Even though I had ranger blood coursing through my veins, I’d been tossed out like last year’s model. And I’d never planned for what life would look like past being a ranger.
Now I felt like an old man even though I was only thirty-two. When you’re in your twenties, you think you’re going to be young forever.
I lifted the razor to my cheek, then stopped.
I was still doing everything the army way.
But to really transition, I was going to need to make a lot of changes. One thing I’d immediately noticed about this area is that every man seemed to have a full beard, a flannel shirt, and a pair of work boots.
I put the electric razor back down and ran a hand across my jawline.
There was a day’s worth of stubble on my cheeks. Would that matter for an interview at a sawmill?
Fuck it.
It was time for a change. And this was one small change I could make right away.
Chapter 5
Gwen
“You sure you don’t mind?” he asked as he gave me a shadowed look.
His voice had an unusual quality to it. A deep rasp that wrapped its way around me, enveloping me in the essence ofMAN.
Flushing pink, I managed to say, “No problem. You ready?”
He nodded and followed me out to my car.
Red Oak Mountain was a tiny town. But there were a lot of winding roads that led to small homesteads dotted across the mountain. If you weren’t in the middle of town, it was hard to get around. And Eric’s place was out a long dirt road.
We bumped down that road for a few miles, silence enveloping us.
But it felt like we were having a full conversation without words.
It was composed of small shifts in posture, the quiet sound of our breathing, and the sidelong glance he gave me when he thought I didn’t notice.
Once we were on the main road, it only took a few minutes to make it to the center of town. I pulled up in front of Mick’s office.
Shyly I said, “If you need a ride back, I get off at eight. You want my number so you can text me?”
He gave an affirmative grunt and handed me his phone.
After entering my number, I handed it back, our fingers brushing as he took it from me.
It felt like a shockwave rolled through me at his touch, just like the night before when I’d handed him my bear spray.
He opened the door to get out, then hesitated before growling, “Thanks for being so chill.”
I gave him a tiny smile. “I’m not much of a talker either.”
“Yeah. I’d gathered that.”
We were the observers of the world.
We watched.
We listened.
