Page 9 of How to Kiss a Mountain Man

“Great,” I say. “I’ll give you a call soon.”

After he leaves, I press my forehead against the door. Everything that just happened swirls through my head—our conversation, our almost-kiss, Esther’s interruption.

Without a doubt, as soon as Esther shows up at the bar, she’s going to tell the girls what she saw.

Twenty minutes later, when I walk into the bar, three heads turn toward me at once. My friends sit at our usual high-top, concern written across their faces. I order a beer before joining them.

“What was Griffin doing in your apartment?” Lia asks the moment I sit down.

I take a long drink. “He found my library card. I dropped it at the grocery store.”

“And you invited him in?” Caroline’s eyebrows rise. “Alone?”

“He’s not dangerous.” I set my glass down harder than I mean to. “You don’t know him.”

“And you do?” Esther leans forward. “How well can you really know someone who lives like a hermit and has a history of violence?”

“That’s not—” My fingers tighten around my glass. “Look, I know what happened the day all the rumors started. He told me the real story.”

“Of course he did.” Lia shakes her head. “Men like that always have explanations.”

“He was having an anxiety attack.” I meet each of their eyes. “He’s a veteran who counsels other veterans through trauma. One of his client's stories triggered his own memories.”

Caroline looks skeptical. “That might explain that one incident. What about the rest?”

“It’s just gossip that snowballed out of control. Think about it, Caroline. Do you know anyone who witnessed any of those stories firsthand?”

“Well…no…”

Esther shakes her head. “I don’t buy it. He could easily be lying to your face.”

The unlabeled pill bottle and burner phones flash through my mind. My stomach knots. I push the memory aside and think instead of the genuine hurt in Griffin’s eyes when he told me about how all of this started. “I trust my instincts about people. My dad always said?—”

“Your dad would want you to be careful,” Lia says. “To protect yourself.”

“I am being careful.” The lie sits heavy in my throat as I remember wanting to kiss Griffin. “But I’m also not going to judge someone based on gossip.”

“We’re just worried about you,” Caroline says quietly.

“I know.” My shoulders drop. “I appreciate you guys looking out for me. But I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

They exchange glances but let it drop. The conversation shifts to safer topics—Lia’s latest dating disaster, Caroline’s promotion at work. I try to focus, but my thoughts keep returning to Griffin.The way he carefully held my library card out to me. His voice when he talked about helping other veterans. The charge in the air before Esther knocked.

My friends have a valid point. I do need to be careful. I should have asked Griffin about the pills and the phones instead of getting lost in his eyes. But that moment also felt so right, and I can’t deny how much I wanted him to kiss me.

I want to trust him. And I want everyone else to see what I see: a good man who’s been misunderstood. A man who deserves a second chance.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Griffin asks, studying the yoga studio we’re standing in front of. I’m sure this is the last place he expected me to take him, but what he doesn’t realize is that many of Fairhope’s most gossipy residents frequent these classes, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show them the gentle giant they've been so wrong about.

I adjust my mat under my arm. “Trust me. This class is super chill. No headstands required.”

Griffin blows out a slow breath and reaches for the door, pulling it open for me. The movement makes the muscles in his forearm flex, and my eyes linger on the strong lines there before I catch myself and quickly force my eyes away. This is not the time to be distracted by how criminally hot Griffin is.

Inside, sandalwood incense subtly fills the air. Every head turns our way. The studio goes quiet as the group of women take inGriffin’s massive frame. I lift my chin and walk to the front desk, where the receptionist’s gaze keeps jumping between us.

“Hey, Melissa. Griffin is my guest today,” I say with a smile.

“Right.” Melissa clears her throat as she glances again at Griffin. “The first class is free for guests.”

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