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ADI TRIED TO SETTLE into the beauty of her surroundings, resting in Chase’s idea that she could throw her stalker off her scent by posting false pictures. But she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that she was somehow exposed again. Ever since she had arrived in Montana, she had considered Glacier her shield, her separation from all that had happened, a connection to a part of her life and history she loved best. Here, she wasn’t the famously “Spurned Stalling”; she was just Adi. Adi girl, as Gramps called her. A nickname she’d noticed Chase had picked up too.
Again and again Chase tried to cajole her into conversation, but she just felt so dang weary that she responded in the briefest way possible. She felt a sudden urgency to return to the west side, to Gramps’s cabin. She needed to throw herself into the work of refurbishing the next pod of cabins...that was what would distract her from these worries. And if she was there, then she could keep an eye on Gramps. Ever since that call with Mary, she’d been oddly worried about him too.
She eyed the historic, wooden Morning Eagle chugging along the far shore, one of two boats that ferried tourists from the end of Swiftcurrent to the end of Josephine. Chase followed her gaze.
“We could hitch a ride with them,” he said. “I’m sensing you want to get back.”
She smiled, grateful that he was so in tune with her. “I’m sorry,” she said, resting her paddle across the edges of the kayak. “It’s not you. Or this place,” she said, gesturing about the pristine valley.
“It’s him,” Chase glowered. Not angry with her, but rather with this unknown man intruding upon them.
“Maybe it was a journalist. Not him at all.”
“Maybe,” he said. But by his tone, they both thought it was the stalker.
“When we get back, Adi, I want to take you to the shooting range. I assume it’s been a while since you’ve shot a gun?”
This time, she did not protest. She knew that Chase was only around half the week. Gramps was likely to sleep through a home intruder and he wasn’t in any physical shape to fight someone off if he did wake. Adi reminded herself that most stalkers just liked to watch. But from what she could tell, few stalkers ever entered their target’s home. That had been uncommonly bold. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Together, they turned and paddled to the boat launch. Two hours later, they were back at Chase’s Jeep, and three hours after that they pulled up in the parking lot between their properties on the other side of the park.
Chase hopped out and came around to help lift her pack from the back. But he didn’t hand it to her. “Thanks for coming with me, Adi. It was fun.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Well, most of it.”
“It was,” she said, looking up at him. She felt oddly shy with him, here where her grandfather might see them through the window.
Seeming to feel none of the same, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, tender hug. “It’s going to be all right,” he said in her ear. “We’ll work through this.”
She nodded, surprised to find her eyes wet with tears at his choice of words. Somehow it made her feel less lonely, less vulnerable. “You’re right,” she said, pushing back hair that was falling in her eyes. With the top down, much of her ponytail had worked loose on the ride home. But they’d both welcomed the wind about them, content to be lost in their own thoughts. She lifted her pack. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Maybe,” he said. He gave her a shy smile and reached for her hand. “But tomorrow is a long ways away. What about tonight, after supper? Down on the dock? Or maybe you need to swing again?”
She smiled back, watching how his thumb rubbed across her fingers. “I’ll see how Gramps is faring. If he turns in early, I’ll meet you on the beach. Maybe a bonfire tonight?”
“Now that sounds good. You should see how Bea downs s’mores. She’s an animal.”
Adi laughed and pulled away, lifting her pack. It sounded reassuring to her, to be with Chase, but also Logan and Bea again. “Maybe I can introduce her to the finer points of s’mores with a layer of peanut butter.”
“Ugh,” Chase said, clutching his chest as if she’d just shot him. “One really should not mess with a classic.”
“Unless it’s to make it better,” she said, resuming a debate they’d had since they were teens.
“We’ll see how much class my sister-in-law really has.”
“We’ll see if she has adventurous taste buds.”
“Whatever, Stalling,” he said, shouldering his own backpack and backing up toward the trail that led to the boathouse cabin, adorable dimple clearly on display.
