Page 4 of Burly and Rugged

“Sometimes. But I like abstracts more. I love taking a color palette and just seeing how it comes together. Most of what I do is what you would call intuitive painting—I might have some kind of idea of what I want to create, like with colors or shapes, but sometimes it’s just sitting down and seeing what happens.” Lindy’s eyes light up like stars as she talks about her work and she moves her hands animatedly. Her passion for art is obvious. “I paint a range of sizes, from large canvases to small watercolors. Some of my designs I sell online, which are printed onto products like art prints or journals, but I also show in local galleries occasionally.”

That makes me pause. “I didn’t know selling designs online was a thing. That’s impressive. It sounds like that keeps you pretty busy.”

“It does.” She smiles warmly at me and studies me across the campfire. “What about you?”

I shrug. I don’t like talking about myself. “Me? I’m not that interesting.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case.” The way she smiles at me, openly and full of interest, I’m not sure I can say no to this woman. “Well, let’s start with how you came to be a survival course leader?”

I set my empty cup aside. “I work with some guys up at Silver Pine Ridge, around The Lodge. We do various work on themountain—Hank and his family run the Christmas tree farm in winter, and we build new cabins when they’re needed,” I say carefully. We’re not supposed to talk about the safe houses. “The survival courses are new. Most of the people I bring out are high-risk kids. They learn the basics of how to survive out here, which helps fuel their self-confidence. All of us up here were in the military, and we continue to serve our community, just in different ways than on a battlefield.”

“Interesting. What part of the military were you in?”

I lean back and extend my legs next to the fire, trying to ignore the twinge in my knee. “I was in the Army for a while. Got out a few years back. I wasn’t quite ready for civilian life,” I say, rubbing my knee, “but a buddy at the VA Center introduced me to Jax, and Jax invited me to join his team. So here I am.”

Her expression softens slightly. “What made you leave the Army?”

For a second, I consider telling her. Lindy’s blue eyes are filled with genuine curiosity, but no matter how easy it is to talk with her, that part of me shuts down.

“Something happened, and I got discharged.” I exhale, avoiding the truth. I wasn’t dishonorably discharged, but I still don’t like talking about it. Leaving the Army was a defining moment in my life, and I’m still not over the feelings surrounding it. “Silver Pine Ridge seemed as good a place as any to settle down.”

She’s quiet for a moment, stirring what’s left of her food. Then she looks up. “Do you miss it?”

“Some days.” I stare at the fire. My goal had always been to be a career Army man, serving and making my way up the ranks until I retired—ifI retired. As far as my family can trace our history,the men have always served, usually in the Army. It’s family tradition. “But this isn’t a bad way to spend my time. I enjoy life up here.”

Lindy nods, her gaze flicking toward the trees. “That all makes sense.” She sets her cup aside, dusting her hands off on her thighs. “Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here? I know I’m probably not the type you expected to see.”

She’s not wrong. I’ve wondered, but people do a lot of things for a lot of reasons. Sometimes they tell you why, sometimes they don’t, but it’s always their story to tell. “I figured you’d get around to that in your own time.”

She leans forward and warms her hands by the fire. “It’s stupid, really. Someone told me I couldn’t do this. So I signed up.”

That makes me chuckle. I like a strong-minded woman who doesn’t back down from a challenge. “You make a habit of that?”

“Proving people wrong? Sometimes. I get tired of people underestimating me.” She keeps her hands close to the fire. “I’m here to prove to myself I can do it. It’s not like I’ll be reporting back to the jerk I was on a date with.”

A thread of anger sparks in me. I know what it’s like to have people doubt you, tell you that you can’t do something or won’t amount to much. And it makes me angry when men tell women they aren’t capable. We should be lifting women up, not diminishing them. I hope to hell she didn’t go on another date with that asshole, partly because she deserves better and mostly because she’s the first woman in a very long time to spark my interest. I’m too old for her, and she’s my student, but every minute with her makes me want more. Ireallywant for her to be single.

I smile at Lindy, even more impressed with her. “Can’t decide if that’s stubborn or admirable.”

Without a second’s hesitation, she responds. “Both.” She laughs, giving me a smile that could light up all the stars in the sky.This woman is dangerous.

For a second, the air between us charges, and I’m certain she feels the same desire that I do. But then she blushes and looks away, and the moment seems to disappear.

“Okay. I’ll go back to the stream and rinse the dishes,” Lindy says, carefully avoiding my eyes as she collects everything and stands up.

“Whoa—shit!”

Lindy stumbles, metal cups clattering from her hands as her boot catches on a root. I’m immediately on my feet and rushing to Lindy. I reach out and pull her into my arms, catching her before she falls.

Her body collides with mine, her breath rushing out in a startled gasp. My fingers tighten instinctively, bracing her against me, but the impact does something else.

A sharp, unexpected bolt of desire hits me like lightning.

She blinks up at me, wide-eyed, her luscious breasts rising and falling against my chest. Her heart beats like thunder, and I’d like to think it’s not just because she almost fell.

“Sorry. That was clumsy of me,” she murmurs, but she doesn’t move.

I should let go. Step back. Say something to break the moment. But I can’t—I don’t want to. Because I see it.

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