Brayden hadn’t gone straight back to his car at the lodge. Instead, he’d hiked the short distance to the Silver Creek Falls. He’d wanted to take one last look at them. Even though he knew he’d be coming to visit, he already missed this place.

This was home. And it wasn’t something he gave up lightly.

When he passed his cabin on the way back down the trail, he saw two cars parked there. One was his younger brother’s. Jaxson had been given the dubious job of cleaning Brayden’s cabin, so it could be rented out. They needed the space for overflow.

The other car he also immediately recognized, but his brain went into lockdown, and he couldn’t process it.

It was Taylor’s car.

But Taylor was in Atlanta. It must someone else’s car that just looked like hers. As he walked past, he noticed the thermometer hanging from her rear-view mirror.

Again, brainlock.

Taylor here?

Despite knowing it wasn’t possible, his heart did a little somersault.

No.

He tamped down the little spurt of joy at seeing what looked like her car. Took a deep steadying breath.

Had she sold her car then?

Of course. It would make perfect sense for her to sell her car before moving to Atlanta. She could even use public transportation there.

Having solved the mystery in his head, he went up the steps to what was his cabin and called his brother’s name.

Jaxson came out from the bathroom and grinned at Brayden. “You came to help,” he said.

Brayden glanced at his watch. “Sorry. I have a plane to catch.”

“Figures.” Jaxson rolled his eyes.

Brayden glanced around the cabin.

“You left something?” Jaxson asked.

Brayden shook his head. “No. I saw there are two cars outside.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Jaxson scratched his head with his wrist.

Brayden bit his lip to keep from chuckling at the bright yellow rubber gloves his brother wore. Brayden had done his share of house cleaning in his youth.

“Yeah. There was a girl here. She was looking for you.”

Brayden’s eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat. “A girl?”

“Yeah. The one on TV.”

“Taylor Stone?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.” His brother’s grin returned. “The pretty one.”

“Where did she go?”

Jaxson shrugged. “I told her you moved, and she left.”

Adrenaline shot through Brayden’s veins. “How long ago?”

“Not long.”

Brayden turned and rushed outside. Her car was still here. Where would she go then?

He closed his eyes and let his bear choose the direction.

The trail.

Brayden opened his eyes and set off down the trail following his bear’s instinct.

He hadn’t gotten more than a few yards when he saw her.

Taylor sat on the lowest limb of a fir tree. If not for her bright red scarf, he would have walked right past her.

Not on my watch, his bear argued, trying to nudge him forward. Brayden kept his feet firmly planted on the ground and studied Taylor.

She hadn’t seen him yet. One arm looped tightly around a limb in front of her, her gaze didn’t appear to be focused on anything in particular. But even from here, he could see the sadness in her features.

She was here, so the only explanation was that she had come looking for him, only to have Jaxson tell her that he had moved. His lips twitched in a smile as his heart lightened.