Page 1 of One Night with the Mountain Man

1

ADELAIDE

“You can’t hike in those boots.” My sister scoffed at the trendy ankle booties I’d just zipped onto my feet.

“Why not? You said it’s a casual hike, and we’ll only be gone an hour or two. I walk longer than that in heels on any given day in New York.” I stood, the wedge on my boots putting me eye to eye with my taller, thinner, younger sister.

She rolled her eyes. “What happened to you? You used to love the great outdoors when we were kids. Remember when we used to run up and down the sides of these hills?”

Yeah, I remembered. I did love being a wild child and spending a few weeks every summer at the Mountain Ridge Resort. All that changed when our mom died, though. My dad was lost to his grief and someone had to step in and take care of the younger kids.

“Come on, Jules.” I put an arm around her shoulders and steered her off the porch of the cabin I’d rented for the week. “If you want to fit in a hike before the storm rolls in, we’d better get moving.”

Once upon a time I’d loved this place, but so much had happened since then. Jules didn’t remember that last summer we’d spent here. Mom was nearing the end of her battle with cancer. Instead of canoeing on the lake and roasting marshmallows over the nightly campfires, I’d spent our entire vacation trying to keep our mom comfortable and not let my siblings know how much she was suffering. She’d wanted one last summer trip to the resort. Dad and I gave that to her, and I hadn’t been back to Virginia since. Despite all the good times we had here, my memories of this place were tainted by loss.

Jules had just turned six at the time and only remembered how much fun we’d had. That was why she’d decided this was the perfect place to bring everyone together for her wedding. In a few days, my sister would tie the knot with a man I hardly knew. So I’d put my life back in NYC on hold and packed my bags for a week in the Appalachian mountains.

Jules ran ahead as we approached the main lodge. Her fiancé Tyson stood on the steps. He held out his arms, and she launched herself into them. It’s not like they hadn’t just seen each other fifteen minutes ago.

“Any word from your best man?” Jules asked.

Tyson shook his head. “I don’t even know if the invitation caught up to him. Last I heard he was out in California.”

“That’s too bad. I know how much you wanted him to be here.” Jules glanced toward me, her mouth set in a grim line. She’d warned me I might have to walk down the aisle by myself when she asked if I’d be her maid of honor. Evidently Tyson’s brother had been living off the grid for a couple of years and they weren’t sure he’d get the invitation to the wedding in time. Jules nodded toward the guide from the resort. “I think we’re all here now.”

I looked around, running my gaze over the small group of beaming bridesmaids and jovial groomsmen they’d managed to coerce into an afternoon hike. All of them except Tyson were younger than me. They were just starting out in life, getting settled in their careers, exploring the digital dating scene. Even though I was only eight years older than Jules, after spending a few seconds surrounded by their overflowing optimism, I felt like I’d aged a couple of decades.

Our guide led everyone to the base of the trail we’d take through the woods. I lagged behind while I tried to respond to a few emails. Reception and Wi-Fi was spotty, and I had to take advantage of a signal whenever I could catch one.

“Come on, Adelaide. You’re going to get left behind.” Jules called out from a few yards ahead. I envied my sister the carefree attitude she’d inherited from our mom. Even with a wedding looming over her head, she didn’t seem to be under any stress.

I suppose I carried enough around for both of us. The next interior design show was still a few months away, but I needed to make a decision soon about which line of furniture I wanted to feature. The urgent emails from my assistant wouldn’t stop until I gave her an answer. I fired off a response telling her I’d make a decision by the end of the weekend then tucked my phone into my bag and increased my pace.

“Isn’t this beautiful?” Jules fell into step next to me as we rounded a bend in the path. Tall pines stretched overhead, blocking out the midday sun. The temperature dropped a few degrees thanks to the shade, and I pulled my gauzy shirt away from my skin to try to circulate some air.

“It’s great.” My comment had more to do with the cooler temp than appreciating the setting. I leaned against a huge rock to take the pressure off my feet for a moment. My phone immediately pinged with a barrage of incoming messages. “Shoot. I need to make sure I don’t need to respond to any of these real quick.”

Jules groaned. “You’re supposed to be relaxing on this trip.”

“Relaxing isn’t in my nature. You know that,” I teased.

“As long as you put that thing away on Saturday. I didn’t invite your phone to my wedding.” She crossed her arms and tried to stare me down.

“Of course. I’ll turn it off and leave it in my cabin the whole day. Just let me send a few emails, and I’ll catch up.”

“I’m going to get a few pictures by the creek. Don’t lag too far behind. We wouldn’t want to lose you in the woods.” She took off toward the group where they’d paused to splash around and skip rocks across the creek.

Grateful for the reception and the chance to set my team straight on a few details, I focused all my attention on my screen.

2

SAMUEL

Rain pelted my shoulders, soaking through the jacket I’d tossed on when I left my truck by the edge of the raging creek. The storm I’d been trying to beat had rolled in a few hours earlier than predicted. Thanks to an injury that made my knee throb when the air pressure changed, I was usually good about tracking storms. This one had turned at the last minute, though. Instead of unleashing a torrential downpour closer to town, it lingered over the mountains I called home.

I should have made the trip into town earlier in the week, but I’d been distracted. Now I was paying the price. Thanks to the storm, the creek had overflowed and washed out the one-lane bridge that led home. I’d spent the last two hours looking for a safe place to cross and had another couple of miles to go before I reached my cabin.

Due to the wind and blowing rain, I could only see a few feet ahead of me, even with my flashlight. With no other option but to press on, I scanned the path ahead. The weak beam caught on something red. I wiped the water from my eyes and moved closer for a better look.

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