by Kat Mizera
Luckily, her instincts had been spot-on and they hit it off immediately. He was six feet four inches with wavy blond hair that fell in a shaggy mess around his head and pale blue eyes that seemed a little sad. He was soft-spoken and friendly, helping her with her suitcase and showing her around the cabin. In fact, he seemed like the exact opposite of what they’d been hired to tame; she had a hard time picturing this guy being a jerk, even on the ice.
“So how does this work?” he asked as they settled at the kitchen table with cold cuts, cheeses and rolls to make sandwiches for lunch. “You follow me around Eagle Rock and make sure I don’t get into bar fights?”
She smiled. “Part of the time. I also make sure you go to physical therapy, work on a plan for you to get back into the public’s good graces and maybe even set up some PR here in Eagle Rock at a local hospital and the like. Since Montana doesn’t have an NHL team, it could be a good way for you to boost morale with a visit to a children’s cancer ward or something.”
“Okay.” He nodded amiably, putting so much roast beef on the bread she watched in fascination.
“Do you have any questions for me?” she asked after a moment.
He shook his head. “Nah. My agent and the team both told me I had no choice in this, so I agreed. I just want to get past my divorce so—”
“Wait.” She held up a hand. “Divorce? No one said anything about a divorce. Aaron, that could change everything.”
He sighed. “No one knows. That’s kind of the problem. I don’t want anyone to know. She thinks I’m cheating but I’m not.” He made a face and dug into his sandwich.
Something in his voice set off her inner sixth sense and she narrowed her eyes. “Why did you say it that way?”
“Because I’m in love with someone else, but I’ve never touched her, never cheated, never done anything. I’ve loved this other woman since college but she’s my best friend’s wife. So I don’t love my wife, but I haven’t cheated.”
“No wonder she’s mad.”
“She doesn’t know.”
“Are you sure?”
“She knows I don’t love her, but not the other thing.”
“Women can see things, you know? She probably senses it even if you don’t realize it.”
“Regardless, she asked for the divorce, and I’m giving her half of everything. I just want it to be over. I guess the stress has been getting to me, and I’m sorry for that. In the end, breaking my hand was probably a good thing—it’s forcing me out of the game and the spotlight. Hopefully, I can get things finalized before I go back.”
“If your divorce is a secret, does that mean the team doesn’t know?”
“No one really knows.”
“Your agent?”
“No. Just my lawyer and my friend Jake.”
“The one whose wife you’re in love with?”
“Yeah.”
“He knows how you feel?”
Aaron frowned, setting his sandwich down. “I think he suspects, but we’re tight. Like brothers. He knows I would never do anything to disrespect that.”
She opened her mouth to answer just as her phone rang. Mark. She sighed and quickly declined the call, turning her phone over. Aaron raised his eyebrows.
“Who’s Mark?”
She flushed. “Just a friend.”
“Uh-huh. Girls don’t usually turn red over a call from ‘a friend.’ How good of a friend?”
She couldn’t help but sigh. “We have mutual friends and wound up on the flight together…” She’d only known Aaron an hour, but she told him the whole story, including her history with men. He listened intently, nodding slowly.
“So he said he wanted to talk about it when you guys were both sober and you took off while he was at the gym?”
She shrugged. “Seemed better than an uncomfortable situation.”
He scratched the faint beginnings of a goatee thoughtfully. “Honestly? I think you overreacted. Since you guys have mutual friends, if he wasn’t interested, he never would have taken you to dinner and started a make-out session. Did it ever occur to you he might actually be a gentleman who didn’t want to do it for the first time after two bottles of wine?”
This time Lana’s flush was one of genuine discomfort because Aaron’s words rang true. Mark might not be thinking about anything long-term, but she had no reason to think he wasn’t a gentleman and what he’d done last night had been a gentlemanly thing to do. “Crap. I told you I consistently make a fool of myself with men.”
Aaron smiled. “It’s kind of cute.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks a lot.”
“You should talk to him. If anything, you probably hurt his feelings by running out on him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope.”
“Great. Just fucking great.” She bit into her sandwich more heartily than she meant to, getting mayonnaise on her cheek and a piece of cheese on her shirt.
“Don’t kill the messenger,” he murmured.
Mark was pissed when he got back to the room after working out and found Lana gone. Even though it was still snowing lightly and probably not safe to drive yet, she’d cut and run instead of talking to him. Frustrated but unsure what he could do about it, he’d called Montana who was now coming to pick him up. Mark had offered to rent a car but Montana said he had an old pickup he could drive while he was in Eagle Rock and Mark was grateful because renting a car for a whole month wasn’t in his budget. He made a decent salary but between the mortgage, his car payment and his love of travel, there wasn’t a lot left at the end of the month. He tried to save but living in the D.C. area was expensive. It was one of the reasons he was considering moving to Montana.
He was outside when Montana arrived and Mark got in the big SUV with a smile, holding out his hand. “Hey, man. Mark Garrison.”
