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I was grateful to have learned English as a child because it helped me adapt quickly. Mom had traded the English lessons for free holistic treatments to the students and faculties at my school.

Sighing, I took the elevator up to the suite. I’d purchased this hotel when my grandma moved to Texas. It was a prime location and had profited since my ownership.

When I got into my suite, the weight of the past pushed me down onto my couch. I stayed that way for a while, letting everything fall away. When it did, Kiera’s face appeared, making me smile.

I pulled up the calendar on my phone and reviewed my agenda for the next two weeks. I had a seminar to attend, virtual conferences, and updates on my alternative medicine development. The deadline for my Level Four demo for WaterFyre Rising was due soon. Dinner with Grandma wouldn’t be until the end of next week.

Where could I squeeze ina date with Kiera?

I moved things around and sent her a text. It was late, so she’d get the message tomorrow. Exhaustion weighed on me. I yawned, scraped a hand down my face, and hopped into the shower.

As I toweled off and pulled on a pair of boxers, my phone rang. Could it be Kiera? I’d been thinking about her during my shower, but it was midnight, so she was probably asleep. No one liked getting calls at this late hour. It could only mean bad news.

The Barton Creek Police number flashed on my screen. I’d reached out to the Police Chief Jack Wheaton asking him to alert me about the case regarding the Sabian Creek Campground. My grandma had treated his wife’s insomnia with an effective herbal prescription a couple of years ago.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hi, Forrest. This is Detective Donnelly. Chief Wheaton asked me to update you on the case.”

“Great. What do you have for me?”

“We found a body about an hour ago. It’s on the other side of the woods from the campground. A truck driverhad pulled over to relieve himself when he saw the body on the side of the road. Looks like some animals got to him.”

My molars ground together as questions sparked in my mind.

Could he be the attacker? Did they find anything else on him? Who was he?

I would’ve been happy to hear about the news, but it came too quickly for me. Something about this incidentfelt off.

“Please keep me posted on what you find out about the man.”

“Why are you interested in this case?”

“Kiera is a close friend of mine. I want to make sure she’s safe.” That was the truth.

“Y’all have a good night. We have extra men on patrol, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

I knew the drill. Once they identified the man, they’d pull back their officers for other duties. I didn’t blame them. Why waste the manpower on a trivial matter like robbery?

I had to convince Kiera to stay at Pine Tower with me.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

KIERA

Lying in bed, I smiled as I read his text message that had been sent last night.

Forrest:Dinner tomorrow? I want to see the photos.

I checked my calendar and moved my online yoga session to another day. I’d paid for the virtual classes, which helped motivate me during my travels. Skipping a week wouldn’t kill me, especially since I’d been hiking around the campground.

Staring at my phone, I tried to figure out how I should reply to Forrest. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have hesitated. Dinner with a friend was normal. But we were more than friends, weren’t we? Friends didn’t sleep with one another. Despite that, we weren’t dating either.

This dinner was the catalyst that could break down the strange wall between us. I didn’t know where this thing with Forrest would lead to, but I was curious. What happened to the fearless Kiera who went after what she wanted?

I couldn’t hold back my frown. The fear probably stemmed from me liking him more than I should.