Page 2 of Mountain Man Tempted (Hard Timber Mountain Men #2)

CALLA

Nellie wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for one of her amazing hugs.

She gave the kind of hugs that felt like they could fix anything.

I hugged her back like my life depended on it.

In some ways, it did. I’d told my grandparents I was just visiting, but in reality, I needed a place to catch my breath and lick my wounds.

Hard Timber had always been a place where I felt safe.

Hopefully it would provide the perfect refuge.

She let go first and gestured to the two guys and kiddo sitting at the table. “Calla, I’m so glad you made it in time. I want you to meet Holt and his son, Lane.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” I said as one of the men slid out from the table and stood.

He towered over me in a Hard Timber Fire Crew t-shirt that stretched tight across his pecs.

Everything about him looked like it had been chiseled out of granite, from his biceps to his hard jawline.

A thick beard covered his chin, but underneath, I could tell his mouth was set in a firm straight line with no hint of a smile.

“I’m Holt and this is Harlan. He runs the Hard Timber Outfitters.” His deep voice rubbed along every single one of my nerve endings while cold, dark brown eyes sized me up from under thick, long lashes.

Nellie had warned me he might take some time to warm up, but the look the man gave me was icy enough to turn a cup of hot coffee into a frozen java slushie in an instant.

“We’re just finishing up lunch,” Holt said. The hard glance he shot at Nellie told me everything I needed to know. He didn’t want me here. In typical Nellie style, he’d probably been strong-armed into meeting me, just like she’d pretty much strong-armed me into meeting him.

“Why, Holt Thorne, you’ve barely even started your lunch.

Lane, why don’t you stay here with Harlan and eat your tenders while your dad goes right over there and talks to Calla?

” Nellie wrapped one hand around my upper arm and tugged at Holt’s shirt with the other.

“Come on. Let’s get the two of you at a table so you can have a proper conversation. ”

Holt reached for his plate, barely grabbing it before Nellie ushered us away. “This isn’t necessary, Nellie.”

She ignored him as she led us to a table across the room.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been at the cafe.

Usually, my grandparents came to visit us in Spokane instead of having my whole family travel to Montana and try to cram into their tiny two-bedroom cabin.

Even though it had been years since I’d stepped inside, the cafe felt familiar.

It was the kind of place that stayed with a person long after they’d left.

I pulled out a chair and sat down across from Holt.

Nellie had told me he needed someone to help with his son for the summer.

I’d planned on taking a break in between jobs and spending a month or two trying to figure out my next move, but I’d decided I could do that while hanging out with a kid just as easily as I could alone. Plus, I could use the money.

“Calla’s visiting her grandparents while she’s in between jobs,” Nellie said.

Holt nodded as he dipped a fry into some ketchup. “That’s great.”

Nellie tsked and shifted her attention to me. “Can I bring you anything to eat, hon?”

“No, I’m good.” I glanced up at her, not sure how to hold a conversation with a man who clearly didn’t want anything to do with me.

She nudged Holt’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have some help around the house with Lane?”

“I told you, I need someone qualified.” He shot me a dismissive glance. “No disrespect, but Lane’s not a typical six-year-old boy.”

“What kind of qualifications are you looking for?” I clasped my hands together in front of me, pissed off that he’d made a snap judgement without knowing a damn thing about me.

He glanced up, barely made eye contact, then looked back at his fries. “Someone who’s worked with challenging kids.”

“So someone certified in CPR? Maybe with a master’s degree in child psychology who’s a registered play therapist?”

He nodded. “Exactly.”

I reached over and snagged one of his fries. “Great. Here I am.”

Nellie bit back her smile. “I’ll leave the two of you to get better acquainted.”

Holt stared at me as Nellie walked away, his eyes narrowing. “You really have all those certifications and degrees?”

“You want me to send you a copy of my diplomas?” I kept my tone light even though I was seething inside. I’d met quite a few parents who didn’t believe someone who looked like me could be qualified enough to work with their kids, but no one who’d ever openly questioned me before.

“Look, I’m sure you’ve got some experience, but?—”

“But what? Nellie said you could use some help, and I’ve got time on my hands while I look for my next job.”

“Why did you leave your last one?” His eyes narrowed like he was hoping for an easy out. Too bad for him I hadn’t been fired for negligence or embezzling or something even worse.

“I was with a non-profit and our funding was cut off. We were making real progress with some amazing kids, and my entire department was dissolved overnight. It’s too bad people don’t care about kids as much as they say they do when it comes time to vote.

” I shook my head, still stunned that we’d been shut down with no warning.

It wasn’t fair to the kids who’d come to rely on the program.

Made me sick to think about them trying to get through a school day with no support.

It also made me more determined than ever to find a way to help those who needed it most without having to rely on grants or government subsidies that could easily be taken away.

Holt studied me for a few beats before he took in a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “He has night terrors. Wakes up screaming almost every single night. Have you ever cured a kid of that?”

Sensing he didn’t like sharing much about his kid with strangers and that he was testing me to see if I knew what I was talking about or was entirely full of shit, I nodded. “Night terrors might look like bad dreams, but they’re the body’s way of dealing with stress it doesn’t know how to process.”

“Will they ever go away?” His hard outer shell cracked just a little, and I got a split-second glimpse of a man who deeply loved his son but was barely holding it together.

I felt like putting my hand over his to try to provide some comfort, but I didn’t. “With targeted interventions, there’s a really good chance they’ll get better.”

“And you know how to do that?” His tone stayed flat, but there was just a hint of hope in his eyes. Really nice eyes… chocolately brown with specks of gold that I wouldn’t mind losing myself in for a little while.

