Page 39 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“My, oh my. Handsomeandprotective,” Breonna says. “You sound like the full package.”

“I try,” Max says and chuckles softly, then glances my way. “Nice weather, eh?”

I give him a nod but keep a straight face. At the same time, Marie leaves my bear claw on a plate, practically under my nose. “Let me guess, you got stuck here,” I say to Max, then give Marie a thankful nod.

“And then some,” Max says, sighing deeply. He shows me his phone. “Luckily, the staff here have been kind enough to let me use their landline because the cell tower is still down.”

“We’re all dealing with the same frustration,” I say.

Breonna lights up as she gets up and comes over to my side, hips sashaying ostentatiously under her long turquoise sweater dress. “Oh, it’s so good to see you made it down the mountain, Chase!”

“In all fairness, my brothers and I are the reasonyoumade it down the mountain.”

“And I am more than happy to thank you for it, however you see fit.” She gives me a playful wink that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I doubt she’s aware of how little I like her, or perhaps she’s just living in a constant state of delusion.

“No need to thank us in any way,” I reply with a flat smile.

But Breonna still feels the need to put her hand on my shoulder. “Now, now, don’t be silly. How about I bake you boys one of my famous pecan pies?”

“Ah, you’re a baking queen, too?” Max chimes in, a twinkle of jealousy nestled in his eyes as he looks at us.

I wish I could tell him he can have Breonna all to himself, but I promised Nico I’d behave—out of respect for him, not her. She knows what she did. She’s just lucky Nico chose to be civil and forgive her. I haven’t.

“How is Anya, by the way?” Breonna asks. She sounds genuinely concerned, which sort of confuses me. But it’s the curious gaze that Max gives me that piques my interest. “She’s fine, thanks. So, Max, what brought you all the way out here to Seeley Lake?”

“I’m a pharma rep,” Max replies. “Hence the fancy suit and zero bad weather prep,” he adds with a nervous chuckle. “I was tasked with signing some new deals with every Walgreens in the district, but then the blizzard hit, and I’ve been stuck here since. I doubt I still have a job at this point.”

“News of the blizzard must’ve made the nationwide networks by now,” I say.

“It’s the biggest one we’ve had in years in Montana,” Breonna adds with an enthusiastic nod. “You’ll be alright, Max. I’m sure of it.”

“That pecan pie you mentioned,” he says angling for Breonna’s attention, “it’s got me craving. What does a city slicker like me have to do to get a slice of that?”

“Oh, now… I wouldn’t ask for anything in return,” Breonna says, blushing and lowering her gaze.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” I can’t help but mutter, drawing a glare from her, but she doesn’t act on it. She heard me. She caught the jab, for sure. Instead, Breonna puts on her fake smile.

“So, you said Anya’s doing well?”

“Yes.”

“I’d love to have her over for a hot chocolate before you bring her into town,” she says, and I look past her shoulder at Max.

He’s trying to make a call from his cell phone again, cursing under his breath when the connection fails. “Fucking cell tower…”

“I didn’t say we’re bringing her into town,” I tell Breonna.

She frowns, looking rather confused. “What do you mean? She’s living with you, now?”

“You sound upset,” I shoot back, then get up as soon as I hear the bell above the front door chime, followed by a familiar thudding of heavy-duty snow boots. “Sheriff Mills!”

I leave Breonna’s question unanswered and steal another glance at this Max dude before I shift my focus to the sheriff. He’s a tall man with long, black hair caught in a sleek ponytail. He’s half my size but a fierce fighter, nonetheless, a former Army Ranger and one of the best his unit had ever seen.

“Chance Hayes,” Sheriff Mills says, giving me a curious look. “Good to see you again, brother.”

“I wish it were under better circumstances,” I reply. “It’s a good thing I know where you like to eat,” I add, showing him my phone. “You know we don’t have a landline back at the lodge. Otherwise, I would’ve called ahead.”

“No, it’s all good. That damn blizzard wasn’t gonna keep me away from my Rugged Breakfast for too long,” Mills says and gives Marie a polite nod as she comes out of the kitchen with a brown bag for him.

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