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As I trek uphill through fragrant evergreens, I picture coming across Ash chopping wood with his axe. He'd stop to watch me pass, his piercing blue eyes following my every movement.
"Getting your fancy shoes dirty, princess?" he'd call out gruffly.
I'd keep walking, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. Still, I can't deny the way my pulse quickens, imagining our paths crossing out here, isolated together in the rugged wilderness.
Further up the mountain, I stop by a burbling stream to take a break. Sitting on a mossy boulder, I think back to seeing Ash at O’Malley’s after he'd had a few whiskeys. The man is infuriating, but I'll admit he looked appealing with his dark hair and rolled-up flannel sleeves. The liquor had softened his usual scowl into an almost smile, his muscular forearms on display as he leaned across the bar.
I shake my head, annoyed at myself. This man wants me gone from his precious mountain. I can't afford distractions, especially not burly lumberjacks who despise everything I stand for.
Taking a deep breath of crisp pine air, I push on up the trail. I have a business to build. Daydreaming about a grumpy mountain man will have to wait.
That night, I join my staff around the crackling fire pit outside the communal tent. The flames dance brightly against the dark forest beyond. Above us, the stars shine brilliantly in the moonless sky.
I breathe in the cool mountain air, scented with pine and woodsmoke. The breeze whispers through the trees, sending ashiver down my spine. Unbidden, I imagine it's Ash's hot breath against my neck, his strong arms wrapped around me.
Shaking the persistent thoughts away, I focus on chatting with the staff, laughing along to their stories while sneakily confirming they're prepared for our opening. But in the back of my mind, I can't stop picturing Ash's rugged features softened in firelight. I wonder if he'd relax his gruff demeanor around a campfire like this.
Later, curled up alone in my plush tent, I sigh in frustration. The day's excitement has my mind too wired to sleep. Ash's face keeps swimming into view - those piercing eyes, that sculpted beard.
As much as we clash, I can't deny the simmering tension between us. This man who has denounced me and my plans at every turn also quickens my pulse in a way I haven't felt before. Out here in the wilderness we both love; perhaps we're not so different after all.
Staring up at the canvas ceiling, I let myself imagine for a moment that the infuriating lumberjack could also be my perfect mountain match. Then, I roll over and try to force my wandering thoughts to rest. I'll need to be sharp tomorrow as I finish preparing the campsite for my first guests.
9
ASH
The crackling fire warms my face as I take a pull from the whiskey bottle and pass it along to Birch. He laughs at some crude joke Cypress just told, the sound echoing through the quiet forest. I lean back in my chair, allowing my muscles to relax after a long day's work.
But the smoke wafting up from the flames smells different somehow - acrid and heavy. I glance up, squinting against the fire's brightness. That's when I see him. Everest bursts into our makeshift camp, chest heaving.
"Wildfire!" he gasps out. "It's barreling this way fast. Gemma's glamping site is right in its path."
I bolt upright, pulse thrumming. In the distance, an angry orange glow crests over the mountains, billowing clouds of smoke with it. Everest keeps talking, saying he's going to help fight it, but his voice fades into the background. All I can see is that malevolent blaze sweeping closer by the second. And Gemma directly in its warpath.
We've butted heads since she moved here but right now, none of that matters. She's in danger. My feet are moving before I even think, sprinting for the ATV. I hear my brothers clamoringbehind me, but my focus stays locked on getting to Gemma before those ravenous flames do. I have to save her.
I gun the ATV engine, and it roars to life beneath me. Birch, Cypress, and Forest pile on behind, jostling against each other as I floor the gas pedal. The vehicle lurches forward, tires spewing up plumes of dust. We careen wildly down the mountain pass, my grip white-knuckled on the steering wheel.
As we near Gemma's camp, the wind shifts. Smoke and ash pelt us as the fire continues its relentless approach. I urge the ATV to move faster. We have to get to Gemma first.
I skid to a stop at the glamping site, tires churning up the manicured grass. "Gemma!" I shout, leaping from the vehicle. There's a blur of movement by the largest tent. Gemma and Nova come rushing out, faces smudged with soot.
"The sprinklers aren't working!" Gemma yells over the wind. She tugs at a hose, fighting to control the powerful spray. Nova wrestles with another nearby. The flames draw incrementally closer, the air shimmering with heat.
My brothers and I sprint into action without a word. Birch makes for the busted sprinkler system control box. Cypress grabs an axe and starts hacking at the vegetation bordering the camp, trying to create a fire break. Forest helps Nova maneuver a massive water tank closer to the fire.
I grab Gemma around the waist, pulling her back from the flames. "You need to get out of here! We'll handle this."
She shakes her head fiercely. "No, I'm not leaving my business. It's my responsibility."
Gemma cries out as a tongue of flame licks up the sleeve of her shirt. I tackle her to the ground, smothering the sparks with my body. We roll once, twice, my arms wrapped protectively around her slender frame.
I end up on top, pinning her down, our faces inches apart. For a suspended moment, neither of us moves. The roar of thefire fades away. There is only Gemma, her emerald eyes wide, chest rising and falling rapidly beneath me.
My heart thunders. We stare at each other, the space between us electric. I'm acutely aware of her soft curves pressed against the hard planes of my body. A tendril of hair falls across her flushed cheek, and I fight the urge to brush it back. To run my fingers over her skin.
A deafening crack from the encroaching blaze breaks the spell. I snap back to reality and quickly roll off Gemma. As I help her to her feet, fire trucks come screeching up the gravel drive.