*****
KENNETH HAD BEEN CLIMBING up the hill from the beach when he saw the Jeep roll into the parking lot. He eased behind a giant ponderosa and carefully peeked around the edge to watch them.
It was her.
Really her.
Seeing Adalyn again, after so long apart, threatened to make him forget to breathe.
He watched as she bantered with the tall guy. Stiffened as he took her hand—so familiar! And after that long, lingering hug. Where had they been? Gone for all this time? Had she spent the night with him?
When her grandfather had said she was gone, he’d thought she might be camping. But Kenneth had thought she might have found a female friend, her heart far too wounded to take up with some new guy.
Kenneth felt the heat of anger rush up his neck and cheeks. He knew he should turn away, that it wouldn’t do for him to be discovered there, so obviously spying upon them. But he couldn’t stop himself. Couldn’t bear to miss a moment of seeing her. Nor miss the chance of figuring out just who this man was, and what claim he might have on Adalyn’s heart.
You cannot have her, he thought. I will not allow it.
She cannot bear another heartbreak. Only I am safe for her. It is for me that fate made a way. Me. Fate that brought me here, to her very own resting spot.
Not for you.
He stared at the tall man as he pulled off his NPS ball cap, ran a hand through his thick, brown hair and put it back on again, even as he shouldered his pack and backed away from her, still bantering.
Never had he felt such hatred for another.
At least, not since Adam. Or Connor. It had been pure torture, watching those two with her. And there was no way that he would idly stand by and watch another woo his Adalyn, only to break her heart.
He forced himself to walk down the beach toward his cabin as if he’d never seen the two of them. The other men had gone away. So would this one. He’d see to it.
Because Adalyn Stalling would be his.
One way or another.
*****
ADI HAD ARRIVED JUST in time to help Mrs. Larson turn two of her refurbished cabins, because according to Gramps, two families were returning that night to claim them. “Paid in advance,” he said. “Didn’t want anyone else to swipe them, after they caught a glimpse.” He patted her on the back. “Your new pod of cabins appears to be a hit, honey.”
“The new sign and name helps too,” Mrs. Larson said approvingly. She nodded, making her chin disappear into the chubby folds of her neck. She was flushed and sweaty, obviously rushing to get done.
“That’s great,” Adi said. “Let’s divide and conquer. I’ll do Cabin Five, you do Four?”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” the older woman said, placing a hand to her lower back. “If we’re going to turn more cabins this summer, we’re going to need to hire some help. I’m not as young as I used to be.”
Adi nodded. “I hear you,” she said. “I’ll put out the word with the Rollinss, see if they know anybody.”
“Or I can bring my nephew,” she offered. “He just sits around and plays video games. But once he has direction, he’s a pretty good worker.”
“Tell him he’s hired,” Adi said. “Bring him tomorrow?”
“I will. His mother will be thrilled.”
“No more than we will, if business truly picks up.”
She moved to Cabin Five and propped open the door. Gramps hovered there, crossing his arms and leaning against the jamb. “At least you won’t have to do Cabin One more than once a week.”
“Oh?” she said, confused. She stripped the sheets of one bunk and then the other. The top bunks appeared untouched.
“Yeah. A man checked in yesterday afternoon. Said he planned to stay for a month. Bought a fancy camera and has been messing with it all day on the beach and in the woods.”
“A month!” she said. “Well, I guess that’s good news. One down, four to go. I want to show the park officials that we booked these solid when we come up for review.”
“I don’t think it will be hard, Adi girl. They’re as pretty as they were the day Grams and I opened. If not prettier. And I hate to admit it, but people really seem to like the new name. We’ve had ten, maybe eleven people in today, inquiring. Interrupted more than one of my naps.”
She grinned. “Well, you go and rest now. If anyone else rolls up, I’ll hear them and go talk to them myself.” She paused, remembering her plan. “Or I’ll send Mrs. Larson.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said. But he paused at the door. “Did you have fun? Over on the east side?”
“We did,” she said.
Gramps smiled at that. “Well, good. You deserved a break. You get to Iceberg?”
