Haley's Mountain Man

by Tracy Madison

  So, he stopped. Considered the logic. Considered his gut. And dammit all, for perhaps the first time ever that he could recall, he didn’t—couldn’t—wholly trust in the logic. Not when balanced with the comfort and ease that existed between him and Haley. Not with the way she made him feel when he looked into her eyes.

  Well. He supposed he’d have to think about that some, too.

  Forcing his body to relax, muscle by muscle, he took a mental step forward, and in a purposefully cheerful voice, said, “Not sure what you’re thinking, but all I was going to say is that I’m not altogether sure we’ll ever agree on this topic.” Okay. That hadn’t killed him. “I think we should agree to disagree, but respect each other in this regard.”

  She exhaled, squeezed her eyes shut for a millisecond. “Absolutely.” And then she gave him a sneaky type of grin, and he knew they weren’t done with this conversation. “Let me ask you this, though. Were you prepared for my offer of help at the Beanery that Saturday?”

  “Nope,” he said. Yup, she had a sneaky side, too, along with all those other irritating, fascinating qualities of hers. “Can’t say that I was.”

  “Of course not. How could you be, right?” Brows arched, grin wide, she continued with, “What about when I followed you home?”

  Hiding his amusement, which had come up from nowhere, he pretended to give the question due consideration. “Well, see, that one’s a bit tricky. I wasn’t prepared for you, specifically, to follow me home. However, beautiful women have a habit of trailing me...not just to my home, mind you. To the grocery store, work, wherever. So, I suppose I wasn’t completely shocked to see you pulling into my driveway.”

  Wrinkling her nose, she said, “Beautiful women follow you around, do they? Well, isn’t that—” She broke off, sucked in a breath. “Why, Gavin Daugherty, you just gave me a compliment. In a roundabout way.”

  “Did I?” he asked, feigning innocence.

  She worked her jaw a bit before asking, “Didn’t you?”

  He should say outright what he’d hinted at, he knew. Just wasn’t so sure his mouth could form the words and expel them. But he had to try. Had to find a way, so she had no doubts. “Yes, I did,” he said. “I...can’t be the only man who’s ever told you that you’re beautiful.”

  “You’re not. But you’re the first man I’ve ever believed.”

  “You should believe me. It’s true.”

  Everything—the air, him, her—stilled. Hell, if he didn’t know such a thing was impossible, he’d have believed that time itself had stopped moving. Within these seconds, the energy between them shifted, altered, and the connection—their connection—strengthened.

  And a small chunk of his hard-earned shield, his protection—what he used to survive, day in and day out—dissolved into dust. As if it had never existed in the first place.

  “So, um, where were we?” she asked, her voice soft. Whispery.

  He pulled his mind back, picked up where they’d dropped the conversation and said, “I believe you were hell-bent on convincing me that being prepared isn’t the be-all and end-all.”

  “Right. Okay. So, were you prepared when I—”

  “No,” he interjected. “I have not been prepared for any one action you’ve taken since that day at the Beanery. Nothing you’ve said, either.”

  Ever so lightly, she laid her hand on his knee and leaned in, so their faces were mere inches apart. His heart jumped to his throat and then dived to his stomach and then crawled back into its proper place, where it thudded hard and fast.

  “Then I’ve proven my side of the argument,” she said in that same almost-a-whisper, feathery tone. “Because there you were, adhering to your plans for the day, and there I was. And if I hadn’t seen a possibility, been open to that possibility, I wouldn’t have stepped behind you in line. I wouldn’t have done any of the things I’ve done. And I wouldn’t be here now.”

  Between those words, her touch and her close proximity, the control he’d only had a tenuous lock on to begin with also dissolved, fell away. He stopped worrying about oil and water. Stopped considering every one of the danger signs. The only thing he wanted—all he could think of—was pulling this woman even closer, holding her, kissing her.

  Claiming her as his.

  He had to kiss her. Didn’t see any way around it, really. Not with her being so glorious and all.

