“You folks all right?” he asked. “We heard a scream earlier and came to check if y’all need help.”
It was only then that I noticed the two teenagers behind him. Aboy and a girl, both clad in hiking gear. The boy was busy playing on his phone while the girl eyed us curiously. Neither looked like they’d been kidnapped or hurt. They looked… Well, they looked like a family on a camping trip, which turned out to be exactly what they were.
Apparently, they lived nearby but liked to camp out in these woods every fall. They knew the place like the backs of their hands, and after Sebastian explained our situation, the man, Burt, cheerfully guided us back to the main road. It took us less than an hour with his help.
“Don’t beat yourself up too much,” he said when Sebastian and I exchanged embarrassed glances. “It’s easy to get lost unless you’re familiar with the area, especially after such a nasty storm. I can stay here with you until help comes.”
“Thanks so much,” I said, feeling a little foolish about my earlier fears. Burt was the exact opposite of an axe murderer. “We really appreciate it.”
His eyes crinkled. “I’m just glad y’all are all right. They found a few bodies here recently, so I’m glad we didn’t have to call in any more.”
I gulped. “Oh.”
That was it.No morenature for me. I was done.
Thankfully, our cell service had been restored once we reached the main road. Burt’s children had lent us their portable chargers, and Sebastian’s phone got enough juice for him to call a friend of a friend who was big in the auto industry. Help arrived in twenty minutes. After they freed the SUV from the mud, and we compensated Burt and his family handsomely for their troubles, we headed for our hotel, this time with clear directions.
During the drive, I contacted the venue coordinator and explained what happened. She managed to squeeze in a walk-through for us that afternoon, so after we checked in,showered, and ate, we headed straight to the venue. My feet still hurt after getting torn up by my shoes, but I’d plastered on enough Band-Aids to dull the pain.
I had a few missed calls and messages from friends and co-workers, but no one seemed too worried. I hadn’t been gone that long, and they knew I was in Vermont. They probably thought I was too busy to message them back. It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d gone radio silent because of work. I should probably remedy that in case I went missing again in the future, and they dawdled in searching for me.
I finished replying to the missed messages and put my phone away. The autumn foliage blurred outside the car windows. The scent of apples and crisp leaves crept into the car, mixing with the vaguely spicy scent of Sebastian’s aftershave. He’d changed into a fresh shirt and jeans, and his five o’clock shadow was gone, replaced by the clean, sharp line of his jaw.
He drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting casually on the gearshift. Confident but relaxed, his posture radiating lazy assurance.
It was hard to reconcile this version of him with the grim-faced man who’d confronted a potentially venomous snake that morning.
He did that for you, an insidious voice whispered inside my head before I shut it down. I stared out the window, my insides strangely warm, until we reached the venue.
The spectacular wooden lodge was located on the edge of town, and I fell in love the instant I saw it. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the double-height ceilings, and the elevated rustic charm were perfection. It also had a huge chef’s kitchen that rivaled any gourmet restaurant’s and a huge dining area that overlooked the surrounding woods. It was the ideal mix of intimate yet luxurious.
“We can arrange this area however you’d like,” the coordinator said. “We’ve done one long table, two dozen smaller tables, andeverything in between.” She checked her phone. “I have to take this, but have a look around and get a feel for the space. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.” I waited until she left before I addressed Sebastian. “Well? What do you think?”
He ran a hand over the kitchen’s marble. “It’s… nice,” he said begrudgingly.
“I told you so.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s nicer than the North Carolina château.”
“We’ll see about that.”
His mouth quirked into a crooked smile, and a silver streak of heat sang through me.
So far, we’d avoided talking about what happened before Burt showed up. My adrenaline had been running so high that the past few hours passed in a blur, but now that my nerves had calmed and we were alone again…
My blood thrummed. He’d been about to kiss me. I was sure of it.
I was also sure that I’dwantedhim to, and out of everything that’d happened on this trip, that freaked me out the most.
Sebastian’s smile faded. The air vibrated with sudden awareness, so thick and potent I could almost taste it.
“I’m sorry about that.” Our coordinator returned, snapping us out of the moment. “Do you have any more questions for me?”
Sebastian pivoted back to examining the kitchen while I pasted on a smile, my heart skittering. “No, I think we’re good. Thanks for squeezing us in so last-minute. We should have a final answer for you in two weeks.”
“I’m happy to help, but I have to warn you, there are several other parties looking to book this venue for the same weekend,” the coordinator said. “It might not be available in two weeks.”