“We did! And we found Chase’s wiley moose. Tagged him and went on to the lake. Oh, Gramps. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is.”
He nodded and looked to the lake. “I’d give my right eyetooth to see it again. Just once.” He shook his head. “But those days are over for these old bones.”
She shared a sad smile with him. “At least you have the memories.”
“There’s that. Well, I’ll leave you to it and go grab that catnap.”
She tossed a hand towel from the bathroom on the stack of linens, then reached in a cupboard to set out a fresh roll of TP. In the cupboard was a brush and toilet cleaner, and a minute later, she had it scrubbed clean, turning to do the sink and mirror. In the kitchen, she emptied the mini-fridge of ketchup and half a pack of cheese; she hated to toss such items. But she knew most guests would prefer to arrive and find it empty. Maybe I’ll keep a bunch of commonly used items for guests, she thought. Things like condiments. That was the thoughtful kind of detail that she knew helped garner good reviews.
And Gramps will eat this cheese, she thought. He favored the fake version for his grilled cheese sandwiches, while Adi preferred classic cheddar.
She bundled up the linens and carried them out the door toward the central laundry room. It was then that she saw the man coming her way, looking down at the control panel of his DSLR. He looked up, spied her and smiled. “Hey,” he said.
“Hi,” she said. “Are you the new guest in Cabin One?”
“I am. Kenneth Obering,” he said, offering his hand. “But you can call me Ken.”
Shifting her bundle, she awkwardly shook it. “Adalyn,” she said. “I’m Gene’s granddaughter. What made you decide to stay with us all month long?”
“Well, I have some unused vacation. Boss said I had to use it or I’d lose it this year. Figured this was as good a time as any to learn how to use one of these,” he said, lifting his camera. He cast her a playful grin and brought the camera up to his eye. “You mind?”
“Oh,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “There’s better inspiration out there than me.” She gestured toward the lake, even as he shot several frames. It was weird, him taking her picture. Wasn’t it? Or was she just being paranoid?
“For sure,” he said. “This whole park is a photographer’s dream.” But he was staring without blinking at her.
“Well, enjoy,” she said, suddenly eager to get away from him. “I better get to finishing this cabin so your neighbors have a clean place to move into.”
“Sure, sure,” he said, smiling down at her. He was as tall as Chase was, but more wiry. Near her own age. “See ya ‘round.”
Adi moved away, the odd exchange running through her mind. For the first time, she wondered if he was a journalist and if he’d just taken a picture to sell. Why else would he have taken her picture like that? But as quick as it came, she dismissed it. The camera was clearly new, and the dude was just...awkward. Maybe he’d thought he was kind of flirting with her or something. West Glacier wasn’t exactly teeming with young singles.
That was it. Quit seeing ghosts behind every tree, Adi.
*****
BETTER INSPIRATION out there than me, she’d said.
He’d snapped another picture of her from the other side of the complex, using his telephoto lens. No, Adalyn. You are wrong. So wrong.
He focused in on her lips and took another picture. Her body, from shoulder to hip. Frame after frame of her as she walked, in quick succession. Watching them back in his viewscreen, it was almost like a video, but he could pause over each as he wished. Observing how her body moved, inch by inch.
That night, playing it over in his mind again, Kenneth thought he’d handled their initial conversation well. He’d sounded almost...normal. He didn’t think she would’ve been able to hear his heart thundering in his chest, even though it felt like it should be moving beneath his shirt as clearly as a lovesick cartoon character’s.
You can call me Ken.
He hoped she would. No one else called him that. It seemed intimate, for her to have a special name for him. Maybe in time they’d come up with some sort of loving nicknames for each other.
He hated that he had lied to her. That he was on vacation. But what choice had he? He’d quit his job two months ago to track her down in Illinois, leaving his apartment in Georgia with nothing but what he could pack in his car. He’d find a new job soon enough. Just as soon as they settled down together, he’d find a job and she would stay home and take care of him.
