Page 2 of Her Mountain Man Giant

Job - Lumberjack? Chops wood. Mountain man living off the land?

I’m so busy writing that I don’t notice the silence. The swish of the axe has stopped. When I finally look up from my notebook, I stumble backward with a squeak of surprise. The giant is standing right in front of me. I have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze, blushing under the intensity of his olive green eyes. He’s even more handsome up close—as big and rugged as Cherry Mountain itself. But he’s also intimidating as heck. The sheer size of him is enough to make me take another step back, my heart in my throat. It sure doesn’t help that he’s scowling at me, his burly arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. When he spots the notebook in my hand, his thick brows furrow even deeper. He looks pissed.

Crap.

Why do I feel like I just poked the bear?

2

TANNER

It’s a cool summer evening,the heat from this afternoon seeping away as I trek through the forest, eyes peeled for a juniper tree. Saturday’s storm ripped up a fence on my property, and I need a solid chunk of wood to fix it. Happens a lot up here this time of year—storm damage.

Damn monsoon season.

The juniper trees grow in a cluster at the very edge of my land, about a mile from my cabin. It should be a short walk, but my knee is flaring up, throbbing painfully with every step. I grit my teeth and push through. Juniper’s worth the time it takes to find. It’s ugly wood—gnarled and twisted—but it doesn’t rot like the rest.

When I finally reach the patch of junipers, I choose the sturdiest-looking one and lower my axe to the trunk, marking a groove so I know where to aim the blade. Then I plant my feet and swing my arm back, slamming my axe into the knotted bark. Once. Twice. I build up a steady rhythm before adjusting my position, moving to the other side of the tree. But as I raise my axe once more, my weight shifts forward and my knee locks into place.

Shit.

I let out a grunt of frustration. It’s been eighteen years since the accident, but my body won’t let me forget. The pain is a constant reminder—impossible to escape—and I let my axe drop to the ground as I rub a hand over my stiff joint, trying to ease the tension.

The forest seems impossibly quiet now that I’ve stopped chopping. All the birds have fled the noise, and even the trees themselves seem to hold their breath. Then I hear something. The crinkle of a page turning. A deep inhale. Somebody is out here, hidden among the junipers.

Goddammit.

I feel a surge of annoyance as I shake off the stiffness in my knee, forcing myself to move toward the noise. This is my land. These trees are on my property. Nobody should be out here.

Maybe it’s somebody looking for me?

My brain latches onto the thought before I can stop it. I know there are people who still talk about what happened; I’ve seen the theories online, obscure forums and blog posts with titles likeWhere is Tanner Greene now?It’s not impossible that somebody could have found me, followed me out here.

But after all this time, would anybody really go that far?

Instinctively, I clench my fists, steeling myself as I round the juniper tree. My heart jumps. A young woman stands shrouded by branches like she’s trying to hide, her head bowed as she scribbles something in her notebook. She’s so absorbed that she doesn’t even notice me, and all I can do is stare, taking her in.

Holy shit.

She’s beautiful. I rake my gaze over her thick curves, my pulse quickening at the way she fills out her shorts and t-shirt. Her hair is a warm golden brown, shining like molten caramel in the evening light. It falls in waves over the swell of her breasts, down to her wide hips, and I have to stifle a groan.

I force myself to snap back to reality, crossing my arms as I watch the intruder. She might look like an angel, but she’s trespassing, and I don’t like the way she’s writing in that little pink notebook. Is she a journalist, here to drag up the past? Hell, why else would she be sneaking around my land, making notes?

All these thoughts fly through my brain in the space of a few seconds. I open my mouth to speak, ready to tell the girl to get out of here, when suddenly, she looks up. When she sees me standing over her, she lets out a squeak of surprise, stumbling back. Her big brown eyes meet mine, wide and doe-like, and my breath hitches as I take in her pretty face—soft cheeks, plump red lips…

Fuck.

The girl looks shocked, but there’s something else in her expression that raises my suspicions. Guilt. Like I’ve caught her out.

“What are you doing here?” I ask gruffly. “This is private property.”

“Sorry!” She takes another step back, clutching the notebook to her chest. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

Her voice is sweet as honey, and I feel a twinge of pity as I scowl down at her. She looks adorable, blinking up at me with those pretty brown eyes, but I can see the fear behind them, and I can’t blame her for being scared. I’m a seven-foot giant, twice this girl’s size, and we’re all alone out here in the woods. If I was a better man, I’d turn around right now and leave her alone. But I need to know how she found me. I need to know if the past is about to be stirred up all over again.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask her.

“I…” She frowns, biting her lip like she’s confused. “What do you mean?”

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