Page 3 of Stepbrothered by the Mountain Man

“What are big brothers for?”

My heart plummets at his words, but I plaster on a smile.

“And I was hiking to clear my head when I spotted you.”

Lately, I’d been walking nonstop to get away from the fog Levi induced at the lodge.

“Well, there’s no better place to clear it. Enjoy the view now because I’m going to buy it,” I declare boldly.

Levi only smiles. “I love the determination. This is how you want your cabin set up?” He asks, eyeing the massive windows I sketched for the living room. “It’s gonna be hell to haul those up here, but one hundred percent worth it.”

“So, you like it?” I wrinkle my nose in anticipation. I haven’t shared my vision before. As I’m only twenty-one and barely making a little above minimum wage, it felt silly to dream so big and so literally, right down to my choice of bathroom vanities. Then again, wasn’t that just a form of manifesting?

“I love it. You can always tell a woman’s touch. I can build it, but I can’t picture it.” He squints at the porch lights. “And I certainly haven’t considered lighting fixtures yet.”

The word ‘woman’ sends my heart into overdrive. I was twelve years younger than Levi, and for the longest time, I was just a ‘kid’. Did that mean he saw me as a woman now?

“Damn, you’ve got a good eye. Once I get some land, I’ll need your help with mine. All I can envision is a square.”

“A square?” I lift a brow.

“And a roof. A bathroom. Kitchen.”

“What sort of kitchen?”

He rubs his neck. “The kind you cook in?”

“No, I mean, do you want an island? A wrap-around countertop. A galley kitchen?”

He stares at me blankly before looking down at the book and tapping it. “I’ll just have what you’re having.”

I laugh, taking the pad and replacing it in my bag.

“The most important thing is that it’s big.”

“Why? It’s only you.”

“What, you don’t think I’m good-looking enough to find someone who wants to marry me?”

I can’t even jest. Levi is drop-dead gorgeous and built like that damn black bear. Pure muscle, with a full chestnut beard. Any woman with eyes would marry him.

“I just didn’t realize you were back on the dating scene or had someone serious in mind yet.”

It’s selfish of me, but the thought of Levi with someone else makes me want to vomit. I know he’ll date eventually, but I’ve never witnessed any serious relationship he’s had.

“I’m working on it. What about you?” He asks, pointing to my backpack. “You’re single and you’ve got four bedrooms drawn out.”

That was true.

“Wishful thinking,” I say.

“Doesn’t seem wishful to me. Any single man would want to marry you and give you enough babies to fill those rooms.”

Except for the one man I can’t have.

I smile and pull away. Whenever Levi touches me, I feel like I’m going to combust. I have to put space between us before I go cross-eyed and make a fool of myself.

“Well, budget-wise, I can’t afford it anyway. I’ll probably start with the living room, kitchen, and bath, and add on the bedrooms later. Shoot, I can’t even afford the land and my credit isn’t developed enough for a mortgage. But I have a plan.”

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