Page 169 of Mountain Men Heroes

I quickly squashed the thought and ripped my chin from Mac’s hold, taking a big step backward. No way was I going to stand here on the sidewalk in the cold and contemplate the wild attraction I had for this man’s brother.

“Trinity, I mean it. We never thought of you that way. If some of the guys in town kept their distance, well, we had our reasons. But those aren’t mine to share. What I can say is that most of the people in this town know you’re not like…”

He paused and the way his eyes shifted to the side and his mouth flattened, I knew he was uncomfortable saying the words out loud. Who wants to insult someone’s mother right to her face?

But I was under no illusions. My mother had always been blatant about her desire to trap a man into marriage. I sighed, suddenly tired beyond belief, and finished his sentence for him. “You know I’m not like my mother.”

He nodded. “You’re not. The guys and I, we’ve always known you were different. You’re sweet and kind to everyone and you have a good head on your shoulders. And that’s why I want to hire you.”

I staggered back a step, shaking my head as his words tried to find a spot to wiggle their way into my mind. Could what he said be true?

Sawyer’s face, as he pushed away from me in disgust earlier, flashed in my mind along with Birdie’s sharp words as she fired me. I squared my shoulders. Years of practice smiling in the face of my neighbors’ disapproval snapped into place.

I offered Mac a polite, closed-lip smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to have to say no. I’ll be starting school in the city in the spring semester so I won’t be in town too much longer. I couldn’t possibly put you to the trouble of training me only to leave you without office help.”

I moved forward, planning to step around him, but he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“What are you going to school to study again?” If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that was a note of desperation in his voice.

“Business.”

He smiled, a cat that ate the canary smile that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Perfect. Come work for us. You’ll have benefits. And we can give you tuition reimbursement so you can take some classes online and get a head start on your degree. Not to mention business experience you can put on your resume.”

My head swam with all the possibilities. That offer sounded too good to be true. I flicked my eyes over his face.

Mac looked deadly serious. But really, it would mean spending the next few months working with Sawyer. I was so close to escaping. I couldn’t take the risk of ruining it all now.

I shook my head. “I appreciate the offer. And as tempting as it is…”

Mac didn’t let me finish. “You didn’t let me tell you the salary.”

And then he said a number.

A holy shit kind of number.

A number that made my jaw drop and my eyes open wide. A number that meant when I left town, I’d have enough money to get me through college and have a good chunk more to set up a jewelry designing studio.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I wanted to turn him down, tell him I didn’t need his job. But the words wouldn’t come. I’d already had one setback when I lost my job tonight. Mac’s offer would allow me to take classes and escape Wild Ridge as planned. I’d be a fool to refuse.

Wouldn’t I?

As if he read my thoughts, Mac’s signature smirking smile twisted his lips. His posture eased and he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Tell you what. You give it some thought. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow and you can let me know then. Sound good? Please just don’t say no right now, okay?”

Before I could say a word, he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before turning back toward the Rusty Nail. I stared after him until the night swallowed him whole.

I resumed my walk back to my place, my steps slow as Mac’s offer and the look of revulsion on Sawyer’s face played over and over again in my mind.

The decision I needed to make seemed obvious and impossible at the same time. I would miss not working at the Sugarbush Stand, but I couldn’t say no. The job, if Mac didn’t change his mind in the light of a new day, would have a huge impact on my plans.

But my plans would mean nothing if I couldn’t survive working side-by-side with Sawyer Becker.

Damn it.

Five

Sawyer

Iwalked into the Sugarbush Cocoa Stand the next morning, my temper considerably cooled from the night before. After a long night drive cooled me down, I finally found my way back home and woke realizing how fucking stupid I’d been letting Birdie’s words dig under my skin.