It wasn’t the first time a parent had looked at me like I might be the answer to their problems. And as much as I’d love to be able to tell Holt that the skills and techniques I’d learned over the years would definitely put a stop to his son’s night terrors, I couldn’t make a promise like that.

“I know some things we could try.”

“And you’d be available to come every day? I need someone who can watch him while I’m at work. That’s usually from about seven until five, though we sometimes have drills and meetings on evenings and weekends.”

“Sounds good to me.” There was nothing I loved more than being able to help a family get through a rough time, especially a single dad like Holt. Even a complete stranger could tell the man needed a break before he completely broke down.

“How’s it going?” Nellie stopped by with two pieces of huckleberry pie.

“I don’t know how you did it, but looks like she’s hired.” Holt didn’t smile, but the tension that had been hovering around us had eased a little.

Nellie clapped her hands together. “I just knew the two of you would make a good team. Maybe next time I have a suggestion, you won’t fight me tooth and nail?”

Holt rolled his eyes. “Let’s be honest. Not all of your suggestions have been good ones. Remember that time you sent me and my brothers to pick huckleberries when we were supposed to be doing fire training?”

“How was I to know a mama bear had decided to have her cubs next to my secret huckleberry patch?” Nellie shook her head and shrugged. “One bad idea, and he’ll never let me forget it.”

I tried not to smile. My Grandma Alice and Nellie had been best friends since first grade.

I’d always enjoyed spending time with Nellie and her husband when I came to town to visit my grandparents.

Even though she’d never had kids and her husband had passed years ago, she still mothered everyone in town. Always had, and probably always would.

“Now, you two finish hashing out the details. I’m going to get Lane a piece of pie of his own. Take your time.” She bustled off toward the pastry case.

“No whipped cream,” Holt called out after her. Then he shifted his gaze toward me. “Lane doesn’t like the texture. He’s got some quirks like that.”

“We all have quirks, right?” I smiled, hoping to dissolve a little more of the tension between us. “Some kids have issues with taste or texture when it comes to certain foods. Do you have a list of the things he likes and doesn’t like?”

He stabbed the piece of pie with his fork and stared at his plate. “I’ll write it all down for you.”

“That would be great. When would you like me to start?” I needed to be careful with Holt.

It could be difficult for a parent to let someone else come in and help take care of their kid.

Especially when the kid had extra challenges.

I’d seen moms and dads get very defensive when they thought someone might be judging them for the way they handled things at home.

“How about tomorrow?” He slid the fork into his mouth, and his lips closed around the bite of pie. A shiver raced down my spine as I watched him chew. Was I really about to take a job for a man who sent my ovaries into overdrive?

Forcing any hint of attraction deep down in my gut, I nodded. “Tomorrow works great. Can you text me your address, so I know where to go?”

“What’s your number?” He pulled out his phone. It looked like a kid’s toy in his giant palm.

I rattled off my number and a few seconds later, my phone pinged.

“See you at seven?”

“Sounds good.” I was just getting ready to ask for more information about Lane’s routine when Holt picked up his plate and fork.

“Now that we’ve got that settled, I’m going to head back to Lane. See you tomorrow.” He stood, half-eaten piece of pie in hand, that distant cold look back in his eyes.

“Do you want to introduce us now? Having a stranger show up in the morning and telling him we’re going to be spending the whole day together could throw him off.” And I’d really rather start off on the right foot. It would make it easier for all of us.

“I’d rather fill him in this afternoon and let him get used to the idea before the two of you meet. And I can work from home in the morning, so he has a chance to get comfortable before I leave.” He slid his phone into his back pocket, confident in his decision. “ See you then.”

Holt walked away, and I told myself I wouldn’t check out his backside as he went.

I tried really hard. Even forced myself to focus on cutting off a bite of pie with the edge of my fork.

But when I looked up, he was still moving away, his jeans stretched tight around muscular thighs.

And the way they cupped his ass… my face flushed, and I reached for my water.

Nellie slid into the seat Holt had vacated. “Well? What do you think, hon?”

I thought I was in trouble, but I wasn’t about to admit it to Nellie. “Seems like he could use some help.”

“That man doesn’t need help, he needs a lifeline.

Ever since Lane’s mama left, Holt’s been raising that boy by himself and trying to keep his head above water.

Lane’s the sweetest kid, but he gets so overwhelmed.

And we all know what happens when kids don’t get enough sleep.

” She patted my hand. “You’re a godsend, Calla. ”

I glanced over at Holt’s table. Lane had finished his lunch and was marching a toy dinosaur around the table, pretending to feed it the few fries left on his plate.

“Can you tell me anything I should know about Lane? Like what’s he interested in? Holt said he’d make me a list, but I’d rather show up prepared.” Nellie had told me she’d babysat Lane every once in a while, so I was counting on her to give me some insight.

“If you can talk about dinosaurs, you’ll have him from the get-go. That boy knows everything there is to know.” Nellie glanced over to the counter where an older man had lifted his hand. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go refill some coffee.”

I sat there after she left and finished the best piece of pie I’d had in years while trying to keep my gaze from straying to the booth where Holt and Lane sat. I’d figured being a summer nanny in Hard Timber would be an easy gig. But there wasn’t anything easy about Holt Thorne.

While I watched, the two men stood, and Holt reached over to pick Lane up out of his chair.

My heart squeezed as Lane threw his arms around his dad’s neck and rested his head on Holt’s shoulder.

I had a tendency to get way too emotionally invested in the kids I’d worked with in the past. That wasn’t an option in this situation.

I had about six weeks to figure out how best to help Lane before school started.

All of a sudden, that felt like not nearly enough time.

But when I pictured being in Holt’s space, in his house, and spending time around his kid while trying to ignore his hot mountain man vibes, it felt like the summer might stretch on forever.