Emma drove up the road to the lodge in her blue rented sedan and turned off the motor. Her hands shook against the steering wheel.

She hadn’t called first. She hadn’t even made a reservation. But now that she was here, she realized that she hadn’t thought this through. She needed a room to freshen up before she went to find Aiden. She’d flown out of Pittsburgh before daylight. Then after the drive from Denver to the lodge, she was exhausted. Maybe it would be better to wait until morning to seek out Aiden.

She hadn’t expected to be this nervous, but then he had sent her away and hadn’t tried to contact her since. Maybe she should just turn around and leave now.

She took a deep, ragged breath. She had to talk to him. After the initial shock had worn off, she no longer had a problem with him being a bear shifter. Actually, it was sort of sexy. And fitting. She was a wildlife biologist after all.

She opened the door and stretched. The clean mountain air brought back a rush of memories. Before she could change her mind, she locked her car and went inside to the front desk.

“Ah, welcome back, Miss Miller.”

“Thank you,” Emma said. “You remember my name.”

“Of course.” Nate smiled. “Emma Miller.”

“I’m impressed.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to stay here? In the lodge?”

“Yes. I don’t need a cabin this time.”

“Great. How many nights?”

How many? I really needed to think this through. She’d flown all the way out here just to see Aiden. To talk to him. To let him know that she was okay with him being a shifter. She had nothing past that. “I’m not sure.”

“It’s okay.” Nate’s fingers flew against the keyboard. “I’ll leave it open. If you wouldn’t mind, I need some basic information from you.”

He handed her a form asking for her name, address, phone number, and email address. “This is new?” She asked, filling in the boxes.

Nate had that strange expression again. “It’s quite new.”

After she finished the paperwork, Nate handed her a key. “You’re on the second floor.”

“Thanks.” Emma hadn’t been in any of the rooms here in the lodge.

“Do you need help with your luggage?”

“Oh no. I can get it.” She’d only brought one small suitcase.

She put the room key in her pocket and went to her car to retrieve the suitcase from her trunk.

Back inside the lobby, rolling her suitcase behind her, she saw Skylar walking toward her.

“Emma!” Skylar said. “You’re here.” Skylar gave her a quick hug. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I… um.” Emma shifted uncomfortably. She hadn’t said goodbye to Skylar or Riley, despite their new friendship. “I really didn’t plan it.”

Skylar smiled knowingly. “It’s okay. I understand completely.” Then she bit her lip. “But I think you might be too late.”

Emma’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?” Had something happened to Aiden?

“Aiden left this morning to go to Denver.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Skylar shook her head. “He took a job there. In Denver.”

“But… I thought…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

Emma dragged her suitcase upstairs and sat on the bed. Too late. She was too late.

She no longer cared about freshening up. She needed some air. The weather was cold, but otherwise temperate for the mountains.

Grabbing a jacket, she headed outside and started up the trail toward the mountains. The same path she’d taken that fateful day that she’d met Aiden.

Only this time, her heart was heavy. Maybe she could find him in Denver, but it would be a lot more difficult. It would require Skylar’s help, and she wasn’t sure Skylar would be up to sharing her brother’s address.

She wasn’t sure exactly where she’d veered off the path last time, but she went with her gut.

As she stopped to catch her breath from walking uphill, she saw the boulder where she’d fallen off.

She climbed up and sat up on the boulder, pulling her knees under her. It had been Aiden that day. Aiden as a bear. She was sure of it now. He’d had Beau next to him.

She hadn’t been able to make sense of it at the time because she didn’t know he was a shifter, but now all the pieces fell into place.

As the sun shifted, she closed her eyes and turned her face toward the warm light. It would start to be dark soon. I should go. I should head back. She did not want to be caught out here after dark.