Page 3 of Reckless Mountain Man

We weren’t moving, which meant instead of a handshake, this was more of a hand-holding session. Once I became aware of it, I gave her a couple of gentle ups and downs for good measure, then released her hand.

But the warmth that spread through me at her touch remained. That was something I hadn’t felt before. Maybe it had been too long since I’d been with a woman. Or maybe I’d never met a woman I had true chemistry with until now. This definitely felt different than anything that had come before.

“So you cut down trees for a living?” she asked, adding a thank you to the bartender who set her water glass in front of her.

“I run my own logging operation,” I said. “I started with my dad when I was a teenager. He’s no longer with us, though. My brother and I took over the operation, but my brother got bored with it. Decided he wanted to be all corporate. So he went back to school, and here I am, drumming up work in a new town.”

There was so much I was leaving out. The brother that had never tried all that hard, but had always been Dad’s favorite. The feeling that I was disappointing Dad even now, long after he was gone, by letting his business sink further into the red. The feeling that no matter what, I’d never be good enough.

No, I had to make this work. There was plenty of business to be had in this town, and I’d find it.

“So how long have you lived in Seduction Summit?” I asked Skye, eager to turn the conversation around to her.

“Just a few months. My mom grew up here, and my dad was working as a ski instructor when she met him. When my grandma died, she left her house to my parents, and instead of selling it, they agreed to rent it to me while I figured out what I want to be when I grow up.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I guess we all have trouble with that one.”

“You don’t want to be a logger when you grow up?”

The words had just slipped out, but now that she mentioned it, no, it wasn’t really my dream to do the active work of cutting down trees. I did love being out in nature all day. My dream was to run a thriving business like I’d watched my dad do all my life—to hire a team and oversee them. Yeah, I’d pitch in and do some of the work when I wanted, but my dream wasn’t to have the entire operation hinge on me.

“The job opportunities are limited in a town like this,” Skye said. “But I love this lodge, and I’m having a blast running the gift shop.”

“Gift shop? I thought you worked at the front desk.”

She shook her head. “That’s why I thought you were here. We’re down a night clerk. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I thought you were here to interview for that job. My boss has a bunch of interviews set up for this afternoon.”

I almost laughed at the idea of me standing behind the desk, checking people in. That would last about five minutes before Iwas fired for telling someone to go fuck themselves when they yelled at me over something beyond my control.

“Customer service isn’t really my thing,” I said. “I’m good at the part of it where I have to interact with people like your boss to get the details of the job, but the general public? No, thanks.”

“Yeah, that can be a pain. Thank you.”

Skye directed that last part at the bartender who set a plate in front of her. I had to admit that patty melt looked mouthwatering, and I knew the fries were delicious because my wing basket had come with them as a side.

“I’m going to have to eat here more often,” I said.

“I hope you do.”

She said that just before taking a giant bite of her patty melt. The words left me smiling. She hoped I did.

Yes, I definitely had to find a reason to see her more often, which meant I needed to make my business here in Seduction Summit, at least for a while. Whatever logger Alex had hired better watch out. The competition was here to kick butt.

3

SKYE

Five minutes until closing. I’d turn the sign around, lock up the shop, and head back to my tiny brick house, where I’d throw together a grilled chicken salad and eat it in front of the TV.

I sighed as I stared out the window in the door that overlooked this corner of the lobby. Normally, I cherished my evenings of mindless reality TV while eating a good-for-me meal after a long day of work. Heck, just popping the recliner and kicking my feet up was heaven. But now, everything seemed so empty.

“Maybe I should get a dog,” I said to myself, lifting my cell phone and unlocking it.

I immediately darkened the screen again and turned it over, face down. What was I doing? Having lunch with a hot guy who seemed marginally interested in me did not mean I needed a dog. I just needed to get the heck out of here. Boone wasn’t coming back tonight. Maybe not ever.

Oh well. Time to lock up and get out of here. I grabbed my phone and started around the register, but as I approached the door, something stopped me in my tracks. That burly build.The dark jeans that I thought were black that morning. The black leather jacket with a white sweatshirt under it. Most importantly, that distinctive dark beard and super-sexy jawline.

I’d know that sight anywhere. My lumberjack had come back, and he was heading straight for my gift shop.

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