“Do you know what happened?”
“Sorry, no idea,” she says apologetically. “He doesn’t come as often now—maybe once a month. It used to be a lot more, so I guess he must be recovering.”
I nod, hoarding these nuggets of information like gold. There’s so much I don’t know about Gunnar, but God, I want to know everything. This man is already under my skin, and I can’t ignore these feelings—can’t downplay them, no matter how much I try.
I need to see him again.
Even if it’s just to prove to myself that I’m being crazy. Maybe if I see him, the spell will break and reality will finally catch up. Maybe I’ll realize that he’s just a man. Flesh and blood. A grumpy hiking guide who probably forgot about me the secondI disappeared down that trail. Either way, I have to know. That’s why I’m going back to Lover’s Lake tomorrow.
I just hope Gunnar will be there.
4
GUNNAR
I rollout of bed early the next morning, my muscles stiff from tossing and turning. I couldn’t get my brain to shut up last night. All I could think about was Everly, and the memory of her perfect curves made sleep impossible.
Goddammit.
Still groggy, I gulp down a cup of strong coffee before I start to get dressed. As I pull on a gray flannel shirt, pushing my right arm through the sleeve, my shoulder stiffens, the tendons seizing up. It hurts like hell, a sickening spasm of pain that makes me grit my teeth. A reminder that I’m still not back to normal—that my injury isn’t done with me yet.
Swearing to myself, I breathe through the pain until it dissolves into a more manageable ache. Then I finish getting dressed and head outside into the crisp dawn air, watching the golden sunrise through the trees. It’s Sunday morning, my day off. No hiking groups, no tourists, just me and the wilderness. I usually spend my days off roaming the forest, setting off into the trees with no destination.
But today, I know exactly where I’m going.
I stride away from my cabin, determination thrumming through my veins as I head for the familiar trail. The sun liftshigher in the sky as I walk, the air getting warmer, and by the time I catch sight of bright blue water, my chest is tight with anticipation.
Lover’s Lake.
I figured this was my best shot at seeing Everly again. If I wait long enough, there’s a good chance she’ll come back this way, running along the same trail. Hell, I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’ll sit here every day if I need to. But I’m praying she shows up sooner rather than later. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since I first set eyes on her, and I already feel like I’m in withdrawal. Don’t know how much longer I can take.
I emerge onto the lakefront, standing in the exact spot where I first saw Everly appear from the trees. But there’s nobody on the shore. Even the water is quiet, rippling gently in the breeze, and I turn my back on it, keeping my ears pricked for the sound of running as I stride up and down the trail. Watching. Waiting.
I know I’m acting crazy. Hell, I’m stalking the area where I last saw Everly on the off-chance I’ll see her again, scanning the woods like a predator looking for prey. Even if she shows up, I have no idea what to say. I haven’t thought that far ahead. For now, the only thing I care about is catching a glimpse of her. Even just for a second.
Hours pass and she doesn’t come. Nobody does. It’s midday now, even hotter than yesterday, the sun blazing overhead as I continue my patrol. Sweat is dripping down my back, frustration clawing at my whole body as I head back to the lake edge for the hundredth time.
Still nothing.
I need to cool off. Freeze some of the burning tension inside me. The lake looks so damn inviting, blue and sparkling in the sun, and I strip off in the trees, sinking into the water. It hits me with a jolt, warm on the surface but cold underneath—exactly what I need. I wade in up to my chest to avoid submerging mybad shoulder, tearing my gaze from the trail for a moment as I splash my face and wipe the sweat off my skin.
It feels good. Makes me feel awake. Alive. Like an electric shock to the system.
But it’s nothing compared to how I felt yesterday when I saw Everly.
I’m getting more restless as the hours pass with no sign of her. Hell, it was always a long shot, expecting her to come back to the lake today. But something inside me was so sure that she would. Some unnamable instinct, filling me with a false hope that I still can’t quite shake.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
My whole body jerks at the familiar voice, going taut as an angler’s line. I look up from the water, shaking my wet hair from my eyes, and suddenly, there she is.
Everly.
She’s standing by the lakefront in her running gear, pink-cheeked and twinkle-eyed, only a few yards from the trail. I meet her gaze, half convinced that I’m dreaming. Maybe she’s a trick of the light, or the lake water is making me hallucinate. But then she smiles at me, and I know she’s really here. My imagination could never match the beauty of that smile.
“What did you say?” I ask, mouth dry.
“I said you shouldn’t be out here alone.”
