Page 141 of Five Mountain Daddies

I watch him for a second. I don’t want to say anything and risk this delicate moment. Truth is, I need his help, but we both know just a few days isn’t going to cut it. We need weeks, but I don’t know how that’spossible.

I don’t think I can really ask him to put his life on hold for me. I’ve been toying with that idea. Part of me has been justifying it by telling myself that he was Atticus’s friend, so he somehow owes Atticus, but that’s absurd. They haven’t been close in years, not since high school. Wyatt doesn’t even know the guy Atticus turned into after theygraduated.

Wyatt ran off to the big city and his fancy college, leaving us all behind here. Things changed, he definitely changed. I know Idid.

“You know how I met your brother?” he asks me suddenly. “It was right out there. He chased off some older kids that were picking onme.”

That makes me smile. “Sounds like Atticus. He was always picking upstrays.”

He gives me a look. “I wasn’t astray.”

“Sure, you weren’t. Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone picking on you.” I look down at his chest, his muscular arms, his broadshoulders.

He grins at me. “I wasn’t always so big, you know. I was actually pretty scrawny backthen.”

“Good thing Atticus was there to saveyou.”

“Good thing,” he agrees, and sighs again. He leans back, drinking his coffee. “I’ll help you, okay? But you have to promise mesomething.”

“What?” I cock my head, staring into his handsomeeyes.

“You have to let me do my thing. If I do start investigating, you can’t tagalong.”

“Absolutely not,” I say, leaning back myself, mirroring his posture. “I’m coming withyou.”

He shakes his head. “Toodangerous.”

“Wyatt. This is my investigation. You try and do it without me and I’ll just go behind yourback.”

He sets his jaw, watching me carefully. “I had a feeling you’d say that,” he says finally. “You know how much of a pain in the ass youare?”

“You don’t know the start of it,” I say, cracking out into agrin.

Wyatt sighs, gets out his wallet, and tosses some cash down on the table. He knocks back his coffee and standsup.

“Where are you going?” I ask him, eyes wide, suddenly afraid that he’s walking out onme.

He motions for me to get up. “We only have a few days,right?”

I quickly finish my coffee and stand. “We’re startingnow?”

“Might as well. You know where that ex-girlfriend mightbe?”

“I have a guess,” Isay.

“Okay.” He gives me a look and suddenly breaks out into a grin. “You’re trouble, CoraLewis.”

I can’t help but grin back. “I hopeso.”

I follow him out to his car and together, we drive off toward the next townover.

6

Wyatt

Mason River butts up against another hick town called Hold Spring. I don’t know who names these places, since there’s no Mason River in Mason River, and I don’t think there’s a spring anywhere in Hold Spring, but it doesn’tmatter.

I glance over at Cora as I head down an empty back road. I have the sudden urge to reach out and touch her thigh, put my hand on her knee, pull her closer across the console. I know that’s just stupid as hell, but I can’t helpmyself.

---