Page 204 of It Happened on the Lake

“He was a friend of mine.”

“What?” This wasn’t making any sense. “Oh right.” She didn’t bother hiding her sarcasm as she reached into her purse for a pair of sunglasses and noticed that the inside of her bag was still wet from the spilled Coke.

“No, no, for sure,” he was saying, keeping up with her. “Chase and I? We met at college.”

“I thought you said you lived down the street from him.” She shook soda off the sunglasses and slipped them on.

“I did. In Eugene. And then when I graduated and was moving up to Portland for a job, Chase told me about a cabin that was near his house in Almsville. He thought maybe I could rent a room there.”

“What does this have to do with me?” She was walking toward the apartment her father had rented while he and Marcia started house hunting in Sonoma.

Joel had no trouble keeping up with her. “I just thought you might need a friend.”

“A friend?” Speed-walking now, she said, “And why would you think that?”

“Because you don’t know anyone here.”

She turned on her heel to stare at him through shaded lenses still blurry from the spilled cola. “How would you know?”

“Because I’ve been watching you.”

“Oh great. So you’re what? A Peeping Tom? Well, no thank you.” She was walking so fast she was nearly jogging. “I don’t need any friends.”

“Everyone does.”

“Oh, save me!” Who was this guy anyway? She’d never heard Chase mention him and she didn’t need any connections to her past. The whole idea of her family moving to California was for a chance at a new beginning.

She stepped off the curb, starting to cross the street.

A motorcycle roared around the corner.

“Watch out!” Joel grabbed her arm. He pulled her back to the sidewalk just as the biker glanced her way and sped off.

“Oh. Oh.” Harper could hardly catch her breath. Adrenaline pumped through her blood. “That guy nearly ran me over,” she said, feeling her knees going weak.

“ ‘Nearly’ is the important word.”

“I think ‘ran over’ are the important words.” She was still shaky.

Joel glared after the disappearing bike, then turned back to her. “Are you okay?”

“You mean other than freaked out of my mind?” She squinted up at him through the dark, blurry lenses. “Yeah. I mean . . . yeah.” But she was quivering inside.

“Good.” He nodded. “That’s good. Don’t suppose you got the guy’s license plate?”

“Uh, no.” She shook her head, letting out an unsteady breath.

“Me neither,” he admitted. “It happened so fast.”

She realized he was still holding onto her upper arm, and she moved away. “Look. Thanks. For—for saving my life, I guess, or whatever, but I’ve really got to go.”

“Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“I—I don’t think so.”

But as she crossed the street, she hiked the strap of her purse over her shoulder and looked back to find him watching her. He held up a hand and she returned the favor before dashing along the tree-lined street to the apartment building and her new, if temporary, home.

She still didn’t trust him.

---