Another pause.
“You think this hiker might head our way?”
“I don’t know.” Wyatt exhaled slowly. “But you should keep your eyes open.”
“You got it.”
Wyatt looked toward the dark mountains rising beyond town.
Lost Hollow Trail didn’t just disappear into wilderness.
It curved.
Toward the place where the people who meant the most to him lived.
Kori stepped out of Hollow House, not to hike or do anything reckless.
She just needed to move—to break in her new shoes. To get some air. Maybe even to grab a bite to eat.
Her new boots were stiff at the ankles, the leather resistant as she crossed Main Street. She studied the town as she walked, noting its charm. She’d always thought there was something cozy about it.
As she glanced down the street, she spotted a general store, a coffeeshop, and even a vet clinic. Everything a person needed, right here in one place.
As she walked, her feet seemed to be on autopilot. She turned the corner—and immediately wished she hadn’t.
A building halfway down the block caught her eye.
Her chest tightened.
She’d been inside that building before.
It was the place where her heart had been shattered.
It still looked the same—a square, brick-fronted structure that rose three stories and had twelve apartments inside. Flint Gentry had been so excited to call that place home, at least until he got something of his own.
Life had seemed so full of possibility back then. Flint had even mentioned moving to the DC area. They’d been making future plans together. Life had been moving forward, and her checklist was right on track.
Then that had ended, and Kori had learned it was better to navigate life alone. Doing otherwise was only setting herself up for disappointment. She’d thrown herself fully into her career, determined to be successful at something if not relationships.
She shoved the thoughts down and kept walking.
Suddenly, a truck engine roared behind her.
She jumped, heart slamming into her ribs.
What if it was the person who’d been on the fire escape? What if he’d followed her?
Fear pulsed through her.
Should she run? Or would that be an overreaction?
The vehicle slowed at her side, and the window nearest her rolled down.
Wyatt’s apologetic face appeared. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The air left her lungs as relief filled her.
It was just Wyatt. No one scary.
