Page 28 of Her Wild Coast Refuge

I laugh, but it’s more like a bark.

“My brother and his family run an outdoor school outside of Storm Harbor,” she says.

Are their students delivered by kidnappers in the middle of the night? I’m betting no.

Quinn gives her a look. “Is this the brother who happens to be a cop? Or the one who loaned you his truck?”

“Neither.”

“The one who plays in a bluegrass band?” I ask.

“No, that’s Jared. He’s not technically my brother, but he’s family. He and Evan—myactualbrother—run Eagle Ridge Outdoor School with their partner Tasha.”

Lexie lights up when she talks about her family. It’s another thing about her that makes me wary. How can I explain my warped and dysfunctional family dynamic to someone who clearly cherishes hers?

“Do you have brothers or sisters?” Lexie asks me.

“Two sisters,” I reply. “Agatha is fourteen and Kyree is almost seventeen.”

“Are you close with them?”

The question is like glue in my gears. “I take care of them now that Dad’s gone, but growing up, we had completely different experiences.”

The trail widens to a faint double track lined with thick willows and ancient pines. We walk side by side, the swish of our waders and the steady hum of the river filling the silence.

Lexie gives me a pained look. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

“That’s kind of you,” I reply, her compassion vibrating through me like a tuning fork struck too hard. “We weren’t on the best of terms.”

Her gaze softens. “That sounds tough.”

You have no idea.

“His daddy left him a pile of shit,” Quinn says. “A billion-dollar company on the verge of collapse.”

Lexie’s eyes widen. “What happened?”

“Johnny Walker. Vegas. An escort named Eva Louise.”

“That’s awful,” Lexie says, wincing. “He did that to your family? To you?”

My silence is enough of an answer because Lexie sighs. “Your mom and sisters are lucky to have you.”

Her words send a tremor through me, bringing that frustration and yearning with it. She’s making it sound like I’m some saint, when that’s very far from the truth.

“Will you ever go back to music?” Lexie asks.

I so wish I could take her hand, soak up her enthusiasm. Her belief that dreams can come true.

“It’s a long way to Nashville,” I say with a laugh.

Her eager expression transforms to steely determination. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

My stomach flutters like I’m nervous, but I know it’s excitement. Hope. The promise of change.

“We’ll see.”

ChapterEight

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