Page 6 of Blind Date with a #MOUNTAINMAN

Emily: …

Emily:

Emily: Hello, who are you and what have you done with my friend Iris?

Emily: Iris, you better answer me

Emily: HELLO?! Do I need to call Mimi?

Iris: Relax, we’re just having dinner and watching a movie. I’ll text you later, okay?

Emily: No. No, it’s not okay. Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?!

Iris: You told me to have a good time. So that’s what I’m doing.

Emily: Okay, seriously, the jig is up.

Iris: It’s true. Kinda helps that he’s hot af.

Emily: OMG.

I tuckedmy phone away and looked over at Jace, sitting on the opposite end of my couch, respectful of my space.

Honestly, I was just as confused as Emily was.

The hot as fuck applesauce mountain man was doing funny things to my insides. Weird things. But things that felt…good. Instead of my usual fight against it, I’ve backed down.

But I had to be careful. Jace didn’t live around here. He was going back to Vermont, his home. My life and career were here. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t have a bit of fun, right?

As long as you don’t fall for him.

Shut up, brain. There’s no falling in love around here. Ick.

Mimi knew what she was doing, didn’t she? But why pair me with someone I couldn’t be with?

“How was your meal?” Jace asked, pulling me from my overabundance of thoughts.

I finished off the last of my wine and set my plate down. “Pretty good. You?”

“Good. Hit the spot. Want a refill on wine?”

I nodded. “I’d love one.”

Jace returned a moment later with the bottle of wine and filled our glasses almost to the top. “Might as well finish it off, right?”

I smiled, the warmth of the wine buzzing through me. Certainly nothing to do withhim.“I can’t believe we have the same taste in wine.”

Jace sat closer to me on the couch and sipped his drink. “I think it’s cool. Nan doesn’t drink and Pops, my grandpa, drank beer. Joked I had girlie taste.”

“Ha, I bet your friends didn’t let you live that one down.”

Jace smirked. “Nope. They prefer beer. But hey, we like what we like, right?”

“Right. Have you ever gone to a vineyard?” My tongue loosened as I drank more.

“No. I’d love to though. Aren’t there some around here?”

“Yeah. A little more north. But I’ve never been, either. Always wanted to, never found the time.”

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