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“Absolutely not.”

“Theo…”

“We came here to look for Lena, so let’s go.” He opened his door, letting in a gust of cold air, and ended the conversation. If he looked at Fee and her excited face, he’d only end up saying yes, and they really needed to get back.

Fee and Runa piled out of her side, and they all rushed into the front office, hunkering down in their coats against the chill. Fee was wearing an old Carhartt jacket he’d left at her house years ago. Reminders of how intertwined their lives had become over the years always caught him off guard.

He wanted to pretend he could extricate Fee from his life at any time. That he could live without her.

And then, there she was, looking so fucking cute in his giant coat, and he was proved a liar.

It was only a few feet from the truck to the door of the cabin serving as the check-in area. Thankfully, it was warm and cozy inside, with a fire crackling in the fireplace complete with stockings and an old black Lab curled up in front of it. The dog didn’t even bother to lift his head when they came in, and Theo appreciated his dedication to a good nap.

Fee squealed in approval. Theo ruffled her hair. She grinned up at him and he was totally screwed.

“What can we help you folks with?”

A man’s voice turned their attention to the front desk. The guy had a close-trimmed beard and glasses on the tip of his nose. He looked better suited to a library than a remote cabin rental in the woods.

“Hello,” Fee said. “We … um … we need a cabin for the night.”

“Make that two!” Runa chimed in.

“What are you doing?” Theo hissed under his breath.

“Of course,” the man said with a smile. “Let me see what we have available.”

“Phoebe…” Theo growled.

“They wouldn’t tell Ruby anything over the phone,” she whispered as the clerk clicked through his computer. “They don’t give out guest information. We need to do a little snooping. We’ll leave when we’re done.”

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling another headache coming on.

“Ah, you’re in luck. We happen to have two cabins available.”

“Oh, wonderful!” Runa said with a little clap and the man beamed, delighted to have pleased her.

Theo rolled his eyes.

“How many cabins do you have here in total?” Fee asked.

“We have twelve,” he said. “Although two are out of commission right now, for renovations.”

“And are all the rest full?” Fee asked. “Is this a busy time of year for you?” She smiled at the man and his cheeks flushed pink.

“Not very busy, no. Summer is our busiest season with folks bringing their kids for summer vacation, of course.” He gathered some brochures about local attractions and handed them to Fee. “We only have about half the cabins full at the moment, including yours.”

Fee nodded, pleased with herself for getting that much information out of him.

“How nice,” she said. “Friends of ours used to come every summer when they were kids. With their aunt. I wonder if you remember them? Twins. Ruby and Lena Bellerose?”

The man chuckled. “We’ve had so many guests over the years, I wouldn’t remember.”

“Right.” Fee’s shoulders sank.

“Looks like we’re going to get some snow,” the man said, drawing all of their eyes to the window where the sky was white and a few stray flakes had already started to fall.

“Just what I need,” Theo grumbled. “Thanks for the cabins.”