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“Yeah, that woman can bake.” I was happy for my MC brother Mack for finding the love of his life, especially since Lily made the best cookies in town and didn’t mind baking extras.
“I saw the flyers. How does it feel to be caught in Ruby’s crosshairs?” Dean asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough when it’s your turn.” I shook my head as he chuckled. “It’s how I imagine a trophy buck feels on the first day of hunting season.”
“So you’re comparing yourself to a trophy buck? You think you’re all that?” Dean cracked a grin.
“You know what I mean. It’s like I’ve got a target on my back now. Ruby thinks she’s ten for ten. She’s going to want to finish the year strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if she bussed in single women from the all over Montana to try to pin me down.”
Dean was quiet for a few miles. The bright leaves on the trees flashed by the window as we got closer and closer to town. Fall was my favorite time of year on the mountain. The trickle of tourists petered out as the temperatures dropped, and the folks who lived here year round had the mountain to themselves. I could spend an entire day not having to say a single word to anyone.
“You ever think about what it would be like to settle down for good?” Dean broke the silence.
I didn’t talk about my personal life too much, and since I’d grown up miles away in Rye Creek, California, the details of my past weren’t well known around town. There were some things a man needed to keep to himself. So instead of telling Dean that hell yeah, I’d thought about what it would be like, that once upon a time I’d pictured a much different future than the solitary, quiet life I led, I shook my head.
“Settling down isn’t for me.” I stopped the truck near the back door of the community center. “Let’s get this over with.”
Within minutes, we’d unloaded the tables and chairs and I’d pulled the truck into a proper parking spot in front. I sat behind the wheel, hoping to catch a few minutes of the Cat-Griz game on the radio before I went inside. Satisfied the Bobcats were in the lead, I forced myself to head toward the front door.
It’s not that I didn’t like getting together with the folks who treated me more like family than a friend. Hanging out with my fellow Mustang Mountain Riders was always a good time, and I was sure several of them would stop by. I was just pissed at Ruby for singling me out. Being the center of attention had never been my thing.
I walked through the front door, figuring I’d finish setting up, grab a bite to eat, nod along to a few conversations, and head home within an hour to catch the rest of the game.
Then I saw her… a ghost from my past.
The woman across the room had the same color of strawberry-blonde hair. She had her back to me, but I could tell by the flare of her hips and the curve of her full, round ass that she had the same build, too. My eyes were playing tricks on me. There was no way the woman wrapping plastic silverware in turkey-printed napkins was the same one who’d captured my heart all those years ago.
“Nate!” Ruby came up behind me and linked her arm with mine. “I want you to meet my special guest. She’s just in town for the weekend and is staying in one of my rental cabins.”
Everything faded into the background as Ruby led me across the room. I couldn’t tear my gaze away. Each step took me closer and closer. Ruby chattered on, but all I could hear was a loud buzz ringing in my ears. My throat went as dry as the creek bed during a summer drought.
“Ainsley, this is Nate. He’s our Mountain Man of the Month for November.” Ruby’s smile seemed too wide, the arch of her brows too high.
Ainsley turned around. Her eyes widened while her jaw dropped. A flush of pink swept over her cheeks, and I stared at the woman who’d owned my heart for as long as I could remember. Time had been kind to Ainsley Cowell. The same sprinkling of freckles danced across her nose. She’d been stunning when we fell in love our freshman year of college, and in the years apart, she’d grown even more beautiful.
Oblivious to the fact that the bottom had just fallen out of my carefully constructed world, Ruby kept talking. “I’m sure the two of you will have plenty to chat about. Ainsley mentioned doing some hiking, and Nate, you’re the perfect person to show her around since you’re so familiar with the area.”
“Hi.” She spoke first, her voice as sweet as homegrown honey.
Seeing her standing there with her big blue eyes staring up at me made the knots in my stomach hitch even tighter. Questions flooded my mind. What was she doing in Mustang Mountain? Had she been trying to find me? Did she hate me for how things ended between us?
“Nate?” Ruby mumbled my name under her breath, and I realized I’d been standing there staring for too damn long.
“Hi.” Forcing that one word past my lips took all the strength I had.
“I need to go check on the turkeys. If you’ll excuse me…” Ruby rushed off before either of us could speak.
“So…” Ainsley glanced up and briefly met my gaze.
“Do you want to go somewhere to talk?” There were too many people around, and I was too keyed up to try to keep our conversation on the down low.
She nodded, and the familiar scent of brown sugar and vanilla drifted from her skin. Memories flooded my system…me with my hands tangled in her long hair… the look in her eyes right before my lips touched hers… and how it felt to move like one body when I was buried deep inside her.
Before I said or did something I would regret, I reached for her hand and led her out to my truck. Once we were both inside, safe from prying eyes, I turned toward her. “What are you doing here, Ainsley?”
CHAPTER4
AINSLEY
