I should consider cutting my losses, especially because Cade Abernathyclearly wantsnothingto do with whatever his lawyer concocted. I never thought he would be so…growly about it. Not quite mean, but…
Yeah, he’s a little mean.
And for some reason, getting under his skin is exciting. A challenge. I feel like I haven’t had one of those in a long time. Living under the same roof as my brothers meant a lot of challenges, sure. Getting under their skin, though, was always too easy.
I want to blame this fascination with getting under Cade’s skin on my brothers.
I just don’t know if it’s that easy.
Here on the mountain, it feels like an entirely different world. The sky is so dark the stars look endless, covering the darkness like little pinpricks, allowing enough light to make the rest of the landscape feel unreal.
It’s not like this is my first time up the mountain to see the sky. But standing on the deck of Mr Abernathy’s cabin and seeing it from his view feels…different.
I feel the mountain man before I see him. He has an air about him, an unfathomable presence that makes a shiver roll down my spine. Before, I have no doubt he’d been powerful.
Hell, I know he was. He’s the man who brought a new life to Willow Ridge. Who expanded our once tiny, easy to miss town into something that could be admired by even the most insane elite.
And he’s also the man who let it all fall away.
From the corner of my eye, I admire the way his hair falls around his shoulders in soft waves, and the neat trim of his thick beard, which covers his strong jaw. Unlike most men I know, there’s no sign of his nose being broken, though then again, he’s got enough money that if he ever did break it, he could get it fixed, and none would be the wiser.
It’s his eyes, though, that take my breath away. They’re so startlingly blue that when I’d first looked into them, they’d appeared unreal.
When those eyes meet mine now, I can’t stop the heat rushing through my body. I clear my throat and look away, blinking hard. “Don’t tell me, I’m not allowed out here, too,” I say, gripping the railing. He’s already banned me fromhisside of the house, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
The mountain man snorts as he leans back against the railing, crossing his arms over his broad chest. It is so unfortunate that he’s so…hot. Especially when he’s so damned mean. The man is basically Scrooge, or maybe the Grinch, with the way he acts.
It doesn’t give me much faith in my ability to reshape his image. Not in the eyes of the town or his boardroom.
I shift to face him and match his stance, crossing my arms. “What? You going to tell me again how you don’t want me here? How you wish your lawyer didn’t hire me?” His eyes flicker to mine and harden, a tick forming in his jaw. It’s just too easygetting him annoyed. “I’ve already started, Mr Abernathy. I can assure you, you won’t regret it. But you have to work with me.”
“And what type of work have you already put in? I don’t see any board members in my emails,” he says, pushing off the railing to stare down at me. “So, tell me cowgirl, what have you done?”
“I’m not a cowgirl,” I growl, heart pounding. I draw in a breath, catching his aftershave, which smells like a mix of whiskey and toffee, a little bit of heat mixed with something sweet. “In order to look good to your board, you need to be seen as the face of your company. There are three major events happening in the next month that could use you there. They would be great places for you to be seen, and an excellent way for your board to be reintroduced to you—other than actually going into the office in person, but I doubt you’ll want to do that.”
“Let me guess,” he says, unfolding his arms, one hand moving to the railing while the other forms a fist. “They’re all in New York.”
“Yes.”
He shakes his head firmly. “No.”
Raising my brows, I take a step towards him. “What do you mean,no?”
“I mean…” He matches my step, putting us nearly chest to chest. This close, all I can see is the swirling blue of his eyes, how deep and unreal they appear. “I will not leave Willow Ridge.”
Confusion swells within me as I blink hard. “Why?” It’s all I can think to ask. I know he’s been isolated up here for a while; I’d been warned about it when I got my initial package for the move in.
Why would he want to stay here after everything that’d happened with the lodge? A man like him…I would have expected him to have moved on or rebuilt. I’d taken a glimpse at his finances, and a quick internet search revealed his supposednet worth—billionsunfortunately. But I don’t see why he could be so attached to our town.
Locals whisper about him like he’s the bogeyman. A terrifying creature, a myth concealed only to our town.
But the longer I stare at him, I don’t see that. I never took stock in what the grumpy old vets or my brothers said about him, and especially now, it becomes clear that somethingelsehappened that night.
Something flickers in his eyes, a quick moment of vulnerability that quickly disappears when he breathes in. “Look?—”
Something rustles the trees below, catching his attention. Immediately he stiffens, eyes darkening. “Go inside,” he says, turning towards the sound.
My skin prickles with awareness, stomach dipping. “Why?”
