Montana Promises

by Law, Kim

  The idea that he could hurt Dre as much as he could hurt Jaden had crossed his mind, and he didn’t like that scenario any more than the first one. But at the same time, he also knew Dre would understand if he leveled with him.

  “Would it make you feel any better to know that I only went out with Dre that one time?” she asked, and a breath of air rushed out of him.

  “It does.” He nodded.

  “Then how about you assume I won’t go out with anyone until we decide if we’re going to try this or not. Will that work?”

  He wanted to kiss her again. “That’ll work perfectly. Fair warning, though.” He paused before finishing his thought and touched one finger to the underside of her chin. Tilting her face to his and making sure she didn’t turn away, he leveled with her the best he could. “My record is one hundred percent at screwing things up. And the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

  She stared back at him, seeming to be holding her breath. “Then whatever we do, we approach it with our eyes wide open.”

  “Deal.” He leaned in then, and just barely brushed his mouth across hers. “Sealed with a kiss,” he whispered.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “The site is amazing, Megan.”

  Megan sat back in the chair in Dani’s office, watching as Dani continued clicking around on the new Wilde Cabins and Adventures website, and at the same time, she scribbled down notes as she saw a few tweaks that still needed to be made.

  She’d been working on the website at full speed every night this past week—when she hadn’t been texting or talking with Nate—and other than lining up a few final details with the provider who’d make sure to keep the site live twenty-four seven, everything was pretty much good to go.

  “We’ll do our soft launch in a week,” Dani said. She looked over at Megan. “Does that still work for you?”

  “Absolutely. That’ll give me plenty of time to work out any kinks with the system.”

  “Great. Then we’ll go hardcore in two,” Dani added. She had promo lined up to start on that date, and since they’d only be four weeks out from the potential first reservations, Megan had agreed to oversee traffic from the website until a full-time person could be hired.

  “You’re sure we’re not asking too much of you?” Dani asked.

  “Absolutely not. My assistant manager is working out great, so I can make sure to run up to the office and check on things multiple times throughout the day, and I can set it to text me if there are issues.”

  Nate had also finalized the list of local companies that would be involved in handling adventures any of the guests could request, and at the moment, those requests would be sent directly to them automatically via the website. Then once a full-time person had been hired to oversee the daily management and reservations of the business, they’d take over handling that side of things as well.

  “Great.” Dani clicked the X to close the website and turned away from the computer. “And from what I hear, the guys are already lining up interview potentials?” She looked to Arsula with the question, who sat in the chair beside Dani. Arsula still worked for Dani for the time being, and since she was essentially already part of the family, she’d offered to help out with this in any way she could. She’d monitored the job posting and had provided a first set of eyes on the submitted resumes.

  “They are,” Arsula answered. “Jaden has the first one lined up for early next week, and I think he and Nate will be talking to a couple of others later in the week.”

  “That’s awesome.” Dani tapped a pen against a printed list on her desk. “And Cord has already been planting seeds in Billings with several friends and colleagues. We’ll send him promo copy as soon as things are finalized, and before we know it, this whole thing will be off the ground.”

  The idea of being in the middle of this kind of whirlwind project thrilled Megan. This was the type of work, she was learning, that thrilled her. Seeing a project go from start to finish. Making things happen.

  Not merely sitting in front of a computer all day.

  Arsula took in both Dani and Megan. “Are we certain the cabins will be ready in time?”

  Megan was the one to answer. “I was out there yesterday after work, and Nate says the work is progressing on time, if not ahead of schedule. Assuming no bad weather gets in the way when it comes time to pour the new entrance into the property, he seems confident they’ll be ready.”

  “I’m still amazed at how precisely he’s pulling this off,” Dani murmured, and Arsula agreed. That had seemed the consensus with most everyone any time Megan had heard it mentioned.

  Well, not with the guys he worked with. She’d been out there a couple of times this week, both to take measurements, as well as just to get a few minutes with Nate, and those men not only worked their butts off for the man, they also seemed completely confident in his ability to manage the project.

  And due to that, and to seeing Nate in action herself, Megan had grown confident as well. She didn’t know what all he’d been involved in over the years, but he’d certainly developed some upper level skills.

  “Then ladies”—Dani put down her pen—“it looks like we’re about to launch a new business!”

  After the meeting ended, Megan hung around the lobby of the office, wanting to catch up with Arsula. It was Friday, and since she’d made a habit of leaving the store to her assistant manager every Friday afternoon, she was in no hurry to get anywhere.

  “How’s the new place working out?” she asked as the other woman settled back in behind the front desk.

  “It’s fantastic,” Arsula gushed. She and Jaden had found an apartment to rent that had more space than the one she currently lived in above the office and had signed the lease on it earlier in the week. “Jay still feels guilty for not staying at the house with Max any longer than he has, but he and Gloria were insistent that they’d be fine.”

  “They did look fine when I saw them yesterday,” Megan agreed. That had been another reason she’d wanted to stop by the farm. She cared a lot about the older Wilde, as well as his wife, so it was always good to see them. “Nate is still there, too, of course. I think that gives Gloria a sense of relief at having a backup if they were to need it.”

