Page 5 of Mountain Men Heroes
“Ethan. She pulled out her handy insta-smile and flashed her pearly whites as she turned on her heel. Braced for impact, in two seconds the middle boy of the Savage men had her pinned against him, feet off the ground and squeezing her into a giant bear hug. Whatever they fed these Alaskans made their men iron solid and drool-worthy down to the double dimples. That last one was probably genetic, but damn she’d never seen red plaid look so good on a man.
“She can’t breathe, for God’s sake. Let the poor girl go.”
Ethan planted her back on the ground but didn’t let her go. This made his brother’s scowl deeper.
“I think you may have irritated your brother quite thoroughly.” Feeling bold from the big welcome, Esmeralda tossed a wink at Drake that scored her the classic Drake stare. Hands crossed over his chest and a straight line for a mouth. But the golden flecks of his irises still swirled with the same energy as before.
“Damn girl, you’re looking fine. New York has been better than just good for you.” Ethan pulled back from her and placed both hands on her shoulders. Letting out a low whistle, he twirled her around. Shucking the designer shoes for the more practical gear of Alaska, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious over her several layers of sweaters and jeans tucked into her ankle-high boots. It had been a long time since her last winter here.
Ethan planted a big kiss on her cheek and from beneath thick lashes she caught Drake’s expression. If he frowned any deeper his face would crack.
“Yeah, who knew I had city-girl blood in my veins?” Esmeralda shared a laugh and another hug from Ethan who couldn’t seem to believe she was real.
Despite hating the nickname he Christened her with after he and Drake had taken down a bully who’d made fun of her freckles in eighth grade, Esmeralda smiled. This time for real.
“I see you’re still a big flirt, how are you? Have you made any lucky girl Mrs. Savage yet?”
“I don’t know about that, but I’ve made a few go wild if you know what I mean?” Ethan waggled his brows and made her laugh. Drake groaned beside her. Esmeralda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and dipped her head to hide a giggle.
In a matter of seconds one of her oldest childhood friends brushed away some of the dark gloom from her aching heart.
“Ahem... Playboy here was just leaving.”
Ethan reached over and tousled the ends of her ponytail as if they were still those young kids without a care in the world.
“Not so fast, bro.”
Drake growled, but that didn’t seem to slow Ethan’s roll any. “Listen, Carebear, come on by the house later on. Mom is pulling together a nice meal to celebrate Kara’s baby.”
Baby? The younger Savage sister had a baby? “I don’t think that’s a great idea.” Drake shuffled beside her and she caught the stiff look that passed between him and Ethan.
“Nonsense. You’ve been missed in these parts. Dad would love to see you and Mom too. Hell, the whole family would love to give you a big hug and see what you’ve been up to since leaving us.”
Drake nailed Ethan with a glare at his poor choice of words. Sometimes the filter between his brain and mouth malfunctioned growing up and landed him in some hot water on a few occasions. Apparently, it still did.
She placed a hand over Ethan’s. “It’s fine, really.”
“No pressure okay, but it would be nice to have you come over.” As if stepping right back in without missing a beat, Ethan welcomed her back just like that. With Drake, she still walked on thin ice, even if he did almost kiss her.
The instant heat kindled right back up with no problem, but walking back into their lives as if nothing happened? That she couldn’t do.
A small part of her envied their large, easygoing family. The bond they shared went beyond anything her family ever had for one another.
Beneath heavy lashes, she risked a glance at Drake who’d taken a step back from her and crossed his arms like a man that didn’t have time for little brothers and old girlfriends. For a moment it looked as if he wanted to push his brother back in the cab of his truck and be rid of him, too.
He was right. She’d come here for one purpose.
She flicked away the distraction of the allure Ethan painted for her and worked her mouth open to decline.
As if sensing her mental shift, he spoke up.
“Besides, Mom is gearing up for winter solstice too. I think you still know what that means.” How could she forget? That had her eyebrows climbing. Mama Savage’s barbecue made the worst of enemies momentarily set aside differences. She loved to grill no matter the time of year. Crazy, but then again who knows what normal is supposed to look like.
“If you’re going to be around for a while, meet us back at the lodge up on Risky Whiskey road and we’ll head home together.”
She smiled at the mention of the town’s best unkept secret. Risky Whiskey Run is where the town held its annual knicker run-fest. After drinking down countless shots of whiskey all the contestants stripped down to their knickers and raced to the end of the main drag that cut through the heart of downtown. One of the best ways to pass the cold winter and introduce the tourist to the local flavor of crazy.
Home. Neither brother seemed to notice, but that single word made her heart swell. After everything her father said and did to these wonderful people, how could they welcome her with open arms? Ethan couldn’t know his family would welcome her so graciously.