Page 19 of Christmas Hike With The Mountain Man
I sighed. “Technically, since before college. My uncle is friends with one of the VP’s there. He got me a job in the mailroom when I was sixteen. When I turned eighteen, they promoted me to receptionist. And then after I got my bookkeeping degree, they moved me to the accounting department.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Well, you’re definitely dependable. It sounds like you could work there your whole life. But you say you don’t like it?”
I snuggled into his chest and breathed in deep, absorbing everything I could of Boone.
“It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just that… I keep feeling like there should be somethingmoreto life. I’ve always played it safe. I was the good girl, devastated when I got a B in school. Didn’t get my first boyfriend until I was twenty-one. Then I didn’t let the poor man sleep with me for another two years. I’ve always colored inside the lines.”
He chuckled. “We’re opposites then. Now that I’m in my forties I’mfinallystarting to settle down. My parents have needed my help ever since my dad’s stroke. So, I’ve been trying to step up and take care of two households instead of one.”
I sucked in a breath. “Is he going to be okay?”
Boone’s lips tilted down at the edges. “Only if he cuts back on the bacon grease. My mom was trying to stuff kale salad down his throat last week, and he snuck off to Stephanie’s Sweets and pigged out on treats. Their neighbor Luellen busted him hard.”
Now, Boone’s lips lifted, a genuine smile landing on his face. “She actually took video of him chowing down and sent it to my mom and all of us kids.”
That made me wonder something. “Why are you shouldering the burden of taking care of your parents instead of your siblings?”
He met my eyes, something serious glinting out at me. “I don’t consider it a burden. But to answer your question, I’m the oldest. If anyone should do it, it’s me. My sis, bless her heart, ran into some addiction problems. She’s got her hands full trying to keep herself clean. And my little brother, he’s got three babies at home and the youngest has a heart defect. He’s been buried in medical bills.”
I sucked in a breath. “That’s a lot to handle.”
Boone hugged me closer and peppered kisses across my cheeks. “Naw. People rise to the occasion when it’s needed. What kind of life are you looking for if it’s not being a bookkeeper in Georgia?”
Something pinched my heart as I thought about all the years I’d wasted playing it safe. “I don’t even know.Thisis pretty nice. I haven’t felt this alive in years. But… it’s just a vacation. I haven’t figured out how to make a new life for myself yet. I do know I’m going to quit my job. I’ve made it that far.”
He rubbed my waist, the feeling of his touch sending shivers of anticipation through me. “You should quit your job and marry me.”
I laughed at that. The man had a sense of humor. “You’re funny, Boone.”
He was a top-grade mountain stud. He probably had women flinging themselves at him on a weekly basis. I could see him down at the local bar with a flock of ladies keeping him company.
Boone was the kind of man women dreamed of landing. He was thoughtful, conscientious, and hotter than the devil himself.
And it was surprising how easy it was to talk to him. Somehow I felt more relaxed with him after one day than I ever had with my ex-boyfriends. Which made it easy for all my hopes and dreams to come pouring out of my mouth.
“What I really want is to do something dynamic. My work is very regimented right now. I do the same thing every day. The same invoices with new numbers appear in my inbox, and I process them. A machine could do my job. I want a job where I have to problem-solve, and wear too many hats, and try new things that either wildly succeed or spectacularly fail. Basically, I want a job where I don’t have to do the same thing every day. I’m desperate for some variety.”
“Sounds like you want to run your own business instead of working for someone else. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur like Jameson and me.” His hand had worked its way up to my breast. He was softly caressing it, making me ready to jump his bones again.
I was so distracted I’d almost forgotten we were deep in the woods in the middle of winter.
“Maybe. But that takes capital and having a clear vision,” I told him. “I wouldn’t even know what kind of business I’d like to run.”
“Jameson and I need someone like you. We don’t do any of the admin stuff well. And we can’t keep relying on Abby for everything.”
I was starting to feel really comfortable with him, as though we’d known each for years instead of days. So I asked the question that had been lingering in the back of my mind. “Tell me, which of you got in trouble for fucking one of the tourists?”
He pursed his lips, frustration flashing across his face. “Neitherof us. I’ve never done this before. And I don’t recall him ever getting with one of our clients, either.”
“Really?” I looked at him in surprise. “I kind of thought maybe you made a habit of this, and Jameson had given you shit for it.”
His expression turned serious. “Naw. I’ve never been tempted to woo one of the hikers before. You’re… there’s something about you, Katie. You kind of rev my engines.”
I giggled at that, liking the sound of it. Boone wasn’t like any man I’d ever met before.
It was getting colder as the night wore on, but our body heat was warming the tent up nicely.
“You rev my engine, too, Boone. I’m glad we got to do this. And maybe we’ll have time for a quickie in the morning before we head out.”
