Page 163 of Mountain Men Heroes
I shuddered at the thought. As hard as I’d fought my mother’s slutty reputation my entire life, my reaction to Sawyer Becker made one thing crystal clear—if I let them, the locals would gladly ruin my reputation in a blink.
But I refused to make the same choices she’d made. I wouldn’t throw away my dreams just so I could get the attention of a man. Wouldn’t the locals just love that?
My eyes scanned the men bellied up to the bar, mostly locals and mostly married loggers. Most lived and worked together in our small town just fine. But I’d have to be blind and deaf not to hear the opinions that got slung around the bar from time to time about the woman who raised me.
Many old enough to know her, looked down on my mother and her obvious attempts to lure every male within a fifty-mile radius into her bed in the desperate hope one of them would stick around longer than a night. And those nasty comments and disparaging glances were very often directed at me by extension.
On more than one occasion she tried to work her tricks on one of the elder Beckers—Sawyer’s uncles.
She always went on about needing a man like them. Richer than most, handsome and when one wore the ring of a Becker, instant status came with it.
No thank you. I would earn every penny I ever made and make my own status along the way. Titles and recognition never suited me anyway.
Reason enough for me to want to stay away from the quiet, ruggedly handsome soldier who had featured prominently in my daydreams, not to mention a few naughty fantasies, over the years.
Not that Sawyer had ever seemed that interested.
I had enough money saved to get things moving a little sooner. Maybe if I left a month or two earlier than planned, I’d get off this mountain before Sawyer made his return. I could put in my two weeks notice with Birdie and with the Sugarbush Hot Cocoa and Coffee Stand I also part-timed at. Maybe if my stars aligned for once I might actually make it out before he returns.
A smile skimmed my lips. I might be terrified at the thought of seeing Sawyer, but not so terrified I couldn’t take a second to enjoy the idea of telling Birdie Holt to take her job and shove it up her ass. Just the idea...
“Order’s up, Trinity.”
I jolted back to reality to find my tray loaded with three frosty beers, condensation dripping down their sides, and a big basket of buttery popcorn and hot wings for the Wilder brother’s table.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge my unsettled thoughts. I offered the bartender a weak smile. “Thanks, Carlos.”
I pulled in a deep breath, squared my shoulders and picked up my tray. I might have to make a slight adjustment to my plan, but I still had a plan. I didn’t have to panic at the mere mention of Sawyer Becker.
By the time I got back to Asher’s table, I managed to conjure up a genuine smile for the trio. “Three ice cold ones, guys and some goodies to help it go down.”
I tossed cocktail napkins on the scarred tabletop and served the men their order. “Enjoy. Let me know when you’re ready for another round.”
I moved off toward another table. Before I reached them, a hand fell on my shoulder.
I jumped and spun around, dislodging the hand with my jerky movements.
“Sorry.” Asher smiled and held up his hands, palms facing out. “Didn’t mean to scare you, sweetheart.”
I gave him a rueful grin. “No worries. I think I’m just a little jumpy tonight.” Understatement of the century. “Did you guys need something else?” I twirled a gold ring on my middle finger, feeling the infinity sign along the top of the warm metal more out of habit than nerves. The movement drew his attention for a second before he drew his eyes back to mine.
“No, no, nothing like that.” Asher leaned in close and his scent teased my nostrils—warm male, clean soap and maybe a little tang of fresh mountain snow from his days spent taking tourists out on one adventure or another.
“I actually wanted to see if you wanted to grab dinner. With me. This weekend.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and I was instantly taken back to high school and the days where he did the same thing anytime he talked to the opposite sex. Back then I hid behind books and never engaged with the local hunks. I had too much of a thing for an older man to really notice others back then.
Some things never changed.
I stared at Asher blankly for a few seconds as my mind worked to decipher what he was saying. And then it hit me—he was asking me on a date.
Mild panic held my stomach in its grip. Nothing like the major anxiety attack I’d had a little while ago when confronted by the prospect of seeing Sawyer again after so long. Still, I always hated when the guys I waited on asked me out. Most of them were locals and most of them were well aware of my mother and I didn’t think Asher was any exception.
I sighed inwardly. He was cute. And under other circumstances, I’d say yes in a heartbeat, just to get the ball rolling in my non-existent dating life. Maybe in some other life.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed by Asher’s invitation. I’d always thought of him as one of the nice guys. But I couldn’t help but question his motives for asking me out.
More old habits with a long life span.
For a very brief moment, I entertained the fantasy that Asher was the good guy he seemed like and he was asking me out because he was genuinely attracted to me. But I knew the truth—my first real date would have to wait until I put Wild Ridge, and the reputation that had rubbed off on me through no fault of my own, behind me.