Page 59 of Mystery in the Mountains

“Wow,” she said, taking in the work. “It looks almost like it did when I was a girl . . . You, on the other hand . . . look ever better.”

His dark curls were pulled back, and it looked like his shirt had been discarded in the head of the late spring sun. He bent down, picked up his shirt, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Damn. Why did I ever leave this man?

Not only had she always been hopelessly in love with him, but he was the most attractive man to have ever existed.

“Maybe you could paint the boxes with a design?”

“Yeah, I could do that.” She walked over to him and slid her arm around him.

“I wouldn’t get too close if I were you. I was going to come in and shower after I got the last shutter up,” he said before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I like you a little stinky.” She reached on her toes to kiss him.

The feel of his lips on her was almost enough to make her forget why she came out here in the first place. And as his arms slid around her waist and her arms folded around him, she realized the photo was still clutched in her hand.

“Oh,” she said, pushing him away. “I almost forgot why I came out here.”

“Distracted by my handsome face?”

“Not only your handsome face.” She raised an eyebrow. “No! Don’t distract me again. Look at what I found.”

She handed the picture to Asher.

He wiped his hand on his jeans. “What’s this?” A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as a wistful gaze filled his eyes. “When was this taken?”

“I think it was the day before the accident,” she said, pointing to the date on the back.

“Do you see anything strange?”

He flipped the photo back over and examined it. “What am I looking for?”

“In the back by the wood line. Do you see anything?”

He squinted and pulled the photo closer to his face. “I do . . . What is that?”

“You see the two glowing red eyes?”

He cocked his head, examining the picture. “Maybe? Is that what you think it is? I mean, I can see something like that.”

“I just keep seeing these two red eyes everywhere, it seems. What does it mean?”

“That sounds like a question for?—”

“Bridget,” they said in unison.

“Do you want to go find her?” Asher asked.

“No, I think I want to spend a night in . . . with you . . . out of these,” she said, letting her fingers dip below the waist of his jeans before yanking him close to her.

“I like how you think, Sunshine,” he said before pulling her in for a kiss.

As she opened to him, his tongue swept into her mouth.

The phone started ringing in her house.

“Hold that thought,” she said, giving him another quick kiss.

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