  Lifting his hand, he skimmed his palm along her cheek, rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. The soft skin throbbed beneath his touch, grew warmer, and she moaned. A tiny, breathy, exquisite sliver of a sound that just about did him the rest of the way in.

  “My intention is to kiss you,” he said, meeting his gaze with hers. There, in the depths of her willow-green eyes, he saw heat, passion, desire. Want. For him. Amazing. “So, if kissing me is not one of those possibilities you’re open to, you better let me know. Sooner rather than later.”

  She was there, then, on his lap and in his arms, before he’d even finished his sentence. Before he’d truly contemplated what kissing this woman would do to him. How it would change him. How it would change...everything. Too late now. Way too late to worry about logic.

  He laced his fingers into her hair, brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her with the raw power of every emotion, every sensation, she’d ignited into being. Her lips were soft, tender, beneath his. Her hands were on his back, pushing him closer to her, and every now and then, another one of those tiny, breathy moans would escape.

  She was, at once, sweet and spicy, strong and vulnerable, sexy and innocent. One kiss with Haley wouldn’t be enough to satiate his craving for her. One kiss, one taste, would never, could never, be enough. Another chunk of his shield dropped away, ceased to exist, exposing his vulnerabilities. Exposing him.

  This realization should have scared him, should have sent him running.

  In this moment, though, with her in his arms, the scent of her all around him and the taste of her on his lips, he couldn’t think about what this would mean tomorrow, or the next day, or ten days after that. Or hell, ten years. He just knew that one kiss wouldn’t be enough.

  Unexpected possibilities. Some good, some bad. He hadn’t planned or prepared for this. Couldn’t have seen this possibility on his horizon no matter how far or hard he’d searched. Didn’t yet know if this would prove good or bad or somewhere in between.

  But here it was. Here she was. And nothing would ever be the same again.

  Chapter Seven

  The next evening, Haley took the stairs from her apartment down to the restaurant’s kitchen two steps at a time. She had this joyous energy tumbling through her veins, feeding her entire body with pure, unadulterated bliss. Even her upcoming dinner with Matt the teacher couldn’t wipe away her good mood. Suzette knew the score, Matt hadn’t really wanted to go to begin with, so she’d decided to put this dinner neatly into the “evening with friends” category.

  It was not a date.

  After last night’s kiss with Gavin, she had a difficult time imagining dating any other man ever again. She wasn’t surprised by this. Every reaction she’d had since meeting Gavin had risen above and beyond any of her prior experiences, including those of a romantic nature. Including kisses. She knew, whether sensible or not, whether anyone else would decree it possible or impossible, that she was falling hard and heavy and, knowing her, permanently.

  That held some worry, because she didn’t want to love a man who didn’t love her for the rest of her life. In about every way she could think of, that would suck. Badly. But he’d made the move, not her, so that had to mean he was feeling some part or parcel of what she was.

  Or so she hoped.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she heard Reid’s deep voice as he talked to someone, probably one of the cooks. Dylan, she knew, was working the bar that evening. Which meant two of
her three brothers were on the premises. She’d be more comfortable facing Cole, as she rarely got anything past Reid and Dylan. They were like bloodhounds whenever she had a secret, nosing in and asking questions until they’d sniffed out the truth.

  Well, Dylan especially. He seemed to know just by looking at her if she was keeping something to herself. Pausing, she composed her features, put Gavin out of her head—well, tried to, anyway—and inhaled a calming breath. If she waltzed in there brimming with gush, all bets would be off and her secret would be out of the bag. And she wasn’t ready for that to happen.

  So, she dimmed her smile, walked at a leisurely pace and entered the kitchen as if this were any other normal day and not the day after she’d had the most amazing kiss of her life.

  “Hey there, big brother,” she said to Reid, who was sitting at the table in the corner to the side of all the activity, enjoying a burger and fries. “Don’t you ever eat at home?” she asked, falling into their normal, teasing banter. “What do you think this place is, a restaurant?”

