“Yep. Every single one. Real shame. So I’m doubling up customers.” She was already steering me by the elbow toward the back of the diner. “But don’t you worry. I’ve gotjustthe spot for you.”
Before I could protest, she deposited me at a booth where a man sat alone, nursing a cup of coffee.
He looked up, and I instantly recognized him. It was the man from the photo. His dark eyes met mine, and my breath caught.
The Polaroid hadn’t captured the scar that cut across his right cheek and over the bridge of his nose. It was a jagged pale line against tanned skin that spoke of something violent that he’d survived.
The photo also hadn’t shown the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, earned from years of squinting into mountain sun.
Somehow the man was even more gorgeous in person.
“Grayson here is one of our local guides,” Ma announced cheerfully, as he shifted his eyes to glare at the woman. “Best in the business. Knows these mountains like the back of his hand. And would you believe it, he’s running a special today. A free tour for the next tourist who signs up.” She patted my shoulder. “Isn’t that convenient?”
“Marla,” the man growled. His voice was deep and rough, like gravel wrapped in velvet.
But she ignored him. “Sit! Sit!”
It was impossible to ignore a direct order from the woman, so I settled into the booth across from him.
“Grayson, this is Amelia. You two get acquainted. I’ll bring coffee.” She pointed at Grayson and said, “And you just remember about Brady.”
And then she was gone, swirling away with her apron fluttering behind her, leaving me sitting awkwardly in the man’s booth.
Grayson stared at me, his expression unreadable.
I stared back, my heart pounding, cheeks burning, completely embarrassed and utterly unable to form a single coherent word.
Why was he frowning so hard?
He sat across from me like a stone statue while I stammered, words tumbling out of my mouth to try to fill the silence.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know why she seated me here. I can move. There are other booths. I’m sure they’re not actually broken.” I glanced around the diner, my cheeks flushed pink. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your breakfast.”
“Stay.”
The word came out rough, and I froze in place.
He might be a hottie, but he was no mountain hero.
There was a hint of danger lingering around the man, as though he could drag me straight into the woods if he wanted to.
Chapter 3
Grayson
She sat across from me, stammering and flustered, her words tumbling out in a rush.
Her dark blonde hair was a disaster, sticking out in about ten different directions as if she’d lost her hairbrush somewhere around the state line and hadn’t found a replacement since.
When I told her to stay, the word came out rougher than I intended, and she froze, those blue eyes going wide.
This is what I always did with women. Scared them off without even meaning to.
Up close, I could see details I’d missed from across the room. She had faint freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, barely visible beneath her tan.
And wide, open eyes, like she hadn’t seen much of life yet.
This pretty city princess wouldn’t last a day in these mountains.
