Page 1 of Falling for the Mountain Man
1
Ryder
Enjoying the soft tunes coming from the speakers, my attempt at relaxing while working is interrupted by a heavy knock against the door separating me from the rest of the department before the captain of my team appears.
He looks oddly pleased.
Diego drops a box at the foot at my desk. Sifting through the product inside, he sets down the first of the calendars delivering a catalog of my men wearing hardly anything. They smell like they’re freshly printed.
“The photos turned out great. No surprise there.” He flips through the months, a proud look in his eyes.
Might have something to do with him running the fundraising project smoothly to get the final product here. Or, it could have something to do with the young woman behind the camera.
I swallow down the urge to groan at the thought of their age difference.
Hits a little too close to home with my own issues happening.
“You sure you want to handle the distribution?” He flicks his gaze toward my work, just as he always does. “I don’t mind updating the website. Addie is good with technology. I’m sure she’d be willing to help.”
“I’ll be just fine, thanks.” Taking the calendar and setting it on top of my to-do list, we both watch the pile shiver with more additional weight. At this rate, the mountain of tasks is going to cascade off the desk, creating such a disorganized mess that not even I could survive.
I should really address some of the stuff inside. From the looks of things, I’m self-sabotaging myself for failure.
“Need anything else while I’m here?” Diego lingers, as if he hopes I’ll give him some administrative work. I should. It would give me time to get out of this office.
Instead, I grunt and shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have this all caught up by the end of the week.” I always do, even if I do push everything to the last minute.
He gives me this worried look that lasts for an instant before he’s nodding. He’s a good man, and I’m sure he’ll intervene if he truly gets worried.
“Let me know if you change your mind. I’m here for anything.” Giving me his back, he heads back out toward the sound of the other men chatting on the other side of the thin walls.
Once I’m alone, I look at the calendar once more before sighing through my nose.
I’ve written off all my stress as job-related, but the truth is…
Being Chief of this fire department is just my latest excuse. A distraction. Something to bury myself in so I don’t have to face what’s really eating at me.
Kallie’s returning home. My little girl—not so little anymore—back under my roof for a few precious days. Two years into college, and every visit feels like unwrapping a gift. She’s sharper now, more sure of herself. The kind of woman her mother would’ve been proud of.
The problem isn’t Kallie.
It’s Zaria, Kallie’s roommate.
The shadow she drags back with her every time. Because, like her old man, my girl’s got a soft spot for strays, and Zaria? No family, nowhere to go during these festive times—so Kallie opens our doors, our table, our lives to her without a second thought.
Shame I don’t see Zaria as a daughter.
If I did, maybe I wouldn’t be holed up in my office right now, drowning in paperwork I’ve ignored for weeks. Maybe I wouldn’t feel my pulse kick up every time I hear that laugh of hers ringing through the cabin.
I still remember the first time Kallie introduced her, practically pushing the shy woman in my direction.
She’d stumbled on her words, cheeks so hot, mumbling her thanks like letting her stay seemed more like a bother than a treat. Taking care of her was like bringing a wounded stray out of the shadows.
Once she opened up, Zaria lit up bright.Her smile blinded me, two dimples welcoming me with open arms. That’s when I felt it, the first stir in my chest.
A sensation a forty-three-year-old man shouldn’t be feeling for an eighteen-year-old.
Two years later, the feelings haven’t disappeared. Instead, they’ve grown.
