Taming His Montana Heart

by Vella Munn

  What did you expect? For him to touch you?

  She swallowed. “I’m glad it worked out.”

  “Me too.”

  She’d expected him to keep a close eye on her. In fact, she was still surprised he’d hired her for a job she knew she could do but he didn’t. The basic issue was that she was a woman in what most people considered a masculine endeavor. She’d never weighed more than a hundred and twenty pounds and was shy of five foot four inches tall. She’d been prepared to be given a conditional position or handed a lame excuse for not being hired. Instead, he’d offered her the head of snowmobile operations job at the end of the face-to-face interview that had taken place here in late September. He’d been all business and she’d taken care to be equally professional. No way, hopefully, could he know she’d been aware of him as a male from the moment they’d shaken hands.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked.

  Another bulky RV was heading their way in the middle of the snow-narrowed road, but she was already as far to the right as she could get.

  “That was stupid of me,” he muttered. “I should have never let Alexa talk me into walking where we did.”

  “It worked out all right.”

  “No thanks to me. If something happened to her…”

  Knowing he’d never forgive himself, she waited for him to bring up the official reason for their conversation.

  He sighed and shook his head. “As much snow as we’re getting, I’m thinking we should have a wrecker up here.”

  “It might not be a bad idea,” she said even though he didn’t need her opinion. “Kolina used to drive big rigs. She could probably handle a wrecker.”

  The RV splashed slush against the side of her rig. She cranked up her windshield wipers to deal with the increasing snowfall. Come dark she’d feel trapped—and protected.

  “So now that you’ve checked out all of the snowmobiles, what’s your assessment of them?”

  Believing he had no complaints about her performance, she relaxed. There was still the matter of their close proximity, but if it had no impact on him, she could do the same. Hopefully.

  “They’re all operational, but three are marginal. I changed the spark plugs, replaced the filters and fluids, and put on new drive belts. However, they’re all at least nine years old and some more than twice that.” She paused, thinking. “They’ve had a lot of hard use. That’s understandable given that they’re rentals, but whoever used to be responsible for their upkeep didn’t do the kind of maintenance I’d recommend.”

  “What do you mean by marginal?”

  They’d reached the parking lot. He hadn’t said anything about where he intended to go once he was done talking to her, not that she should care. But she did.

  “Two have carburetor issues. Pulling out the cylinders and taking them to a place in Kalispell so they could be rebored didn’t make enough of a difference. I was able to adjust the V-belt clutch settings but haven’t been able to resolve the piston problems in the three oldest machines.”

  “You did all that?”

  She slipped into the only vacant parking space in the lot, turned off the engine, and faced Shaw. He barely fit in his seat, his shoulders infringing on her space in a way that kicked up her heart rate. She wanted him gone, wanted him to remain where he was. Wanted to hear him laugh again.

  “I’m glad I’m getting the chance to prove I can handle the job, but some issues are pretty serious.”

  “I’m not surprised.” He opened the passenger’s door but made no move to get out. “You don’t have to go back to work, do you?”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure how long our meeting would take so I called Terron. He has things covered.”

  Shaw studied the front windshield which was rapidly being covered by snow. “And I cleared my desk as much as possible while Boone and his family were here.” When he rubbed his hands together, she noted how red they were. He hadn’t worn gloves during the snowball fight with Alexa.

  “I’m going to get some hot chocolate in the cafe,” he said. “We can talk there about what you believe needs to be done.”

  Unexpectedly nervous, she swallowed. “We might not have the same priorities.”

  “Don’t worry about my priorities. I really want your opinion.”

  “I appreciate you saying that, but my focus is on minimizing the amount of time a machine’s out of service. I’m sure you’re primarily concerned with the bottom line.”

  His frown was so slight she nearly missed it. She would have if she hadn’t been studying him. “I have more concerns than I want to think about and could possibly interest you.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “About what?”

  Did I say that? “Everything you have on your plate.”

  “I signed up for it. Had to do—something.”

  Chapter Two

  Cursing himself for saying what he had, Shaw pulled back on the door handle and stepped aside so Haley could enter the lodge’s restaurant ahead of him. As he did, he scanned the lobby, noting an elderly couple, a trio of middle aged women, and an older man dozing in one of the chairs.

  When Haley’s coat brushed his, he reminded himself that she was an employee. Their relationship wasn’t personal. In fact, there wasn’t anyone at Lake Serene he confided in because it was safer that way.

  The problem was, he didn’t think of Haley in quite the same way he did the rest of the staff. Her soft hazel eyes and small, feminine frame factored in. Her body, not that he’d seen her without her clothes on, had made its way into more than one dream, but that wasn’t the only reason she stood out. She had a tendency to study her surroundings as if trying to make her peace with the mountains or something, just like he did.

  What was she looking for, not that he had a right to ask or she an obligation to answer.