  He didn’t respond, just winked at her as he dunked a French fry in a puddle of spicy mustard. She breathed easier. So far, so good. Mussing his dark hair with one hand, she moved past him to the small fridge the family and employees used and grabbed a bottle of water. Held it against her overly warm cheek and checked the wall clock. She’d gotten ready too fast.

  She considered returning to her apartment, waiting out the remaining thirty-odd minutes there, but decided against it. Reid might not put any weight on a quick appearance-disappearance, but she was close to her brothers, enjoyed spending time with them. Under normal circumstances, she’d stay and chat, so why ask for trouble?

  “So, Reid, I have some time to kill. Entertain me.”

  He rolled his eyes without comment and continued eating. If she’d said the same to either Cole or Dylan, they would’ve belted out a song or told a joke or picked her up and swung her around. Not Reid. Of all of her brothers, he was the most serious by far. He hadn’t always been that way, but losing the love of his life—on what was supposed to be their wedding day, no less—had seemingly changed him forever.

  Oh, he was still Haley’s kind, sweet, loving brother. He was just quieter. More focused, she guessed. Intense. And he didn’t seem to ever find or see the lighter moments in life. This saddened her. Confused her, too, since he’d never fully explained what had happened with Daisy. Whenever her name was brought up, he tended to change the subject. Fast. She’d long since learned to leave his past with his runaway bride alone.

  “Talk to me,” she said, hoping she sounded natural. “Or I’ll be forced to resort to drastic measures to keep myself from dying of boredom. What’s going on in your life lately?”

  “Not a whole lot. Mostly working,” he said, pushing his plate a few inches away from him. “It was a tough winter, so we’re still dealing with cleanup and boundary maintenance. Especially in the tougher-to-reach areas. Have a few refresher courses coming up soon.”

  Reid was an equal partner in their family’s businesses, and helped out whenever he could, but his actual career was as a professional ski patroller. He was less busy during the shoulder seasons—like now—but in peak season, he helped keep people safe. Rescued those who were injured, stuck, lost. And he saved lives. She was darn proud of him.

  But she wished he smiled more. Similar to how she wished Gavin smiled more. Was there a greater connection? Had a woman broken Gavin’s heart? Ugh. She hated that thought.

  “What about you?” Reid asked.

  “Ah. Pretty much the same as you,” she said, her thoughts on Gavin.

  “Same as me...what?” he asked drily, with a nuance of amusement. “Are you also maintaining boundaries and taking a few refresher courses?”

  “No boundaries or classes. There just isn’t a lot going on for me right now, either.” She unscrewed the lid to her water bottle, screwed it back on and repeated the action twice more before realizing what she was doing. She ordered herself to stop thinking about Gavin. “Busy with work and hanging out with...friends. Watching books, reading movies... Wait, that’s wrong. Watching movies and reading books. Oh, I painted my apartment a while back.”

  In a slow, methodical move, Reid lifted his napkin and wiped his mouth, eyeing her with curiosity. Balling the napkin, he tossed it on top of his plate. “You got weird there really fast. Everything okay? Anything you need to talk about?”

  And there he went, being sweet and concerned, which flustered her all the more. Brought to mind how Gavin had asked after her when she’d trailed him home. “I’m fine, Reid. Promise.”

  “Then why the weirdness?”

  “I believe you’ve mistaken excitement for weirdness,” she deadpanned. Breathed in, and then out. “I know you don’t see me excited often, so I understand your confusion.”

  “I’ve known you for your entire life, so I think I can say with some assurance that you’re excited far more often than you’re not. And what you are now falls solidly into the weird zone.”

  “I wouldn’t say that’s an entirely factual statement.” Excited, yes. Behaving oddly? Yes to that, too. But she wasn’t about to verbally admit that to her brother. “I’m just happy a lot. Happiness and excitement aren’t one and the same, but can easily be mistaken for each other.”

  “Typically,” Reid pointed out, “those two emotions exist concurrently. But maybe I’ve misjudged what’s going on. Tell me then, what has you so excited when, by your own admission, there isn’t a lot happening right now?”

