It started with a dead sparrow on her doorstep. Then, the phone lines in her remote cabin went dead. One chilly evening, as she was watching the sunset from her porch, the familiar silhouette of her manager appeared at the edge of the tree line—not alone, but with the menacing stranger she had been hiding from.
For a few weeks, it worked. The town of Oakhaven welcomed her, treating her like just another resident. Caleb showed up regularly, "checking in" on the fence line, but he was always sitting on her porch. Their connection was instant, a quiet comfort in the chaos of her life. She found herself watching for his truck every afternoon, the way his heavy boots sounded on the wood planks bringing a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in months. But the past is a jealous thing. Tail Me by Ava Hunter
Caleb’s truck roared up the dirt driveway, kicking up gravel and stopping directly between Elara and the intruders. He stepped out, not asking questions, his face a mask of cold fury. He didn’t look like the gentle, quiet man she’d spent the last few weeks with. He looked like the mountain itself: unbreakable. It started with a dead sparrow on her doorstep
Would you prefer to hear about their first date in the small town? Ava Hunter - Books - Romance.io For a few weeks, it worked
Elara Vance didn’t run to the Smoky Mountains because she wanted to see the autumn leaves. As the reigning country-pop princess, she was running from the blinding flashbulbs, the controlling manager who felt more like a warden, and the stalker whose notes had gone from fan-mail to threats. She left her tailored suits and platinum record awards in Nashville, trading them for flannel, hiking boots, and a cabin in the middle of nowhere that her uncle owned. She just wanted to disappear. Then she met Caleb Stone.
"You're not going anywhere, Elara," he said gently, reaching across the gap between them to take her hand. "They won't come back."
And in the heart of the mountains, surrounded by the silence, Elara realized that she didn’t want to run anymore. She had found her home, and the man who was meant to tail her—to keep her safe, always. If you'd like to explore more of this story, let me know: