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They reached the auto repair shop. Wyatt parked his truck outside and climbed out, Freya bounding out behind him. She let out a single woof, and another man suddenly appeared.
Beth took him in. He was slightly shorter than Wyatt; his hair was a darker shade of brown and stubble caressed his strong jaw. His dark eyes twinkled as he gave the furriest member of the trio a wide grin.
“How’s my favorite girl?”
Freya joyfully ran to him and licked his face when he crouched down to greet her. He pulled a bone-shaped biscuit from his pocket and gave it to the dog, who gobbled it up in one bite. He laughed as she slobbered him with kisses, then wiped his face on a rag hanging out of his pocket once he stood again. “Hey, Wyatt.”
Freya’s owner took the hand offered. “How’s it going?” He let go and turned toward Beth. “Beth, this is Julian McCormick. Julian, this lovely lady here is Beth and she needs your help. Her car broke down near mile three. I took a look but couldn’t see anything obvious.”
“Hi, Beth. Welcome to Silverbell Shore! You couldn’t have picked a prettier place to break down near.”
Beth gave him a nervous smile. “Yes, it does seem beautiful from the little I’ve seen so far.” She wound her arms around her body. “Do you think you’ll have time to look at my car?”
“Yep, I can do that.” His gaze swung back to Wyatt. “Over near mile three, you said?”
Wyatt nodded. “It’s a metallic blue Honda.” He then rattled off the license plate, which took Beth aback. He’d barely glanced at her car but seemed to have memorized that particular detail.
“Got it. I’ll grab the tow truck and head out now to get it.”
He began to turn away, but Beth reached for his arm. “Excuse me, Mr. McCormick. Before you go, may I ask what your fees are for towing my car?”
She tried not to sound too needy. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to find out how dire her current circumstances were, and she certainly wasn’t going to be anyone’s charity case.
Julian gave her hand a friendly pat. “I don’t charge for towing if there are repairs to be done.” The look he briefly exchanged with Wyatt made her think he wasn’t telling the truth. “I need to head over to the next town to pick something up anyway, so it’s literally on my way. And please, call me Julian. I’ll get your car towed back today, but since it’s getting late, I probably won’t have a chance to look at it until tomorrow.”
She paused for a few moments before giving him a small smile. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”
“She’ll be staying with me, so if you need anything you can call my cell.” Wyatt’s statement made Julian raise his eyebrows, but the mechanic said nothing, instead choosing to nod as he disappeared into the workshop. “Come on, I’ll get you settled in the cabin, and then if you feel up to it tomorrow I can take you on a little tour of the town.”
While she really liked the idea of that—Beth’s innate sense of curiosity had her wanting to check out all the little stores and everything the town had to offer—she didn’t want to impose on this stranger any more than she already had. “I appreciate your kindness, Wyatt, but I’m sure you have work to be getting on with. I can walk from the cabin.”
“It’s fine. I don’t have any pressing work until later this week.” He strode out to his pickup and opened the passenger door. Freya jumped straight in, turning around in a circle before plopping down in the middle of the cab on her butt. “I’m happy to help.”
Beth hustled back to the truck and got in, murmuring thanks when Wyatt waited until she was settled before closing the door. He then jogged around to the driver’s seat and, five minutes later, he was pulling into the driveway of the most beautiful cabin she’d ever seen in her life.
She’d noticed the large lake they’d driven by a few times already. Wyatt’s cabin sat on the far side of it, away from the rest of the town. As she stepped out of the truck, she couldn’t miss the large windmill, which featured heavily behind it, on a ridge in the background.
“Wow!”
Wyatt went around to the truck bed and pulled out her suitcase and backpack, slinging the latter over one shoulder. “That’s the old mill. It’s no longer working, but maybe someday it’ll be restored.”
Beth closed the door after Freya jumped out and they both followed Wyatt toward the large cabin. An enclosed porch looked as though it went the whole way around the structure. Two rocking chairs sat to the left of the front door, while a pair of Adirondacks painted light blue graced the other side. All four chairs had comfy cushions in varying shades of blue on them.
Instead of heading up the front stairs, Wyatt followed a path on the left side, parallel to the lake. Freya deviated off course and went splashing into the water, barking like crazy and throwing water everywhere. It made Beth smile to see the dog so clearly living her best life, with an owner who obviously adored her and a town full of people who no doubt had treats readily available. Wyatt stopped to watch his dog frolic in the lake, Beth’s backpack still on his shoulder as he wheeled her suitcase along.
“I can take that.” She pointed to her backpack.
“It’s fine, it’s not heavy. We’re nearly there anyway.”
After a few more moments, Wyatt left his pet in the shallows of the lake and led Beth to a smaller cabin, which sat behind and to the left of the one he obviously lived in. While it wasn’t nearly as big as the main one—this was only one level while the bigger cabin had two—it had been built with the same attention to detail.
It also had a front porch, but it wasn’t enclosed and didn’t go all the way around the cabin. A couple of Adirondack chairs, which matched the blue ones she’d already seen, sat on either side of the door, except these were painted a pale yellow, the same shade as the door.
“This is my guest cabin. Let me show you around.”
Beth glanced over her shoulder toward the lake, where Freya was still happily paddling around. “Is she okay on her own?”
“Oh, yeah. She’d spend all day in the lake if I’d let her.”
