Page 5 of Rough Mountain Man

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Starving,” I said.

“Great. I’ll take you to lunch, and we’ll discuss our next steps.”

Next steps. That sounded like a business term. It threw me off for a second, until I reminded myself that he was a businessman. I’d assumed he was one of those hermit types who lived off the land, but none of these guys did that. They worked hard and lived in air-conditioned cabins with running water and electricity.

“I don’t want to be trouble,” I said. “You probably need to get back.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “I had a guy on lunch break when you came in.”

“I don’t normally do the tastings. I’m sure you could probably tell.” I bit my tongue on that one. “I’m game for lunch. My treat.”

“No way,” he said. “I’m paying. You’re a guest in my town. It’s the right thing to do.”

I’d argue with him, but I had a feeling this went deeper than good hospitality. This guy was a gentleman, and he would not take a woman to lunch—even if it wasn’t romantic—without paying.

But I couldn’t help but wish, as we climbed into his truck and exited the driveway, that this was more than a break in a busyday for a meal. I wanted to be climbing into this guy’s truck to go on a date. For real.

And that threatened to distract me from the reason I was in town in the first place. I couldn’t let that happen. But damn, it was tempting.

4

RYAN

I’d never been prouder than I was walking into the town deli with Gennie next to me. Okay, so I didn’t recognize a single face, even though this place was a popular lunch spot for the people who worked in the shopping center across the street. The same center where I’d opened my business. But it wasn’t like I hung out there day and night. When I did have to be at the shop for more than a few hours, I’d pack a lunch.

“I love a good sandwich,” Gennie said as she bit into her BLT.

“I’ve heard good things about their BLTs.”

“Want a taste?” She nudged the sandwich toward me. I shook my head but then had second thoughts about turning her down.

She was offering to share her food with me. There was something sort of intimate about it. If I bit into her sandwich, we’d be sharing germs. It would almost be like kissing.

Did that mean she’d be open to kissing me?

No, I couldn’t think like that. I had to stay focused on helping her. It was best for both of us.

“How’s yours?” she asked, lowering her gaze to my meat lover’s sub.

I’d been so caught up in Gennie, I hadn’t noticed. I may as well have been eating packing peanuts for all the attention I was giving the food in my mouth.

“Great,” I said.

I picked up my sub and took another bite. I waited for the flavors to hit my tastebuds, but still, the effect was far duller than it normally would be. Weird. All I could think was that Gennie had taken over my senses.

“So, what made you so interested in moonshine?” she asked. “Did you grow up around here?”

I nearly laughed at that. I got why she would think that. Moonshine started as something illegal made in the mountains, but that had nothing to do with my upbringing.

“I grew up just outside of D.C.,” I said, once again scanning the café for signs of someone I knew. Damn it. I wanted everyone to see me with this gorgeous woman. “We moved to Cleveland when I was a teenager.”

There was a good reason for that. I didn’t really want to go into it. My dad had cheated on my mom with one of his interns. She got upset when he didn’t leave my mom for her and went to the press.

After the news broke, Dad lost his job and pretty much became a laughingstock, making it tough for him to get work. I’d barely grabbed my diploma before I was off at boot camp, trying to distance my family drama.

“The whole moonshine thing is just for tourists,” I said. “That’s all. I spent time in the Smokies when I was a kid. Had to go for a friend’s wedding a few years ago, and I noticed all these moonshine-tasting places. I started looking into it. I had a little extra money and was looking for an investment opportunity, and this town was up and coming, with not a single moonshine tasting in sight. So here we are.”

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