Page 12 of S'more Mountain Man

"I owe you," I said softly. "For all of this."

His eyes darkened, gaze dropping briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes.

"Yeah. You do," he replied, voice low and rough as gravel.

He held my gaze just a second too long, and my lady parts practically stood up and applauded. Heat pooled low in my belly, and for one wild moment, I wondered what would happen if I just grabbed that henley and pulled him down to my level.

Thunder had nothing on the electricity crackling between us in that moment.

Chapter Four

“She’s chaos. And I want her anyway.”

Leif

I wasn't sure how this had happened. Yesterday morning, I'd been alone with my forge and my thoughts, enjoying the quiet rhythm of life I'd carefully constructed. Now I was following a powder blue Kia driven by a woman who couldn't tell north from south, headed toward a camp full of pre-teens.

Somewhere, the universe was laughing at me.

Skye drove cautiously, her car limping along the forest road. The patch on her tire was holding, but it wouldn't last more than a day or two. I'd told her as much, offered to drive her all the way back to Missoula once the camp was over. The words had tumbled out before I could catch them—an uncharacteristic impulse that had surprised us both.

She'd smiled, a genuine smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes, and said, "Let's get through today first, Mountain Man."

Mountain Man. She kept calling me that, half teasing, and I had to admit I didn’t mind the nickname. Hell, when shelooked into my eyes and smiled big enough to reveal that dimple, she could call me whatever she damned well please.

I glanced in my rearview mirror at the telescopes and astronomy gear loaded in the back of my Jeep. She'd brought three different telescopes—a serious piece of equipment that looked like it could spot aliens on Jupiter, and two smaller ones for the kids. Plus star charts, a laptop with some kind of tracking software, and enough snack food to feed half of Montana.

The woman didn't do anything halfway, that much was clear.

We turned onto the final stretch of road that led to Fire Mountain Youth Camp. I'd been here before, years ago, helping clear trails after a storm. It was a decent setup—a main lodge of honey-colored logs with a green metal roof, several smaller cabins arranged in a semicircle, and a large fire pit area that opened onto a meadow with a clear view of the night sky. Perfect for stargazing.

The camp came into view, and Skye's car slowed. I could see her shoulders tense even from behind. She was nervous. It was oddly endearing.

She parked near the main lodge, and I pulled up beside her. The moment she stepped out of her car, a woman with a clipboard and a bright pink t-shirt came charging across the grounds, kicking up dust with each determined step.

"STAR BABE!" the woman shouted, throwing her arms around Skye. "I thought you'd been eaten by wolves! Or bears! Or wolf-bears!"

This had to be Mandy. Skye had mentioned her friend who'd roped her into this gig.

"Sorry, sorry!" Skye hugged her back. "My phone died, and I had a flat tire, and I got lost, and—"

"And you found yourself a lumberjack?" Mandy cut in, eyeing me over Skye's shoulder as I climbed out of the Jeep. Her gaze was appraising, like she was mentally calculating my market value.

"Leif," I offered, not bothering to correct her assumption about my profession. "I helped with the tire."

"I'll bet you did," Mandy muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. To Skye, she said, "The kids are in the mess hall finishing lunch. They've been asking about you for hours. I told them you were taking the scenic route."

"Technically true," Skye laughed. "Is there time for me to set up before they finish?"

"About twenty minutes." Mandy glanced at her watch, then at me. "You staying to help?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but Skye answered first.

"He is," she said, with a confidence that took me by surprise. "He's my assistant for the day. Knows the mountain, the sky, the whole deal."

Mandy's eyebrows shot up. "Does he now?"

"I owe her," I said simply.

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