Page 15 of Mountain Man Summer

"Didi." Something in Jamie's tone immediately set off alarm bells. "Are you alone? Can you talk?"

I sat up straight, wide awake. "What's wrong?"

"ChicagoNightOwl posted something on the fan forums last night." She paused, and I could hear her taking a deep breath. "He wrote that he's 'getting closer to finding his night star' and that 'distance won't keep us apart for long.'"

My blood ran cold. "That could mean anything," I said, but my voice lacked conviction.

"Maybe, but there's more. He mentioned mountains and lakes—said something about how 'even the highest peaks can't hide true love.' I know it's vague, but Didi, I'm worried he might have figured out you're somewhere in Montana."

I swallowed hard, my momentary peace shattered. "How could he possibly know that? Only you and the station manager know I'm here."

"I don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but..." Jamie trailed off.

"But you don't believe in coincidences," I finished for her. We'd been friends long enough for me to know her thinking.

"The Chicago PD still can't identify him from the security footage. Too grainy, and he always keeps his face hidden. Officer Vincetti says they're trying to trace his IP address from the forum posts, but this guy is careful."

I forced myself to breathe deeply, fighting back the familiar tide of anxiety. "I'm in the middle of nowhere, Jamie. Even if he somehow narrowed it down to Montana, there are thousands of lakes here."

"I know. Just... be careful, okay? Don't post anything online, don't use credit cards if you can avoid it. And maybe let someone there know what's going on?"

Noah's face immediately flashed in my mind. A detective would know exactly how to handle this situation. But telling him would mean revealing everything—my real job, the stalker, my reasons for hiding at Hope Peak. The thought of opening up to anyone—making myself vulnerable—afterRyan’s betrayal made my stomach clench.

"I'll think about it," I said noncommittally. "Meanwhile, keep me posted if anything else happens."

After hanging up, I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to recenter myself. Montana was nearly a thousand miles from Chicago. ChicagoNightOwl was just fishing, trying to spook me into revealing my location. The odds of him finding me here were astronomical.

A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts.

"Who is it?" I called, heart suddenly racing.

"Noah," came the deep voice from the other side. "Just checking if you survived the s'mores challenge last night."

Relief washed over me as I quickly pulled on shorts beneath my sleep shirt and padded to the door. I opened it to find Noah standing on my porch, looking unfairly good in hiking boots, worn jeans, and a forest green t-shirt that made his blue eyes even more striking against his tanned skin.

"I survived," I said, trying to appear casual despite my racing thoughts. "Though I may have dreams about chocolate and graham crackers for weeks."

His gaze swept over me, taking in my disheveled hair and sleep attire with an appreciative glance that sent warmth blooming across my skin. "Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't. I was just..." I gestured vaguely behind me, not wanting to mention Jamie's call.

Noah's expression shifted, those instincts of his clearly sensing something off in my demeanor. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," I said, too quickly. "Just morning brain fog. Not fully caffeinated yet."

He studied me for a moment longer before thankfully dropping it. "Well, I was wondering if you had plans for today?"

"Plans? I was thinking of achieving a record-breaking level of absolutely nothing. Why?"

His mouth quirked up at one corner. "How would you feel about experiencing a real Montana adventure instead?"

"Define 'adventure,'" I said cautiously, thinking of my boating disaster.

"Hiking," he replied. "There's a trail about twenty minutes from here that leads to a waterfall only the locals know about. Perfect spot for a picnic lunch."

The invitation caught me off guard. A remote hike with Noah Sterling meant hours alone together in the wilderness. After Jamie's warning, maybe I should stay close to the resort where there were people around.

But something in the way he looked at me—hopeful but not pushing—made my resistance crumble. What betterdistraction from stalker fears than exploring the mountains with a man who made my heart race for entirely different reasons?

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