“Good to finally meet you in person.” Montana shook his hand and pulled the SUV into traffic.
They exchanged pleasantries, talking about Mark’s trip and the storm that had passed through.
“Lana rented a car this morning and is probably already in Eagle Rock.” Mark had told him about sharing a hotel room.
“This is someone important to you?” Montana asked.
“I was hoping so, but I guess not.” He shrugged. “Besides, she’s from New York City. If I wind up coming to work for you, I don’t see her relocating to Montana.”
Montana glanced at him. “You know who my wife is, right? Sadie McClain.”
Mark hadn’t known Montana was married to the well-known Hollywood actress. “She likes it here?”
“Oh yeah, but to be fair, she grew up here. Still, this is a great place to settle down, have a family. It’s nice to come home after a trip to L.A. or New York or wherever. Your girl, Lana, may come to feel the same way.”
“She’s not my girl,” Mark muttered.
“Not yet.” Montana chuckled. “Things seem to happen in our little town.”
“Lana’s…special, but I don’t think she’s interested. That’s all. I’m sure we’ll run into her while I’m here and you’ll see what I mean.”
“If she’s worth it, it’ll all work out.”
“Tell me more about the Brotherhood Protectors.” Mark opted to change the subject; talking about Lana only frustrated him all over again.
“It’s basically providing protection services for people who need them. I prefer to hire prior military, to give them a way to use their skills and do something honorable, get jobs when sometimes they can’t.”
“Maybe I don’t qualify,” Mark said quietly. “I have a job and lots of options because of my specialty, so you might want to hire someone who can’t find work.”
“I don’t mean just guys who can’t find jobs. Most of my guys could find work, but it’s hard to find fulfilling work, and that’s one of the things I want to provide. Plus, it’s a service, helping people who need it.”
“And there’s enough business to keep us all o
n a salary?”
Montana chuckled. “We’re busier than you might think. Lots of rich people buy land out here and then need protection from one thing or another. Hell, there’s business I’ve had to turn down out of town because I didn’t have enough guys to handle it. Business is good, Mark. You’ll have plenty to do if things work out.”
“You have anything going on while I’m here?”
“I’ve got a couple things in the works, so you’ll get a feel for it. In the meantime, I’m going to do my best to make you want to live in Eagle Rock.”
Mark grinned. “Sounds like a fun challenge.”
Instead of heading home, they stopped at a diner for dinner. Montana’s wife was out shopping with his sister, Allie, tonight, so his brother-in-law, Axel “Swede” Svenson, also one of the Protectors, was meeting them for dinner. Swede was already inside so they walked in and headed towards his table. The tall blond got up and they shook hands before settling down with menus.
“The food here is great,” Montana said.
“Good, because I’m starving.” Mark decided what he wanted and ordered a cup of coffee.
“So you’re here for a few weeks?” Swede asked him.
“Yeah. Thought I’d check out the area, get a feel for the place.”
“It’s been great for me,” Swede nodded. “But my wife, Allie, probably has a lot to do with that.”
“Thanks a lot,” Montana muttered.
They chuckled together.
“I get the feeling there aren’t a lot of available women in a town this size,” Mark commented.
“Well…not a lot,” Montana admitted. “That’s why you need to bring your girl, Lana, with you when you decide to take the job.”
“Lana’s not…” Mark’s voice trailed off as Lana walked in with a good-looking blond guy. She was laughing up into his face as he held the door open for her and he took her arm as she stumbled over some invisible obstacle.
“Who’s that?” Swede asked under his breath.
“I don’t know either of them,” Montana replied, frowning.
Mark stood up, occupying the aisle and blocking their way. “Hey, Lana.”
5
Lana gaped as she and Aaron came face-to-face with Mark. Shit. What was he doing here? She’d hoped he would spend one more night in Bozeman, but here he was and his two friends were undoubtedly those bodyguards he was interviewing with.
“Friend of yours?” Aaron asked lightly, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he undoubtedly guessed who this was.
“Um, yes, this is Mark. Garrison. Mark, this is Aaron Farrar.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mark held out his hand and shook Aaron’s.
“Likewise. I’ll get the table, hon,” Aaron said, walking around them. “Come on over when you’re ready.”
“I’ll be right there,” Lana called after him.
“I was worried,” Mark said when Aaron was gone. “You didn’t answer my calls and the roads were icy.”
“Sorry.” She dipped her head. “I got here and Aaron and I started talking shop and…”
“I get it.” He met her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.” She bit her lip. “Well, um, I have to go… Take care.”
“You too.”
She felt his eyes on her as she hurried after Aaron, grateful she didn’t trip, fall or knock something over on the way.
“So that’s Mark.” Aaron’s face was full of humor.
“Don’t,” she snapped, scowling.
“Sorry.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “He looked pretty pissed when he saw me. Does he know I’m a client?”
“Yeah, but he probably didn’t know how good-looking you are.” She regretted the words the moment they slipped out, and she winced. “Jesus. Maybe I should just abandon ship now. Call Kate, tell her I can’t do this, and go back to New York.”
