Page 21 of Wrecked for Love (Buffaloberry Hill #1)

“This place is amazing,” I whispered, as if speaking too loudly would disturb the calm.

“Told you it’s a hidden gem,” Elia said, his voice soft but filled with pride. “No one really knows about it, which is why I like coming here. It’s peaceful.”

“Yeah, peaceful,” I echoed, taking a deep breath and letting the calm wash over me.

“Hey, come here,” Elia said, drawing me toward a nearby bush. He crouched down, plucked a few wild berries, and handed them to me with a grin.

“Buffaloberries?” I asked, recognizing the tiny, bright fruits.

“Yep.”

I popped a couple into my mouth and squinted as the tartness hit me. “Whoa!” I gasped, caught off guard. But the flavor mellowed. “Not bad. Though not quite like the jam.”

“Oh? You’ve tried the jam already?” A lilt crept into his reply. “I thought you were holding out for mine.”

“Sorry,” I said with my mouth puckered. “I bought a jar from Mama Berry.”

“Mama Berry?” Elia raised an eyebrow. “Who’s that?”

I laughed, feeling a little embarrassed. “That’s what I’ve been calling Mrs. Sutton in my head—the lady at the harvest shop. It just stuck.”

Elia’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “Miss Chili Pepper, I didn’t know you had a cute side.”

“How’ve you been?” I asked. “Any more trespassers holding you hostage for gas?”

He laughed. “Nope. Just you.” Then his expression shifted, turning a bit somber. “Logan mentioned you’re renting The Willow.”

I narrowed my eyes, wondering if his shift in tone meant he’d expected me to come back to The Lazy Moose instead. But why did he seem so sad about it?

With our day settling back on track, I decided not to press him. “Yeah, I am. I’m also working at Paul’s store now.”

“Wait, seriously? That’s impressive.” He seemed genuinely surprised. “Paul doesn’t hire just anyone, and that’s not exactly an easy job. How come I’ve never seen you there?”

I smirked, ready for a bit of banter. “Because I’m always in the back. Gotta keep my secret identity intact, you know? Stealth mode.”

Elia shook his head at me. “Stealth mode, huh?”

We continued along the trail until Elia suddenly motioned for me to follow him off the path. “Come on, I’ll show you another secret.”

“Really? A secret within a secret?”

“You’re gonna love it.”

We veered off the main trail, climbing higher up the hill.

Elia carried Koda on his shoulders effortlessly as we navigated a particularly steep ascend, his movements careful but strong.

He had this way of being both protective and laid-back all at once, and it made my chest fill with admiration just watching him.

Finally, we reached a small clearing, and I gasped. Before us, a waterfall cascaded down from the rocks above, the sunlight catching the mist and turning it into a million tiny rainbows. The sound of the water was soothing, almost magical.

“Elia…” I murmured as if hypnotized. “This…this is beyond beautiful.”

For a guy who rarely smiled, even the slightest shift in his expression made it clear he was pleased with my reaction. “It’s one of my favorite spots. Figured you’d appreciate it.”

He gestured toward a flat rock near the water. “Come on, sit down. Take it all in.”

I did, still in awe of the view. As I settled onto the rock, I couldn’t help but feel like this hidden place, much like Elia, held so many layers yet to be discovered.

He broke the silence first. “So, are you really from Idaho?”

That was the story I’d been feeding everyone, including his friend Logan—with just enough of a Chicago confession to ease my landlord’s suspicions. Elia shot me a knowing side-eye, clearly picking up on the lie.

I sighed. “Okay, it was just a white lie. I don’t like revealing too much about myself. You know…stalker danger. Like that guy back there. What’s his deal? He said he was Little Vossy.”

Elia scoffed. “If that asshole bothers you again, you come to me. Or better yet, it might be time to use that gun of yours.”

“Hear, hear,” I said, trying to play it cool, though the idea of ever needing to use my gun again didn’t sit well with me.

“So, where are you really from?” he asked, his tone softer now, more curious than accusatory.

I wrestled with myself. Should I tell him? What’s the harm? New York felt like a lifetime ago. Did I want to open that door?

My thoughts whirled, weighing the pros and cons. Elia seemed trustworthy, but trust was something I didn’t hand out easily anymore. Still, there was something about his honesty, his straightforwardness, that made me feel like I could let my guard down.

“I’m from New York,” I confessed.

Elia raised an eyebrow. “New York? For real?”

“Yep.”

