Page 14 of Wilde Secrets

Logan gave a small nod but didn’t meet her eyes. “Alright.”

He turned the truck around once more, heading away from her wrecked rental.

“So you’ll take me to him?” she asked.

“No.”

She scowled. “But I thought?—”

“I can’t take you to him because he’s not home. And you’re not even on the right road.”

Logan guided the truck down a gravel path where the paved road ended.

“But the sign said Beaver Lane,” she protested.

Logan’s mouth curled into a grin. “A mistake people make every summer. This is Beaver Road. Beaver Lane is on the other side of town.”

Harper groaned. She had driven past the right place and wrecked her car for nothing.

“And he’s not home? When is he coming back?” If it was only a few days, she might find a quiet holiday rental in the meantime. It was risky, but what other option did she have?

“Who knows? Could be a few days, could be a few weeks.”

“Sorry, what?” She stared at him, stunned. How could anyone just take off like that? The thought of being out of touch with her family for so long made her shiver. It hadn’t even been 24 hours, and she already felt sick. She couldn’t imagine being gone for weeks.

“Yeah, I know. He takes these wilderness hikes with other veterans and stays out there as long as they need to.”

Harper stared out the window at the rain and muddy road. “In this?”

Logan snorted. “I know, right? Madness. I’d rather have my feet up by the fire with a book.”

Harper shot him a skeptical look. This guy looked like a linebacker. Him? With a book?

“Really?”

He grinned, the cheeky expression softening his features and making him look years younger. How old was he, anyway? Over thirty, judging by the wrinkles around his eyes? Or younger, with the roughness of outdoor work giving him a rugged look?

Why do you care how old he is?

“Sure. Don’t judge a book by its cover and all that,” he said, still grinning.

Harper’s cheeks heated, and she wished she could disappear. How many times had she wished people wouldn’t judge her based on her family or appearance?

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it. Most of the time, I just let people think what they want.”

They shared a smile, and for the first time since what she had come to call the bathroom incident, the tight band around her chest loosened a little.

Maybe everything was going to be okay?

She pulled the blanket closer around her and gazed out the window at the trees. Through the rain, she could see glimpses of what looked like water beyond them.

“Is there a hotel in town where I can stay?”

It wasn’t ideal. The more people she was around, the greater the chance of being recognized. She wasn’t as famous as her sister, but enough photos of her had appeared online to make her cautious. In fact, it would be a terrible idea.

He shook his head. “At this time of year, everything’s booked. And there’s usually a waitlist for cancelations.”

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