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“Jack,” Logan said easily. He’d practiced in the shower and in the car on his way to the hospital. He was used to using false names for hotels, but he’d never actually kept a name going. They usually used a pun on names or famous characters from movies.
The man scraped large, craggy fingers into his shock of white hair. “I was beginning to think you folks got lost.” His Maine accent lengthened the O and made it sound more like an A.
“My wife needed a pit stop.”
“As they do,” Richard said with a laugh. “As they do.” He turned and unhooked a key with a carved moose keychain. “This would be a little easier to navigate in the daytime, I’m afraid. You requested the most remote cabin we have.”
“Yeah. My wife and I are writers.”
“I’m not much of a reader. Anything like Stephen King?”
Logan laughed. His life hadn’t quite gotten to Stephen King levels, but it was damn close these days. He tried to think of a few authors he’d seen on Izzy’s shelves at the house. “More James Patterson meets Nora Roberts.”
“Never heard of ‘em.”
Logan figured they were safe from snooping if that was the case. “We’ve got a deadline looming so we figured we would get away from home and the intrusions.”
“Well, we’re on the fringes of the off-season here, so you’ll have plenty of time alone. And you look like the workout sort. There’s plenty of running trails through the woods.”
“Sounds amazing, sir.”
“We like it.” He handed Logan the key. “There’s a computer in the rec center off the lake if you need to do email and that kinda stuff. Not much of a signal up here for cell phones and such.”
Just him and Isabella.
Six months ago he would have killed for the time, right now he hoped they would make it through without untalking each other to death.
“Good to know.”
“Okay, take the main road all the way up until you can’t go anymore. You’ll know when you can’t. You’ll see a big railing that looks over the lake.”
Logan nodded. “All right.”
“Take a left and follow it up until you see three boulders about the size of your truck there.”
“Left then boulders, got it.”
“The boulders make a Y, you want to go to the right. That’s your cabin up there.”
“Sounds good. If I get lost, I’ll be back.” Logan smiled. “Maybe.”
“Just don’t get lost in December. Then there’s more a better chance of dead. Now, you’ll just have to stay in the car with a blanky.”
“Okay, then.”
Richard let out a booming laugh. “Just kiddin’, son. You’ll be fine.”
He tucked the key into his pocket. “I guess we’ll see you tomorrow sometime.”
“Night now.” The burly man turned and went back through the doorway to sit in front of the television.
The girls were still sleeping when he got back. Fiona gave a halfhearted thump of her tail but snuggled back into Izzy.
He followed the directions and his stomach actually pitched when he got to the top of the vista. The railing wasn’t much of a deterrent for going over the side. Well, at least not at first look. Once he got his breath back, he noticed that the log was reinforced with a steel beam.
By the time he navigated the pitted access road, his knuckles were white from holding onto the steering wheel so tight. When the cabin came into view, he finally relaxed. They really were in the middle of nowhere.
Trees shrouded the little cabin with its sloping roof and second level wraparound deck. Warm light spilled across the slate and stone walkway. Hearty gold flowers lined the stairs. It was just what they needed.
