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She rolled her eyes. "Who knows what's with that woman? Maybe in her youth, she was fooled by someone older than her. Or something. Who knows? There must be a reason she's sticking her nose so deep into your business."
Maybe it was simply because she was a police officer and it was her job to ensure safety. She had completely misjudged the danger with Gray and me, but it’s true that in some cases, things aren’t noticed until it’s too late, followed by loud cries wondering why no one had seen the signs.
"Maybe I should apologize to her. Who knows what her reasons are? Maybe my judgment is just off and we got off on the wrong foot?"
"It's at least worth a try."
"Ladies." Two glasses filled with a fruity concoction appeared before my face, quickly followed by two plates bearing the dessert I had prepared earlier with Gray's help.
We accepted them, but it wasn't Wilder who materialized behind them; it was Gray.
Gratefully, I looked at him before casting a glance toward the bar. Wilder had his back to us, deeply engaged in conversation with a young woman.
Gray disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Manon and me to ourselves again. I balanced the plate on my knee, took a sip of my drink, and leaned back.
"Do you do this every week?"
"Same time, every week. And always with whoever's staying as guests."
"So the Wildwood Hideaway really is a little slice of heaven."
"You have no idea, M."
"I know I'm spending my next vacation here too. You can hire me as an intern and show me what you do all day."
Her statement made me lean toward her and slide an arm around her shoulders. "You're always welcome here. You know that."
Manon nodded, and for the first time, I realized how much I had missed her these past weeks when our contact had been so limited.
35
AMELIA
The wood felt cold beneath my bare feet as I tiptoed down to the kitchen in the dark to grab a bottle of water from the fridge before returning to bed with Gray. I had woken up thirsty but avoided guessing the time. It was the middle of the night. That was all I needed to know.
On my way back upstairs, I glanced out the windows. Below, where the vacation homes were, I could still see the orange glow of the campfire through the trees.
Had some of the guests stayed up?
I paused and squinted.
Could you even see a campfire that small from up here? I frowned, puzzled.
Then, before my eyes, the shimmering turned into a fireball.
The water bottle slipped from my hand. Instinctively, I sprinted up the last few steps.
"Gray," I shouted, even before reaching the bedroom.
On my side, the night nearly turned into day.
"Gray! Oh my god. It's on fire! Gray."
I pounded my fist on the light switch. He sat up in bed, looking at me in confusion.
"It's on fire," I repeated breathlessly.
In the next second, he was past me and in the hallway. I heard him curse. That was what it took to snap me out of my shock. Stumbling over my own feet on the way to the nightstand, I yanked open the drawer and grabbed my phone.