  “I’m sure it does.” Arsula pulled up her email on the monitor in front of her. “So . . . any dreams lately?”

  “Dreams?” Megan shook her head, unsure where Arsula was going with the question. “Not really. Nothing out of the ordinary anyway.”

  “Nothing involving an ex-crab fisherman who seems to have finally found his place in the family business?”

  “What?” Her brows shot up. “No. Nothing like that at all. I told you nothing was going on there.” Crap. Had Arsula said something to Jaden?

  “I know what you told me.”

  “Then you should believe it.” Except, it wasn’t exactly the truth. Nothing was necessarily going on, true. Other than talking and texting, and him walking her to her car the two times she’d been out to the farm that week.

  But they still hadn’t decided whether they were going to take things anywhere or not. Like she’d said at her place, they had to approach this with their eyes wide open. And though she definitely liked him and was more than attracted to him, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to go there. Because what if she fell hard and he turned around and left?

  “I’m just saying,” Arsula began, but when Megan’s phone buzzed, she looked down at the screen.

  It was a text from Nate.

  I’ve rented a boat for tomorrow . . . want to go out on it with me?

  A boat?

  Her entire body went instantly jittery, and that reaction told her that she was more than ready to take things to the next level. She tapped out a response.

  I thought the boat idea was going to be a celebration thing.

  She bit her lip as she waited for his reply.

  Isn’t the website basically ready to go live?

  Well . . . *yes*

 
; Then it seems to me that it’s something to celebrate.

  She grinned at his subtleness, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

  So what would this be, Wilde? Two friends going out on a boat? Or . . .

  Two messages came in back to back.

  Or.

  Definitely.

  She grinned from ear to ear. She had a date with Nate Wilde.

  I’ll bring along a book to read while you fish.

  No need. Bring hiking boots instead. I’m taking you over to Wild Horse Island.

  Neither of them sent anything else, and when she looked back up, realizing that she’d zoned out of her conversation with Arsula right in the middle of it, Arsula’s smile was as wide as hers.

  Busted.

  “It’s nothing, huh?” Arsula said, and Megan couldn’t stop the flush that crept across her cheeks.

  “It’s . . .” She didn’t know what to say. This may or may not go anywhere. And even if it did, she knew that Nate wouldn’t be ready for it to become public knowledge. Especially within his family.

  “Don’t worry.” Arsula stood and reached over the counter to give Megan a quick hug. “I won’t say a thing,” she whispered in her ear. “But I wish you all the luck.”

  * * *

  She’d heard of Wild Horse Island, of course. And she’d seen it from a distance plenty of times. It was a state park sitting within Flathead Lake. And with more than twenty-two hundred undeveloped acres, with all wildlife running free, it was a place she’d intended to make sure she visited in the coming months. But speeding across the water today, she knew that months away wasn’t what was meant to be. This moment was. With Nate.

  He looked over at her from where he sat behind the steering wheel, a baseball cap pulled low over his brow and the scruffiness of several days’ growth of beard covering his jaw, and he shot her an award-winning smile. “You ready to see what we can find out here?”

  “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

  Her reply, double meaning and all, didn’t go unnoticed, and she watched as his eyes heated and then dropped briefly to her lips. That had happened several times during the course of the trip over, but he had yet to touch her in any way other than a simple hand hold to help her into the boat.

  She’d gotten out to the orchard right after closing the store at noon, and Nate had been ready and waiting. He’d had the boat loaded with backpacks filled with food, extra coats and hoodies, and plenty of water for a long day of hiking. Max and Gloria hadn’t been at the house. They’d gone into town to visit with friends who’d sent cards and made calls during Max’s recovery. So, it had been just her and Nate. And they’d wasted no time heading out.

  “Did I mention that I’m glad you said yes to today?” Nate’s voice had taken on the same kind of heaviness she’d been feeling ever since receiving his text the day before.

  “I think you might have said that a time or ten.”

  He winked at her, took one more peek at her lips, then went back to paying attention to the boat. Throttling the motor down, he approached the small public beach area that was most accessible by visitors, and she saw that they weren’t on the island alone. Two kayaks had also been pulled ashore, as well as another small boat. No one was anywhere in sight, though. Nor could she hear any voices.

  “Thank you for inviting me today,” she spoke softly as the quiet, calm feel of the island immediately took hold, and when blue eyes glanced over at hers, she added, “I already know I’m going to have a wonderful time.”

  His look said the same thing . . . as well as that, once again, he desperately wanted to kiss her.

  Once he got them up to the beach—which was nothing but the gorgeous colorful rocks that could also be seen in the bottom of the lake—he killed the motor and hopped out to tie off. While he did that, she gathered the backpacks, removed and tied the extra windbreaker she’d worn around her waist, then accepted his hand to help her out.

