Page 9 of Burning Mountains

Ibraced myself against the rear bumper, muscles tensing asIprepared to push.Witha grunt of effort,Iheaved, feeling the car start to shift.Sweatbeaded on my forehead asIpushed harder, my biceps and back straining with the effort.Iwas pretty sureIheard theChariotsofFiretheme playing in the background.

Slowlybut surely, the car began to move.IheardZoegasp as the wheels found purchase on solid ground.Withone final push,Igot the car fully back on the road.

Iturned toZoe, trying not to preen too much at the look of awe on her face. "Thatwas... incredible," she breathed, her eyes roaming over my body in a way that made heat pool in my gut.

Igrinned, wiping the sweat from my brow with a moveIhoped looked rugged. "Allin a day's work, darlin'.Justyour friendly neighborhoodMountainMan, at your service."

Aswe drove towards the lodge,Ifound myself searching for reasons to prolong our time together. "Youknow,"Isaid casually, "there's this amazing hidden hot spring not far fromhere.It'soff the beaten path - most tourists don't even know about it.Mightbe worth checking out while you're in town.Imean, if you're into that whole 'soaking in nature's jacuzzi under the stars' thing.Nopressure."

Zoesmiled, butIcould see the conflict in her eyes. "Thatsounds amazing,Axel.ButIdon't know how longI'llbe able to stay after this meeting.Imean,Ido have a life back inDenver."

Myheart sank, butIpushed on. "Well, if you need any help scouting locations for those mountain weddings,I'dbe happy to show you around.Nobodyknows these parts better than me.I'mlikeGoogleMaps, but with better hair and a more rugged charm."

Shelooked at me thoughtfully, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "That'sactually not a bad idea.Icould use a local expert's perspective.Plus, it might be nice to have someone around who can fend off any overly friendly wildlife.Youcan do that, right?Pleasetell me you can do that."

Hopeflared in my chest, but beforeIcould respond with something suave we were pulling up to theWindRiverMountainLodge.Theplace was impressive,Ihad to admit.Allrustic timber and stone, with a view that could make a grown man weep.Itwas like someone had taken every cabin pornInstagrampost and turned it into a real building.

Aswe got out of the truck,Inoticed a couple of guys on the porch givingZoethe once-over.Apossessive growl rose in my throat beforeIcould stop it.Zoeshot me a curious look, andIquickly covered it with a cough.

"So, uh, what time shouldIpick you up?"Iasked, trying to sound casual.

Zoechecked her watch. "Themeetings, if they're still on, should be done by 3.Butyou don't have to wait around,Axel.I'msureIcan get a ride back to town."

Thethought of her in someone else's car made my jaw clench. "It'sno problem,"Iinsisted, my tone probably a bit too intense for someone offering a simple ride. "I'vegot some errands to run anyway.I'llbe back at 3."

Shesmiled, reaching up to squeeze my arm in a way that made my heart dance. "Thankyou,Axel.Foreverything.You'relike my own personal guardian angel.Avery buff, flannel-wearing angel."

Iwatched her walk into the lodge, my heart racing.Assoon as she was out of sight,Ijumped back in my truck.Ihad some shopping to do.

Atthe local grocery store,Iloaded up my cart with enough food to feed an army.Freshvegetables, prime cuts of meat, even some of those fancy organic snacksI'dseen in her bag.AsIpassed the feminine hygiene aisle,Ihesitated for a moment before grabbing a sample of several to make a variety pack.Betterto be prepared, right?Nothingsays "I'ma sensitive mountain man" like a well-stocked tampon drawer.

Mynext stop was the mountain guide office whereIworked part-time.Assoon asIwalked in, my buddyJakewhistled low.

"Well, well," he drawled, grinning like theCheshireCat'scountry cousin. "Lookwhat the cat dragged in.Heardyou've been playin' hero to some city slicker,Hawke."

Irolled my eyes, butIcouldn't keep the grin off my face. "Newstravels fast."

"Smalltown,"Jakeshrugged, his grin widening. "So, what's she like?Thisdamsel in distress of yours?Shegot a sister?Ora really open-minded friend?"

"She'snot a damsel in distress,"Isnapped, surprising myself with the vehemence in my voice. "Zoe'ssmart, and tough, and..."Itrailed off, realizingI'dsaid too much.Wayto play it cool,Casanova.

Jake'seyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Soundslike someone's got it bad.What'snext, gonna start carving her name into trees?"

Ifelt my face heat up. "It'snot like that,"Imuttered, but evenIdidn't believe it.

Jakeclapped me on the shoulder, nearly knocking me over with his enthusiastic bro-tap. "Sureit ain't, buddy.Justbe careful, alright?Citygirls like that, they don't tend to stick around.They'relike hummingbirds - pretty to look at, but always flitting off to the next shiny thing.Usuallya thing with indoor plumbing and reliableWiFi."

Hiswords hit me like a punch to the gut.Iknew he was right, butIcouldn't bear to think about it.Instead,Igrabbed a stack of trail maps and brochures, muttering something about helpingZoewith her work. "Justdoing my civic duty,"Igrumbled. "Spreadingthe gospel of the great outdoors."

AsIdrove back to the lodge, my mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts.IimaginedZoefalling in love with the mountains the wayIhad, staying here, building a life together.ButthenI'dremember her excitement about her career, her life inDenver, and my heart would sink.

Ipulled into the lodge parking lot at 2:55, my palms sweaty on the steering wheel.Thenext few minutes felt like hours asIwaited, scenarios playing out in my head.Whatif her meeting went badly?Whatif it went too well, and she had to leave right away?Whatif she'd met the handsome lodge owner and decided she liked him better?

5

ZOE

Istepped out of the lodge, my mind whirling.Thecrisp mountain air hit my face andItook a deep breath, trying to center myself.AsIscanned the parking lot, my heart did a little routine whenIspottedAxel'struck.Hewas leaning against it, looking like he'd stepped straight out of a "LumberjacksGoneWild" calendar.Oureyes met, and a warm smile spread across his face, making me feel all gooey inside.Likea s'more, but classier.

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