Page 242 of Mountain Boss

The reception out here is trash, but I have two more nights before I head home, and I know the call from her mom yesterday took its toll on Courtney.

She didn’t admit it straight out, and we’ve only been texting since I left, but I could tell.

I curse at the two bars of service but know it’s the best I’m going to get. And even if the signal cuts out on us, I want to hear her voice.

It only rings twice before she answers.

“Sterling.” Courtney practically gasps my name, sounding out of breath.

“Cookie. You’re not supposed to be working.” I picture her lugging loads of laundry around, working up a sweat because she puts her whole damn heart into her job.

She laughs. “Not working, just playing tag with Ben.”

Ben lets out a playful bark, as though he’s confirming.

A smile that feels almost wistful pulls across my lips. “Well, that’s fucking adorable.” She snickers. “You gonna have dinner with the guys?”

Courtney makes a sound of agreement. “Yeah. Simpson got back today, so I think everyone will be here.”

Ben barks again, and the sound that comes out of Courtney can only be described as a giggle.

Fuck, I miss them.

I clear my throat. “Ben doing okay?”

“He’s so great. No accidents. He cleans his bowl every meal.Don’t you, you good dog, you?” She changes her voice as she talks directly to the dog. “We’re still working on sleeping in, but I think he just likes going outside too much.”

“He probably likes the treats he gets every time he comes back in.” I say it like I didn’t do the same thing those few days I was home after getting him.

“It’s a strong possibility.” Courtney hums. “Can I ask you something?”

“Always,” I reply.

Not wanting to move and mess with the cell signal, I lean against the trunk of the aspen I’m standing next to and wait for her to ask whatever’s on her mind.

“How did you find your passion?”

My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“I… I was just thinking the other day about passions. People always talk about them, like it’s just something they always knew about. But… I don’t have one.” There’s a tone of defeat in her voice, and I hate it.

“Honey, I’ve seen you passionate,” I tell her, meaning it.

She huffs. “I know I have the capability, but I mean like specifically. I don’t have a passion. I don’t even have a hobby.”

“Dressing up your little cactus doesn’t count?” I realize that sounds kind of dickish, so I try to clarify. “Sorry, that was a serious question, but it sounded rude. Honestly, I don’t know anything about hobbies. I literally live where I work.”

“That’s what I mean though.” It sounds like she’s pacing. “The Lodgeisyour passion. I know you told me that you’d been doing guide work since high school, but which came first?”

“Like the chicken or the egg?”

“Yeah. Did you become passionate because you worked for thoseother companies, or did you seek out those jobs because you knew you wanted to do them? And… Did you ever have doubts? Or were you always all-in?”

I blow out a breath. “I don’t remember ever making a conscious decision about it, but growing up out here, I spent a lot of time exploring the woods. My hometown is about an hour from the Lodge, but the terrain was the same. Mountains and woods and wildlife. It just became my… happy place, I guess you could say. Plus it was a way to avoid my parents, homework… Typical kid shit. So when I found out I could get paid for fucking around outside, it was a no-brainer. Some jobs I liked more than others, but that was mostly about the people I had to work with.”

“Sounds nice,” Courtney says softly. “So, you never considered anything else?”

I roll my lips together. Not wanting to answer.

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