“This thing’s gonna go viral,” she mutters to herself as she watches the video a third time.

She looks up and still there’s no sign of Logan. Is it possible he went ahead and hiked up to Lake Aloha? She doubts it. He has no water, no food.

Hannah knows her article will be much better if she has an interview with the hero himself. But she also knows how the news business works, and a story like this will demand followup articles. She can do an interview with the girl and her family. Another interview with Logan. Not getting a quote from him in the first article won’t be a big deal if she’s able to interview him tomorrow. Or the next day.

And if she’s honest with herself, she knows this will give her an excuse to call him. All of her misgivings about him being a rich trust-fund baby are erased. She saw the real Logan in action. Money or no money, he’s a good person.

As she climbs into her car and starts the engine, she looks again to the path. Still no sign of him.

After she drives away, when no one is watching, there’s movement from the shadows of a cluster of pine trees near the trailhead.

Logan steps out of hiding.

CHAPTER 5

I SLEEP IN late, and when I do get up, I’m more stiff and sore than I expected to be. I’m in good shape, so I didn’t think the dive into the water and the jog back up the trail would have taxed my muscles. Certainly, summiting Mount Tallac or snowboarding all day at Heavenly Mountain Resort is more exhausting. But there must be something about the intensity of saving someone’s life, the adrenaline of the experience, and the stress it puts on the body.

I check the time on my phone and see an unfamiliar number called me twice. It’s a Lake Tahoe number. Maybe Hannah? I’ll listen to the messages later.

I walk through my small two-bedroom house in my boxers, rolling my neck from side to side. My house is furnished modestly, with most of the furniture purchased at thrift stores. No paintings or photographs hang on the walls. I might have a few million dollars in diamonds at my disposal, but I’ve always preferred an austere lifestyle.

My place could use a woman’s touch, though.

I look through the refrigerator and decide a big helping of protein is what I need. I pull out egg whites, sliced turkey, and shredded mozzarella cheese to make myself an omelet.