Bear raced ahead, always thrilled to explore the variety of scents around the mountains. Usually, hard work was the best way to clear my head, but it wasn’t working.
Thoughts of Joely spun around in my brain. The more I worked, the more images I conjured up. Joely laughing as the candle vendor flirted with her… the vulnerability in her eyes as I cradled her against my chest… the way she smiled at me as she put her palm over my heart.
Fuck. It was too much. For a man who prided himself on his ability to not feel a damn thing, I didn’t know what to do. My phone buzzed against my thigh, saving me from trying to figure it out. My brother Holt was calling. Great timing on his part for once.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I answered, my attention split between a tree that had fallen across the path and waiting for Holt to speak.
“Did you really take that writer back to your place to wash off in the creek?” Holt asked. “Nellie’s practically talking wedding bells.”
“Nellie’s off her rocker. And yes, what the hell else was I supposed to do? Leave her there to sit in her own stink?” I’d been counting on him to distract me, not make me defend my actions.
He let out a soft laugh. “Man, brother. Everyone in town is talking about it.”
“I can’t help it if people want to jump to ridiculous conclusions. She washed off, and I took her back to Nellie’s cabin. End of story.” Yeah, right. Something deep down screamed that it was only the beginning. But I was the ghost of Hard Timber. What had that damn blog post said? Something about how I must not even have a soul. I deserved to be on my own.
“Well, you might want to go warn her. Lightning struck just north of Nellie’s place. Nothing but a small brush fire for now. As long as she stays put, she should be out of the path of it.”
A protectiveness I hadn’t felt in a long damn time swept over me. “Which way is it headed?”
“Nowhere near you. A crew is already on the way to take care of it. And no, they don’t need your help.”
“I wasn’t going to offer,” I lied.
“And I’ve got wings that just sprouted out of my back,” he joked. “Admit it. You’re probably already figuring out the best way to get over there without getting cut off by the fire.”
I hated it when he was right. “Fine. I won’t come.”
“Go warn your neighbor.”
“Joely,” I said. In the space of a few hours, she’d become more than just the out-of-town writer.
“Then go warn Joely. And while you’re at it, ask her if she had anything to do with the damn article. Doesn’t it seem a little suspicious that the night before she shows up in town a post calling all of us out pops up?”
I’d had the same thought before, but dismissed it after I actually met her. The timing seemed odd, but Nellie said Joely was there to do a write up about vacation rentals. “What would she have to gain from posting something like that?”
“Who knows? Some people just get off on making others’ lives miserable.” Holt let out a long sigh. “I’ve gotta go. Just keep an eye on her, will you? I’m headed over to the fire tower now. I’ll let you know if this thing shifts.”
“Be safe.” Out of all the guys who’d gone through Gunther’s volunteer summer programs, Holt was the only one who’d made firefighting his profession. He knew what he was doing, but it didn’t stop me from worrying about him. Fighting fire, especially in the wilds of Montana, was as unpredictable as it was exhilarating.
“You too.” He hung up, leaving me standing in the middle of the trail, wondering if I should head back to warn Joely or clear the tree from the path first.
The scent of smoke in the air made my decision for me. I called for Bear and turned around. If anything happened to her, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
At the same time, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to face her again without leaning down and claiming her mouth with mine.
CHAPTER 6
JOELY
I’d tried working on my article. Tried reading a book. Tried wandering around Nellie’s property and talking to the animals she hadn’t taken to the kick-off celebration. Nothing seemed to get my mind off Thatcher Thorne.
After scarfing down a sandwich, I decided to go on a hike and see if I could find that lake. I’d been taking pictures of all the places I’d visited so far but hadn’t gotten more than a few shots of Hard Timber yet. I wanted to be able to include a few photos with my submission.
I set off in the direction Thatcher had told me about. Now that I knew where his cabin was, I planned on avoiding it. I’d been embarrassed enough earlier when he dragged my naked body out of the creek. Even thinking about it made my cheeks burn. Yeah, I’d tried to laugh it off and ignore the heat his touch had sent coursing through my veins. The absolute last thing I needed was to run into him again.
The wind picked up as a wall of dark gray clouds rolled in. I hadn’t paid much attention to the weather before I left since the sun had been shining, but I’d been told storms could pop up out of nowhere over the mountains. I’d already been walking for about twenty minutes. It couldn’t be that much farther to the lake.
Deciding to press on, I forced my feet to move faster. I’d just snap a few quick pictures and make it back to Nellie’s before the rain started.
