Page 12 of Twist of Fate

“The best.”

They wandered on, Freya dancing and jumping around in front of them in a futile attempt to catch the fireflies that magically lit up the evening sky. Beth noticed Wyatt didn’t let go of her hand, and she didn’t feel any inclination to pull it away. She liked the feel of his fingers wrapped around hers.

“Can I ask you a personal question, Beth?”

Nerves made her want to flee, but she forced herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. “Sure.”

“Who are you running from?”

She should have known an astute man like Wyatt Kincaid would have guessed why she was in Silverbell Shore. Still, the question threw her and she tried to pull her hand from his, but he wouldn’t let go. “I’m…I’m not—”

But she couldn’t lie. Not to Wyatt.

“He can’t hurt you anymore, honey. I won’t let him.”

Tears swam in her eyes, making her vision blurry. “You don’t know him,” she whispered. “He’ll hurt you.”

Wyatt pulled her to him gently, then surprised her by placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “No, he won’t. I can take care of myself, Beth. And you.”

She believed him. She’d known this man for about twenty-four hours, but somehow her heart knew she could trust him. He meant what he said. He’d protect her from Miles. Something bloomed in her chest she hadn’t felt in so many years.

Hope.

Hope that maybe it was over. She wouldn’t have to keep looking over her shoulder. Maybe she could stop worrying about whether she was doing anything wrong that would get her punished. Maybe she could have the life she’d dreamed of for so long.

Wyatt gently put a finger underneath her chin and tipped her head back so her gaze met his. “Do you want to talk about it?” She did, but she couldn’t. Not yet. So she shook her head as tears began to fall down her cheeks. “Okay. Just know I’m here when you’re ready.”

He let go of her hand and pulled her into his arms, holding her close as her tears wet the black tee he was wearing, and didn’t release her until she pulled back a little. “Thank you. For everything.”

Wyatt cupped her face, his thumbs gently wiping her tears away. “You’re welcome.” His mouth was dangerously close to hers, and she wondered what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against hers.

He started to lean in, and she closed her eyes in anticipation…only to have a loud bark interrupt them. “Freya! What’s wrong, girl?”

Suddenly, the space around her was empty and she opened her eyes to see Wyatt stepping away from her, his gaze alert and looking around them. He took Beth’s hand and they jogged ahead until they found the dog, who was whining and pawing at the ground. “What is it, Freya?”

He got down on one knee and helped Freya dig, moving the dirt to the side. Eventually, they uncovered what appeared to be an old tennis ball. “That’s quite the treasure.”

Beth’s teasing tone made Wyatt look up at her, an eyebrow raised. “This scamp has found so many balls over the years I’ve lost count.” He patted his pup’s head and stood up, then waved the ball at Freya and slung it through the air a good distance ahead of them. Freya bolted after it. “I’m sorry she interrupted us.”

“It’s okay. I—”

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation for anything.” The backs of his fingers brushed against hers. “Just know you’re safe here and will come to no harm.”

Beth wanted to believe that with every fiber of her being, so she nodded and gave him a small smile. They followed Freya, then reached a point that appeared to be about halfway around the lake when Wyatt suggested they turn back.

Once they got back to the cabins, Wyatt and Freya walked her to her door. Beth crouched down to give the dog a hug. “Good night, Freya.” She rose and turned to the man who made it feel like her belly was full of butterflies. “Good night, Wyatt.”

“Good night, Beth.” He leaned in, his breath warm against her skin, and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. “Just call out if you need me during the night. You’re close enough that I’ll hear you.” He paused, then spoke again. “If you get frightened, just come over to my place. The back door will be open.”

She breathed deeply, acknowledging his words with a nod. “I will, promise. Thank you.”

“See you in the morning.” He went over to his cabin, Freya trotting by his side. Once they reached the back door, he turned and waved, and she waved back before going inside and locking the door. Despite what Wyatt had said about the town being safe, she felt more secure knowing nobody could just saunter into where she was staying.

ChapterSeven

Beth sat up suddenly and glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table. It was just after 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, five days after she’d arrived in Silverbell Shore. She’d thought she’d already be gone, but two days ago Julian, the mechanic, had called Wyatt and told him the parts he’d picked up for Beth’s car didn’t fit, so he’d have to order more from an online store which specialized in parts for the make and model of her car.

Which didn’t surprise her, given how old her car was. Her beloved mom had bought her the secondhand car as a surprise high school graduation present, and it had already clocked up some serious mileage on it when Beth had taken possession of it. So she hadn’t been the least bit taken aback to learn it would need hard to source parts to fix it.

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