Elizabeth Goddard - Wilderness Reunion

Bolstered, she risked a glance over her shoulder and spotted someone ten yards back watching her, his face hidden by his hoodie. Goose bumps crawled over her, and she’d learned long ago never to ignore that sensation.

She turned her attention back to hurrying across the street toward the stranger.

Though...wait. Something about his cadence seemed familiar.

No. It couldn’t be.

But...it was.

Griffin Slater?

Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She took in the broad shoulders, the trim, athletic physique. It was definitely him.

She rushed forward, putting more distance between her and the person behind her. As she hurried toward Griffin, emotions accosted her.

Anger and resentment along with a million questions.

She could still hear the footfalls, growing closer even as she practically jogged into the street toward Griffin. She hoped to leave her shadow behind. There was safety in numbers, after all.

She stopped just short of throwing herself into Griffin’s arms to find protection and comfort there. Breathing hard, she swiped a hand over her brow and stared at him. He took her in, too, and his appreciative gaze sent heat through her.

His slate-gray eyes always seemed to capture everything, just like his camera, only Griffin could see right through people, read them. Her heart pounded from her fear or from Griffin’s nearness, she wasn’t sure, but Alice hoped he couldn’t read her right now. She wouldn’t want him to know that he affected her one iota. That he’d caused an eruption of emotions, both good and bad.

“It’s really you. You’re not some figment of my imagination.” Had she really just said those words out loud? So much for hiding her emotions.

Her knees wanted to buckle. Was that from seeing Griffin or from yet another narrow escape from danger? She was such a coward not to face and challenge whoever had followed her, instead practically running into this man’s arms.

“Yes, it’s really me. Nice to see you again, Alice.” His gaze briefly flicked to the town behind her.

Had he spotted the man following her? She wanted to gauge his reaction but instead she blurted out, “So you just appear out of nowhere, after two years? Why are you here?” Alice wanted to kick herself, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted answers.

She risked a glance over her shoulder. The man slipped into the shadows between the buildings.

TWO

Griffin gazed into Alice’s dark blue eyes. “I’ll fill you in on the details, soon enough.”

The wildness in her gaze had always reminded him of the way the Rogue River churned and twisted. Her eyes could always stir him up inside, like the dangerous rapids. She’d secured her light brown hair in her usual ponytail, and a few sun-kissed strands had come loose and framed her face. The smattering of freckles across her pretty nose weren’t hidden beneath makeup. None of that for Alice. Another thing he’d always liked about her.

She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time he saw her, except there was something different in her eyes, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

This was the moment he’d dreaded and the reason he’d come to Gideon ahead of his uncle, but it was upon him much quicker than he would have liked. He’d had no time to catch his breath at the Gideon Lodge like he’d planned.

He hadn’t been sure how he would feel when he faced her again, and seeing her now could bowl him over, except for the turmoil written all over her face that brought his focus back.

“What happened, Alice? What’s wrong?”

She glanced over her shoulder again. So he’d read her right. There was more happening here than the anger he assumed was directed at him. Griffin fought the need to tug her to him, push her behind him, protect her. He didn’t think Alice wanted that from him. And he sure didn’t want the rush of unbidden feelings, but he should have expected the shock of seeing her that rolled through him.

Alice hesitated, then replied, “I think someone followed me.”

“The way you say that, sounds like you mean someone might have followed you to harm you. Is that what you mean, Alice?”

“Yes, I think so, but I can’t be sure. He disappeared between those buildings.”

Maybe she was overreacting, but he had a feeling she wasn’t. He hoped he was wrong about that. Hoped it had nothing to do with her stumbling on the illegal garden.

He started to take off in pursuit but she grabbed his arm. “No, wait. Don’t leave me. He’s long gone by now anyway.”

He hesitated, unsure what to do, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. Plus, they needed to talk. Alice didn’t know yet about his assignment, he assumed. And it sounded like there was much more about what had happened in the wilderness than Griffin knew, as well.

But before they could talk about that, he needed to address her on a more personal level. That was why he’d come. It would have seemed insensitive for him to just show up with his sheriff uncle tomorrow, especially considering how he’d left.

Three years ago, he’d come to the Wild Rogue Wilderness region to rest after a TBI—traumatic brain injury—had ended his military career and a job he lived for. After six months, he was well on his way to a full recovery and hoped to establish himself as a civilian photojournalist in conflicted regions of the world. Then...he’d met Alice. They’d grown too close, too fast.

He could still remember how she’d begged him to stay, but he’d been afraid of his growing feelings for her, so he’d taken the assignment in Kenya when an agency called looking for a freelancer. He’d assured her he would come back after the assignment and had told himself he meant it. But it had been all too easy to make excuses to never return. And now that he stood here with her, he had no clue how to bring it all up again. How to even broach the topic. Maybe Alice had moved on and had no interest in dredging it up, except her first words to him gave her away.

So you just appear out of nowhere, after two years? Why are you here?

Yeah, she wanted to talk about it.

Griffin scraped a hand down his face. He’d come to Gideon looking for her and now that he’d found her, he was tongue-tied and ashamed. He could face so many horrible things...but he couldn’t let himself love someone. Why was it so hard?

“Listen, I need to head to the lodge before it’s too late and make sure they have a room for me.” And yet he definitely wanted her to stick with him if someone was following her. “You want to walk with me? Then we can go somewhere and you can tell me what’s going on. Why someone followed you.”

She nodded. “Yeah, sure.” And looked over her shoulder again.

They headed off in the direction of the lodge. Dusk finally settled on the town. Griffin watched the shadows for Alice’s stalker, and at the same time he tried to come up with an opening about his departure before and the fact he hadn’t returned as he’d said.

Alice strolled next to him and palmed the gun tucked at her side. Wary. She was definitely wary about something.

Inside the lodge, she stepped back and waited for Griffin to check in. His call to find a room had been last-minute—risky during peak tourist season—but the woman had thought a guest planned to leave early and had said she would hold the room for Griffin.

When he announced his name, the woman paled. “I’m so sorry, sir. I thought we’d have a vacancy, but it didn’t materialize. I left you a message on your cell.”

Right, and he hadn’t checked his messages while on his motorcycle.

“It’s okay. Not your fault.” Worst case he could head back to Gold Beach and stay with Uncle Davis. But he was glad he’d come, if Alice needed him.