Page 13 of Saved By the Mountain Man

I opened my mouth to answer her, but it wasn’t that simple.

“You don’t get to pretend like you’re suddenly so interested in my life now.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I leaned against the shelf, crossing my arms as well. “I’m just trying to understand why you’re here. In Silver Ridge, of all places. We can’t both use the same safe house.”

“Maybe I’m just trying to live my life,” she shot back. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Considering our history, yeah, it is.” I kept my voice low, aware that Hank was watching us with curiosity from thecounter. “You didn’t just stumble into Silver Ridge, Rae. No onechoosesthis place unless they’re…” I glanced at Hank again. “We’re not like these people. Small-town doesn’t fit. So what’s really going on?”

She bit her lip, her eyes flicking around as if searching for an escape route. “Maybe I have my own business to deal with.”

“Or maybe you’re running,” I mused. The look on her face, fleeting as fuck, but I didn’t miss it, told me I was right. That same protective instinct kicked in. If she was in trouble, I had to do something about it. “Running from what? Rae?” I leaned in closer. “Or should I say, fromwho?”

Her eyes flashed, and for a moment, I saw the old Rae, the fire that burned so bright; if you got too close, it could consume you.

“It’s none of your business,” she snapped.

“It is if it’s bringing trouble to my doorstep.”

“Don’t worry, my life doesn’t involve you at all anymore. You’re safe from me. You won—you left me far enough behind in your past that this has nothing to do with you.”

I nearly flinched at her words. It fucking hurt knowing what I did to her. I had to protect her. I wanted to protect her now, too.

Even if I’d given up the right to.

“Just tell me,” I said.

“I could ask you the same thing, Tanner. Why are you hiding out here in the middle of nowhere? What areyourunning from?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words died on my lips. She had me there. I was hiding just as much as she was.

“From me?” she asked, her voice small and the question so soft it was almost inaudible.

My heart twisted.

Shit.

“Rae…” I wanted to tell her she was the last thing I wanted to run from. She’d been everything, and whatever feelings for herI’d thought I’d managed to squash were still there. The moment I saw her again, they flared up as if they’d been there all along.

I just couldn’t tell her what had really happened.

My reasons were buried deep, tangled in a web of guilt and regret I wasn’t ready to unravel.

We stood there in a tense silence, the air crackling with her anger, heavy with my guilt. Finally, I broke eye contact, grabbed a random item off the shelf and headed to the counter. “I guess we all have our secrets,” I muttered.

“Yeah,” she said softly, her voice barely audible. “I guess we do.”

As I paid for my items, I couldn’t help but glance back at Rae. She was already focused on her task with a determination that spoke volumes. Whatever she was running from, it was clear she wasn’t going to share.

Maybe it was better that way. I had my own problems. I didn’t need to add Rae to the pile. Hell, I’d thought I’d dealt with that when I’d left the first time, leading the dramaawayfrom her.

I hadn’t thought she’d end up at my door again.

5

RAE

Imade my way into the forest just as the sun was starting to rise. It cast a golden glow across the treetops, but between the trunks, the night still swirled, the cold huddling around the gnarled roots of the trees and the underbrush. My heart pounded in my chest, blood rushing in my ears. Fear had become my constant companion. It had been nearly two weeks since I’d arrived here, and nothing had gone wrong, but that didn’t mean anything.

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