He laughed, a robust sound that filled the room. “Honey, you’re not the first woman to tell me I’m good-looking, and frankly, it’s nice to hear it from someone who’s not after my bank account.”
“How do you know I’m not?” she shot back, grateful for his deflection.
“The way you looked at Mark, there’s no one else alive for you right now, no matter how much is in the bank.”
“I barely know him,” she protested.
“I knew I loved Adrianna the first time I saw her.”
“I don’t have any answers when it comes to love,” she said softly, “but Mark and I are worlds apart geographically, emotionally and probably physically too. I’m taller than him and—”
“Not all men mind.”
“Would you date a woman taller than you?”
“I’m six-four, so I’ve never met one,” he admitted, “but if she was special? Hell yeah.”
Lana dared to glance over at Mark. He chose that moment to look up and their gazes locked before he turned away, his face devoid of emotion. Well, that pretty much answered any lingering questions she had. If only this visual rejection didn’t hurt just as much as last night’s sexual rejection.
Mark was still annoyed the next day as he and Montana drove around Eagle Rock and he got the lay of the land. It was small as far as towns went, but it was sprawled out over a lot of territory and he thought the landscape was beautiful. If he hadn’t seen Lana with her new client last night, he might have been enjoying himself. Instead, thinking about her had him all tied up in knots and he didn’t understand it. He’d bungled things at the hotel, but she’d snuck away the following morning and wouldn’t answer his calls. Running into each other at the café hadn’t been any better and he was frustrated. He just wanted to talk to her; it shouldn’t be this hard to either get together or forget about her. At least, it had never been this hard with other women.
“You should go see her,” Montana said quietly.
“What?” Mark frowned at him.
“You’ve been distracted ever since you saw her last night. She’s staying up at Jake Carruthers’ place.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Fairly well-known hockey player… I think he plays for New York but there are trade rumors. I don’t follow much hockey.”
“Oh, yeah, sounds familiar.” Mark paused. “How’d you know where they were staying?”
Montana chuckled. “I make it my business to know what’s what when strangers come to town.”
“Good to know, but I’m not interested in chasing a woman who doesn’t want to be caught.”
“You might want to give it another chance before you make that decision.”
“She’s been slipping through my fingers one way or another for two years. At this point, it might be time to give up.”
“Your call. But you should invite her tomorrow.”
“Invite her? To what?”
“To join the group of us going up to a local ski lodge. The girls, other than Allie, don’t ski much but they enjoy the bunny slope, hanging out at the lodge... We could invite Lana and Aaron, make a day of it. Be good for you to breathe some Montana mountain air, too.”
“I’m down. Haven’t skied in a while, but it should come back to me.”
“Just like riding a bike!”
Mark grinned. “Let’s hope.”
Lana was quiet on the drive up to the ski lodge. She’d had zero interest in spending a day skiing but Aaron made it seem like it wasn’t optional, so here she was, wearing more clothes than she’d ever imagined possible, freezing to death while trying to listen to a cute young ski instructor explain how to glide down a snow-covered mountain on what amounted to two flat sticks.
“Come on,” Allie teased her. “It’s not that hard.”
“You’ve never seen me trip over an invisible bump on the rug or knock my drink into an unsuspecting diner’s lap.”
Allie laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “No one here is grading you on being graceful—we’re just going to have fun.”
“It’d be more fu
n up in the lodge with a warm drink,” Lana muttered, trying to listen as the ski instructor demonstrated how to get up from a fall. Like she’d stick her butt up in the air that way in front of Mark. Not hardly.
She listened as well as she could but mostly tuned everything out. Mark and the other guys were all standing off to the side, watching and yelling encouragement. None of them needed a lesson, but they were enjoying being the girls’ cheering section. Not Allie, of course. She’d grown up here and had joined the lesson for the fun of it. Mia Chastain, the girlfriend of another of the Brotherhood Protectors, was laughing at herself each time she fell, and Hank’s wife, Sadie, seemed oblivious to how ridiculous she looked as she tried to mimic the instructor’s moves. Of course, as pretty as she was, who cared if she could ski?
“Are you that miserable?” Mark’s soft voice against her neck made Lana jump and she glanced at him with a self-conscious shrug.
“I’m not athletic, so things like this make me feel even more clumsy than usual.”
He frowned. “This is supposed to be fun. No one cares if you can ski.”
“I care,” she huffed out a breath. “Apparently, I’m not good at anything but PR and book-related things. It’s annoying.”
The look he gave her was tender, almost sultry. “I bet you’re good at lots of other things, beautiful.”
She shook her head. “Not even sexual innuendo is going to make me feel better about this.”
“You want to go inside?”
“Of course I do, but how can I leave without looking like a spoiled brat?” She glanced over to where the other girls were laughing and flirting with the instructor. “Why don’t you go ski so there’s one less person for me to make a fool of myself in front of?”
