Page 2 of Emergency with the Mountain Man (Silver Ridge Mountain Men #1)

two

Jake

I can't get her out of my head.

It's been days since the bear cub incident, and I've thought about Dr. Norma McKenzie approximately every five minutes.

The way she moved with such confident competence, completely focused on saving an injured animal.

The way her dark hair escaped from her ponytail to frame her face as she worked.

The way she smiled when she announced the surgery was successful—like the sun coming out after a long winter.

I've been finding excuses to drive past her clinic, telling myself I'm just checking on the cub's progress. In reality, I'm hoping for a glimpse of the woman who's turned my usually straightforward life completely upside down.

"You're distracted," my cousin Maple observes over coffee at Juniper's Diner. She's glowing with the happiness of a woman deeply in love, her engagement ring catching the morning light as she gestures. "What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on."

"Jake Webster, I've known you my entire life. You've been my rock through my divorce, my move here, all the house drama with Flint. I know when something's eating at you."

Maple's right, of course. We've been more like siblings than cousins since childhood, and she can read me better than anyone. The irony that I'm now in her position—completely knocked sideways by unexpected attraction—isn't lost on me.

"Met someone," I admit.

"The new vet?" Maple's eyes light up with matchmaking glee. "Juniper mentioned she treated an injured animal at your worksite. Said you seemed very concerned about the whole situation."

"The entire town's gossip network needs a hobby."

"The entire town's gossip network is invested in your happiness. You've been Silver Ridge's most eligible bachelor for five years, Jake. Everyone wants to see you settled."

"I'm perfectly happy being single."

“You were perfectly happy. Past tense. Present tense, you're mooning over a wildlife veterinarian."

She's not wrong. I've dated plenty since moving to Silver Ridge—nice women, attractive women, women who made it clear they'd be interested in something serious.

But none of them made me feel like I'd been struck by lightning.

None of them made me want to rearrange my entire life around the possibility of seeing them smile.

"She's not interested," I say, which is probably true. Norma McKenzie treated me with polite professionalism and nothing more. No lingering glances, no flirting, no indication she saw me as anything other than the logger responsible for her patient's injuries.

"How do you know?"

"Call it intuition."

"Call it cowardice. Jake, you convinced me to take a chance on Silver Ridge when I was terrified of starting over. You helped me see that sometimes the best things happen when you stop playing it safe. Maybe it's time to take your own advice."

Before I can argue, the diner bell chimes and my heart stops.

Norma McKenzie walks in, looking around uncertainly until she spots an empty table near the window.

She's dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt that somehow make her look both professional and approachable, her hair loose around her shoulders in a way that makes my fingers itch to touch it.

"Go," Maple hisses, nudging my arm. "Go talk to her."

"I can't just—"

"You absolutely can. She's new in town, probably doesn't know anyone. Be friendly. Offer to show her around. Use that Webster charm I've heard so much about."

"I don't have charm."

"You have plenty of charm when you're not overthinking everything. Go."

She practically pushes me out of the booth. I find myself walking toward Norma's table before I can lose my nerve, my heart pounding like I'm sixteen again and asking someone to prom.

"Dr. McKenzie? How's our patient doing?"

She looks up with those incredible green eyes, and for a moment I forget how to breathe.

Up close, without the stress of an emergency, she's even more beautiful—delicate features that contrast with the strength I witnessed during the surgery, skin that looks impossibly soft despite her outdoor work.

"Jake! She's doing wonderfully. Eating well, leg's healing perfectly. I've been in contact with a rehabilitation facility near Vancouver that specializes in orphaned cubs. They'll take her next week."

"That's great news." I gesture to the empty chair across from her. "Mind if I join you? I promise I'm not stalking you—my cousin and I were having coffee when you came in."

A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "Your cousin?"

"Maple Cordova. The redhead who’s trying very hard to look like she's not watching us."

Norma glances over at Maple, who waves cheerfully before attempting to hide behind her coffee mug. "Ah. The town's matchmaking committee in action?"

"Something like that. Small towns don't have much entertainment, so everyone gets invested in each other's love lives. Fair warning."

"I'll keep that in mind." She gestures to the chair. "Please, sit. I was just grabbing lunch before my afternoon appointments."

I settle across from her, trying to think of something intelligent to say that doesn't involve staring at her like a lovesick teenager. "How are you settling into Silver Ridge? Big change from Calgary, I imagine."

Something shadows her expression at the mention of Calgary, gone so quickly I almost miss it. "Different, yes. But good different. I needed a change of pace."

There's a story there, something that put wariness in her eyes and tension in her shoulders. Someone hurt her, badly enough that she moved provinces to get away from whatever happened.

The protective instinct that rises in my chest is immediate and fierce. I want to know who made her look like that, and I want to make sure they never get the chance to hurt her again.

"Silver Ridge has a way of healing people," I say carefully. "The mountains, the community, the pace of life here. It's good for starting over."

"Is that what you did? Start over?"

"In a way. I was working in corporate forestry in Vancouver, hating every minute of it. Moved here five years ago to work for a logging company that actually cares about sustainable practices. Best decision I ever made."

"Corporate forestry?" She leans forward slightly, interest replacing the wariness. "What made you hate it?"

"Clear-cutting old growth for maximum profit. No replanting, no consideration for wildlife habitat, no thought for anything beyond quarterly earnings. I got into forestry because I love trees and the outdoors. Watching forests get decimated for shareholder value was killing my soul."

"And your current company is different?"

"Completely. Selective harvesting, immediate replanting, wildlife corridor preservation. We take fewer trees but leave the forest intact. It's actually better for long-term profits, but most companies won't think past the next fiscal year."

The smile she gives me is radiant, transforming her entire face. "That's wonderful. I was worried when I heard you were a logger—so many wildlife habitats get destroyed by irresponsible forestry practices."

"You were worried about me?" The question slips out before I can stop it, and I feel heat rise in my cheeks.

"I was worried about the environmental impact of the logging operation," she corrects, but there's color in her cheeks too. "Though I'm glad to know the man who was so concerned about an injured bear cub also cares about protecting the forest."

"The forest is my livelihood, but it's also my home. You don't destroy something you love."

Our eyes meet across the table, and something electric passes between us. The air feels charged, full of possibility and the kind of attraction that doesn't come along often.

Then her phone buzzes, breaking the spell. She glances at the screen and sighs.

"Emergency call. Someone's cat got into a fight with something and needs stitches." She stands, gathering her purse. "It was good talking to you, Jake."

"You too." I stand as well, not ready for this conversation to end. "Maybe we could do this again sometime? I could show you some of the hiking trails around here, if you're interested. The wildlife viewing is spectacular."

She hesitates, and for a moment I think she's going to say yes. Then something shutters in her expression.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm pretty busy getting the practice established. Rain check?"

It's a polite rejection, but a rejection nonetheless. I nod, trying to hide my disappointment. "Of course. Another time."

She leaves quickly, not looking back. I remain standing by her empty table, watching through the window as she climbs into her truck and drives away.

"That looked promising until the end," Maple says, appearing at my elbow. "What happened?"

"She's not interested."

"She looked interested to me. Scared, maybe, but definitely interested."

"Scared of what?"

"You tell me. But Jake, sometimes the best things are worth being patient for. Don't give up after one conversation."

I watch Norma's truck disappear around the corner, already planning how I might run into her again.

Maple's right—there was interest there, beneath the wariness.

Something made Norma McKenzie cautious about getting involved with anyone, but that doesn't mean she's completely closed off to the possibility.

I've waited a long time to meet a woman who makes my heart race and my future seem suddenly full of possibilities. I can wait a little longer to convince her I'm worth the risk.