  Once out, though, he didn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her in close. “I know I’m going to have a wonderful time, too,” he told her, the heat from his body seeming to be reaching out to hers. “And whether the answer to my forthcoming question is a yes or a no, I’ll still have a great time.” He shifted his hand so they were palm to palm, and he twined their fingers together. “But there’s something I need to ask you before we head up that hill, Meg.”

  She breathed through her mouth as she peered up at him. “What is it?”

  He leaned in a little, his mouth inching closer, and she held her breath. She was so ready for this man to kiss her again. That’s all she’d been thinking about since he’d given her that tiny peck a week ago.

  His mouth bypassed hers and went to her ear. “Do you need sunscreen?” he whispered.

  “What?” She jerked back and slapped at his arm. “You’re a tease, Nate Wilde.”

  Laughter rolled out of him, and the tension that had been building since they’d first stepped onto the boat finally eased a little. They both wanted to get their lips on each other, no doubt. But Nate’s little joke said that it wasn’t going to happen just yet.

  Why it wasn’t happening yet, she didn’t know, but at the same time, she kind of liked the added anticipation.

  “I put some on in my car before I got out,” she informed him. “So, I guess that’s a no.”

  “Too bad,” he murmured. Then he turned, her hand still in his, and they started up the hill.

  It didn’t take long to get high enough for an excellent view back over the lake and the surrounding land beyond it, and Megan simply stopped and stared. This part of the world was truly magnificent. “I could stay right here all day,” she told him. The silence of the place was hypnotic.

  He stepped behind her, sliding both arms around her stomach, and she shivered as his hands clasped together at her waist. She leaned back into his arms. “Just wait,” he murmured. “This is simply the appetizer.” His breath skimmed over her neck, and she shivered again. Her breasts also begged to be touched. But the man simply whispered in her ear once more. “I’m going to show you heaven before we leave here today, Meg.”

  The man was evil.

  And sexy as hell. She could feel the bunched muscles of his thighs pressing into the bottom of her rear, and whatever cologne he’d splashed on that morning circled her and made her heady. “You wait too long to show me anything,” she breathed out, “and I’m going to start thinking you’re all talk.”

  She angled her head back and looked up at him, and she could see that it took everything he had not to close the distance between them. But still, he succeeded.

  They headed off along the trail again—while she inwardly groaned with mounting frustration—and it wasn’t long before they came upon a herd of something off in the distance. Nate stopped and shrugged out of his backpack, and when he pulled out a pair of binoculars, he handed them over.

  Putting the glasses to her eyes, she quickly realized they were some seriously high-powered lenses, and when she managed to locate the herd, she saw that the animals were bighorn sheep.

  “Wow.” Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “This alone makes the trip worthwhile.”

  “I know.” He waited until she offered the binoculars, then he took a look himself. Once he lowered them, he pointed toward the animals. “I guess this means we’re heading that way.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  After three hours of hiking, seeing many other animals—and absolutely no kissing—they’d found a nice spot on the top of a wide ridge and spread out the thin blanket Nate brought along for a picnic. The day had gone exactly as he’d hoped so far. A lot of laughs, plenty of sharing stories and just talking in general . . . and their time together reinforcing his need to be around Meg.

  He’d told himself the week before that he wouldn’t ask her out until he was certain it wasn’t due merely to her being off limits. And as the week had progressed, he could definitely say that wasn’t the case. He’d looked for
ward to every text that had come from her, and his heart had fluttered each time he’d heard her voice through the phone. Whatever this was, it wasn’t simply lust.

  But that was okay. He’d shoved the thought of her being Jaden’s ex mostly to the back of his mind. As well as the likelihood that this whole thing stood a massive chance of ending in a giant ball of flames. And he’d decided to go for it. He wanted to see what this could be.

  And if it could be something?

  Well . . . he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

  “Would you like something to eat?” he asked. He’d pulled the blanket out of his backpack when they’d stopped earlier, but other than bottles of water and extra sunscreen, he hadn’t dug anything else out.

  Megan shook her head as she looked over at him. “It isn’t food that I want, Nate.”

  His mouth went immediately dry. “No?”

  “No.”

  Sitting on the blanket with her legs stretched out in front of her, the crystal-clear waters of Flathead Lake surrounding her in the backdrop, she put one hand flat on the ground and leaned into his space. The smell of pears mingled with the outdoors, and hot needy eyes stared up at him.

  “This is a date, right?” she asked.

  “It is.”

  “And do you hope to get a second date after this one?”

  “I absolutely do.”

  She nodded, and her gaze slowly trailed down to his mouth. “Then you need to figure out how to make sure this date says yes a second time.”

  He absolutely did.

  Deciding he’d made the two of them wait long enough, he lifted a hand and gently cupped her face. He didn’t immediately kiss her though. He wanted to take a moment to look at her first. He adored everything about her. Her eyes, the plump, high cheeks, her nose. But mostly he couldn’t get enough of the curve of her lips. Whether she was angry, sad, happy, or driven half mad with need, her lips constantly drew his attention. And the first time he’d kissed her, he hadn’t taken his time and showered them with the attention they deserved. So, this time he planned to.