“I think you’re right. You aren’t the first person to get turned around in that spot.”
“Am I the first person you’ve had to search for this late at night?”
“Nope,” Ethan answered. They once stayed up until 4 a.m. searching for someone who had been passed out drunk in their room all night.
“Ethan! Wait up!” Jackson called. He jogged up to them and gave Lily a bright smile. “Hey, Lily. I’m glad Ethan found you so quick.”
Her face screwed up. “That was quick? I haven’t eaten since lunch, and I ran out of water several hours ago.”
Ethan chuckled. “We didn’t know you were missing until an hour ago.”
He reached into the side pocket of his pack and handed her his water bottle. She didn’t hesitate to pop the top open and take several long swallows.
She handed it back to him after a moment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He deposited the water bottle back into his bag, and they continued down the trail.
“So what happened?” Jackson asked.
Ethan threw him a look over his shoulder, but he only shrugged and stared expectantly at Lily.
She sighed. “I went to the lookout and was writing. I lost track of time, and didn’t realize how late it was until the sunwas setting. When I tried to rush back down the mountain, I got stuck at the fork and took a wrong turn. By the time I realized it and turned back, my phone had died, which I was using as a flashlight. Then my watch died. At that point, I decided it was better to stay put so I wouldn’t break my ankle or leave the trail by accident. Then I prayed Stacy would send off alarm bells.”
“Good girl,” Ethan said. His mind immediately flashed to calling her a good girl in bed, and he cleared his throat.
“So what kinds of things do you write?” Jackson asked, changing the subject without hesitation.
Ethan threw him a warning look. He had yet to ask Lily if she was Lillian Taylor. Jackson only smiled brightly in response.
“I’m a romance author.”
“Oh, my wife Mia would love to chat with you. She’s a librarian. If we don’t have any of your books in the local library, I’m sure she’d love to get them in there.” The amusement in Jackson’s voice was hard to miss. If Lily was, in fact, Lillian Taylor, he knew Mia would be the biggest super-fan Lily had ever met.
Ethan focused on the trail ahead and didn’t turn back to see Lily’s expression, but he could hear the smile in her voice as she replied.
“That would be great. I’d love to chat with her.”
The trail broke out onto the lawn of the resort, and the three made their way up to the double doors that led inside. The cold air bit at Ethan’s exposed arms, but he barely noticed it until they stepped inside the lobby and the warmth enveloped him.
His entire family, Jessa, and Mia were already back at the resort waiting for them, and they approached as soon as they came through the door.
