Page 2 of Big & Bearded on the Mountain

“Can I help you?” he asks with a scowl.

I stare at him, taking in the raw beauty of his face and his hazelnut eyes. He looks friendly enough, but oh so intimidating, and I clam up.

“Miss? Are you okay?” he prompts.

I can’t remember the last time anyone called me miss, but coming from his mouth, it sounds great. He’s looking at me with a mixture of worry, no doubt thinking I’m insane, and expectation, clearly hoping I’m finally going to utter a word.

Right, words.

I clear my throat. “Uhm, hi, everyone. I’m Emily. My boss Grizz arranged for me to conduct some research on the mountain to study bird feeding patterns, and he told me to come here and inform you that I’ll be up on the mountain.”

“Is that so?” the bearded giant in front of me asks.

“Yes,” I stammer.

The corners of his mouth lift up for a second and soften his scowl before he walks to a desk in the middle of the room.

“Oh, and Winnie told me to say hi to Brody and tell him she made special treats for him. For his dog, I mean. He should stop by.”

The words tumble out of my mouth like vomit, and even I am disgusted by how not in control and confused I sound. In my defense, I can’t help it. It’s the gorgeous, slightly intimidating mountain man staring at me that makes me screw this up. I hada whole speech prepared and was ready to be in and out of here in under five minutes.

The man motions to a chair at the other side of the desk. “Sit. And I’ll make sure to stop by Winnie’s store when I get off work.”

I put my backpack down and slide into the chair. “Oh, so you’re him?”

“I’m Brody,” he confirms while he slides a piece of paper toward me. “Sign this.”

“I will, after I read what I’m signing.”

He leans back in his chair, putting his folded hands behind his head. “Suit yourself.”

I grab the paper from the desk and start reading, but I’m so nervous that the words swim in front of my eyes. If only Brody would stop looking at me with that intense gaze of his, I’d be fine.

Chapter Two

Brody

The curvy girl in front of me reads the paper I handed her with an intensity that I’ve never seen before. You’d think I gave her a contract that signs her life away when it’s just a waiver for going up the mountain.

It’s ridiculous that we need one of those, but people do the craziest shit if we don’t inform them about the risks and rules of mountain trekking. I’ve seen enough in my years of working for the SAR team that nothing surprises me anymore. Some people think it’s okay to not dress properly for a hike, to disturb the local wildlife, or to make a fire wherever they want. It makes me truly wonder how we’ve managed to survive as a species for so long.

While Emily reads the waiver, I check the most recent weather reports.

“When are you starting your research?” I ask her.

“This afternoon.”

I shake my head. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

“Excuse me?”

I turn my computer screen toward her and point to the weather map. “See this? There’s snow heading our way. It won’t be safe out there, especially for someone who’s not familiar with the area.”

“But… I mean… No.”

Wow, she’s cute when she protests. Still doesn’t mean I’m going to let her have her way, though.

“No?”

---