Page 63 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bride

Carrie Ann may have ulterior motives for offering me friendship, but beggars can’t be choosers.

I smile at her as I make my way to the door. “Thanks again. I’ll see you soon!”

Relatively speaking.

I’m still in the dark about what this board meeting is about or what—if anything—it might do to our schedule in terms of returning to Millsburg.

But suddenly, the thought of being away from here for too long feels strange to me.

It isn’t home—far from it.

Yet that little cabin on the mountain has grown on me. Even Billy, who caused so much trouble and continues to try to escape every time I feed the animals, has started to weasel his way into my heart.

I hustle out of the bakery before Carrie Ann can ask me any other questions and suck in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air outside.

Almost immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I scan the street and find Silas kitty-corner across the street, watching me with his arms crossed over his muscled chest, Whiskey at his side.

He’s getting antsy being here. I can see the unease in his eyes. The way he’s standing, like he’s preparing himself, always on the defensive. He wants to get back to the cabin as soon as possible.

But I’m not ready to leave yet.

I turn and walk in the opposite direction, not caring what’s at the other end of Main Street. It doesn’t matter. All I need is privacy, somewhere I can make a call without the threat of Silas overhearing me or interrupting.

A few shops down from the bakery, I find a bench in front of a bookstore and take a seat.

I pull out my phone, which still only has one bar of service down here, and call Attorney Fields with my heart in my throat.

Each ring through the line ramps up my nerves until I’m practically vibrating by the time someone answers. “Attorney Matthew Fields’ office.”

“Hi. Is he in? This is Lyla Sinclair calling.”

Or is it Lyla Bolton?

The idea of changing my last name never crossed my mind, but if people are supposed to believe this is real, that’s something I’m probably going to have to do—sooner rather than later.

“Oh, yes, he is. Just a moment.”

His assistant puts me on hold, and I take a sip of my coffee and watch people buzz along Main Street. I can see the appeal of Millsburg, why Silas might have chosen this place to settle. The chill, laid-back atmosphere draws you in, and with the forest surrounding it, it’s also the perfect place to disappear.

But it seems it wasn’t enough to keep Silas’ past from catching up to him.

I just hope mine doesn’t do the same.

The line jostles, and someone clears their throat. “Lyla, my dear, it’s Attorney Fields. I’m so glad you called.”

Hearing his voice after so many days of no news releases the vise from around my chest slightly, but it still presses down with the weight of what I’ve put into his hands. “Hi, I wanted to check in while I had phone service to see if there’s been any progress…”

Attorney Fields releases a long sigh. “Well, I’ve gotten the ball rolling. But as I told you during our initial meeting, things like this take time. It could be a few months before anything happens.”

I squeeze my eyes closed.

A few months.

It seems like such a long time, when so many weeks have already passed. But in the grand scheme of things, compared to a lifetime and what could happen if he fails, it isn’t.

I have to be patient and trust he knows what he’s doing. “All right. Should I plan on calling you whenever I have phone service?”

“Sure. I’ll let my assistant know she can update you if I’m not available, so if we miss each other, you can still find out what has been happening.”

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