Ezra

by Kate Tilney

  “Oh, I’m not talking about changes you should make.” He belts out a chuckle so loud I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “I’m talking about changes I would make once I buy the place.”

  My blood runs cold. “You want to buy the place?”

  “Goodness, didn’t I say that?” There’s more chuckling. “I’d like to make you an offer that I’m sure you and your partner would find more than generous. I was thinking I could fly up there next week to take a look for myself and get our lawyers started. I’m sure we could even arrange some sort of deal where you could stay on as caretaker.”

  I’m clenching the phone so tight, it’s a wonder it hasn’t snapped in two.

  “The lodge is not for sale.”

  “Everything is for sale.”

  “Not my lodge. And sure as hell not me.”

  I hang up the phone while he’s still sputtering on the other line. Hunched over the desk, I brace my hands on the marred would while I try to bring my anger in check.

  What the hell did Wren tell him? Whatever it was, it made the man think my lodge could be bought. Is that why she was here all along? Asking her questions? Compiling information and data to help her boss swing a deal.

  There’s a rapping on my door, and I push myself and turn around.

  Standing in the entrance is a fresh-faced and smiling Wren. “Hey there, Mountain Man.”

  My heart lurches. How could I have been so deceived by her? I worked in business too many years not to see a sneaky manipulator. How many times did coworkers I trusted screw me over? How many times did the women I dated show their true colors? It’s why I gave that all up. Apparently I was blinded by her beauty and banter.

  I won’t make that mistake again. I see everything clearly now.

  Chapter Six

  Wren

  The harshness in Ezra’s tone—the rigidness of his body—gives me pause.

  Unease settles in the pit of my stomach. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got off the phone with Darrell.”

  I stare at him blankly for a moment until it hits me. “Darrell Campbell?”

  “That’s the one. It seems he has his eye on buying our lodge here.” His ice blue eyes narrow into slits. “Any idea of where he might have heard it’s on the market?”

  I shake my head. “None at all.”

  “The truth is out. You don’t need to keep up the act.” He shakes his head. “Camp Mountain Man was a cover. You’re here to do some insider snooping for your boss. I knew something was up.”

  “How can you say that?” Tears flood into my eyes. “How can you possibly think I’d sell you out like this? Or lie right now?”

  “Because that’s what people in business do. Don’t forget. You’re not dealing with someone who lucked into a bit of land and a building. I had a career on Wall Street before I came here.” He unfolds his arms to point a finger at me. “And you can tell Darrell Campbell my wheeling and dealing days are done.”

  “I just called him once. For a bit of advice.”

  Again, he ignores me, instead taking off out the door toward the shed. I stumble over my feet to keep up.

  “Would you just listen to me? Please.”

  “I’m never listening to you again.” He stops suddenly, and I crash into his back. He spins around and glares down at me. “Don’t you think it’s time you got out of here? Go back to that business and your money. It’s the only thing you care about.”

  My hand flies out and crashes against his cheek before I realize what I’m doing. Pain shoots through my palm. It’s like hitting an oak. He barely blinks.

  Clutching my aching hand I take a step back.

  “How dare you,” I choke out, a lump fully lodged in my throat. “How. Dare. You.”

  He raises a hand to his jaw now, blue ices practically glacially.

  “I’m not the one who betrayed our trust.”

  “Yes.” I sniff back a tear, because I will not cry in front of him. “You are.”

  Spinning around, I race back toward the lodge, tears blurring my vision. He’s right. It is time I got out of here. Not because he said so. But because I refuse to be here with him another minute. Why did I have to go and fall for a man who clearly doesn’t know me?

  I race into the door and slam straight into Noah.

  “Oof.” I pull back, now struggling to grasp a breath on top of trying not to bawl.

  “Hey, where’s the fire?” The grin slips off his face as he gets a better look at mine. “What’s wrong?”

  I shake my head. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Did something happen at home? I can have Hank fuel up the plane. But you might not be able to find a flight till tomorrow.”

  Great. Stuck here till the morning. I shake my head. “Tomorrow will be fine.”

  But now I can’t go to my room. I can’t be constrained. I have to go be alone with my feelings or something.

  Luckily, I’m in Alaska. In the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing but places to go alone.

  Pivoting again, I race out the door, leaving a concerned looking Noah to call my name. I head toward the closest trail. I’m almost into the trees when I hear Jules.

  Shoulders slumping, I pause. After how welcoming and kind she and Violet have been since I arrived, I don’t have the heart to snub her now. She’s nearly out of breath when she reaches me.

  “Noah said you were upset. What’s wrong?”

  I hesitate, then she places a hand on my shoulder. The simple act of comfort breaks me.

  Tears stream down my face as I give her a quick rundown of what has just happened. I can hear my voice going higher and breathier as I do. But I can’t help it. By the time I’m done, Jules looks about ready to cry too.

  “What a jerk!” She shakes her head. “Anyone with half a brain would know you’d never be so disloyal.”

  Exactly. “Thank you!”

  “These mountain men of ours tend to jump to conclusions. Plus, they’re stubborn as hell. But I bet we can get Ezra to pull his head out of his ass. With a little force if necessary.”

