"$500 a month for a small cabin?" I said. Perhaps he'd be deterred away from how I came to know him and focus on the dollars. "I can pay in advance if you want the cash now."
The cash burned a hole in the back pocket of my jeans, but I didn't reach for it yet.
He leaned against the doorframe instead, seemingly unbothered by the misty fall air that flowed past him into the cabin. No one else had stirred inside, and I caught a vague peek of furniture and a can of something pried open with a spoon sticking out of it. Bachelor, I'd bet.
"Why do you need a place to stay?" he asked.
"Does that matter?"
His brow lifted. "It does now."
My nostrils flared. I wasn't good at this. Lying, deceptions, sneakiness. I just wanted to find a place where I could hole up and not see anyone for a while. Maybe I'd been naive to think this would be easy. To show up on his doorstep and ask if I could live with him? The man lived in the middle of a mountain canyon? No one drove out here unless they had to, which was perfect.
My breath was shaky when I let it out. "I just . . . I need someplace to disappear for a while, and I've heard that you cabins to rent and no one comes out here."
He snorted. "You're hiding."
Yes, I thought.
I didn't answer him out loud, just studied his face. Beneath all that beard and wild hair, I could sense a general kindness. His gaze had an edge to it, however. He straightened up. "Look, I'd love to help. I really would. Being the nice guy used to be my favorite thing, but I'm kind of over it now. My brother just got married and moved out and I just initiated this plan to go full mountain man this winter."
I blinked. Full mountain man? What did that mean? The words rushed out of me before I could stop them.
"But why?"
He shrugged. "I don't know! Seems like a good idea. We'll see how it pans out. I'm full of ideas, and sometimes the ones that seem the most stupid are actually the greatest in the end. Regardless, I'm not harboring a sketchy fugitive from the law that's lying about someone in town telling her I'd rent a cabin for $500 a month on my property. Sorry. No one in town would have sent you here to rent."
My heart pattered in my chest as he reached for his door and began to close it.
"I go by Marie sometimes!"
Two inches before it shut, the door stopped. His fingers tightened around the edges, but I couldn't see his face now. A lump filled my throat and I swallowed it. My voice rang out clear despite my worry. I shivered but wasn't entirely sure it was from the cold.
"If you listen hard, you might recognize my voice. My full name is Stella Marie Lee, but I do business under Marie Lee. Mark, I know you're always annoyed with me because I stifle your ideas and I honestly have no idea why you still pay me to do your books, but I . . . I need some help."
Slowly, the door opened back up.
I hope you enjoyed that preview!
To order your copy of Runaway, just click here.
Happy reading!
And thanks for being here. I’m honored to share my world with you.
Warmly, KC
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Acknowledgments
Good grief, how does this process surprise me every time? You’d think after writing as many books as I have, I’d be used to this.
But oh, no.
Books are like kids. They all have attitudes. Which makes the process different every time.
LOVESICK was a real terror, joy, and unfathomable mystery all wrapped into one. I had a blast writing it—when I wasn’t sobbing over a wayward plotline or a character I just couldn’t figure out.
To that end, I want to give another thank-you to the OGs at KCW that helped me immensely with this project.
A) for letting me think out loud and shooting down my truly awful ideas until I peeled away the sticky heart center.
B) for picking up the pieces in the company while I shut the world away to just write it already.
My full team at KCW: Where would I be without you? All of you mean the world to me and I’d be lost without you having my back.
My production team: McKenna, Catherine, Gemma, Darcee, Jenny, and all the others. THANK YOU so much for making my books so beautiful. Kristen, without you setting up a fake dating profile so we could do online dating research (that didn’t even make it into this book, of course! XD) what would we have laughed at?
To my sisterwife, Ali: Without you to co-parent our children, this book would still be buzzing in the back of my mind. Thanks for letting me help raise your kids while you help raise mine.
Husband, you are the JJ to my Lizbeth and I’m constantly lovesick for you. Little Man and Warrior Princess, you constantly infuse my life with love and adventures. My world would be empty without you. May you always use books to find your way, as I do.
And to the amazing Claire Cain, thank you for the phrase “sweet baby pineapple” and for letting me use it in this book! If you want to read her book where I first encountered such an AWESOME phrase, click right here.
Finally, to the most important people of all—my readers. I absolutely adore you, all of this is for you, and a worthier audience could never be had.
*MUAH*
Also by Katie Cross
The Health and Happiness Society
Bon Bons to Yoga Pants (Lexie)
I Am Girl Power (Megan)
You’ll Never Know (Rachelle)
Hear Me Roar (Bitsy)
What Was Lost (Mira)
The Health and Happiness Society Collection
The Health and Happiness Cookbook
Recipes from I Am Girl Power
Finding
