Page 1 of Her Mountain Man Veteran

1

CELESTE

I lugmy suitcase through the trees, panting hard. A thick root almost trips me up, but I keep walking, the forest sprawling for miles around me. Wildflowers carpet the ground, buttery sunlight streaming through the canopies overhead as I trudge forward. But it’s hard to appreciate the beauty around me when I’m sweating my butt off. A stitch burns in my side, and I drop my luggage with a sigh of defeat, leaning back against a thick tree trunk.

I never thought I’d say this…

But right now, I really hate books.

When I left Denver this morning to travel to my brother’s mountain cabin with a suitcase full of my favorite novels, I sure as heck didn’t expect to end up carrying them uphill through the wilderness. But when I finally reached the small town of Cherry Hollow, I discovered that the twisty mountain path leading to Brody’s cabin was blocked by a fallen tree. His new home is so remote that there’s no other way to reach it by car, and the cell service is too patchy to call him. So, I figured I’d walk the rest of the way.

Probably not the best idea I’ve ever had.

I’m no stranger to the woods. Before we moved to Denver, Brody and I grew up in Vermont, right in the heart of a national forest. But this place is different. There’s a wild edge to it, something rugged and untamed, and I can see why my brother likes it so much. He’s always been a mountain man at heart. He was never happy living in Denver, but he stayed for years, not wanting me to be alone in the city. It took a long time for him to believe that I would be okay by myself, and after years of convincing, he finally moved out here last month. I think it’s probably the first thing my brother has ever done purely for himself. As long as I can remember, all his decisions have revolved around me. My life. My wellbeing. So even if I miss having him around, I’m happy that he finally followed his heart. He deserves it.

Thinking of my brother gives me a boost of motivation, so I hoist my luggage off the ground and start walking again. It only takes a couple more minutes after that. I grin to myself as I see the shape of a log cabin emerge from the trees, nestled in a lush green clearing. It’s bigger than I expected, made of caramel-colored wood, with large windows and a gable roof. A huge pickup is parked out front, and I smile at the sight of it. Brody told me he planned to buy a truck, something bigger and more suited to the rough terrain.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I finally set my suitcase down outside the front door and knock. Nobody answers. There’s no sound from inside, and I try to squint through the windows, but all I can see is the reflection of the trees behind me, swaying gently in the breeze. I knock again, frowning. Brody knows I’m coming, but I’m later than expected. Knowing my brother, he’s probably out searching for me on the mountain road, waiting for my car to show up. My cell phone still has zero bars, so I can’t call to tell him I’m here. I figure the best thing I can do is wait until he gets back.

I wonder if he left the door unlocked?

The handle turns easily, and I take a step inside the cabin, carrying my suitcase with me. I catch a brief glimpse of a cozy living room before I’m distracted by the sound of heavy footsteps stomping toward me from the next room. I guess Brody is here after all, and I beam, ready to give my brother a big hug. But my smile slides away as the door bursts open to reveal a stranger. A giant. My heart jolts, the breath knocked out of me. He’s staring at me with bewildered eyes, lips parted beneath his beard. Scars cover one side of his face, deep grooves etched into his cheek. But they’re the only thing covering him…

He’s completely naked.

Oh, God.

I can’t help it. My eyes flicker down to his body automatically, my pulse jumping as I glimpse the stranger’s broad shoulders, his muscular arms, his solid chest, down, down, down…

Stop looking!

It feels like forever, but it’s only the space of a heartbeat before I instinctively whip around and turn the other way, hands covering my face before I can see anything more. Blood pumps hard in my veins, my throat tight as I struggle to catch my breath.

Crap…

Wrong cabin.

I can feel those eyes burning into the back of my head, and I know I need to speak. I need to give this stranger an explanation for why I just barged into his cabin and gawked at him naked. But my mouth is too dry to speak.

“Who are you?”

The man’s voice rumbles from behind me—deep and commanding—and slowly, I turn to face him again, locking onto his eyes. They burn into mine, waiting for answers, but I can’t speak. This stranger has me tongue-tied. My cheeks are searing, but even though I’m completely mortified…even though I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole…I still can’t help noticing the obvious…

This stranger is the hottest man I’ve ever seen.

He towers over me, so huge that he seems to fill the entire room, and it takes all my willpower not to look down at his body again. Instead, I take in his handsome features—straight nose, strong chin, amber eyes the color of whiskey, and those jagged scars, which only add to his rugged good looks. There’s something wild about him, rough around the edges, just like the forest outside. A real mountain man.

And I just walked in on him buck naked.

2

DANE

I stridethrough the towering trees, hauling a sack of wood over my shoulder. I spent the whole morning clearing branches, felling dead wood that didn’t make it through the winter, and salvaging the usable parts. It’s a big job, and sweat pricks at my skin, soaking through my flannel shirt as I head back to my cabin for a shower and some lunch.

The first hints of summer hang in the air like a promise. Overhead, sunlight filters through the leaves, turning everything vivid and golden. The soft breeze is warm against my skin, and it’s a damn relief after all those months of snow. Cold air always makes my scars burn, like knives slicing into my face. I sure as hell won’t miss that.

As I keep walking, I spy one of my rental cabins in the distance, giving it a wide berth in case there’s anybody outside. My brother Weston and I own six rentals between us, dotted around Cherry Mountain. It’s a neat setup. Guests book online and receive an automated email with the code to the key lockbox outside. Then we get a cleaner in between guests to tidy everything up. No hosting or face-to-face contact necessary, which suits me just fine. I hate dealing with people. When you look like me, the flinches and double takes get pretty fucking tiresome after a while.

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