Page 1 of Cozy with the Mountain Man (Fall for a Mountain Man #10)

CHAPTER ONE

Emilia

“Louie, we’d better hurry. It’s snowing already!” I tugged gently at my dog’s leash as we made our way along the wooded trail. “I think the end is up ahead. We should be right back where we started.”

Louie wagged his tail happily and trotted along without a care in the world.

He shook his fur and licked his nose. He always loved the snow, running and playing in it whenever he got the chance.

We’d gone on plenty of snowy walks around my cabin, but I steered clear of the mountain trails if snow was in the forecast.

Today’s forecast called for clear skies, with perhaps a passing snow shower or two, but not until later.

It seemed the weather forecasters were wrong, as it was coming down something fierce. There was already an inch on the ground in the past hour we’d walked.

A few hundred feet ahead, where I had imagined the exit to be, and we were still deep in the woods. “Shit!” I muttered to myself as I looked behind me, our footsteps already covered by the freshly fallen snow.

“Looks like we can’t retrace our steps.” I sighed as I trudged forward, the snow coming down hard and fast. It swirled so much around me, all I could see was snow. Even Louie couldn’t keep up with shaking his fur, as another layer of snow instantly settled on him.

Maybe if I kept following the trail, it would lead to another trailhead. There had to be more than one, right?

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Maybe Hailey, my best friend, would know how to get out of here. She often hiked these trails on the weekend with her boyfriend.

But of course, I didn’t have one bar of service.

“Louie, I think we might be in trouble.”

My dog looked up at me and wagged his tail. In his dog world, we were on an adventure. One he seemed to enjoy very much.

We walked for several more minutes, and a storm of butterflies swarmed my stomach.

What would I do if I couldn’t find my way out?

There was no way any trail guides worked during the storm.

I looked down at my outfit, thankful that I had worn my winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots. A thick sweater and sweater knit leggings added to the protection, but it wouldn’t be enough for long. Not with the way the snow fell.

After another ten minutes of walking, it was official. I was lost.

“Louie, can’t you sniff our way back or something? Isn’t that what dogs do in the movies?” I chuckled, a nervous reaction I’d had ever since I could remember, hoping to relieve some of the dread in my stomach. It never worked.

“No, buddy? Not even a bit of Scooby-Doo in you?” I asked him again as I stopped walking and looked around.

Snow blew in every direction, and I had no clue where we were.

I was in deep shit.

There wasn’t a point in standing still, so I trudged forward, ignoring the swarm of butterflies doubling in size and wreaking havoc on my nerves.

Just when I was ready to check my phone again for service, I stumbled upon a clearing in the woods. A long, clear path appeared before me, one that resembled a driveway. Please let there be a cabin at the end of this road.

I led Louie up the path, feeling the concrete beneath my boots, hope filling inside me.

Finally, up ahead, I saw a cabin. A string of lights hung on the porch, and dim yellow warmth appeared from the bottom two front windows. I hope that meant someone was home.

“Come on, Louie, let’s see if we can warm up inside and find out where the hell we are.”

Louie shook his fur as we climbed the steps.

Nerves were building inside me once again, replacing the small shred of hope.

What if the person out here didn’t want any company?

What if they slammed the door in my face?

What if they thought I was an intruder and got their gun? Okay, my mind was going a little crazy.

With a deep breath, I knocked on the door and waited.

No one answered. The only sounds around me were those of the howling wind and my dog’s panting. I knocked again and waited. Again, nothing.

I knocked one more time, and finally, I heard the lock on the door unlatch.

A large gust of wind hit me sideways as the door flew open. Louie never quite caught on to the idea of strangers, so his tail wagged happily as the doorway filled with a very large, very tall, very handsome man.

I dragged my eyes upward over his sexy, tight jeans and unbuttoned flannel shirt, revealing a tight black T-shirt underneath. He rolled the sleeves of his flannel shirt halfway up his arms, revealing muscular, inked forearms.

One I suddenly very much wanted to bite into.

A six-pack had to be underneath that T-shirt of his, and I pictured it in my mind as I ran my eyes over his broad, muscular shoulders and up to his deliciously handsome face.

Dark brown eyes I could get lost in, and a strong, wide jaw covered in a sexy, well-trimmed beard, just long enough to run the tips of my fingers through.

I imagined his face between my legs, the scratchiness of his stubble sending chills up my spine.

Our eyes connected, and my cheeks heated, a fiery asteroid running through every part of me.

Who is he, and why am I so damn attracted to him?

“Who the hell are you, and who sent you?” His loud, booming voice took me by surprise, and I stepped backward. Louie scrambled behind me as snow whipped by us.

“Whoa, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to disturb you, but my dog and I are kind of lost.” Despite the tornado of emotions whipping through me, I smiled with as much kindness and friendliness as I could muster.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Who goes for a walk in a blizzard?”

“Well, it wasn’t a blizzard when we started, and now the snow covered our tracks. Would you mind letting us warm up for a minute, and I can try to get a call to go through? I wasn’t getting service out in the woods.”

He said nothing, his chest heaving as he stared at me. He glanced at Louie, and his features softened for a mere second before turning icy again.

Was he really this mad at a disturbance?

Maybe I shouldn’t go inside. Perhaps he wasn’t friendly. He sure didn’t look it despite being devilishly handsome.

But a quick look behind me told me there was no way I was going back into the snowstorm and making it out alive.

“One phone call and I’ll be out of your way. I promise.” I smiled brightly. “We won’t be any trouble.”

“Fine,” he gritted out. “You have five minutes.”