Page 6 of Her Mountain Man Rescuer

“Thank God,” she says, letting out a deep breath. “I know Weston.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You do?”

Lila nods. “He owns the rental cabin where Ridge and I met.”

When my best friend came out to Cherry Mountain in January, the cabin she rented was double-booked, and she ended up staying with a stranger. That’s how she met Ridge.

“We bought him a bottle of whiskey,” Lila continues. “To say thank you. If it hadn’t been for the fault in his booking system, Ridge and I never would have met.”

“Wow. Small world.”

Lila chuckles. “More like small town. So, when will you be leaving Weston’s place?”

I swallow hard, listening to the sound of movement in the kitchen. I should be eager to get out of here so I can finally see Lila. That’s what this whole trip was about. But for some crazy reason, I’m reluctant to go.

“I’m not sure,” I say eventually. “He’s making us hot chocolate and patching me up. Maybe in like an hour? I’ll ask if he can drive me back to where I left my car.”

“Sounds good. I’m so glad you’re okay, Audrey.”

When Weston comes in with two steaming mugs, Lila and I wrap up the call, and I slip my phone back into my pocket.

“Everything okay now?” he asks, handing me a hot chocolate.

“Yeah, all good. Thank you.”

I take a sip, the drink warming me through. Weston takes a seat opposite me on an identical leather armchair, eyeing me over the rim of his mug. It looks bizarrely tiny in his giant hands.

“Apparently, you already know my friend Lila,” I tell him.

He frowns, uncomprehending. “Lila?”

“She rented one of your cabins a couple of months ago and ended up staying with a guy called Ridge?—”

Weston’s expression clears and he nods. “Right, right, I remember now. So she’s who you’re here to visit?”

“That’s right. It’s my first time visiting her since she moved out of the city.”

He nods thoughtfully. “Pretty eventful first visit, Miss Denver.”

I roll my eyes at the nickname, suppressing a smile. “You know, this is technically all your fault.”

Weston sets down his mug, cocking his head. “How’d you figure that?”

“Well, if your booking system had worked properly, then Lila would never have ended up in that cabin with Ridge; they never would have fallen in love; she wouldn’t have moved to Cherry Mountain; I wouldn’t have come out here to visit, and then I never would have fallen down that cliff…” I shrug my shoulders, shooting him a teasing smile. “Seems like you’re responsible for all of this.”

Weston’s lips quirk beneath his beard, eyes dancing in the firelight. “Well damn, I guess you’re right. Doing my best to make up for it, though.”

“Yes, you’ve been very generous.” I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to forgive you.”

“How about I make you a late dinner?” he asks. “Sounds like I really need to redeem myself here somehow.”

I beam at him, unable to keep a straight face. “A late dinner sounds nice.”

My pulse thrums as he smiles back at me, more with his eyes than his mouth. It transforms his grumpy face, making him look more handsome than ever. I know I should head to Lila’s, but I can’t resist spending a little more time with this gorgeous mountain man. Weston makes me feel safe. Protected. It’s something I’ve been missing after what happened back in the city last month…but out here, even after my near-death cliff experience, it feels like nothing can hurt me with Weston around. He saved my life, after all. How could I refuse to have dinner with him?

It has nothing to do with the way he makes my heart race when he looks at me…

Nothing at all.

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