Page 6 of My Fearless Mountain Man
That’s it.
It would be so much easier for both of us if she’d move on, forget this mountain, forget this town, and return to her life. Just like it would be easier for me if I could resist the urge to put myself between her and anything that nears a threat.
“Calder, you’re on the trails today. We got told that there was a mudslide – just reported by some hikers. It’s blocking one of the more popular areas and considering black bears are starting to move about, we need our regular trails up and running,” the boss says.
Good. Anything to keep me out of the ranger stations and away from people. Hank knows it too. I’m not a people person and most visitors find me off-putting after one look.
Other than one honey blond, too-young, too-pretty girl who looks at me like I’m a fucking angel.
I banish the thought as quickly as possible. I won’t think of Nora. I won’t think of the letter that’s threatening to burn through my glove box. I won’t think of her soft ‘thank you’ when I helped her at the store two days ago.
I head to the trail and work on clearing it. Our equipment is good at getting rid of the larger boulders, but I’m left to clean up what’s behind. It’s an easy enough workout, better than a gym. The constant heat is something else. Not even the shade of the trees can dampen it. I take off my ranger shirt, setting it to the side, leaving me in a white tank top and dark jeans.
Rolling out my neck, I squat down and move one of the large stones that’s just waiting to ruin someone’s day with a sprained ankle. Then they’d call us and we’d get cursed out, threatened with a lawsuit, or have to come help. Better to avoid the problem. It keeps life smoother.
Stick to a plan, keep things moving forward, minimize issues before they can grow and life stays easy. The second a complication tries to encroach on my peace, I put some distance between us. It’s safer. Better for me to avoid the pain of someone realizing I won’t change from a bit of sweetness. Better for them so they don’t realize that not everyone is worth saving or wants to be fixed.
I finish my task and feel the skin on the back of my neck stand up. I’m being watched. Since I’m sure it’s a bear – they like to lumber around in the morning before the trails get busy, I put a hand on my belt and turn slowly, only to find soft green eyes trying to avoid mine.
Does this woman have a damn magnet on me?
Six years of not seeing her once despite her letters and now I’ve seen her three times in five days. She plays with one of her two French braids while looking up at me with a blush lighting her cheeks.
Her sundress now has competition. Nora shouldn’t look so beautiful or tempting in something so simple, but she makessimple seem seductive. The warmth and sweetness that radiates from her makes her wholesome innocence all the more enticing.
Fourteen years younger than me. She’s not staying, and why should she? She only sees me as a hero not the man I am. If we’d talk longer, she’d see the cracks. There are plenty of reasons to keep my distance. And even more ways to stay out of her way—trails to hike, work to do, a whole town to keep us apart.
So, how the hell do we keep ending up in the same place?
Her cheeks burn. “Calder.”
Fuck no. My name on her tongue is going to send us in a direction I don’t want to go. But when she smiles, every word is whipped from my mind. She’s so bright, so honest and real that whatever I was going to say to her is just gone as I memorize her beautiful grin.
“I think I understand why you love your job,” she says brightly.
“Do you?” I ask, knowing that she’s going to be off the mark.
She laughs softly and for some reason, all the tension in my body is gone. “It’s beautiful here. No sounds of traffic or problems, just bird songs and beauty. It’s like stepping back in time. It makes me wonder why there are cities at all.”
“You say that until you actuallyseea bear,” I comment, keeping my tone even.
She blinks, then lets out a light laugh. “Fair. But honestly? I think it’d still be kind of amazing. I’ve only seen them behind glass or on a screen. They never look happy in either place.”
She shrugs like that explains everything and then continues, “Don’t worry, I’m a loud hiker. They’ll hear me froma mile away and head in the opposite direction. Probably better that way.”
I grunt in agreement, but she keeps going.
“Still… they’ve got those fuzzy ears and that thick fur. Some dumb part of me wouldwantto pet one. Just for a second.”
She bites the inside of her cheek like she knows how ridiculous it sounds. “I know, I know. Ranger logic says they’ll maul me before I even get close.”
There’s mischief dancing in her eyes—daring me to lecture her, maybe even hoping I will.
I don’t take the bait.
Instead, I crouch and move another heavy rock from the trail. Because entertaining that smile for another second is dangerous. Too dangerous.
“Logic doesn’t always win though,” she whispers. “If it did ...”
