Page 8 of Burning Mountains

Asthe lights ofAxel'scabin came into view,Imade a decision.I,ZoeMitchell, control freak extraordinaire and queen of the five-year plan, was going to take a leap of faith.Iwas going to see where this thing withAxelcould go.

Andif it all went horribly wrong?Well, at leastI'dhave one hell of a story for my next wedding planning gig. "Gather'round, bridesmaids, and let me tell you about the timeIalmost gave up everything for a man who could start a fire with his bare hands and probably wrestle a bear."

Yeah, this was going to be interesting.Terrifying, exhilarating, and probably a little bit insane.Butinteresting.Andreally, isn't that what life should be?

Aswe stepped onto the porch of the cabin,Iturned toAxel. "So, what's next on the agenda?Bearwrestling?Moosewhispering?Extremepine cone collecting?"

Helaughed, pulling me close. "Howabout we start with dinner?Imake a mean squirrel stew."

Seeingthe horror on my face, he burst out laughing. "I'mkidding!God, your face.Comeon, city girl, let's see what we can whip up.Andmaybe after dinner, we can have a nice, long talk about where we go from here.Preferablywith minimal panic attacks and maximum making out."

"Deal,"Igrinned, following him into the cabin.Asthe door closed behind us,Icouldn't shake the feeling thatIwas closing the door on my old life and stepping into something new.Somethingwild, unpredictable, and potentially amazing.

Watchout,WindRiverMountainLodge.ZoeMitchellwas about to take this place by storm.Assuming, of course,Ididn't trip over my own hiking boots first.

4

AXEL

Iwoke with a start, my body instantly alert on the narrow couch.Thesoft light of dawn filtered through the cabin windows.Isat up, stretching my stiff muscles and my gaze was drawn to the partially open bedroom door.Frommy position,Icould just make outZoe'ssleeping form on the bed, looking likeSleepingBeauty.

Mybreath caught in my throat asIwatched her, her chest rising and falling with each peaceful breath.Astrand of hair had fallen across her face, andIfought the urge to go to her and brush it away, not wanting to wake her.Or, you know, come off as a total creep.

Damn, she was beautiful.Therewas a strength in her, a fire that called to something deep inside me.Probablymy inner caveman, grunting "Prettylady make fire in heart.Mustimpress with large kill and ability to start campfire without matches."

I'donly known her for two days, but already, the thought of her leaving made my chest tighter than my jeans afterThanksgivingdinner.Islipped off the couch, careful not to make any noise, moving with stealth.

AsIpadded to the kitchen, my mind raced with plans.Ineeded to help her with her car and get her to that meeting at the lodge.Buta selfish part of me wanted to create reasons for her to stay, to show her how good life could be up here in the mountains.Withme.

Ishook my head, trying to clear those dangerous thoughts.Focuson the now,Hawke.Makeher breakfast.Showher you can take care of her.Becausenothing says "I'mhusband material" like the ability to fry an egg without burning down the cabin.

Iset about whipping up a feast that would makeGordonRamsayweep with joy (or possibly rage).Fluffyscrambled eggs with wild mushroomsI'dforaged myself (take that,WholeFoods), thick slices of home-cured bacon (sorry, vegetarians), and sourdough toast with homemade blackberry jam (eat your heart out, hipster cafes).Thecabin filled with the mouthwatering aroma, andIheardZoestirring in the bedroom.Probablydreaming about my culinary prowess.Aman can hope, right?

"Mornin', sunshine,"Icalled out, unable to keep the grin off my face as she appeared in the doorway, looking adorably rumpled in my oversized shirt.Shewas doing things to flannel thatL.L.Beancould only dream of.

Hereyes widened as she took in the spread on the table, her jaw dropping. "Axel, this is... wow.Youdidn't have to go to all this trouble.Iwould've been happy with a granola bar and a cup of coffee."

Ishrugged, trying to play it cool. "Notrouble.Gottakeep your strength up if you're gonna survive out here in the wild.Neverknow when you might need to outrun a moose or charm a particularly aggressive chipmunk."

Shelaughed, the sound warming me more than any fire could.Itwas like listening to angels sing. "Myhero," she teased, taking a seat at the table.

Wedug into our breakfast, the cabin filling with the sounds of clinking cutlery and appreciative murmurs.Ismiled at the wayZoe'seyes widened with each bite, clearly impressed by my culinary skills.

Aswe ate,Inoticed the way her eyes kept darting to the clock. "Nervousabout going to the lodge?"Iasked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.Ididn't want her to go, butIalso didn't want to come off as clingy.

Shenodded, biting her lip in a way that made me want to kiss her senseless.Orpossibly write very bad poetry about the curve of her mouth. "Ijust hopeIhaven't blown my chance."

"Hey,"Isaid, reaching across the table to take her hand, trying not to focus on how soft her skin was.Orhow perfectly her hand fit in mine.OrhowIwas probably grinning like a lovesick fool. "You'vegot this.Iknow the lodge owner, and he's a reasonable guy.Thatstorm was no joke - he'll understand why you couldn't make it yesterday."

Thedrive to her car was quiet, but not uncomfortably so.Isnuck glances at her as she gazed out the window, taking in the rugged beauty of the landscape.Iwondered what she saw - if she could feel the pull of this place the wayIdid.

Whenwe reached the spot where her car had gone off the road,Isaw her face fall.Thelittle sedan was half-buried in mud, looking pathetically out of place among the pines.

"Don'tworry,"Isaid, already rolling up my sleeves. "I'vegot this.Justcall me theCarWhisperer.I'mstill working on my superhero name."

Zoelet out a laugh that was part relief, part genuine amusement. "TheCarWhisperer?Iwas thinking more along the lines of 'TheIncredibleHunk' or 'CaptainFlannel'."Shepaused, eyeing my biceps as they flexed beneath my rolled-up sleeves. "ThoughIsuppose 'TheCarWhisperer' has a certain rugged charm to it."

Icould feel her eyes on me asIassessed the situation, probably admiring my manly car-rescuing stance.Thecar wasn't too deep in the ditch, but it would take some serious muscle to get it out.GoodthingIhad plenty to spare.

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