  Oh, jeez. She should’ve seen that question coming. “Just that life in general is the same, but also, um...” She let her words die away, unable to find an explanation other than the truth.

  “Exciting?” Reid filled in.

  “Yes! Because, well, summer is almost here. And I love summer. So I’m looking forward to summer. Ready for the heat!” Well, okay. Her statement made little sense. Steamboat Springs had a fairly high elevation, and therefore was not known for its hot, balmy summers. Blinking, she gave herself a mental slap. To wake herself up. “Summer is...fun. Busy, but fun.”

  “Uh-huh.” Brown eyes narrowed inquisitively. “You look nice in that dress.”

  “Thank you.” Off went the water bottle cap. On went the water bottle cap. “Rachel gave me this dress, from her humongous designer wardrobe.”

  “Rachel’s a sweetheart, all right.”

  “She is, isn’t she?” Haley enthused, pleased they were headed in another direction. “And she’ll make a great sister-in-law, don’t you think? Cole’s a very lucky guy. Do you know if they’ve settled on a wedding date yet? Christmas would be nice, since that’s when Cole proposed. Such a romantic proposal! And—”

  “Still being weird, Haley.”

  “Am not.” She glanced at the clock. Really? Only eight minutes had passed? How was that even possible?

  “Well, you are, but apparently you don’t want to talk about it.” Reid ran his hand over his jaw, gave her that partially concerned, partially amused look again. “You’re okay?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “That’s good. You know I worry about you.”

  “You worry about all of us, Reid. That’s sort of your self-mandated job as the eldest.”

  “I worry about you the most. Always have, since the day you were born.”

  True, she knew. Reid was seven years older. During her growing-up years, if their parents weren’t able to attend a school function, or be home in the evening, or kiss a skinned knee, or calm her after a nightmare, Reid was there in their place. Almost always. As her caretaker and her brother.

  She left her position by the fridge to give him a kiss on his cheek. “I love you like crazy. You know that, right? But I promise I’m totally fine. Better than fine.”

  He released a breath, pulled her in for a hug. “Love yo
u like crazy, too.” When they separated, he tugged a lock of her hair. “You’re a little more dolled-up than usual, aren’t you?”

  “I’m meeting Suzette for dinner soon. Sort of like a girls’ night out.” Suzette would be in attendance. And two girls were enough, in her mind, to call it a girls’ night out. “Nothing fancy.”

  Reid opened his mouth—to question her more, she was sure—when the door to the kitchen swung open. In came their mother, Margaret Foster, with an overly large tray balanced on one curvaceous hip and stacked dishes in the crook of her other arm. No one could carry the amount of dishes in one haul that she could, and Haley had tried...more than once.

  “Mom,” she said loudly. A little too loudly. “Let me help you with that.”

  “No, no. I’m fine,” she said with a smile. “Oh, that’s a pretty dress, dear. That’s right, you have that date tonight, don’t you? I’d almost forgotten.”

  “Aha! A date. I knew there was something going on,” Reid said. “Who is he?”

  “Hush, you,” she said to her brother. Dang it all. When had she told her mother about the blind date? She went through the past few days, found nothing. Maybe her mother had finally learned how to read minds? Scary thought. “When did I tell you about this, Mom?”

  “You didn’t.” Margaret rebalanced the tray on her hip before disappearing from view long enough to unload the dishes. When she returned, she said, “Suzette mentioned it last night when she called here looking for you. He’s a teacher, right? Mark, Mike... Works with Suzette?”

  Well, that would explain it. “Yes, a teacher. His name is Matt, but this isn’t really a date.”

  “I don’t know, Haley,” Reid said. “It looks like a date, sounds like a date. From where I’m sitting, I’d have to call this a date. Matt who? What’s his last name?”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake! I haven’t met him yet, so I have no idea what his last name is. This is a blind—” No. Not a date. “Um. A blind gathering-of-friends. For dinner. With Suzette and a couple of others. Matt is one of the others.”