  I shake my head, sniffling again. “I’m done with him. I’m done with all of this.”

  “Please don’t say that.” Her grip on my shoulder tightens. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  “I just need some air.”

  “Do you want some company?’

  I shake my head. “I need to be alone.”

  Jules looks worried.

  “Just be safe.” She gives me a parting hug. “And look out for wildlife.”

  Back on my own, I slow my pace to more of a meander through the wilderness. As I do, I think about the anger in Ezra’s voice. How could he have believed I’d do something like that to him? I know how much he loves this place. He and the guys have put their hearts and souls into it.

  That’s why I just wanted a little advice on how to take them to the next level. To give them financial stability and security. So they can do this the rest of their lives. I thought Ezra trusted me to help.

  How can I possibly ever trust my heart or my gut again? Both of them led me to Alaska. Both of them made me believe in a future here, with him.

  Deep in thought, I almost don’t see it. Up ahead, munching on a bush, there’s a baby moose.

  “Aww.” It’s so sweet. I wonder how old it is. I pull out my phone to snap a photo when I remember Ezra’s words from before.

  Never stand between a baby moose and its mama. My heart hitches. I don’t see his mama. What if she’s sick or hurt? And he’s all alone. A fresh wave of pain flows over me. Instinctively, I take a step forward.

  I freeze when I hear it. A bellow in the not-too-far distance. Heart pounding, I slowly turn in time to see a mother moose come racing through the trees.

  Chapter Seven

  Ezra

  I was an idiot. That’s all there is to it. I let my guard down. I trusted Wren. I let myself believe she was different.

  What did I get in return? A so
re cheek and a broken heart.

  I’ll get over it. The ache in my cheek is already letting up. As for my heart, well, I’ve gotten over disappointment before. I’ve even had my heart broken and lived to tell about it.

  I will survive Wren Kolarik. With any luck, I’ll forget she ever existed.

  Yeah, I know. That’s a damn lie. I’ll never forget Wren. The best I can hope for is that this gnawing pain in my chest goes away.

  Grabbing my tool belt and headphones, I stalk out to the shed to work off some of my mad. If it doesn’t help my mood, at least I’ll come out of there with a new end table or something.

  I’m just setting a piece of salvaged wood on sawhorses when the door to the shed flies open. Pulling out my headphones, I turn as not one—but three—steaming women storm through the door.

  “Aw shit.” Heaven help me from angry, beautiful women.

  Squaring my shoulders, I toss the hammer aside. I widen my stance and fold my arms across my chest. Whatever fit they’re about to pitch, I’m ready.

  “You are a son of a bitch.” Bea says, hands on her hips.

  “How could you be so stupid?” Violet glares.

  “Is there something in this mountain air that makes you sexy men lose your minds?” Jules throws her hands in the air.

  Bea and Violet turn to stare at her.

  She lifts a shoulder. “What? Making the biggest mistake of his life doesn’t make him any less of a total bearded hottie.”

  Bea begrudgingly nods. “Fair.”

  “We should probably put that on the website,” Violet says. “‘Camp Mountain Man: Where the guys are idiots but sexy.’”

  There’s a murmur of agreement and I roll my eyes heaven-ward.

  “You don’t know the full story. You only heard her side of the story?”

  “Which was?” Bea asks, expectantly.

  “That I told her this thing between us was over, and this crazy social experiment of yours needs to end.”

  “How about the part where you accused her of selling the business out from under you?”

  Jules and Violet nod in unison.

  “So you heard about that?” And they have the nerve to accuse me of being a stupid jerk. And a sexy son of a bitch. “This lodge is my life. What did you expect?”

  “To give her a chance to explain.”

  “What’s to explain? She called an investor behind my back.”

  “She called a soon-to-be former boss asking for advice on how to help you grow your business!” Bea shouts. “She never told him you were selling.”

  My blood runs cold. “Come again?”

  “Wren just wanted an expert opinion on how you guys could make some improvements without changing the feel,” Violet says.

  “She didn’t even tell him about the Camp Mountain Man idea.” Jules gives him a pointed stare. “She was just as surprised as you were that he made an offer.”

  My brain is scrambling to process the information they just threw at me. Maybe I have lost my senses. Hell, if what they’re saying is true I am a stupid jerk.

  “So she didn’t know about the deal?”

  “Not until you accused her of betraying you,” Bea says.

  I pull off my tool belt and toss it aside. “I’ve got to go apologize.”

  I start toward the lodge, but Bea races to catch up with me. “You won’t find her in her room.”

  “Where is she?”

  Three scowling women point in the direction of a walking trail.

  My heart hitches. Shit. It’s never a good idea for someone unfamiliar with the land to go for a solo walk. Especially not when she’s angry and maybe not paying attention to her surroundings.

  I take off in a sprint. I will find her. I will protect her from any harm. And, I will tell her I have been a jerk, just like her friends said.

  I’m almost a mile from the lodge, blood pulsing through my veins and thundering my ears, when I hear the scream.

  “Wren!”

  I follow the sound at full speed, even as my heart seems to stop.

