Page 12 of Sheltered By the Surly Forester

He cuddles me tightly while I laugh softly, his palm curving around my butt cheek perfectly as we scoop together.

Maybe it's the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, or the complete amazement of feeling so connected to someone, but my mind short-circuits and I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep while breathing in his spicy, masculine scent all night long.

7

JOSH

I’ve never really thought about living with anyone before. I mean, I've always hoped I would find a lovely woman to marry, but it was kind of like hoping to win the lottery – something you dream about, but don't think it's really going to happen.

Not that I need to win the lottery with my family's wealth, of course.

As Emie and I puttered about the house in the morning, I kept finding myself smiling. I snuck a bit of cocoa into the coffee. She jazzed up the breakfast omelets with some crumbled leftover bacon.

Now I'm poring over my maps and plans, spread back across the dining room table, as she launders every item of clothing in her suitcase.

Just as I identify and mark in pencil the two locations that have the widest variety of bird sightings, I notice Emie frowning at her phone over on the couch.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

"Yes." She sighs. "I'm just hearing the details of that potential gig. Parts of it sound perfect. I'm just not sure that Jennifer has outgrown her college flakiness, you know?"

"Yes. You need something stable."

She looks up at me, but I can't read her expression. "And yet I've always wanted to live by the mountains. Colorado Springs sounds amazing."

"Yes, but that's sort ofbesidethe mountain. Right now you'reonthe mountain."

She laughs. "But isn't the best view of the mountain from fifty miles away?"

I scowl hard, making her laugh again.

She turns back to her phone, thumbs flying over the screen.

Dammit. Emie is a hard worker. Which is great, of course. It just means she's not going to be satisfied with being a “professional houseguest” for long. She needs more interesting work. If those girls are starting a business, they might be exaggerating its potential and elevating her hopes. Plus, Emie is only twenty-one. She might not realize that many businesses never get off the ground. Many don't make it to the second year.

Shit – that's what I need to do: get her a job! Give her a reason for being precisely in this spot. "Hey – can I get your opinion on something?"

"Sure." She jumps up and pulls a chair over right beside me, distractingly close.Focus, Josh.

I point to the two locations, tracing the area with my finger. "We're thinking of building a cabin for the birders. Something small and rustic. Maybe six suites and a communal area. We want it to have a minimal impact on the forest itself, since that will obviously upset the birds. These areas here are where the birds hang out the most."

She points over to the side. "It's a shame you can't use this patch."

My fingers drum on the map beside that spot. "No, that's my cousin Kaden's ‘Cabin of Solitude’. He's hardly ever there, but it's brand new, so he won't want it to be disturbed."

Emie leans right in, studying the locations I've outlined. "So… The spot in the east has fewer trees next to this meadow area, but the one in the west is further from the road."

"Exactly. Putting in a road is a lot of disruption."

"Not to mention expensive."

I reach down to squeeze her knee. "Let's pretend for a sec that money is no object.”

"Okay." Emie's ponytail swishes as she glances back and forth, peering at the photos and maps for a few moments. "Wait. This is the walking trail for the birdwatchers?"

"Yes."

"So, they're already gearing up for a hike. How far of a walk would this distance be?"

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