby or spending the next twenty-plus years worrying about them.
They pulled up out front of the cabin and everyone gasped. The place was better than they’d thought. Thewrap-around porch had eight rocking chairs she could see, and it looked like there were probably more around the other side of the cabin.
“This place looks even better than the pictures,” Nichole said as she opened the door and let Asher out.
“So cool.” Amelia clapped her hands. “This is going to be amazing.”
Amelia had recently become a full real-estate agent with her own clients and had sold a huge mansion on the beach. She had suggested this vacation and paid the initial deposit. That had allowed them to rent this place. The price was a little above what they all could afford, but Amelia told them to pay her back with babysitting, which they all agreed to.
