Page 11 of Her Mountain Man Giant

“Glad you like it.” He gestures to the huge leather couch in front of the empty fireplace. “Make yourself at home, okay? I need to go close all the storm shutters.”

He begins with the windows in here, turning a crank that rolls the shutters down over them, blocking the view of the flailing trees outside. Then he heads through a door to the right, leaving me alone in the living room. As soon as he’s gone, I circle the room, my curiosity taking hold.

I never could resist a little snooping.

There doesn’t seem to be much to find: the room is tidy and clutter-free, nothing like my living room. Aside from the couch, there’s a table and chairs, a large coffee table, three squashy armchairs, and a liquor cabinet, all neatly arranged on top of a plush Persian rug that spans most of the room. In the corner, set apart from everything else, is a wooden sideboard with a couple of drawers. I head toward it, casting a quick look over my shoulder to make sure Tanner isn’t there.

I slide open the drawer on the left, wincing when it squeaks. It’s empty but for a single photograph, face down. Gingerly, Iturn it over, careful not to smear it with my fingerprints. My heart stutters with familiarity as I look at the picture, and I grin to myself.

Wow.

It’s Tanner—back when he was even younger than I am now. He’s beardless, with far fewer tattoos, but I recognize him instantly. His arm is wrapped around the shoulder of a guy who looks almost as tall as him, both of them wearing shorts and basketball jerseys. The other guy grins broadly at the camera, showing all his teeth, while Tanner’s lips are barely quirked, his thick brows already furrowed into the permanent scowl he wears now. I study the photo, intrigued. It’s not surprising that a guy Tanner’s size used to play basketball, but it’s still hard to imagine him shooting hoops instead of chopping trees. The forest seems like his natural habitat, almost like he’s part of the wilderness itself, and it’s hard to pair the young basketball player in the picture with the rugged mountain man he is today.

“Violet?”

I jump, hurriedly replacing the photo and shutting the drawer. My cheeks flame as I turn around to see Tanner watching me from the doorway, his eyebrow raised.

“You looking for something?”

“I…no. Sorry, I was just being nosy.”

He makes a noise deep in his throat. “Guess you saw the photo?”

“Yes.” I smile weakly, still embarrassed to be caught. “I didn’t know you played basketball.”

Tanner says nothing and the silence drags on between us. Guilt rises in my chest. He’s mad at me—I’m sure of it. His jaw is tight, eyes blank as he eyes the drawer I just closed.

“I’m sorry, Tanner,” I mumble. “You have every right to be mad. I shouldn’t have been snooping.”

He shakes his head, cutting me off. “Don’t apologize. I’m not mad. Hell, I can’t blame you for being curious. I know I’m not exactly an open book.”

He looks away from the drawer, focusing his gaze on me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but he looks pensive, like there’s some kind of internal debate going on in his mind. Eventually, he lets out a deep sigh and joins me by the sideboard. Then he takes the photo from the drawer and beckons me toward the couch. We sit side by side, close enough for our thighs to touch as Tanner holds out the photo, pointing at the guy beside him.

“That’s Jason,” he says. “My younger brother.”

“Oh!” I peer closer at the smiling man’s face. “I see it now. You have the same eyes.”

Tanner grunts in agreement. “This is the year we were both drafted for the NBA.”

I blink at him. “The NBA?”

“Yes.”

“You mean…theNBA?”

“Yes.”

“As in…the National Basketball Association? TheNBANBA?”

For a moment, his seriousness breaks and he lets out a deep chuckle. “Do you know of any other NBAs?”

“Wow.” I gawk at him, struggling to wrap my head around it. “That’s crazy!”

“It was a long time ago. I didn’t last long.”

“Why?” I ask, my heart sinking at the look on his face. “What happened?”

He doesn’t respond right away. The only sound is the howling wind, louder than before, like there’s a screaming crowd of people right outside the cabin.

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