Or maybe this would be the biggest mistake of her life.
“Come on.” Cosette hefted her laptop bag and headed for the door. “Time to meet the mysterious Gerri Wilder.”
Electra took one last look around the apartment that had been her sanctuary, her creative haven, and her home for the past decade. Then she grabbed her suitcases and followed Cosette out the door, stepping into the unknown.
The real estate office squatted between a coffee shop and a bookstore on Hartford’s main drag, its glass windows reflecting the afternoon sun. Electra pushed through the door, Cosette close behind, and immediately spotted the woman who could only be Gerri Wilder.
She commanded the small office despite her diminutive stature—maybe four-eleven in heels, her snow-white bob gleaming under the fluorescent lights, and her bold bluedesigner pantsuit fitting like it had been tailored specifically for her frame.
But it was her presence that made Electra pause. Confidence radiated from Gerri like heat from a furnace, the kind of self-assurance that belonged to someone twice her size. When she looked up from the papers spread across the real estate agent’s desk, her gaze hit Electra with uncomfortable precision.
“Electra Calloway.” Gerri’s voice carried warmth and authority in equal measure. “You’re even more beautiful than your author photos suggest.”
Heat crept up Electra’s neck. “Thank you. And you must be Gerri.”
“Guilty as charged.” Gerri’s smile revealed perfect teeth. “Though I prefer to think of myself as your fairy godmother with better shoes.”
Cosette snorted beside her. “I like her already.”
The real estate agent, a nervous man in his fifties, shuffled papers with shaking hands. “Ms. Calloway, everything’s ready for your signature. The cabin’s been prepared, utilities connected, and your furniture arrived this morning as scheduled.”
Electra stared at the contract. The mountain cabin sat in Blackpine—a town she’d never heard of with a population under two thousand.
Less than two thousand people.
“This is incredibly remote.” She looked up at Gerri. “Are you sure this is what I need?”
Gerri’s eyes—were they blue or gold?—seemed to shift in the light. “Wild places find the lost.”
The cryptic response sent a shiver down Electra’s spine. There was something too knowing about Gerri’s expression, as if she could see straight through Electra’s carefully constructed walls to the creative wasteland beneath.
“That’s either profound or complete nonsense,” Electra muttered.
“Sometimes they’re the same thing.” Gerri’s laugh tinkled like wind chimes. “Trust me, darling. This cabin will give you exactly what you need.”
What I need is inspiration, not isolation.
But Electra’s hand moved toward the pen anyway. Something deep in her gut whispered that this was right, even as her rational mind screamed warnings.
The signing happened in a blur. Her signature flowed across documents she barely read, committing her to a year-long lease on a property she’d never seen. Within minutes, the real estate agent handed over keys that felt warm against her palm.
“Everything should be exactly as you requested,” he said.
Cosette squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll arrange for the rest of your things to be delivered in a few days. You’ll have everything you need.”
Panic fluttered in Electra’s chest as they stood to leave. Three hours north to a town that barely existed on maps, to live alone in the wilderness.
What had she done?
“If you’d like,” Gerri said, her voice casual as she gathered a large designer bag, “I can accompany you to keep you company and make sure you settle in safely. There’s more to these woods than meets the eye.”
Electra hesitated. Independence had been her armor since childhood—she handled things alone, made her own decisions. But something in Gerri’s offer felt like a lifeline.
“Take her with you,” Cosette nudged her with an elbow. “It will be fun.”
Fun.When was the last time anything had been fun?
“All right. If you don’t mind the drive.”
