Chapter 4

She lifted a finger. “That’s clue number one. Mr. Wonderful doesn’t know much about the

wildlife around here. I read up on it. Mountain lions travel alone.”

“Hmm. That’s odd,” I answered. “When we were out there, after we scared one lion away,

my dog started acting funny, and he said, ‘They’re back.’”

“Only mothers and kittens live in groups, and I doubt a mama mountain lion would come

back with her babies. So what happened after that?”

“He seemed jumpy and rushed me back home, then took off. When I glanced over my

shoulder, he was gone.”

“Hmm. He does sound mysterious,” she said, looking intrigued. “I’ll keep out an eye for

him. What does he look like?”

“He’s gorgeous,” I said.

“Yeah, you already said that. What else?”

“Well, he has black hair to his shoulders,” I answered smiling even wider, recalling every

detail of his features. “And he’s got these big, bright blue eyes, almost like he was wearing those

colored contacts.”

“You mean, like pastel or a piercing shade of bright blue?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” I said. “When I was a kid, there was this crayon in my box of

Crayolas that was called Periwinkle. It was kind of like that, it was the rarest eye color I’ve ever

seen. It was the lightest blue ever, as blue as the sky. I don’t know who he is, but I’ve gotta find

out.”

She smiled. “So you’re calling dibs on the hottest guy in town already? I sure hope he has

a brother.”

I put some more suntan lotion on my arms. “I’m not even sure if he lives here.”

“What would make you think otherwise?”

“Well, you said yourself that he made a mistake about the mountain lions. It seems like a

local would know better. Maybe he was just hiking and is staying at one of the hotels.”

“Was he dressed like a hiker? Did he have a backpack and gear and hiking boots?”

“No, none of that.”

“Hmm. I do love a good mystery. We’ve gotta find your hunky hottie and see if he’s got an

equally smoldering brother.”

I laughed. “And how are we supposed to do that? Stalk the resorts, hotels, and cabins?”

“No. I have a better idea. This guy named Jed is throwing a party tonight at his cabin.

Lucky for us, I got invited. If this mysterious guy is a local, I’m sure he’ll be there.”

“And if he doesn’t show up?”

“Then we move on to Plan B.”

“Which is?”

“Stalking the resorts, hotels, and cabins.”

“Man, that’s gonna suck,” I said with a groan.

“Yep,” she said, rolling over to get some sun on her back. “If he’s a tourist, he’ll most

likely be here for no more than a week or two. But even if he leaves, I’m sure there are other cute

guys around here somewhere.”

I sighed. “I don’t want another cute guy. I want him.”

“Picky, picky, picky! When you show up tonight, make sure you look good. Wear

something cute. If he happens to be there and he’s single, maybe you’ll snag him. At least you

can find out his name this time.”

“Right,” I said, giving my new friend a fist bump.

“I need to meet somebody to forget about my ex.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling. I did meet another guy who’s pretty cute too.”

“Wow. What are you, a guy magnet?” she asked with a chuckle. “How’d you meet that

one? And don’t blame your dog.”

“He knocked on my door.”

“Hey!” she laughed. “How come I don’t have that kind of luck?”

“My dad hired him to do some yard work. His name is Fred.”

“So introduce me.”

“I will.”

“Unless you want him.”

“Nah, he’s a cutie all right, but I’m all hung up on Mr. Blue Eyes. Fred’s are jade green,

kinda like yours.”

“Well, anything to get my mind off my ex,” Julie said.

“My love life isn’t so great either. I was dumped about six months ago. Sean said we didn’t

have the spark he needs.”

“Spark? The guy sounds like a jerk. Trust me, you’re better off with somebody else. You

don’t need a guy who’d ever say something like that to a girl,” she said, adding, “If he wants a

spark, maybe somebody oughtta shove a lighter up his—”

I squealed, cutting her off before she made me visualize something I didn’t want to see.

She laughed, and I couldn’t help laughing too.

“Anyway, he’s a jerk, like you said. He had a girlfriend one day after he dumped me.”

“Idiot!”

I sighed. “Tell me about it.”

