Page 85 of Her Wild Coast Refuge

I stare past her to Dawson standing at the edge of the kitchen. He’s barefoot, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his hair disheveled. His eyes are like black holes.

With a huff, Brielle turns to Dawson. “I should have known.”

Her condemning tone snaps me back to reality. I plead with Dawson with my eyes.

He looks defeated, in pain, but not about to console him when my anger is like a wildfire.

My voice shakes and my nose stings. “Is it true? You’re the one behind this mine? The one that will destroy everything I care about?”

“We didn’t know Soren Lake was your family’s until a few days ago.”

Like this makes it easier to bear. That they build mines in places that are meant to stay wild goes against everything I stand for.

“I wanted to tell you, but I needed a solution first,” Dawson adds, his voice strained.

“All this time, while I shared with you what I love—” I have to pause to hold back a sob “—you’ve been planning its demise.”

“Lexie, don’t.” Dawson walks toward me, his intense energy frightening. “That’s not the whole story.”

“No. Stay away from me.” I spin away and stride for the door. My purse is still in the entryway. I snatch it up and yank the door open.

“Lexie!” Dawson calls as I fly past a black rental car, the cold, gritty concrete pricking my bare feet. Inside Cooper’s truck, my fingers shake so badly that it takes three tries to get the key into the ignition. When I turn to check behind me so I can back out of the driveway, Dawson is standing in the open doorway.

Our eyes lock for the last time.

My vision blurs and what remains of my heart shatters and falls into the abyss.

“Lexie,” he says, his eyes desperate.

But I reverse out of sight and turn onto the road.

Shivering,my teeth rattling, I drive with no destination. I remember to turn on the heat. It helps my toes but the shivers won’t stop. My phone starts blowing up, so I turn it off.

The snowy, jagged mountains rising all around me feel big and harsh, accusing.

It’s painful, but I deserve it.

I’m flooded with the sense of failure. I let my foolish heart lead.

How could I have been so stupid?

Driving on autopilot, I end up at the lodge parking lot. Before jumping out of the truck, I remember I’m naked except for Dawson’s shirt. I want to rip it off.

From my duffel bag in the back of the truck, I find a spare pair of thermal pants and someone’s shoes—Quinn’s, I think. I slip on the pants and the too-big shoes, then tie Dawson’s shirt tails at my waist to hopefully hide that I’m not wearing a bra. I’m sure I look as unkempt and crazy as I feel, but I need answers.

I hurry home to change, then race to the lodge. The breakfast service is being prepped for the guests who will arrive soon. Before I’m noticed by the staff, I sprint up the stairs to the office.

I hear Annie in the kitchenette down the hall, making coffee and chatting with Sully. Before they can realize I’m here, I slip into the office.

After logging in to one of the computers, I open a Google page. Knowing the whole story seems vital, even though it’s only going to twist of the knife.

While I scan the links with stories I’m too scared to read, my wounded heart sinks further into the void. Is this some kind of flaw, that I fall for men who hurt me, betray me?

A weakness.

The idea of it crushes me. I take pride in my strength, my resilience. Even my brothers call me the fierce one, which has always made me feel confident, capable.

More of my broken heart drops away. I can never tell my brothers about this. That not only did I fall for two liars, but I fell for the very two liars who will orchestrate the destruction of my family’s land.

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