A knock on the window had her gasping and looking up to see Ali standing on the other side of the glass.
The air whooshed from her chest as she grabbed her bag and climbed out. “Ali, hi. Sorry if I woke you by pulling in so late.” Her house was half a mile down the road, so she shouldn’t have, but she always felt guilty about driving by so late.
Ali shook her head. “Oh, no dear, you didn’t wake me. I’ve been up for a while. I just came to tell you that the fire department left less than an hour ago. Do you remember that firebug I mentioned your first night here?”
She nodded.
“They set a stack of wood alight up here earlier today.”
Harper’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’d just gotten home from the store and called the fire department right away. All is fine. I just didn’t want you to smell the smoke and worry.”
Now that Ali mentioned it, the scent of smoke did tinge the air. “Thank you for letting me know.”
“Of course. Everything okay with the cabin?”
“It’s great. Although, I noticed you returned some of the money I left in your mailbox for rent.”
“Because you left too much.”
She shook her head. “No, I left—”
“Too much.” She reached out and closed her hands around Harper’s. “Dear, I don’t run these cabins for the money. I run them to help my community. And you’re part of that community now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Harper’s throat tightened as the woman walked away.
Community. She was being included in the Misty Peak community, something she never expected a few weeks ago.
After locking her car, she headed into the cabin. Immediately, that familiar calm swept over her. There was just something so comfortable about this place. Of course, it wasn’t the white-picket-fence home she’d always dreamed about, but it was as close as she’d gotten so far.
She entered the bathroom and quickly stripped off her clothes before stepping into the shower. The warm water ran over her cool skin. Although, nothing warmed her like Cody’s touch. Like his lips on hers. His breath on her skin.
She groaned as she tilted her head back, letting the water wash over her face.
When her phone vibrated from the bathroom counter, she turned off the water and stepped out to wrap a towel around her body before lifting her cell.
Cody: Did you get home okay? I heard there was a fire near Ali’s Cabins.
The familiar tingle trickled over her skin.
Harper: There was, but it was taken care of. There’s smoke in the air but it’s not too bad. How did you hear about it?
Cody: Eastern texted me.
Of course he did. It paid to have a family member in law enforcement.
Cody: I’m glad you’re okay. Get some rest.
Her heart thumped, and even after turning off all the lights and slipping into bed, Cody was still on her mind.
She was at the in-between-awake-and-asleep stage when something pulled her back to consciousness. What, exactly, she wasn’t sure. A sound from outside? An animal?
She was just closing her eyes when she heard something again, this time louder. She shot into a sitting position. It wasn’t just the noise that had her frowning. It was the strange light streaming through the curtains at the front of the cabin.
Then the smell of smoke that slipped into the room, thicker than when she’d gotten home.
What the hell?
