Page 6 of Her Mountain Man Veteran

“Yeah. I brought you a pie.” Celeste’s pretty face lights up as she speaks. “The tree blocking the road is gone, so Brody took me to Cherry Hollow for brunch and I grabbed this from the bakery…it’s to apologize again for yesterday, and to say thank you.”

Now that I’m closer, I recognize the box. It’s from Buttercup Bakery, the familiar logo stamped on the top.

Dammit, she’s so sweet.

“Thanks,” I tell her as she hands me the box. “You didn’t have to do that.”

She shrugs, smiling softly. “It’s okay, I wanted to.”

We look at each other for a beat too long, the air molasses-thick around us. Just being in her presence is enough to steal the breath from my lungs, my body forgetting how to function.

“You, uh…you want to come in?” I ask, nodding toward my cabin. “I’ll cut you some pie.”

For a second, Celeste looks torn, and her brow furrows as she looks back the way she came.

“I’d love to,” she says, “but I told Brody I wouldn’t be gone long. He wasn’t crazy about the idea of me walking through the woods by myself again. I had to promise him like five times that I remembered the way to your place.”

I grunt. “He sounds pretty protective.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Celeste chuckles, shaking her head. “He has his reasons, though.”

I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t, and I think back to when I met Brody, the flicker of distrust in his eyes when we shook hands. It’s an expression I’m used to. People see my scars and make assumptions. They think I’m a dangerous man who’s lived a dangerous life, and their instinct is to stay away. Doesn’t matter that I’m just a veteran trying to mind his own damn business; they take one look and think they know me. I stopped giving a shit a long time ago, but with Celeste, it’s different.

I care what she thinks.

I care a hell of a lot.

“Stay a couple of minutes,” I tell her. “Your brother can’t stop you from having a slice of pie.”

Celeste bites her lip, and slowly, her hesitation melts into a smile. “A slice of pie sounds good.”

There are a million reasons I shouldn’t be inviting her in. She’s too damn young. Too sweet. She lives two hundred miles away…

But all of that fades the second I look into her eyes.

Logic doesn’t mean shit when my heart is thudding like a jackhammer, my body pulled taut with desire.

Nothing else matters but her—Celeste.

Not the years between us.

Not the distance.

And especially not her overprotective brother.

5

CELESTE

I followDane into his cabin, my pulse fluttering at the memory of what I saw the last time I was here. It makes me shudder a little, and I wonder if Dane is thinking about it too as he pulls out a chair for me at his giant oak dining table. His cabin is roomier than my brother’s, more lived-in, with cozy décor and the same style of rustic furniture. Sunlight spills through the windows, casting a golden glow over the open-plan living area, and I take it all in as Dane busies himself with slicing up the cherry pie.

I didn’t notice much the last time I was here—I was too busy staring at Dane—but now, something catches my eye. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase spans the wall to my left, stuffed full of leather-bound books. It sends a skitter of excitement through me.

“You like to read?” I ask, beaming at Dane.

“You bet.” He slides a plate of cherry pie in front of me. “Books have gotten me through some pretty rough times.”

“Me too.” I look toward the bookcase again, unable to help myself. “Can I take a look?”

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