Mountain Refuge. Sarah Varland

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      “But you were.” His reaction to the question had made her even more sure, but it was more than that. It was the way he’d reacted when she’d first jumped in his truck—not overly riled but instantly understanding the seriousness of the situation. It was the way he’d listened as she told her story, the way he didn’t seem overly excited by anything but at the same time seemed like he never fully relaxed, was always aware of their surroundings and ready to do his part to neutralize any threat.

      “I was.”

      Summer liked that about him, the way he didn’t give more answer than he had to at first but didn’t attempt to dance around a direct question, either. A straight question deserved a straight answer. It seemed Clay agreed. A mark in his favor.

      “I don’t suppose you’d tell me...”

      “Not at the moment.”

      The tone of his voice didn’t change a bit, his expression didn’t flinch. But the subject was clearly closed. Interesting. She was curious, not because she necessarily doubted his ability to protect her, although maybe there was a little of that. But she also just wanted to know.

      “What do you think about the guy who’s after me?” Somehow Summer felt that if she was quiet, he’d be the one asking the questions and she wanted to avoid that for now. As long as she was asking the questions, she was the one in control.

      “We don’t know enough yet to make any kind of guesses.” He took a sip from the mug she hadn’t noticed him carrying in with him. Coffee, she’d guess. Her siblings liked the stuff. Summer preferred tea—had gotten hooked on it one summer she’d spent in Europe mountain running and climbing.

      “What do we know?”

      “I’m not part of the investigation, Summer. I’m just looking out for you.”

      “Surely they’ve talked to you about why that’s necessary.”

      “They have.”

      She let those words hang in the air for a minute while she considered them. “But you aren’t telling me.”

      “Because right now, all we have are theories. They won’t help you. They’ll just drive you crazy thinking about the possibilities. I will tell you everything I know the second I think that’s what is best for you.”

      Summer felt her shoulders tighten, the first hint of a frown on her face. He’d met her hours earlier. Who was he to decide what was best for her? She opened her mouth, ready to let him have it. Before she could say anything to him, she heard something. A doorknob being rattled? But everyone was inside already. They weren’t waiting for anyone.

      She stopped and sat up straight. “What was that?”

      Clay was already on his feet, reaching out for her hand, and she took it, the fight she’d been meaning to pick just seconds before mostly forgotten. The doorknob wasn’t making noise anymore, but in the seconds that had followed the initial rattling, there’d been a loud clatter, a small crash like one of the small tables on the porch had been knocked over.

      Someone was outside.

      “Go after him!” Summer urged.

      “I can’t. I have to stay with you.” Clay had his phone out. “Noah, I think there’s an intruder on the deck. Okay. Yes. That’s what I thought.”

      He hung up. “This way.” He pulled her toward the staircase that led to the upstairs guest rooms and some of the family’s bedrooms. Two of those were upstairs—Summer’s and Kate’s—and Noah’s and Tyler’s were in another hallway off the main floor.

      “You have to go after him,” she protested even as she followed him. “He found me, he knows where I am. He’s come after me twice now and it’s just going to keep happening unless we face it and do something about it.”

      Clay whirled to face her. “This is what needs to be done right now, Summer. You need to be kept safe and you need to stop questioning the people trying to make that happen.”

      She didn’t say anything else. Just continued up the stairs and entered her own room when he motioned her inside. It was more of a suite than a room, and the door opened into an area with a small couch, a coffee table and a drawing desk. Off that was the bedroom and bathroom.

      She stopped just inside the door. “What now?”

      “Sit down and wait.”

      Summer did it, fighting frustration. And maybe...

      Was that fear?

      Out of all her siblings, Summer considered herself one of the most fearless. Noah and Tyler weren’t overly afraid by any means, but they didn’t seek out danger the way she and Kate always had. Noah becoming the police chief had actually surprised the rest of them, but he’d explained that he’d rather face danger every day if it meant he was doing something to protect the rest of the town from it. Kate was an adventurer like Summer, but she acknowledged danger, didn’t mind staring it in the face. Summer? Summer didn’t usually notice danger. Her favorite place in the world was up on top of a ridgeline, running on it as her heart pounded, adrenaline rushing through her body, and dancing over rocks at what always felt like the tippy-top of the world.

      There was no room for fear.

      So this wasn’t a feeling she was used to. Then again, she also wasn’t used to losing her sense of control. Sure, there was a point in the run downhill when you had to lose a bit of your control and hope you didn’t end up hitting the small, loose rocks of the scree too many times and getting too scraped up. But even then, it was a voluntary surrender of control, for the sake of the race, the run, the exhilaration.

      This was control that someone was trying to take from her. Summer balked at that.

      “I’m not going to keep running. I hope he knows that. I hope he knows—”

      “Shh.” Clay had moved to the window and was looking out, watching what was going on outside.

      “What’s going on?”

      “Noah and Tyler are both out there. A trooper car just pulled up and a woman got out.”

      “Erynn. She works with Noah sometimes.” Her brother’s opposite in so many ways. Watching the two of them interact was a favorite amusement for most of the people who knew them. “No sign of anyone...who shouldn’t be here?” It was two in the morning but even as far south as Moose Haven, there would still be workable daylight—sort of a dark twilight—at this time of night in early summer.

      “Not that I can see. They’re coming inside now. We’ll wait here. Noah knows where to find us.”

      “He sent you up here?” In the moment she hadn’t even thought to wonder how he knew exactly where her room was.

      Clay nodded. “He thought it was the most secure place for us to get to. And he’s right. It’d be almost impossible for someone to get in here undetected.”

      “Almost?”

      “Can’t promise anything СКАЧАТЬ