“Wouldn’t have guessed that.”

I smirked. “Do I come off too hillbilly?”

He chuckled, the sound low and easy. “A little. But that’s not the point.” He paused for a beat before continuing, “So, what did you do back in New York?”

“I was a professional dog groomer, I worked as a pet shop assistant, and in between, I did some pet sitting—plants, too, when needed. I’ve always loved flowers. But my real dream was to study to become a vet.”

“Not bad,” he said, though his face shifted into something more thoughtful. “We don’t have a university here. Our local vet? He studied in Pullman, Washington.”

“Huh…”

“Just throwing it out there. Pullman’s a lot closer than New York.”

“I don’t really want to be far from here.” The idea of going back to a big city didn’t sit right anymore.

“Buffaloberry’s got that much of a hold on you, huh?” he commented. “Guess you’re not ready to share why you left New York?”

I shook my head. “Not really.” I didn’t explain further, but a shift flickered inside me—a subtle nudge, reminding me of something he’d promised back then. “Hey, you said if I told you where I’m from, you’d tell me about your family.”

He scoffed. “You remember that?” He glanced away for a second, then his voice softened.

“Well…my parents died. Mom went first. Throat cancer.” His words were steady, but there was an unmistakable heaviness in them.

“Dad followed not long after. And my little brother—he moved out. Haven’t heard from him in a while. ”

A slow exhale left him, like he was weighing whether to say more. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited, maybe expecting me to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“And your sister?” I asked, recalling the beautiful girl with blue eyes and blonde hair from the photos I wasn’t supposed to see.

It was practically a confession, and Elia’s reaction was instant—surprise, then something I didn’t expect. Pain. “How did you know?”

I hesitated for a moment, fearing he’d lose it if I admitted to my late-night snooping. But I confessed anyway. “I, uh…naked truth? I saw your photo album when I stayed in your room. Sorry.”

“Oh, Claire!” He sighed, annoyance flashing briefly before fading into something gentler, like I was someone who could do no wrong. “My sister—she passed away.”

I absorbed the weight of his words. There was so much sorrow there, and I felt it settle between us like an invisible thread connecting our losses.

I wanted to say something comforting, something to ease the grief that clung to him, but the words didn’t come.

Instead, I just sat and let the moment stretch out, knowing that sometimes silence speaks louder than anything else.

Then Elia pulled out his wallet and reached into it.

“What, is there a café hidden around here somewhere? You’re treating me to lunch? That would be a secret within a secret within a secret,” I said, trying to break the tension.

He glanced at me. “You’re thinking about lunch already?”

Before I could comment, he fished something out of the coin compartment, and I went completely speechless.

My necklace.

“I believe this is yours,” he said, holding it out to me.

The breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t stop the tears that welled up.

Without thinking—without any plan at all—I turned and hugged him.

I held onto him like I had held Cody all those years ago.

But I knew this wasn’t Cody. This was different.

For the first time in a long while, I felt like I had someone on my side other than my brother.

“Thank you,” I quavered, then pulled away.

“It meant a lot to you, huh? Lucky Koda didn’t swallow it.”

I laughed through the tears, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

I tried to put the necklace on, but my hands were shaking too much.

Elia reached over and helped me fasten it around my neck.

His fingers brushed against my skin, and for a moment, my heart stuttered.

I could’ve turned right there and kissed him.

Feeling that he’d shared more about his life than I had about mine, I found myself opening up. “You should know by now…I’m running away from something.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” he said, his voice gentle, no pressure at all.

“I know,” I murmured. “But I just want you to know I appreciate everything you’ve done. And a part of me…” I let vulnerability rise to the surface. “A part of me desperately wants to stop running.”

Elia’s hand rested on the rock beside mine, so close but not quite touching. Slowly, almost as if it were instinct, he shifted it closer. His pinky finger stretched out just enough to brush mine. Without thinking, I hooked my little finger around his and squeezed it gently.

“Maybe it’s time,” he said like he was speaking more to himself than to me.

We both leaned in, our faces so close now, the space between us charged with something undeniable. My emotions were scattered, but fear wasn’t one of them. There were no fireworks and grand gestures here—just this moment, this pull, like we were teetering on the brink of something new.

Just as our lips were about to meet, Koda bolted, barking wildly as he tore off after a rabbit that had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

We both froze. And then, just like that, we burst into laughter, the spell shattering in the most absurd way. “Koda!” Elia called after him, still chuckling. “Get back here, you nut!”

