Page 39 of No Good Deed

Which proved again how well he and his buddy understood each other.

He reached out a hand to Piper, and when she took it, he tugged her to her feet and into a hug. “I’ve got a friend and her daughter taking over the store for the afternoon. Once you meet them, you can decide if you want to leave Oreo in their care or take him with us.”

She frowned up at him. “Where are we going?”

“Midnight Lake.”

* * *

Piper hadn’t spent much time in the woods and certainly never in the winter. Hiking hadn’t been part of her life before. Now, she wondered if she could do it regularly.

The trail from the sawmill to the lodge wasn’t exactly hiking, but it was fun. The trees blocked the wind and the outside world. It was like walking through a bubble that contained only them.

The path had been flattened by many feet and was easy to spot. Piper could walk and check out everything around her without fear of falling. So many trees. If she’d considered it before, she might have expected the rural winter landscape to be stark and barren. It was anything but.

In Chicago, the snow was more something to avoid than enjoy. Being surrounded by trees rather than skyscrapers made her realize it was gorgeous. Despite the temperature hovering in the teens and the snow everywhere, the atmosphere was somehow warm and cozy.

They’d left Oreo with Addison and Nina Syrette. Addison had been a little shy but lovely. The girl had been full of fun and confidence. She’d begged Piper to leave Oreo with them. The bulldog had climbed into the girl’s lap and Piper hadn’t been able to turn her down.

Plus, the two-mile hike from the road to Midnight Lake was far too long for his little legs. With all the snowbanks along the trail, they’d have been hours while he stuck his head in them all.

Nerves built as she spotted the trees thinning ahead of them. She’d been able to shove her worries to the side while they’d walked. Now, her heart raced, and she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. “Maybe we should just get a look at Midnight Lake and the lodge, and not mention the USB.”

Troy reached out to take her hand and tug her to a halt. “Why?”

“These people don’t know me. It’s rude to show up and demand help. I think we should leave it with Marcus and the police. They’ll figure it out.”

He frowned at her. “The more people keeping you safe, the better. The quicker we figure out the information on the spreadsheet, the quicker we get this guy in custody and away from here.”

From his town. She was bringing danger Phail. Piper glanced behind her at the trail. “I should head back. Take off for a little while. He hasn’t bothered me in a few days, so maybe he’s gone. If I leave, he won’t hurt you or do any damage here. I’ll come back when it’s safe for you.”

Troy’s frown deepened, and instead of arguing with her, he wrapped her in his arms and held on. “You’re shaking.”

Because she was scared, but she wasn’t going to say that. Although Troy had probably figured it out already.

He leaned back and looked down at her. “It’s going to be okay, Piper. I don’t want you to leave, but if you’d feel safer somewhere else, I’ll go with you for a few days.”

Tears filled her eyes at his offer. Other than her parents, no one else had ever had her back. She blinked away the tears but didn’t trust herself to speak. She’d either burst into tears or tell him she loved him. Not the time for either.

Troy smiled, then leaned down to kiss her. It started soft, like a comforting kiss, but it immediately deepened with desire. It burned so brightly that she knew she’d never not crave this again. And again.

Dogs barking had them breaking apart, and Troy grinned. “They’re friendly, but if you need to hang onto me, I won’t mind.”

And then three dogs bounced their way. A German shepherd reached them first and circled Troy with a cheerful face and lolling tongue. Then he approached Piper and stared at her face while wagging his tail.

She held out her hand for him to sniff. “Aren’t you a beauty?”

“This is Jetson. These other two are Willow and Spike.”

Once the dogs accepted her as part of the group, they led the way along the trail. Troy took her hand. “Let’s meet everyone and check out the space. Then we’ll see how you feel. Okay?”

She nodded, knowing she’d agree to almost anything if this man asked it of her. Meeting his friends was an easy thing. She’d decide on the rest after that.

When the trail widened enough to show the lodge, Piper gasped. The structure was enormous. Three stories with space for dozens of rooms. “In my head, I imagined a log cabin tucked in the woods. It’s huge.”

“It amazed me the first time I came here. Still makes me smile. It gets better every time with Aisling and Tansy working their magic.”

As they neared, she could see a large garage off to the side and then the lake in front of them captured her attention. With the snow-covered trees surrounding it, the sight hit her right in the feels. “It’s like a fairy tale. I can imagine Elsa loving it here.”

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