A Simple Wish About love - Karice Bolton Page 0,54

be certain. It was a crazy scenario but it was true.

He wanted nothing to do with Penny.

Slade felt his foot press on the gas a little harder as he thought about getting to Erika. Just the thought of losing her made him reconsider all of his decisions.

As the music pounded in the car, he thought about his brother. He was always over the top with anything he did. Slade highly doubted that Lucas would ever find himself in this predicament, but if he had been, what would Lucas do?

Slade gripped the steering wheel as if he’d get some kind of sign from above leading him to a viable solution that would magically heal all wounds.

But the world never worked that way.

He couldn’t even get Erika to pick up the phone.

There was a slight chance that if he showed up, she’d call the police on him, or worse—the North brothers.

Slade shook his head. “There has to be a way to prove to her that I’m in this all the way.”

After six hours of driving, he was in the home stretch.

Yet, he was exactly where he was when he’d left Idaho.

Clueless.

Slade had no idea how to make Erika pick up the phone. He’d called Shannon, but she didn’t answer either.

In this instance, it could have been the time of night, or Erika had gotten to her.

Either way, it left Slade feeling absolutely helpless, and he hated that feeling.

He wasn’t used to it.

He was always the fixer.

Slade smiled, thinking back to Erika and how much that unhinged her.

He thought about the other ways he’d managed to do the same, and it brought a smile to his lips.

Merely thinking about Erika Larson made him happy.

Made his world a brighter place.

Now, he just had to convince her that he was worth the risk.

That everything she thought she saw was a figment of her imagination, or at the very least, wrong.

Slade let out a sigh as he finally began to see green again. There was always a very long stretch of very bare and very brown land between Idaho and Silver Ridge. It was a relief to finally see color again, even though it was at night.

Believe it or not, even the shadows knew the difference between lush forest and brown nothingness.

As his car climbed the mountain and he got closer to the little mountain town, he started to wonder if he was doing the wrong thing.

He shook his head. No. That was just exhaustion setting in.

And then it hit him. He knew what he was going to do to get Erika Larson back. His brother had listened to his wish.

When he finally pulled into Silver Ridge, he drove down Main Street and instantly felt at home. As if Erika was just waiting for him around the corner. He drove slowly as he passed the places Erika and he walked, laughed, and got to know one another.

The start of a new way of living. He turned off Main Street and up the road to the resort.

He didn’t even bother making a reservation at Silver Ridge, but it was springtime. What were the odds they’d be full?

Slade pulled under the portico, and one of the bellmen came around to his car, opening the door to let him out. The kid looked to be barely twenty.

“Reservations?” he asked.

Slade shook his head. “No, I was hoping the place would have a room since it’s spring.”

The kid shook his head. “There’s a big mountain bike tournament. We’re booked.”

Slade groaned. “That sucks. I just drove from Idaho to see Erika and—”

The kid raised his brows. “Our Erika?”

Slade’s brows furrowed. “I guess she’s your Erika.”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that we have no vacancies.”

Slade let out a sigh. “I suppose it wouldn’t. Do you mind if I just crash in the car?”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.” He pressed his lips together.

“What happened to a friend of Erika’s is a friend of mine?”

The kid scowled at him. “You’re no friend or she would have told me you were coming. That’s what we do. We tell one another who to take special care of.”

“She didn’t know I was coming,” Slade tried to explain.

“Nothing I can do about it. Sorry.”

Slade shook his head. “Fine. I’ll find a park somewhere.”

“I’d suggest the parking lot of the town grocery. More lit.”

“Thanks for the tip, kid.”

Just when he thought his luck couldn’t get any worse, he saw Drew wandering out from the lobby. He was frowning at him, which made no sense.

Slade poked his head