Page 6 of Found In The Mountains

And that… wouldn’t have gone well.

People tend to react when a stranger tries to steal one of their loved ones.

I knew it was best to take a breather, regroup, and get her the old-fashioned way.

My truck dings as I open the door and step out. The rain is a killer today. It’s pouring down and I’m half-drenched by the time I rush over to the front door of the Greene Mountain Lodge.

I’m off-duty, so I’m wearing a pair of dark jeans and a light blue buttoned-up collared shirt under a sports jacket that’s now covered in rain.

My plan is to have a drink at the bar, spot my girl, talk to her, fall in love, and spend the rest of my days making her happy and making her moan.

Other than that, the details are a little fuzzy. I’m certain it will work out, though. Me and her are fate and fate always works out. It’s the definition of the word.

I nod to the doorman and then head inside the vast lobby. I can immediately feel the tension in the room. A bunch of the guests are gathered around near the giant stone fireplace, discussing something.

I keep my eyes on them as I head over to the reception desk. Tina and Tiffany, the strange twins with straight black bob haircuts and big round glasses, are working.

“What’s going on?” I ask them.

Tina, or maybe it’s Tiffany, shrugs. “Some dumb girl got lost in the woods.”

“Her horse took off and then came back without her,” Tiffany says. “He probably did it on purpose.”

“Why would anyone want to ride an animal?” Tina says with a look of disgust. “I mean we have bicycles.”

“And unicycles,” Tiffany points out. “Leave the horses alone, that’s what we always say.”

“How old is this girl?” I ask, jumping into park ranger mode.

Tina shrugs. “Twentyish? Thirtyish?”

“I thought she was fortyish.”

“No, fortyish have more wrinkles than that.”

Tiffany shrugs. “Anyway, it was the bride’s sister.”

“The bride’s sister?” I ask, perking up. “The one wearing the light blue dress last night?”

My stomach drops as they confirm it. My girl is missing in the forest.

I head over to the group with my heart pounding.

“Oh, good,” Lauren, the manager of the lodge says when she sees me. “Noah, you’re here. This is the park ranger.”

Everyone looks at me with hopeful eyes.

“What’s her name?”

An older man who could be her father answers. “Megan Botter,” he says, looking terrified. “Can you find her?”

“I’ll find her,” I say as my hand squeezes into a fist, determination taking over. I was made for this moment. Everything—all my years spent in the mountains, learning how to track and find missing hikers—it’s all been cumulating to this moment. To findher.

You see how fate works? She knew all along.

“I need something of hers,” I say as my mind starts racing with the next steps. “Something with her scent on it.”

“Here,” the bride says, handing me a sweater. “It’s Megan’s. She wore it yesterday.”

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