“I’m going to find her,” I say again, and mean it from my head to my toes. “And I’ll take care of her on this quest, even if she’s done with me for good afterward.”
“What happens after is her choice,” Molly says. “We just don’t want her to be alone right now.”
“And you trust me to be with her?”
Molly’s smile is small, but it reaches her gentle eyes. “Some things can’t be explained, but you know them to be true just the same.”
I nod, and my throat tightens with emotions I’ve buried for a long time. Emotions that scare me way more than a potential bear encounter. But I push them down again, thanking the women as they walk out into the hall.
Sloane’s friends told me how to find her because they love her more than they distrust me. The weight of the assignment I’ve been handed settles deep in my bones. I’ve never wanted to not fail at something so badly. I’ve also never hiked anywhere west of the Mississippi before.
A minute later, the door opens, and Cody slides back in, eyeing me warily. “I assume you survived whatever that was?”
“I’m fine,” I tell him, and he doesn’t question the lie as he shoulders past me.
“Those women were hot but also scary as hell.”
I don’t necessarily disagree, but I’m the mature one here. And I still can’t quite believe this turn of events. “Sloane’s in Montana,” I say, ignoring his commentary. And I’m going after the woman who has consumed my thoughts, both waking and nocturnal, for over a year. It could be the greatest grand gesture in the history of the world. Or a horrendous mistake.
“I assume that means we’re heading to Montana. Awesome.” He groans and pushes his balled fists into his eye sockets. “Sounds like more of a snoozefest than where we are.” Sometimes Cody reminds me so much of my brother—or at least the guy Jamie was before his demons took control—that it makes me ache all over.
“I’m going,” I confirm. “You’re going back to Tennessee.”
“Yes.” He pops up with a fist pump. “I swear to God I’ll keep a low profile. Nashville won’t even know I’m back.”
“True, because you’re not going to Nashville. You’re going to stay with my friend Ford in Whisper Falls.”
“No fucking way.” His face falls so fast I almost feel bad. “Your hometown makes Skylark feel like Vegas on fight night.”
“You know the record company’s deal.” I’m already thumbing a message to Ford. “Lay low and stay out of trouble, or you go to rehab.”
“I’m not going to rehab,” he mutters.
“You’ll love Ford and his wife Kate. She’s a great cook.”
I hit send, although I already know my oldest friend will say yes. I’m counting on it.
“Does she have a hot younger sister?”
“I don’t know, and you don’t care. For the record, Sloane is doing a solo backpacking trip through the Beartooth Mountains. If you want to join me?—”
“Whisper Falls sounds great,” he says, landing back on the bed.
Not as great as the thought that I’m going to have another chance with the woman I can’t get out of my head.
While I wait to hear from Ford, I pull up the airline app. There’s a shit-ton of logistics to be handled, and somewhere between now and the first flight to Billings out of Denver tomorrow, I need to turn myself into a man who owns a sleeping bag.
Sloane’s friends trust me enough to help me find her. Now it’s on me to prove I deserve that trust.
8
SLOANE
It takestwo hours on the trail for me to have a come-to-Jesus moment with my own impulsive decisions.
The late August sun sits high in the bluebird sky as I step out from under the cover of the pines into an alpine meadow that feels like the spot that launched a thousand stock photos. Wildflowers bloom amidst the scruffy grass in a rainbow of colors so vivid it takes your breath away. Any normal backpacker would stop and appreciate the view, but I’m too busy making a mental list of the errors I’ve made to kick off this journey. The picturesque meadow will have to wait.
Why the hell did I leave my phone in the locker of the motel?