Page 8 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
“No excuses, Lena. I’ll show you more of Whitefish, and you’ll learn that there is nothing to fear here. Things run just a bit differently than you may be used to, but there’s no harm in adapting yourself to new places.”
Finding myself unable to say no to his words because of the honesty visible in his eyes, I try to offer a logical argument instead.
“I can’t just leave Sophie alone. I have to see that she eats dinner on time and–”
“Don’t worry about that. Brody and Aiden can babysit Sophie while we’re gone.”
“But they must be busy. I can’t just spring this on them without prior notice.”
“This is all the notice they need, Lena.”
I open my mouth to protest again, but he shushes me, not letting me speak.
“Trust me on this. There is no one more reliable than Brody and Aiden. And they’d be over the moon to spend some time with Sophie.”
I sigh deeply, nibbling on my lower lip as I consider it. Before coming to Whitefish, it would be one of my friends who babysat her, but only for a few hours before I got back home. I didn’t want her separated from me for too long. Anxiety courses through me as I think about being separated from her again.
In the end, it’s Tanner’s eyes that really seal the deal for me. Unable to resist him, I admit defeat and give in.
Brody and Aiden’s very enthusiastic chorus of yeses over the phone when Tanner calls them shows me how over the moon they are with this babysitting task. I debrief them on her schedule, sounding a bit too anxious about the whole ordeal.
They reassure me endlessly, and I find myself in the passenger seat of Tanner’s jeep before too long, sitting tensely at the idea of leaving my daughter with two neighbors I just recently met.
“We’re gonna start small. Rabbits are gonna be our target.”
When I ask him why rabbits specifically, he explains, “In the lower parts of the mountain ranges, the forests are lusher and the temperatures are livable, even in the winters. That’s why most rabbits head down there during the cold season.”
His quiet yet passionate spiel really draws me to him. He sprinkles in a few of his experiences here and there, and it makes me even more curious as to who he really is. We fill the rest of the drive with small talk, nothing too heavy, and the normalcy helps to put me more at ease. When we get to his desired location, we get out of the car and hike for a bit until he motions for us to stop. Then, he gestures for me to stand in front of him.
“See, with rabbits, you can’t get too close. They’re flighty animals. You have one chance to get them. Aim with your eyes closed, angle your arm,” he instructs me, standing directly behind me as he fixes my position as I hold the gun. I can feel his breath at the back of my neck, gooseflesh rising on my body at the proximity.
His corded arms touch the base of my elbow, straightening it as his other hand grazes my waist, but just barely. Concentrating twice as hard on the task, I refrain from closing my eyes and basking in the tense proximity between us.
I miss each try, and I make at least fifteen attempts. Tanner laughs at me as I tell him I’m just no good at this kind of thing. He manages to nab two bunnies right away as he shows me how to aim the gun properly.
There’s this strange energy between us. Part of it is admiration, I’m sure, of the quiet skill behind Tanner’s guidance. There’s so much more to him than meets the eye, and I wonder how much of his true personality he’ll unveil to me.
When the sun starts going down and the wind picks up, we both decide that it’s time to leave. Tanner says that this kind of wind is a warning for weather that’s about to come in quickly.
As we make our way down the rocky path back to the car, Tanner keeps close to me. His hand brushes the small of my back more often than not, helping me keep my balance as we pick up speed. The butterflies in my stomach barely let me take a breath, my body heating with each casual touch.
When we’re in the jeep, the leaves blow over the windshield, making it hard for Tanner to see. We barely make it home safely, but even in such dangerous conditions, I trust Tanner completely. I know that whatever happens, he’ll bring me back home to my daughter.
I’m not expecting to see the sight I’m greeted with when I head back inside. Sophie is yelping playfully as Brody carries her on his back, a plastic sword in her hand as she pretends to slay Aiden. He plays along, clutching his neck where she struck him and falling to his knees.
All three of them are laughing and whooping, noticing my entrance at the very last moment.
Chapter five
CHAPTER 5: Tanner
Lena Sanders is one hell of a woman.
From her head down to her toes, she is undeniably gorgeous. She’s pretty enough to stop traffic, enough to make a man walk into a pole.
At first, when I saw her with her wide, green eyes and her soft, lush mouth, I knew that she was exactly my type. Her long, blonde hair was swept up in a messy knot, the curves of her body emphasized by the sweater she wore. She was nothing short of absolutely stunning, even with the bags under her eyes.
Then, she opened her mouth, and fear emanated from her. She was like a scared rabbit who knew a hunter was nearby. The cloud of innate fear that shrouded her—I thought it was because, of course, anyone would be scared of unknown mountain men.
