Page 11 of Hiding with the Mountain Man

“She’s here,” the guy said. “Her car is in the parking lot.”

Fuck. I’d forgotten about that. Of course, she’d be parked here.

“I don’t know anything about that,” I said. “You aren’t authorized to be in here. How did you even get the garage door open?”

“Zero, zero, zero, zero,” he said, pointing toward the open garage door. “You really should set up a better security code.”

The smile was still there, but his eyes held something more sinister. They were cold as ice. It was like I was looking into the eyes of a man with no soul.

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him my most menacing stare. “Guys!” I yelled. “Need some help out here.”

That should do it. He’d turn and run.

I almost felt a smug sense of self-satisfaction when that smile of his fell. But it fell only slightly, then returned.

“You really think I’m that stupid?” the guy asked. “You’re here alone. There are two cars in the parking lot. Yours and Rebel’s.”

“You know, not everyone drives,” I said.

“In this town, they do. No ride-sharing services, and it’s not exactly walkable. Don’t think I didn’t research the town where my favorite author is hiding.”

Mina was his favorite author? Did men read romance novels? Maybe so, but if they did, they didn’t track down the author and show up demanding to see her. I didn’t need to know a damn thing about romance novels to know that much.

“Oh my God. Bruce?”

The voice behind me gave me a heart attack. Mina was here. That was the worst thing that could happen. I wanted to handle this on my own.

“Go back to the classroom,” I called out without looking back over my shoulder.

I wasn’t taking my eyes off this guy for a second. But had it been a mistake to mention the classroom? Would that tell him where she was if he somehow managed to incapacitate me?

“I came here to find you,” Bruce said. “I’ve read all your books. I’ve been trying to track you down to tell you that I’m the man you’re going to marry.”

I narrowed my eyes. I’d been listening for the sound of the door opening and closing behind me, but I’d heard nothing. I couldn’t tell if she was still back there.

“That’s funny,” I said. “BecauseI’mthe man she’s going to marry. You must have the wrong Mina.”

He’d exchanged his smile for a pleading look, but now that disappeared too. He just looked confused.

“You’re not Rebel Rivers?” he asked, shifting his stare to something behind me again. Yeah, she was still back there.

“I am, but I’m in love with this man,” Mina said. “We’re going to get married. I’m sorry, but my novels are all I have to give you.”

I heard her footsteps behind me and held out my hands on either side of me, indicating for her to stay back. This guy still could get dangerous.

Then I waited, ready to take him on, muscles flexed, body tensed. But after staring at her a long time, his face scrunched up. It took me a second to realize it, but the guy was actually getting teary-eyed.

“I don’t understand,” he said, voice shaky. “I was sure you were the one.”

“Dude.” I took a couple of steps closer, letting my arms relax a little. “This isn’t how you find women.”

The guy shook his head. A tear had spilled from each eye and was running down his face.

“Her books were just so romantic, I was sure she was speaking to me,” he said.

“They’re fictional characters,” Mina said from behind me. “But the cowboy inTomorrow’s Promisewas just like Wyatt. I realized it as soon as I met him. He’s the man I’ve been looking for all my life.”

It was killing me not to take my eyes off this guy, but it helped that Mina stepped up to stand next to me. I could see her in my peripheral vision.

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