Page 68 of Ten Mountain Men

None of us disagree. And yeah, I suppose we all do. But that’s not all. Not by a long shot.

“Well, get to know her as much as you want to until her ankle’s all healed up. Get to know her ’til your dicks fall off. I don’t care. But as soon as she can walk without that limp, she’s gone.” He looks around at us. He does another sweep of our faces, none of which are wearingwe agree with youexpressions. “Are you serious?”

“We have needs, Luke,” Rusty says.

“Well, any of you can march your needs down the mountain to the Nelson twins and they’ll be happy to oblige in fulfilling them. Any time. Day or night.”

The Nelson twins, Lucy and Lennon, are identical in every way and competitively insatiable. They refer to themselves as size queens, which, as they explained it to me, means they like big dicks. They have indeed made it clear that whatever we want, they’ll provide.

“Not those kinds of needs, Luke,” Rusty says. Then he adds, almost sheepishly, “Well, notonlythose kinds of needs. It’s nice having a woman around for general purposes. She’s fun and easy to talk to. But next time one of y’all are with her and need a partner since she seems to be fond of two at a time, I wouldn’t be mad if you let me know.”

“Every damn one of you is delusional. She has an agenda. And you’re playing right into her hands.”

Maybe if he had those hands on him, just once, he would understand why. My cock twitches at the memory of her silky grip. I have to grit my teeth not to moan.

“Oh my Lord,” Ash says. “You are so damn paranoid, Luke. It’s gonna drive you into an early grave.”

Luke points at him. “She made you totally fuck up, predicting a blizzard and there wasn’t a single snowflake.”

Ash shook his head. “She does have an effect on me, that’s for damn sure.”

“On all of us,” Brooks agrees.

“Which is why—” I take a deep breath and exhale, then put my proposal out there. “I think we should invite her to stay. As long as she wants. Make it clear to her we want her and we’re okay with it if she wants us too.”

“Sounds good to me.” Rusty is downright beaming.

One by one, everyone agrees. Except, of course, Luke, who rolls his eyes. “Alright. Y’all do what you want to do. Stubborn asses. But you mark my words, that lady has an agenda. She might fuck you, but she’s gonna fuck you over in the process.”

“What could she possibly want from us, Luke?” Brooks asks, exasperated. “That collection of 1970sPlayboysyou keep under your bed in the attic?”

“Luke thinks she’s a Sasquatch hunter,” Buck says.

“Goldie? A hunter?” Ash asks, then guffaws with laughter. “Now I’ve heard everything.”

“Even if she’s not…she’s up to no good. I can feel it in my bones. And even if she’s not, even if I didn’t want her out as soon as she’s healed up, do you really think she’s going to want to just move up here on the mountain and shack up with you knuckleheads? She’s got a life wherever she’s from. A job. A boyfriend, probably. She’ll get whatever she came for and then she’ll rush off on her merry way. Leaving me with the pieces of nine stupid broken hearts to sweep up, no doubt.”

“She told us she’s got no one. No real home. She’s adrift and doesn’t know what’s next for her,” I say. “So I don’t think she’s got anything to rush back to.”

“She sounded a little bit lost,” Buck agrees. “I think she might stay awhile. If we ask her.”

“Fine. Let me know what she says. If the answer is yes, I’ll be moving out into the big cave ’til she’s gone for good,” Luke says.

He turns on his heel and storms out.

“He’s bluffing,” I say to the others.

“He could do it. He’s done it before,” Lynx says.

Luke went to the big cave and didn’t come out for six weeks after we lost Pa.

“Well,” I begin, about to remind Lynx that—

Luke storms back in. “And another thing—”

At the same time, from the other direction, Goldie comes in, deliciously rumpled and wrapped in one of my flannel shirts. “What’s going on?”

“These assholes are going to help you live out your Snow White and the Seven Sasquatches fairy tale. I’m going to be in the big cave. Someone come fetch me when ya get to the unhappily ever after. And two words—Susie May.”

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