Page 5 of Her Mountain Man Giant (Crave County: Mountain Men Love Curves #5)

VIOLET

My heart is in my throat as I watch Tanner wander around the cabin.

He looks even bigger than usual now he’s standing in my tiny living room, taking up all the space and making my furniture look like it belongs in a dollhouse.

It sends a shiver through me, and I have to force myself to stop staring at him.

I didn’t expect to see him again so soon.

I spent last night tossing and turning in bed, hoping I’d find him again out in the woods sometime.

But it seems like luck is on my side, and I’ve never been happier to have a parcel delivered to the wrong address.

The package is one I’ve been expecting for a while—author copies of my cowboy romance with a brand-new cover.

It feels like fate that it ended up in Tanner’s hands.

“Are pancakes okay with you?” I ask him, opening the door to the kitchen.

“Sure. I’ll give you a hand.”

Asking him to stay for breakfast was an impulsive move, but I didn’t want to watch him leave again. Now I can finally spend a little time with him—figure him out. Maybe even break down his mysterious front a little.

He follows me into the kitchen, grabbing a pan from the top shelf while I crack a couple of eggs into a bowl.

I stir in a cup of milk and add the pancake mix, whisking it all together while Tanner turns on the stove and melts some butter in the pan.

I’m about to tip the mixture in when he says, “Don’t worry, I got it. ”

He takes the bowl and pours out three even-sized circles.

I grab a bottle of maple syrup from the cupboard, smiling when Tanner flips the pancakes with ease.

But as he sets the pan back on the stove, I see him shift his weight, a flicker of pain crossing his face.

When he catches my eye, he tries to hide it, but I see the way his face tightens, his jaw clenching.

“Are you okay?” I ask, instinctively stepping toward him.

“I’m fine.” He manages a barely there smile. “Can you grab me a couple of plates?”

I do as he asks, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him reach down to touch his knee, rubbing it firmly.

He straightens up again as I bring him the plates, stacking the first three pancakes before starting on the next couple of batches.

When he’s finished, he carries the plates into the living room while I bring the butter and syrup.

As we sit down opposite each other, I notice he’s given me the plate with five pancakes, keeping only four for himself. But when I mention it, he waves it off.

“I’m the one gatecrashing your breakfast,” he says pointedly.

His voice is so serious that I can’t help but laugh. “I invited you.”

He shrugs, taking a bite of his pancakes. “You didn’t have to. Glad you did, though.”

I feel my heart flutter as he meets my gaze. He’s so handsome, from his olive eyes to his bushy beard, the width of his shoulders taking up an entire side of the table.

“I’m glad I did too.”

Something passes between us, the air thickening as we look at each other. My mouth is suddenly too dry to chew, and I take a sip of water, breathing hard.

“So,” Tanner says, clearing his throat, “you been living out here long?”

“Only a few weeks. I came here from Denver.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Big change. What brought you to Cherry Mountain?”

I set down my fork, feeling myself blush. I’m still hesitant to talk about how I gave up my life in the city to follow my dreams. It sounds so na?ve, especially after so many people told me I was crazy for even trying—friends, family, my old boss. But something tells me Tanner won’t judge.

“I wasn’t happy in Denver,” I admit. “My apartment was nice, and I had a good-paying job, but none of it felt…right, I guess. So I decided to try writing a romance novel. It was something I always wanted to do, and I ended up publishing it last year. It did pretty well and I had so much fun writing it that I decided to quit my job to be a full-time author.” I press my lips together, my blush deepening.

“I couldn’t afford to live in the city anymore, so I rented this place instead and… well, here I am.”

Tanner nods thoughtfully. “Damn. Good for you. Can’t have been easy, but it’s great that you’re chasing what you want.”

“You think so?” I ask, feeling a rush of affection for him.

“Sure. Takes guts to rock the boat and follow your heart, but you won’t regret it.”

I beam at him, my chest tingling. It’s the first time anybody has encouraged me instead of telling me I’m being dumb, and it means a lot coming from Tanner.

“Thank you,” I say. “I really hope you’re right.”

He grunts as if to say “of course I’m right,” and I smile to myself as I take another bite of my pancakes.

“What about you?” I ask after a few moments of silence. “Have you always lived on Cherry Mountain?”

“Feels like it sometimes, but no. I bought my cabin eighteen years ago. Been here ever since.”

His words throw me off for a second. Eighteen years ago, I hadn’t even started kindergarten, and Tanner was already living in his own mountain cabin.

It should feel weird…but I like that he’s so much older.

So ruggedly mature. The silvery streaks in his beard, his weathered features—they only make me want him more.

My body tingles, and I force myself to look away from him.

Keep it together, Violet.

Don’t act weird.

“So, what made you move out here?” I ask, trying to keep my voice natural.

He’s silent for a moment. “Wanted a change, I guess. A quieter life.”

There’s a heaviness behind his words. It reminds me of yesterday, the way he said he’d been involved in an accident that people still talked about. The way he assumed I was there to write about it.

Is that why he came out here?

To get away from all that?

It’s none of my business, but I’m desperate to know.

“Did you move because of the accident?” I ask gently.

His gaze snaps up to meet mine. “What?”

“The accident. You mentioned it yesterday…”

I instantly regret bringing it up. He looks down at his plate, brow furrowed.

“Yes. It was because of the accident.” Before I can say another word, he changes the subject. “I noticed your faucet leaking while we were in the kitchen. Can fix that for you before I go.”

“Oh…thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

I try to smile at him, but he still looks troubled by my question, and I silently curse my big mouth. My curiosity is always getting me into trouble—making me ask awkward questions. Heck, maybe I should have been a journalist after all.

When we’ve finished our pancakes, Tanner clears the plates before I can do it. On his way back into the living room, I see him frown down at the floor. “Got a loose floorboard here. I’ll fix that too.”

“Oh, I barely even notice it,” I say. “You don’t have to?—”

“I want to,” he says firmly. “Hell, probably my fault it’s loose in the first place. I helped Brody fix this place up. Least I can do is fix our mistakes.”

His words surprise me. I had no idea he’d worked on my cabin, and it makes me love the place even more.

“Thanks, Tanner,” I say with a smile. “That would be awesome.”

“Just need to grab my tools.” He heads for the front door, looking back at me over his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.”

He steps outside, closing the door behind him. I hurry to the window, watching as he stalks into the woods, and once he’s out of sight, I feel weirdly deflated.

You can’t miss him already!

That’s nuts.

I let out a deep sigh and grab my laptop, figuring I might as well try to get some writing done. But as the startup screen flashes up, another idea strikes me instead. I open my browser, biting my lip as I start typing in the search bar.

Tanner Cherry Mountain accident

I shouldn’t snoop, but I can’t help it. I hit search and scroll through the results, eyes scanning the screen.

Nothing relevant pops up. This would be a lot easier if I knew his surname or the location of the accident.

It obviously didn’t happen on Cherry Mountain if he came here to get away from it. Still, it was worth a try.

I exit the browser and lean back in my chair.

I already know I’m not going to concentrate with Tanner in the cabin.

He might have provided me with inspiration for my next hero, but writing when he’s around feels impossible.

When he’s near, I can’t focus on anything but him.

Heck, it’s the same even when he’s not here.

I don’t know how it happened, but in less than twenty-four hours, this man has taken over every inch of my brain…

and I have absolutely no idea what to do about it.