Page 64 of My Three Mountain Men

I turned away from the path of pines toward the house, where Knox was calling me. “I’m coming!”

But as I made my way back toward the cabin, my steps slowed as I noticed the strange vehicle parked at the edge of the property, stopping my heart entirely.

Is that a cop car?!

Just like in the movies, the white and green Jeep read “Sheriff” on the side, but there was no one inside. My hands started to shake.

Did their vigilantism catch up with them? Are they in trouble now?

My legs broke into a sprint, and I almost fell on my face twice before I reached the front door, where Knox stood, his face drawn and worried. “There you are.”

“What’s going on?” I whispered, my eyes darting behind him to look.

A tall man in a tan flak jacket and wide hat stood in the foyer, talking to Brooks and Ryder.

He turned when he heard my voice. “Miss Summers?”

I jerked back, realizing that he was there for me, not the Millans. “Y-yes?” I replied uncertainly.

Relief colored his face, and he nodded, smiling.

“See? I told you she’s fine, Jack,” Ryder muttered, sounding annoyed.

“I had no doubt, but when there’s a report, I have to follow up, Ryder. You know how it works.”

“What’s going on?” I demanded, stepping over the threshold. “Why are you here?”

“The better question is why are you here, Miss Summers?” the sheriff chuckled. “The whole world thinks you’re dead.”

I gasped, a hand flying to my chest. “What?!”

“And they would have continued to think so if you kept up with this ruse of hiding away up here,” he chided.

“I’m not hiding anywhere!” I shot back indignantly.

“Jack, I already explained what happened,” Ryder growled. “Stop making this ugly.”

Confused, I stared at the cousins. “I’m not following.”

“You have to admit, this is very strange, boys.”

“It’s not strange at all,” Knox barked. “It’s been winter. The internet has been down. Ryder was attacked by wolves, for fuck’s sake, and didn’t even get to a hospital. No one is hiding up here. If we were, Simone wouldn’t have gone into town at all!”

“I don’t understand what’s going on!” I cried, stepping between the sheriff and the men. “What are you accusing me of?”

He offered me a thin smile. “First of all, I am very happy to see that you are alive and well, but do you realize the trouble you caused when you ran off?”

“Ran off?” I echoed in disbelief. “I didn’t run off!”

“Oh, no? You just went from internet superstar to radio silence for fun, did you?”

I glared at him, the truth about what happened dying on my lips. He seemed to have made up his mind about me already.

“If not for that boy posting that picture all over social media, no one would be the wiser, would they?”

I frowned. “Are you implying that I faked my own death?” I demanded, snorting dubiously. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“It sure seems that way,” the sheriff agreed.

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