Page 25 of Mountain Men’s Nanny

Even when she was absolutely terrified, she was gorgeous. Her lips were naturally the perfect shade of pink. Her hair peeked out from the front of her woolen hat, forming perfect waves around her face. It wasn’t just her beauty. She was smart and gentle, with a well-hidden mischievous side.

When I stumbled into the cabin bleeding from my leg after that iron sheet sliced into me, she’d been afraid. Still, with all that going on in her head, she had stitched me up, good as new. Almost. I hardly felt her piercing through my flesh. I was too transfixed on her face, her hands, the way she stared into my eyes and breathed with me to get through it. Talk about the perfect woman. Brie was the entire package, and I had never come close to any woman who was anywhere near her level.

“If the bears come anywhere near the cabin, you just have to call my name and I’ll run to your rescue.” I was only half-joking.

“Bears aren’t coming to the cabin,” Tobias said, shaking his head. “Knock it off, Gunner. You’re scaring the girls with your tall tales.”

I caught Brie looking at me. I wasn’t just going to look away; I wanted her to know I saw her. She had to know I liked what I saw too, so I winked at her and it made her blush.

“Hey, Lexi,” I started. “Why do fish always blush?”

Lexi gave the riddle some thought, but couldn’t think of an answer. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Because they always see the ocean’s bottom,” I laughed.

“Your jokes get worse and worse,” Gideon said, holding in his laughter.

I didn’t care. Both Lexi and Brie laughed, which was the whole point. I loved to hear her laugh; it was like the tinkling of a bell, high-pitched with her hand over her mouth, the bridge of her nose scrunched up, and her cheeks a soft pink color. The same soft pink her cheeks became every time I paid her a compliment or touched her leg.

I changed gears between her legs, caressing her inner thigh each time. It was a daring move, but the cramped front seat could easily excuse it. She was literally straddling the gear shift so the three of us could sit comfortably.

Of course Tobias could have sat in the back, but he didn’t. He sat on the other side of Brie, giving me looks I knew meant he wanted me to stop. Usually, I would have listened. He was the big boss and his word was the only word, but this was different. This wasn’t work.

We finally made our way into town, which was a generous description of what Salmon actually was. The street was lined with small, family-owned stores, and if we drove long enough, we’d hit a scattering of houses on either side. Nothing much else. A small church, a town hall, and a school.

As soon as the car stopped and Gideon announced he was heading to the drugstore, I knew what would happen. Lexi would need the bathroom, and Brie would take her, and then Tobias would start in on me.

“You have to cut it out with all that stuff with Brie,” Tobias said, staring ahead and leaning back on the hood of the truck. “You’re making her uncomfortable.”

I turned sideways, looking straight at him, “Did she say that?”

Tobias sighed. He still wouldn’t look at me, but he insisted on trying to get me to back off. “She doesn’t have to say it. I can tell. All those corny jokes, the touching, that kiss from the other night.”

I wasn’t buying it. Brie was anything but uncomfortable with my advances. I wasn’t in line for any genius award, but I could read people the same way I could read animals. There was a look in a deer’s eyes just before it made a run for it. If Brie had been uncomfortable around me, I would have seen that same look in her eyes. But I hadn’t.

“You mean you’re uncomfortable with Brie laughing at my jokes and enjoying my attention,” I hit back. “I know she’s gotten under your skin. When you’re not snapping at her for anything and everything, you disappear into her room for hours. I know you did more than just apologize in there.”

I recognized the guilt Tobias felt, even if it was only for a few seconds. It was just the confirmation I needed. I already knew something had happened that night. He had left the table and reluctantly gone to Brie’s room to apologize for making an ass of himself, but we washed the dishes and packed up the kitchen. The next time we saw Tobias was the following morning. No apology had ever taken that long.

“That’s bullshit. You need to grow up. This isn’t high school, and you can’t annoy a grown woman into wanting you,” Tobias snarled.

Brie and Lexi walked back down the street toward us with the kid skipping ahead of her excitedly.

“Daddy, Brie and I will buy the groceries,” Lexi announced, holding out her hand for the list. “Brie knows all the good spices.”

The wheels were turning in Tobias’s head. “Okay. It’s probably better if we split up. We’ll finish sooner. I’ll head to the mechanic to get the oil and replacement tools.”

Tobias gave me an admonishing look, pinched Lexi’s cheek, and walked away.

“Let the fun begin!” I clapped. “Last one to the store is a rotten egg!”

I ran with Lexi fighting hard to catch up with Brie trailing behind shouting, “That isn’t fair. I don’t know where the store even is!”

“Neither does a rotten egg,” I shouted back, laughing hard at my own joke.

I slowed down to let Lexi catch up and win the race before we reached the grocery store.

“That was unfair,” Brie laughed breathlessly. “How am I supposed to win a race when I don’t know where the finish line is?”