“About last night…” I started.
“I checked a few of my trail cams. They didn’t pick up anything, but there were fresh footprints around the back side of the lodge.” He set a bag on the counter. “I went in to get cat food. Doesn’t look like anyone has been inside.”
“Thank you.” I unpacked Appie’s bowl and filled it with dry food. He’d already been sharing a water bowl with Scout, so I set his food down next to that on the floor.
“Are you ready to go down the mountain? Sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back.” Griff hadn’t taken off his jacket or boots and stood by the door. The grim line of his lips suggested he wasn’t looking forward to heading into town.
“I can go by myself. You’ve already done so much.” Plus, it would give us a break from each other. He clearly wasn’t enjoying sharing his personal space.
But he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s the lodge and land they’re after, not me.”
“And if something were to happen to you on your way down or back?” One dark brow arched. He looked even broodier than usual.
“I hate being an imposition.”
“You’re not an imposition. You’re…” he paused, searching for the right word. “A friend.”
“Friends… is that what we are?” Heat prickled my cheeks. “I don’t make a habit of going around kissing my friends.”
“That’s all I can offer.” He grabbed my coat off the hook by the door. “I overstepped last night, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
I didn’t believe him. That kiss was way more than a neighborly gesture. I’d never been kissed like that before. But if he didn’t want to acknowledge whatever heat we’d had between us, that was fine with me. I’d just become single again and wasn’t ready to jump back into whatever I might call something between me and Griff. A situationship? The fulfillment of a grumpy, growly mountain man fantasy?
Shaking the dirty thoughts out of my mind, I shoved my arms into my coat. “Fine. Let’s go.”
We pulled into town and Griff insisted on stopping at the general store first. He said I needed a pair of good winter boots and after stomping through the snow in cold, wet socks, I actually agreed. While Jack helped me find my size, Griff wandered through the store. I waited for him to ask questions, but when he didn’t, I figured it would be up to me to find out if anyone had mentioned Uncle Caleb’s land.
“Hey, I heard a rumor recently that someone was interested in buying my uncle’s lodge.” I looked at Jack to gauge his reaction. “Do you know anything about that?”
Jack pulled a box out of a tall stack, and I waited for the rest of them to tumble. “Not as far as I know. Caleb kept to himself, but if he’d been considering selling, half the mountain would be talking about it.”
“Thanks.” Disappointed, I sank my foot into the warm, fluffy boot. “Wow, these are so much better than what I’ve been wearing.” The thick liner surrounded my foot. I wiggled my toes.
“Anything would be better than what you’ve been wearing,” Griff said.
“They’re not that bad,” I argued.
“With those things on, you may as well be walking around barefoot. You’ll need some wool socks as well. And some proper gloves.” Griff pulled a few pairs of socks from a display.
“Do you want me to box those up or are you going to wear them?” Jack asked.
“Oh, I’ll?—”
“She’ll wear them.” Griff’s tone didn’t leave much room to argue. “Put it all on my tab, Jack.”
“That’s not necessary.” I wasn’t sure what kind of macho BS he was trying to pull, but I wouldn’t let him get away with it. “I’ll pay at the counter.”
Jack looked back and forth between us, his lips spreading into a wide grin. “I’ll meet you up there when you’re ready. Take your time.”
“Why do you have to fight me at every turn?” Griff shoved my old boots in the box and tucked them under his arm.
“I’m not.” I bent down to lace up my new boots. “I’m not your responsibility, and I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, because you’ve been doing a great job of that already.” His jaw clenched so tight I was surprised his molars didn’t crack.
“I’m sorry I’m not an experienced mountain dweller and that I don’t know how to make fires and chase mice away and look out for trespassers by smelling the air.” His moods changed faster than my mom changed outfits. “Those things don’t come naturally to me, but I’m a fast learner and I’ll be all right. You can drop the grumpy, growly mountain man act. I can find someplace to stay in town and report the rabbit to the sheriff. I’m sure he can handle it, and you can go back to hammering metal and pretending like you don’t give a crap about anything but yourself.”
