Karen glanced toward the cabin, the lake…anywhere but Rena’s eyes.

Rena offered another slow nod. She gazed over the lake again. “You’re going to tell Mike about this conversation, aren’t you?”

“Are you ready for any conversation the two of you might have as a result?” Karen asked.

“I miss my younger brother. We’ll all miss him. I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, I’ll take the real Mike Gardner any day over Michael Wolfe.”

“He needs to protect Michael Wolfe.” Karen hoped the message behind her words was clear.

“I’ve protected him my whole life,” Rena said. “I won’t stop now.”

Karen pushed to her feet before Rena achieved any more revelations. “It’s a cool enough day for a jog.”

Rena glanced around with a frown. “You should take Judy with you.”

Karen patted her back pocket. “I have my phone.” She didn’t even bother going back to the cabin to change clothes before taking off into a run.

There wasn’t a real trail around the lake, but Karen kept close to it anyway. She needed some alone time, but didn’t need to get lost.

In a way, she hoped she could be gone long enough for Michael to return, and maybe Rena could talk to him herself. Who else knew about him? Not Judy…or Hannah. They were clueless.

Zach had kept his distance over the past few days, but she always felt his eyes on her, across the campfire, or as she helped Janice and Rena with their meals. His eyes often lingered on his brother, too.

Karen jogged until she couldn’t see the cabin any longer then slowed her pace to a brisk walk. She checked her phone, noticed a lack of service, and shoved it back in her pocket. Calling Gwen for some sisterly advice wasn’t an option. She’d have to figure this one out herself. Part of her wanted to warn Michael before he returned to the cabin, but the other part wanted him to enjoy his alone time. Then at least he could go into any pending confrontation sated and ready for battle.

Maybe he’d always worried that spending time with his family would reveal his secret.

A long stretch of an even path appeared before her so she took off into a run. She cut through the trees that sat along the bank, and back down to the lake several more times before she realized how far she’d run. She removed her phone from her pocket and attempted to find a signal. Nothing. It was still midday, but she didn’t know exactly how far or how many miles it would take to get around the lake to come back alongside the road so she turned around. She walked for another mile or so before resting on the water’s edge.

After a good thirty minutes of sitting there contemplating life, she heard the buzz of a motorcycle moving toward her.

Sure enough, Zach made his way to her with a frown on his face. He skidded to a halt and killed the engine. “I’ve been searching for you for an hour.” His accusatory tone brought the hair up on the back of her neck.

“I’m right here.”

He glanced around, flung his arms wide. “You don’t even know where here is.”

“I’m not lost, Zach. I was on my way back.”

“You shouldn’t run off alone. There are hunters out here, trails that lead to nowhere.”

“I might be a city girl, but even I know not to wander off in the woods alone.”

He lowered the kickstand and climbed off the bike. She noticed his lack of helmet and wondered how fast he had left the cabin.

“What if you got hurt, twisted an ankle or something?”

“I have my phone.”

He glared at her. “A phone that doesn’t work most of the time.”

He had her there.

“Dammit, Zach. I needed some time alone, OK?”

Her outburst stopped his. His arms fell from his hips.

She turned to the water, and tossed the rock she had in her hand at a nearby bush. As soon as the rock hit, the bush rustled and started to move. Before Karen could move away, more ducks than she could count took flight and aimed directly at her.

She screamed and scurried from her rock, slipped on the bank, and found herself knee-deep in muck before scrambling up and out of the water. Her cry didn’t stop as she covered her head and lunged toward Zach.

Birds…all of them, scared the crap out of her. Always had.

Zach caught and held her still. “Hey. It’s OK.”

She heard another flap, but refused to open her eyes. “Get ’em off.”

“They’re gone.”

She stood perfectly still, eyes closed and ears opened. She had one hand protecting her head, and the other one latched to Zach’s waist. His arms sucked her into him.

Once the noise of the birds flying away drifted, she opened one eye, fully expecting at least one bird to have held back to make her panic all over again.

Only the two of them stood there. “Gone?”

“Yeah.” Zach started to chuckle.

“It’s not funny.”

“I’ve never seen a woman move so fast in my life.”

She shoved out of his arms and looked down at herself. Her knees were covered in mud, the side of her leg caked with the stuff. “I don’t like birds.”

“I gathered that.” He still laughed. “Ducks haven’t been known to attack humans, though. I think you’re safe.”

“Stop laughing.”

He sucked in his bottom lip but his eyes still mocked her.

“Birds are unpredictable,” she made her argument. “They have claws and beaks.”

Zach’s eyes swept her wet frame. He laughed again.

“Oh…you…” she reached down, took a handful of muck and tossed it directly at his chest.

He stopped laughing. “Oh, you didn’t just do that.”

She lobbed another handful of mud at him before she slapped a hand on her hip. “Stop laughing.”

He swiped the mud from his chest, and leaned over to grab a handful for himself. When he rose to his full height, his playful smile met hers. “I think you missed a spot.”

The mud hit her chest and it was game on.

Her position close to the bank gave her the most ammo. She took two handfuls to his one and had him dripping in mud in a few throws. He started to duck away from her assault.

She slipped on the bank, grabbed handfuls of mud, and flung it in his direction several times. When it became apparent she was going to be over her head in the water, she retreated from the water’s edge.

He chased her around the bike, and missed a shot that was aimed for her butt. She was leaning down to grasp more dirt when he grabbed her from around her waist and took them both to the forest floor.