Page 14 of Mountain Man Book Boyfriend

She huffs but then she looks out the doorway and searches. “Are you sure she’s here?”

“I am.” I can feel her.

“Well, I hope that this little fiasco finally puts this whole mess to rest.”

I glare at her. “The only thing that will put all this stuff to rest is if I find my girl and finally win her. She’s my whole damn world.”

Her face softens. Her blue eyes study me carefully and then she sighs. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Cord. You only spent a short amount of time with her. You could be seeing all of this through rose-colored glasses. She might not be the woman you’re remembering. And don’t forget…she doesn’t know who you really are. That might change her way of thinking.” There’s a cynical twist to her lips and I sigh.

“I have to have hope that she’s the woman I know she is. If I didn’t, there wouldn’t be anything more left for me. I might as well retire to a solitary mountain somewhere and wait for the end.

But I won’t. I will fight for her. I will turn into a demented stalker, determined to protect and care for my woman.

I hear loud clapping and stomping and smirk. The woman who runs the bookstore is over the moon to have me here and she’s been bragging all over town. She’s definitely getting my audience all warmed up.

I nod at Audrey when they call my name. “Show time,” she smirks. “Give ‘em hell!”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t think you understand how these things work at all.”

She gives me a thumbs up and shoves at my shoulder. “Get out there, Casanova. Go get your girl.”

I walk out and nod and smile at my audience but the whole time I’m searching for her.

My head whips around at an audible gasp two rows over and my eyes narrow in on a familiar chestnut head as she darts out the door, a blond woman following close behind her.

I nod at Audrey. “I’ll be back. You take this.”

“No! Dammit, Cord!”

But I don’t even blink. Don’t stop. I race out the door after her fleeing figure, determined to catch my little fox before she slips from the trap.

“Hey! Who the fuck do you think you are, man?”

A huge mountain of a man steps in front of me and glares at me, his bulging arms crossed over his chest. “Get out of my way!” I growl, attempting to dart around him. Only to find another mountain standing in front of me. “Where the hell did you guys come from?” I growl, exasperated.

“Why are you chasing our sister?”

I rock back on my heels, stunned. “Dixie is your sister? She never mentioned having brothers.”

“How well do you know her?” The first guy’s icy eyes lock on me and I swear if he could have torn me apart with just his glare, he would have.

I want to tell him it’s none of his business but if this really is Dixie’s brother then I don’t want to annoy him right out of the gate.

“I think that’s up to your sister to tell you about and if she hasn’t mentioned anything to you, she must not want you to know.”

The behemoth uncrosses his arms and his fists flex like he’s thinking about pounding on me. I don’t flinch but that doesn’t mean that I’m not worried. This guy looks like he’s on the verge of kicking my ass just for funsies.

“I know you’re not getting smart with me, asshole.”

“Get away from him, Troy. And what the hell are you and Branson doing here?”

He turns to look at her, his cold eyes warming just a fraction. “I have been worried to death about you, Dix. Mom and Dad too. You’re not acting like you right now. And it’s been since you went on that trip where you were out of touch a few days.” He nods at me and she flicks a quick glance my way. But she looks away so fast that it’s not enough. It will never be enough.

“It’s none of your business. You’re my brother, not my keeper.” The other guy smiles at her and he flashes a set of dimples that probably make a lot of women look twice.

“Now, sis, you know that we only want to make sure that you’re alright. You seem sad.” Both of the guys run their eyes down her curvy frame and I take the chance to look myself while they’re busy.

My brows lift. Am I wrong or does she look a little more…rounded around the middle?

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