Following Sandra’s directions, Millie wound her way through a maze of towering trees. The path to the hot tub, just as Sandra had said, wasn’t exactly straightforward. And she nearly lost her footing on a twisted tree root jutting from the earth like a clawed hand. Catching herself, she muttered a curse under her breath—then froze.
There it was.
A single, flickering lamp lit the clearing ahead, its amber glow spilling over a wooden tub nestled discreetly behind the broad trunk of a massive oak. But to her surprise, the tub wasn’t empty.
Someone was already there.
A figure sat half-submerged in the steaming water, his outline blurred by rising mist.
Millie hesitated, then cleared her throat. “Excuse me?” she called, cautious but not unkind.
The figure turned slowly. “Can I help you?”