  Because it was a little before five in the afternoon, most visitors to Lake Serene were still out enjoying the environment. Only three of the casual restaurant’s tables were occupied. When Haley indicated a small one that looked out at the frozen lake, he nodded.

  It was hardly the first time he’d held meetings in here. Not only was the causal restaurant larger than the second-story apartment he lived in or his compact office, people tended to relax in the cafe. As for him, he appreciated being able to seeing the entire space without being obvious about it.

  He should have met with Haley before a series of storms deposited close to four feet of snow on everything and turned the mountains into a winter wonderland and sometimes a hassle. His only excuse was that snow brought people out of the woodwork. Having so many visitors around slowed the renovations, but he didn’t mind since snow filled the rental rooms and cabins with paying guests and kept things operating in the black, which pleased Uncle Robert as much as anything did.

  Watching Haley weave around the tables with her arms at her sides and her legs encased in well-worn jeans, he decided not to concern himself with finances or his uncle this afternoon. He just wished he could turn off his phone. He’d ask her about the snowmobile operation and listen to the cadence of her voice as she responded, study her eyes for hints of what was happening beneath the surface.

  So Haley Walters had been partial to red as a child. And she’d volunteered to help Alexa kick his butt in a snowball fight. In a short amount of time he’d learned two personal things about the employee who occupied an inordinate amount of his thoughts.

  “I don’t get in here very often. I understand it used to be pretty dingy,” Haley said as she sat so she could watch what was going on beyond the large window. She’d taken off her coat and hung it over the back of the chair closest to the window. He selected a chair to her right. His back was to the wall, and he could see all the way to the entryway.

  “Dingy is an understatement. I polled several longtime employees. They all agreed that the old indoor/outdoor carpet had to go. That was already a priority to me, but it was good to get a consensus.”

&nbs
p; “I love the tile you chose, and the white walls really show off the photographs of the area. Do you have a background in interior design?”

  “Hardly.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “What I did was research other resorts in person and online before I came to Lake Serene. I presented my uncle with the designs that appealed the most to me. He chose my favorite.”

  “Well, you have good taste. It’s downright cheerful in here. Unfortunately the prices and my budget are at odds.”

  “I wish it wasn’t like that. Unfortunately, it costs a lot to get food up here. As a result, what I have to charge makes it hard on the staff.”

  “It can’t be helped.” She leaned back and turned toward the window.

  Was she losing herself in the view of the lake and mountains all around? If so, he understood the feeling. It had taken him the better part of a year to relax here, and there were still times when the vast unknown rubbed his nerves. When the past intruded.

  “I usually do my own cooking, which—everything looks so peaceful today. Quiet. In some respects it’s healing.”

  “Healing?”

  Her eyes widened. She held up her right hand and turned it so he could see her scraped knuckles. “Sure. I’m always beating myself up.”

  He sensed that wasn’t what had initially prompted her comment, but she wasn’t a suspect he was grilling. Leaving her to her secrets, he looked around for a waitress. Until she’d damaged her shoulder, Kolina Childs had been the best waitress he’d had on staff. Although he missed Kolina’s competence, he understood why she no longer spent her days waiting on diners. A lot of people, him included, changed careers.

  Don’t go there. Old story, one that doesn’t belong here today.

  “So, what are you telling me?” he asked to get the official conversation going and his thoughts where they belonged. “That three of the snowmobiles aren’t worth trying to keep running?”

  She nodded. “They’re running right now, but I wouldn’t recommend doing any extensive repairs. There’s something else. I’m hesitant to bring it up because it’s expensive.”

  “Don’t ever hesitate bringing a concern to me. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Yes, it is. I’m just used to only having myself to consider.”

  “Sorry, folks.” A tall, skinny teenage boy wearing a stained sweatshirt dropped a couple of menus on the table. “I was in the kitchen. Didn’t see you. What you want?”

  Where had this kid come from and was he their waiter? Too bad he hadn’t waited until Shaw had found a way to get Haley to expand on her comment about handling everything on her own.

  “Hot chocolate for me.” He made a mental note to tell someone to teach the kid basic manners. “Haley, what about you?”

  “That sounds good.”

  “That’s all?” the boy asked. “You don’t need these menus?”

  “No.” Haley drew out the word. “Thank you very much.”

  The boy nodded, smiled, and scooped up the menus. He muttered something about getting the chocolate to them in a few and left.

  “He’s going to have to get a lot better if he hopes to hold onto his job,” Shaw said. “I don’t put up with incompetence.”

  “I’m sure you don’t but he’s trying, kind of. I think his mother is one of the housekeepers. Shouldn’t he be in school?”

  “Maybe he dropped out.”

  She frowned. “He’ll regret it for his whole life if he doesn’t at least graduate high school.”

  She sounded somewhere between concerned and sad, her voice faint, as if her thoughts had taken her from the here and now. As much as he wanted to know what she was thinking, even more he needed to remind himself of their relationship. He shouldn’t have said anything about his expectations of employees to her, but he had.