  In under a minute, she comes into view. She doesn’t seem to see or feel my presence. Her gaze is focused straight ahead, her face pale. I slow to a jog. I start to call out for her. The words stumble on my lips as I get eyes on what’s drawn her attention.

  It’s a mama moose and her baby. The mama’s ears are flat, and she’s pawing at the ground as she throws her head back like a horse. The whites of her eyes are showing. This mama is pissed. We don’t have much time before she tries to show Wren a lesson.

  If I don’t get to her before mama . . . I can’t even think about it.

  Reaching Wren’s side without a moment to spare, I slide my arm around her waist. She stiffens as I pull her behind a tree with a wide base. Pressing her against the trunk, I wrap my body around hers.

  “Hold still, baby,” I whisper in her ear.

  She gives a tight nod, and a shudder. I clench my eyes shut and silently pray for mama moose to lose her interest.

  We stay there frozen for how long, I don’t know. But when several minutes have passed, and I hear nothing, I lift my head and poke it around the tree.

  I sigh. “Thank God.”

  Releasing my grip on the tree, I sink to a nearby boulder, bringing her with me. I pull her into my arms and just hold her. After a moment, Wren pulls back to look up at me.

  “You saved my life.” She shakes her head. “Why would you do that? You were so mad.”

  “I was wrong.”

  And I haven’t said those words out loud many times in my life.

  I give a little shudder. “I’m sorry. I screwed up. Will you forgive me?”

  “You just saved me from a really grizzly ending.” She gives a humorless laugh. “I’d do just about anything you asked.”

  With her name on my lips, my fingers slide into her hair. I bring her mouth to mine. Relief and love pour out of me and into her. As our tongues collide, my pulse races again. This time for quite a different reason.

  Tearing my mouth from hers, I press my forehead against hers. My heart pounds in my chest, and I grin as I see that she’s struggling for breath too.

  “I love you.”

  Her dark eyes fill with tears. “I love you too.”

  “You said you’d do anything I ask.”

  “Anything. So feel free to get a little creative in the bedroom.”

  The image of her crouched between my legs flashes in my head. But I dismiss it. For now. I have something more important and more pressing to ask right now.

  “Stay? I know that’s a big ask. Your life is in L.A. Mine is here—”

  “My life is here now.” Her lips, still swollen from the kiss, curve up. “You’re here.”

  My heart swells with emotion. Damn, but I love this woman.

  She wraps her arms around my back and rests her head against my chest. “I promise, you won’t regret asking me to stay.”

  “I won’t.”

  She can take down all the antlers on the walls. She can take beer off the tap and serve nothing but sparking wine. Hell, she can turn this place into a day spa. I’ll still be glad she stayed.

  Because, I lied just a moment ago. My life is wherever she is. I’m a lucky man that the woman and land I love are all in the same place. And I’ll thank my lucky stars for that small miracle as long as there’s breath in my lungs.

  Epilogue

  Wren

  One year later

  I burst into Ezra’s office practically bouncing up and down. “I have the best news to tell you?

  “So you already heard about Mitch and Kristin?”

  I freeze in the doorway. “What about them?”

  He arches an eyebrow from behind the desk. “They’re getting married.”

  “Oh that’s wonderful.” I clap my hands together. “That gives us a baker’s dozen on happily settled couples who met at Camp Mountain Man.”

  I fall into my seat at my desk that faces his and pull up my Internet browser.


  “Let me guess. You’re already updating the website.”

  “Maybe.”

  He chuckles and leans back in his seat, plopping his boots on his scuffed up desk. “Who knew you ladies would be onto something?”

  “We knew.” I narrow my eyes at him. “And you and the guys were so sure we’d fail.”

  “I’m man enough to admit I was wrong.” He throws his hands up. “I’ll be honest. I was just hoping we wouldn’t go broke in the process.”

  “That’s definitely something we don’t need to worry about.”

  In the ten months since we did our soft opening of Camp Mountain Man, business at the lodge has quadrupled. We have sold out bookings through this summer and almost half of them booked for next summer.

  And while the lodge used to close in the winter, we’re at nearly full capacity for this upcoming winter. It turns out Alaska has a lot to offer people even if they can’t go hunting and fishing. Especially if those people are looking for a vacation fling in a rustic setting.

  The fact that we’ve actually helped thirteen couples—and counting—find their partners is icing on the cake.

  Speaking of partners . . . All four of the original men of Camp Mountain Man are permanently off the market. Noah and Jules just had their first baby. Silas and Violet are due any day. And Hank and Bea just announced they’re expecting. They’re not just growing their families, but their businesses are thriving.

  My eyes fill with tears just thinking about how much our lives have changed for the better in the past year.

  “Uh oh.” Ezra brings his feet back down and pushes himself up to come around our desks. He kneels next to me and places one of his warm hands on my knee. “Please tell me you aren’t going to cry every time this happens.”

  I sniffle. “I won’t cry every time this happens.”

  A cheer slips down my cheek, and he groans. “Oh, baby. You know I hate to see you cry.”

  His words remind me. I had good news of my own to share.

  Straightening my back, I turn in my chair to face his kneeling form straight on.

  “I know you don’t like the tears, but you should probably get used to them.”