It pleased him, to see her cleaning. She liked a tidy place. So did he. There had been a part of him that feared she was used to others doing such things for her. He liked a woman ready to do the domestic roles. Cook and clean. Make a home.
He’d really never had a home. His mom had left his dad and him when he was little. His father lived in squalor. Kenneth had taught himself coding and got a job straight out of high school for a tech firm, steadily putting money into savings every month. He’d lived on his own in an apartment that never had more than a chair, a table and a bed. It was easier to keep clean, he’d found.
But here, in Cabin One, surrounded by all that Adalyn had done to make it cozy, he knew she would be all he needed in a wife. He’d give her a strict budget and they’d go shopping, coming home to decorate their little house. Where would that be? Would she want to stay here in Montana, near her grandfather? Or go back to Illinois?
Not that she could go back to Smith & Jessen. No, those fools had set her up to be a contestant on The One. They could not be trusted. But maybe she’d miss Molly and want to live closer to her. Or maybe there was someplace else.
He’d take her anywhere. He’d spent months thinking about ways to make her happy. When she was finally his, he’d be sure that she was, every single day.
He leaned back against his pillow and clicked through the pictures again of Adalyn. But then he heard the sound of footsteps in the rocks between his cabin and Gene’s, as well as the call of greeting to Adi from the beach.
Kenneth frowned and sat up. It was late. Where was she going? Using the binoculars, he’d found a position in the woods from which he could see into Gene’s kitchen. They’d been having supper just an hour before. Now what?
He grabbed his binoculars again and eased out his cabin door. Glancing to the left, he could see Adalyn greeting another man and a short brunette—the two that ran the boat launch next door—and then the guy who had brought her home. He wrapped her in his big arms for a quick, overly familiar hug before sitting down in one of the Adirondacks around the fire. Briefly, Kenneth thought about swinging by the fire, seeing if they’d invite him in. But there were only four chairs. No, he told himself. No. That will be awkward.
He’d had his fill of awkward social moments in life. More than a few had destroyed any chance he’d had with a girl. And there was no way that he wanted one of Adalyn’s first impressions of him to include such a description. Hadn’t he successfully maneuvered through their initial introduction? Don’t screw it up. Instead, he took a path to the other side of Gene’s cabin, leading to the hill above. He wound his way upward, squinting in the gathering darkness, and then found his way back down, closer to their bonfire, where he was able to remain hidden. He took a seat on a boulder and eased aside the thick branches of a fir and birch to focus on the foursome before him.
They were laughing, roasting marshmallows. Debating about peanut butter, for some reason. He saw that the guy with Adalyn resembled the other guy—brothers? And he wore a USNPS jacket with the name ROLLINS in bold letters above the breast pocket, the same name as the boat launch guy next door. He’d seen their names on the sign: Lake McDonald Boat Launch, operated by Logan and Beatrice Rollins. Hadn’t he taken a picture of it that very afternoon? Not that he needed the picture. He’d filed away the information in his brain. Could still see every curve of each letter of their sign outside the boathouse they’d made into a cozy cabin. Some said he had a photographic memory. Perhaps that’s why taking pictures was reassuring, almost mirroring what was in his mind. Proving it was as real as he remembered.
This other Rollins rose and offered his jacket to Adalyn when she shivered.
Kenneth’s jaw clenched when she allowed him to help her into it, wrapping it around her. She looked adorable and he could see there was some obvious flirtation going on between her and this man. Who was he? How had he found such a ready place in her life? She’d only been here, what? A few weeks? Unless...Unless... Her grandfather lived here. She’d obviously come here before. Maybe all her life. Had this guy too? Was he some old flame?
He dropped his binoculars, staring hard at the man. It mattered not who he’d once been. All Kenneth had to do was keep him from being anything more.
What would keep USNPS Ranger Rollins busy?
Fire immediately came to mind. But then he negated it, deciding he could do nothing that would endanger his Adalyn. He’d need to do some research. Find out what Rollins’s responsibilities were.
And then make sure they kept him very, very distracted. And far from Adalyn.