  “A few years of part-time work at minimum wage will make that clear to him,” he said.

  “I’m sure it will. I can’t help but feel sorry for him.”

  “Sorry? People make choices. They have to live with the consequences.”

  She shook her head. “You’re being rough on him. He’s still a kid. Only a few years older than your niece. If it was her, you’d be lovingly encouraging her to get her education.”

  “Of course I would because she’s who she is, but, Haley, I’ve seen too many people screw things up. I’m not the one who’ll be able to change them.”

  “What brought you to that conclusion?”

  Taken aback by the landmine he’d nearly stepped into, he shrugged. “Life did. Don’t get me wrong. I want to see that kid succeed, but he has to do the work.”

  “Yes. He does.” She looked where the teenager had gone. “Maybe something is taking place in his world that makes going to school unimportant.”

  Had that happened to her? He strained to remember what she’d told him about her background, but the bulk of the job interview had focused on the skills she’d be bringing to the job. As she’d described what she’d done before applying to work at Lake Serene, his initial doubts had given way to admiration. Starting when she was fourteen, she’d worked at a family-owned snowmobile sales and service company. That had lasted until she’d opened her own business repairing and maintaining the machines. She also helped people choose the best snowmobiles for their needs.

  “You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Of course. He’s too young for life to be kicking him.”

  “You can’t live his life for him.”

  “You’ve made your point.” She pressed her finger against a mark on the table until her flesh whitened.

  Damn it, let it go. She doesn’t need a lecture.

  They didn’t speak as the teenager placed their steaming mugs on the table. When they thanked him, he responded with a thumbs-up. Then, because he held himself responsible for the awkward turn the conversation had taken, Shaw told her he’d heard nothing but positive things about how the snowmobile operation was being handled.

  “I’m glad to hear that. A few people, men mostly, haven’t taken kindly to my questions about their experience.”

  “That’s one of the things I wanted to bring up with you. Let me know if a customer gives you a hard time.”

  “I don’t need rescuing. Believe me, I’ve been doing this for a long time.”

  “You’re a woman doing a man’s job.”

  She groaned. “I’m so tired of hearing that.”

  “Sorry. I’m sure you are.” For a moment he wasn’t sure what to say.

  Just because he hadn’t had time to talk to Haley Walters didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about her. Those thoughts came at random, unexpected moments like when he was in his apartment looking out at a new day or the afternoon he’d spotted a buck with a huge rack and a rut-thickened neck and wished he’d been able to share the sight with her. However, those thoughts had nothing to do with reality. He was her boss, not her lover.

  Lover? Get real.

  “Why did you choose what you did for a career?” he asked.

  She started to look down, then met his gaze. “It wasn’t a choice so much as doing what was necessary.”

  “Do you wish it was otherwise?”

  “There’s no point in asking myself that. I’m where I am in my life.”

  So am I. “All right,” he said because he didn’t want to push her any more than he had, “if you had a limitless budget, what would you do to improve the snowmobile operation?”

  She’d started to open her mouth when his cell phone buzzed. He reluctantly answered it. “It doesn’t matter who messed up,” he said after the woman who was handling the reservation desk explained that someone had double booked one of the condos. “You’re going to have to give one of the parties an upgrade. I’ll come in tomorrow morning and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “My gosh,” Haley said after he’d ended the call. “There’s no end to what you have to deal with. I think I’d lose my mind.”

  “I’ve come close.”


  “Why do you do it?” She clamped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. Some people thrive in fast-paced, stressful situations.”

  I do what I have to. “A lot of it is about making decisions and sticking with them.”

  “Good point.” She sighed, looked out the window, sighed again. “I so seldom get to just sit and appreciate winter. I need to do that more, connect with the land. It really is beautiful here.”

  So was she, in an unspoiled way. From what he could tell she wasn’t wearing makeup. To his way of thinking, she didn’t need to. Her rich brown hair nearly went to her shoulder blades and had some wave to it. Her bangs swept to the side. Her eyes were green while her eyebrows and lashes were thick. The brightness to her cheeks was most likely a combination of working outside in all kinds of weather and being a healthy young woman. He longed to connect on that level. To let her in.

  She’d started answering the question he’d asked prior to when his phone had sounded before he realized what she was doing. “I’ve been trying to determine what the optimum number of snowmobiles should be,” she said. “Last weekend every working machine was rented the entire time. Twice I had to deal with people returning late from a morning rental and the afternoon folks understandably getting irritated.”

  He didn’t what her to have to face irritated customers but a woman who didn’t hesitate getting grease under her short nails should be able to make customers abide by their agreements. Haley Walters was a long way from being a hothouse flower and yet there was something feminine about her down to her core. Maybe the contrast was what kept her on his mind. Something certainly was.

  “All right,” she said after taking a sip, “if I had my way I’d replace the three oldest machines. If it isn’t in the budget, let me know. Believe me I know all about making a dollar stretch.” She swallowed again and turned her full attention to him.