Page 9 of Sheltered By the Surly Forester

I see this in action when we get to the grocery store with Emie's massive shopping list in hand. Even though she's never been in this particular store she navigates the aisles like a pro, with no steps wasted.

Back at the house, Emie politely kicks me out of my own kitchen so she can put the groceries away in an organized fashion.

Plopping myself down at the dining room table in case she needs any guidance, I check my texts. There's a small noise, and I look around to see her stretching to put something on a high shelf, giving me a glorious view of her round, peachy ass.

I haven't even taken this beautiful woman out on a date yet, but I'm picturing her in my bed. Wondering what other noises she'll make when those graceful legs are wrapped around me. Would she finally sleep in if I kept her up all night long, making her cry out my name?

But I’m a freaking Wolfe. Which means that the second I start dating someone, it'll become huge local news.

How do I take her somewhere special while still keeping things private for now?

Skimming my texts again, only one of them is important. And if Emie is as adventurous as I suspect she is, it could be a good substitute for a date.

"Why are you grinning like that?" she asks.

"You're interested in what I do, right? Would you like to see what I do first-hand?"

Her eyes light up. "Hell yes."

"Have you ever flown in a Cessna?"

Several hours later,Emie is leaving bruises on my arm from how tightly she's squeezing me. That's fine – I will gladly wear any mark from this gorgeous, precious girl.

"This is freaking amazing!" she squeals. "Do you ever get used to this?"

My palm skims up and down her thigh, the vibration of the plane shaking us together. "Only a little. I love seeing the forest this way."

As I drag my gaze back to the rolling landscape below us, Emie squeezes my arm more gently. "I really admire how much you love this land. Now, what are we looking for exactly?"

Riggs, our pilot and my old friend, chuckles. "He gets the actual information from drones in the air, and local reports on the ground. Josh says this twice-a-year flight is so that he can personally check everything." He flashes a glance over his shoulder to Emie. "Really, I think he's deeply in love with the trees and sees them as pets."

My boot delivers a swift kick to the back of his chair, causing Emie to practically dig her fingernails through my flesh right through my shirt. "Do not antagonize the pilot," she hisses, although her eyes are smiling. "This is my first time in an airplane, for goodness’ sake."

Riggs and I both turn to stare in surprise, then I take her hand off my arm and thread my fingers through hers. "Emie, you should have said something."

Riggs chuckles. "If you weren't Josh's girl, I would let go of the controls and turn all the way around to talk to you, just to see if you freak out. But out of respect for him, I won't kid around."

Emie's eyes are huge as she looks at me, then down at our clasped hands. "I didn't…" she whispers.

I lean in to kiss her cheek. "It's okay. All good."

She nods eagerly. I change the subject by pointing out the boundaries of our property, and the surrounding towns. Wolfe Mountain is a mix of forests and farmland dotted with small towns, all held together with slim gray ribbons of minor highways.

Emie seems fascinated with the details, listening carefully as I point out the spots where trees have fallen during various storms, where a small forest fire took out a quarter of an acre several years ago, and where previously logged areas are growing back.

"How much of this land is yours?"

That question has always bothered me. Some members of my family think of "ours" as in the entire family's. If that's how she means it, I'd have to ask Riggs to fly a couple more laps.

Releasing her hand to slip my arm around her, I pull her with me to lean to the right. "See that bit of highway? Follow the crossroads a bit to the open patch. That's my house. I own about seventy acres all around it."

She blinks in surprise. "That sounds like a lot. Is it?"

Riggs snorts. "Not for the Wolfes. If you ever sit down with a survey of the area, you'll"—I kick the back of his chair—"be, ahh, impressed by the lovely forests the family cares for." He glances back at me, smirking. "How's that? Or did you want to drive?"

"Good enough," I growl.

After taking a slew of photos and answering endless questions, we land in Charlotte, thank Riggs, and drive back to my house.

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