I laughed too, glancing back just as Koda’s tail vanished into the brush. Elia had once told me the mutt was getting on in years, but right now, he looked like an overexcited puppy on a mission.

“I swear, that dog has the worst timing for anything that’s not cattle,” Elia said, shaking his head, though the amusement never left his face.

“Yeah, but you’ve gotta love him.”

We both got up, still smiling as we called for Koda to come back, the moment between us postponed but definitely not forgotten.

My stomach rumbled, and Elia heard it. He remarked, “Sounds like someone needs food.”

By the time we got back to town, Maggie’s Diner was the obvious next stop. It was the kind of place where everyone knew your name, and the coffee flowed until closing. The scent of roasts and gravy wrapped around us as we stepped inside.

We slid into a red vinyl booth, the tabletop worn smooth from years of elbows, coffee cups, and unhurried conversations.

Behind the counter, a wooden sign with faded gold lettering read: If You Leave Hungry, That’s on You.

Elia nodded toward it. “Truth in advertising.”

I’d figured that out the hard way after my first meal here when I got a Montana Burger the size of a saddle, piled high with bacon, crispy onions, and a slathering of huckleberry barbecue sauce, served with a mound of steak fries big enough to make a grown man reconsider his life choices.

“So the big portions are kind of their thing?” I asked.

“Yep. For forty years and counting,” he said, smirking. “Maggie doesn’t believe in empty plates.”

“Or human-sized portions,” I muttered, already mentally preparing myself for the feast ahead.

We ate, talked, and let the hours slip by unnoticed. When I insisted he keep me from overstuffing myself, he agreed to share. Elia barely blinked when I stole a bite of his roast beef as he was too busy loading his plate with mashed potatoes and every side the diner had to offer.

By the time we returned to the trailhead at Raven Bluff, where my car was parked, the evening had settled in.

He hopped out with me, despite my car being only a few feet away, and walked me over. Opening the door, he said, “Drive safe.”

“You too.” I gave him a quick hug. After that Koda-interrupted kiss, I had hoped we might pick up where we left off, but something had shifted in him.

With his head lowered, he slowly made his way back to his truck, clearly lost in thought. Then, scanning the dimming horizon, he turned and said, “You know what? I’ll drive with you.”

“Oh, a special escort?” I tried to sound casual, but the joy in my tone gave me away.

“It’s late. And I just want to make sure you get home safe.”

“Okay.”

We drove in tandem, and soon enough, we arrived at The Willow.

I turned to Elia as he pulled up in front of the cottage. “Hey, you wanna come in for a bit? I make a pretty mean coffee,” I offered with a smile.

He smiled back, but there was something else there, something hesitant. “Maybe next time,” he said, his voice polite but carrying an undertone I couldn’t quite place.

I stepped out of the truck, and he met me there, though he didn’t follow when I headed to the front door. “You’re scared of the ghosts, aren’t you?” I leaned against the jamb, side-smiling at him.

His grin widened just a bit. “Yeah, maybe a little.”

I strode back toward him, thinking I might change his mind. But then he added, more sincerely, “Good to see you again, Claire.” He leaned in and gave me a soft peck on the cheek so quickly I barely had time to process it.

“Good to see you too, Elia.” My arms wanted to reach for him, to hold on to him a bit longer, but I let him go. “And thanks again for taking care of my necklace.”

He nodded, hopping back into his truck and restarting the engine. But before driving off, he rolled down the window. “Hey, Claire!” he called out.

“Yeah?” I replied.

“So, your urge to kill me has passed, I take it?”

I tilted my head, acknowledging his clever remark. “I don’t kill the good ones. You’re safe. For now.”

“In that case, how about a date?”

I crossed my arms, giving him a mock-serious look. “What, with the ghosts of The Willow as chaperones?”

He laughed. “I’ll bring the holy water.”

“Better bring garlic too,” I said. “Just in case.”

He shook his head, still grinning. “So, how about it?”

I pretended to consider it for a moment, drawing out the suspense. “Fine.”

“Super!” he called out, then drove off, honking the horn as he went.

As I watched him disappear down the road, I reminded myself why I was here in the first place. Not that I needed reminding. I knew my nightmare was far from over. At the first sign of Gideon Purcell and The Revenants making their move, I’d be gone.

But damn. Elia and I had something. It was more than just the usual boy-meets-girl spark. Maybe it wasn’t the most conventional start, but it felt like things were falling into place.