Page 3 of Tormented Mountain Man

My girl had a sweet tooth. That was good to know.

My girl. Since when had she become my girl? She wasn’t. I didn’t need a relationship. And even if I did, this woman wasfrom Nashville. She was a big city girl chasing a career in urban planning—whatever that was. I lived in a small town, which was the opposite of “urban.” There was no way we could work out.

So why couldn’t I get my mind off her?

“I just took out a few deer,” I said, looking at Joely as I explained. “We had an overpopulation problem here. They were worried about the number of deer running out onto the main road and getting hit by cars.” I glanced at Memphis before returning my attention to her. “They tasked a few of us with helping thin the herd. Since I have a military background, I volunteered.”

I couldn’t read anything from her expression. She didn’t look horrified. She was just watching me, almost studying me. Was she making a judgment? Had she labeled me a bad guy? I killed deer. Women didn’t like that sort of thing. They’d grown up watching cartoon deer and had the urge to protect them.

Yeah, I was making a bunch of assumptions there. For all I knew, she might be anti-deer.

“Our friend Gianna hit a deer,” Joely said, looking over at Mallorie. “Remember?”

Mallorie shook her head. “I don’t remember that.”

“Tore up her car pretty bad,” Joely continued. “It happened in college. She was driving back and forth from home. Missed a couple of days of classes while she got her car drivable again.”

“Was the deer okay?” Mallorie asked.

Everyone looked at her. The bride had a sweet, wide-eyed innocence. I didn’t get that same vibe from Joely. Maybe it was because she’d lived in the big city for a while already. She’d definitely stepped out of the Seduction Summit bubble.

“I don’t know,” Joely said. “I think she was more worried about her car.”

“That’s the problem,” Memphis said. “They did a whole presentation at the city council meeting about how many people are injured in accidents with deer. It’s a safety issue.”

“Not to mention the piles of poop,” Mallorie said.

Once again, we all looked at her. What the fuck?

“They leave piles of deer shit everywhere,” Memphis said. “It’s a nuisance.”

“So you’re a hunter?” Joely asked. When I snapped my attention back to her, she was still studying me. “It’s both your name and what you do?”

I smiled. “I guess it’s my legacy. But no, I’m not a hunter. I’m a logger. I don’t even hunt for sport. Memphis and I have the background for it, I guess. I’m kind of competitive. Military training had me stepping forward to volunteer where I was needed.”

“Former military?” She glanced between Memphis and me. “Are all the guys around here these days former military?”

“A lot of us,” I said. “Word spread throughout the military community about this place. There’s plenty of work here for those who can handle heavy manual labor.”

“And now, so many hospitality jobs,” Dane said. “That’s why the town’s growing so fast.”

“We’ll be as big as your city soon,” I said to Joely.

She blinked at me, and this time, I found it even harder to read her expression. It was almost like she was weighing reality.

“I hope not,” she said. “I’d never want my hometown to lose its small-town feel.”

“Well, we have an early day tomorrow,” the bride said. “I think we’re going to head to bed.”

“The bride and groom are tapping out first?” Dane teased.

“I’m kind of tired myself,” Cassady said.

I glanced at my watch. It was barely after ten. Were they serious? But as I looked up, I realized they were eager to getsome alone time, and I couldn’t blame them. I’d sure as hell love some alone time with the redhead seated across from me.

“I’m not tired yet,” Joely said. “I may stay up and finish my wine.”

“Want some company?” I asked.

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