Page 10 of Auctioned to the Mountain Man

“Relax, dear,” Lola, Fox’s grandma, says with a chuckle from the kitchen counter as she mixes up another batch of muffins, probably since I demolished two already. The woman has a very Betty White vibe about her, and I’m here for it. “You can’t scandalize this old broad.”

“She’s right,” Elaine, Fox’s mom, adds with a shrug as she sips on her coffee.

Grandpa Eddie doesn’t lift his gaze from the newspaper he’s reading at the kitchen table, but he answers with a wide grin. In the ten minutes I’ve gotten to know them, I already love this adorable, spunky couple. Someday, when Kayleigh’s graduated college and my life is more stable, I want a relationship like theirs.

“Where do you get this stuff?” I ask about the coffee, feeling my muscles unknot with each passing second. After waking upto the sight of Fox’s bare, tight, muscular ass on full display, I felt too antsy to wait out his shower. God forbid that man forgot a towel and came out into the bedroom dripping wet and naked. I’d have lost my damn mindandmy resolve. The last thing I need is Fox Hansen figuring how much power he has over my traitorous body.

I did the only logical thing I could think to do—I snuck out of the room and sought out his unsuspecting family. I’m a natural at winning over complete strangers. Comes with the nursing territory. But Fox doesn’t know that, and I secretly hope he’ll be a tad panicked when he discovers me missing.

“Maui,” Elaine answers.

“Is it expensive?” I ask, fairly certain of the answer.

“Stupid expensive,” Elaine answers with a mischievous smile. “Just like this cabin rental.”

“Am I missing something?” I ask, looking from Elaine to Lola.

“She’s still spending Bruce’s money.”

“Bruce?”

“Fox’s late father,” Lola explains.

“It’s not from an inheritance. Bastard left all his money to his kids,” Elaine clarifies. “But I saw that coming and made sure I got a nice, cushy divorce settlement.”

“You didn’t know?” Lola asks me.

During the drive to Evergreen Pass, it never occurred to me to ask Fox about his life. Of course, I was passed out within ten minutes of hitting the road. The adrenaline rush from the auction had worn off, and I crashed so hard that I barely remember arriving. One minute Fox was parking the truck, the next I was being tucked into bed—alone.

I manage a quick shake of my head, hoping my lack of knowledge doesn’t “out” us.

“Are you surprised?” Elaine asks Lola. “It’s not like Fox liked his dad any more than I did. Why would he talk about him?”

Before I can ask a nosy question, Fox appears in the doorway. His head nearly takes out a bundle of mistletoe dangling from its frame—one of many Christmas decorations I’ve encountered in my short exploration of this mega cabin. “I see you’ve all met Alida.” He makes a beeline for the coffee pot, adding, “Go easy on her?”

“She doesn’t strike me as the delicate type,” Lola says, patting me on the shoulder as she slips another still-warm cherry muffin in front of me.

“She’s not,” Fox says, agreeing. “But you lot can be overwhelming.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Elaine says, a sarcastic grin hidden by her coffee mug.

“Where’s Jazzy?”

“She and Mike took the kids to see the reindeer in town. We’re meeting up with them later.” Lola pulls out a chair, urging Fox to sit as she plates him a cherry muffin. “Say, Alida, you never told us how the two of you met.”

Fox snaps his gaze to me. If I’d been the least bit smart about this and waited out the shower, we might’ve had time to get our stories straight. But this way is much more fun. I send him a devious grin, enjoying the hint of panic it creates in those whiskey brown eyes. Serves him right for looking so damn good naked. All those tight, toned muscles and tattoos are still scrambling my brain.

“He recently found me on the side of the road.”

Fox nearly chokes on his coffee, and I grin like a fool.

“Actually, we’ve known each other for what is it, three years? Yeah, three years,” I answer, sipping innocently on my coffee. “He served overseas with my late brother.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Eddie pipes up, giving me a rare glance over the edge of his newspaper.

“Thank you.”

“Was it love at first sight?” Lola gushes.

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