Sitting up and grinning coyly, she looked at me. “So…are you ready to forget about him

and have some fun?”

A huge grin spread across my face. “Definitely.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up tonight. My mom already told me where you live. Is seven okay?”

“I’ll be ready and waiting.”

“Cool. And look, Taylor, if your fiery forest friend isn’t there, don’t worry about it. I’ve

got a feeling there won’t be a shortage of hotties around here—or at least I hope there won’t.”

“I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be really good friends,” I said smirking, somehow

knowing it was the truth.

Julie pulled up in a pickup truck. Her bright blonde hair hung in long beautiful waves, and

her green eyes really popped thanks to the brown eyeshadow she’d chosen. She was dressed in

tight black pants with a black glittery top that sparkled from a mile away.

“You do know we’re going to a party in the woods, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she answered. “Why?”

“You look red-carpet ready.”

She pulled down the visor and looked at herself in the mirror. “Too much?”

“Maybe a tad,” I said, gesturing with my index finger and thumb.

Her eyes twinkled like emeralds. “When I get the hottest guy in the room, I’ll be sure to

give you my Academy Awards speech.”

I smiled. “Love your confidence.”

I wore a simple, black dress with a sweetheart neckline, and accessorized with a silver

bracelet and black shoes. Nothing as fancy as Julie, but it was nice nonetheless.

“Get in,” she said gesturing to the passenger seat of her truck.

I pretended like I was talking into a microphone. “And the Academy Award for best

dressed goes to—”

“Julie Winters!” she said with a laugh.

When she pulled into the driveway of our destination, my jaw dropped. For some reason, I

had pictured a cottage in the woods, but the place was far from that. Instead, it was a huge, fancy

cabin with a spacious deck and bay windows all around.

She peered at me with a huge smile. “Are you ready to find Prince Charming?”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You know it!”

She opened her compact and checked her makeup, making sure her smoky eyes were still

smoky enough. “Okay. I think we’re good to go.”

Two thin girls with long hair and short skirts walked past us. They were so pretty, that I

felt intimidated. I was sure I had no shot with my mysterious guy while those two were in the

vicinity. Swallowing hard, I pondered. He had so many girls to choose from, and I felt like a

beat-up station wagon in a lot full of Benzes and Ferraris. I had never been low on confidence,

but I suddenly felt as if I didn’t stand a chance with any guy, let alone the one I wanted.

“Taylor,” my new friend said, “is this the first time you’ve been out in public since your

breakup?”

I slammed the truck door shut. “Yeah, basically. But you know what? He’s the last person

on my mind.”

“I guarantee by the time we go home, you’ll have forgotten all about the scumbag,” she

assured me. “He doesn’t deserve to be missed.”

“I don’t think about him anymore,” I lied.

She smirked. “Yes, you do.”

“All right,” I said, “maybe just a little, but we dated for a long time, so it’s only natural

to—”

She grabbed my arm. “No sad stories tonight. Let’s go.”

Glancing around the yard, I noticed beer bottles strewn everywhere. Clusters of people

were sitting around outside, and one couple was making out beside a red sports car. A drunk

person stumbled down the steps, and a woman in the shortest skirt and the highest heels I’d ever

seen ran over to him, laughing hysterically, probably more drunk than he was.

Somebody whistled as we walked past a group of people, and I heard a man ask, “Hey, do

I know you?”

“Jed invited us,” Julie said.

“Welcome to the party then,” he said. “Go on in and help yourselves to some appetizers

and drinks, ladies.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Inside, the music was blaring, and everyone was laughing and dancing. It was hot and

sticky, and the crowd was a little older than I thought. I was surprised that none of them looked like high school students. It reminded me of a college frat party, and I immediately wondered

why Julie had even been invited?

Whether we wanted every one’s attention or not, all eyes were on us, staring at us like we

were some kind of two-headed unicorn. I swallowed hard, glancing from one open mouth to

another. Something was wrong. I could have almost cut the tension with the proverbial knife. I

wasn’t sure why they were looking at us like that, so I assumed they just weren’t expecting

teenagers to show up at their older-crowd get-together.