Taming His Montana Heart Page 3

  As she did, he felt a sensual jolt throughout him. Oh, yes, she was feminine all right. Tempting and maybe dangerous. Capable of making him forget why he was at Lake Serene.

  “One thing I believe needs to have priority is devising a better system for keeping the trails open,” she continued. “Grooming them by sending staff out on snowmobiles at night is a fool’s mission.”

  “In what way?”

  She held up an unadorned finger. “Poor use of staff time.” She added another. “The possibility of something happening to someone out alone at night.” A third finger came up. “There’s no way the machines we have can pack down all the trails, particularly the trails that are in the backcountry.”

  He’d considered that but only briefly and occasionally because other things had taken priority. “What do you suggest?”

  Instead of immediately answering, she went back to studying the falling snow that served as a testament to the vast country west of the continental divide. Even though it was still day, the outside lights were on. The illumination both fought with and complemented the drifting, swirling flakes and turned the setting into something almost magical. If he could carve out a little free time, and it was a big if, he’d spend it skiing around Lake Serene.

  And he didn’t want to do it alone.

  They would let silence and snow suck them in, lose themselves in the most beautiful country he’d ever seen, make plans to climb Mount Lynx, and keep an eye out for wildlife. Sometimes simply looking at each other and speaking without words.

  In another world and time.

  “We need at least one snow groomer,” she said. “There are reasonably priced ones that can be pulled behind an ATV. Those that operate like snowplows or have tracks are more expensive. They also get the job done in a fraction of the time.”

  “And take less manpower,” he said, impressed by what she’d done to prepare for making her case.

  She brightened. “If you’re interested, I can email you pictures of what I believe would work best here.”

  He didn’t want an impersonal email from her. He wanted to hear her voice and watch the animation in her eyes. He hadn’t felt like this around a woman for a long time.

  Maybe not since he’d been a cop.

  Before everything had fallen apart.

  *

  Haley didn’t want her time with Shaw to end. It had a little to do with being given the opportunity to make her pitch for what she believed the snowmobile operation needed. Even more she wanted to go on listening to his voice. To decide if his eyes were really dark brown.

  However, what she wanted and reality were two different things, which was why she was walking through the space he’d created when he’d opened the restaurant door. In the time they’d been indoors, the outside temperature had dropped considerably and a Montana winter night was spreading over the resort. If it continued to snow, Lake Serene would soon be shut off from the rest of the world, a private, personal place understood by people who were comfortable in their own skin. She wasn’t sure he was. Now that she’d spent about an hour with him, she didn’t believe he fully embraced his career. Also, going by what he and his brother had talked about, she was certain he’d prefer to live closer to family.

  Not your business. He lives his life. You live yours.

  Speaking of her life, even with hot chocolate in her, she was hungry. She should be looking forward to going to her trailer and popping the roasted chicken she’d picked up at a grocery store into the oven to reheat. Instead, she remained at Shaw’s side as he walked her back to her SUV. They didn’t say much because snow and haphazardly parked vehicles meant they had to concentrate on their footing. This was the part of winter in a wilderness resort that didn’t make its way into promotional material. People wanted the magic of snow draped evergreens, not impenetrable parking lots and bone-cutting cold.

  “Are you responsible for the outside lighting on the new rental building?” she asked. “I love how it looks at night, like something out of a fairy tale.”

  “The head electrician and I debated a number of options before we settled on that design. I think it turned out well.”

  “Absolutely. You have an eye for design.”

  “Hardly. For the most part, I relied on his expertise.”

  “Then tell the electrician I approve.”

  “I will. I’ve been here the better part of a year, but I’m still getting used to how complete night becomes, especially if I’m away from the resort’s lights. Either its day or its dark. No in between.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him. He was so big up close, his body speaking silently to hers. “Except when the moon’s full and there aren’t any clouds. That happened before the first snowstorm. I’d gone for a walk near the base of Mount Lynx. The mountain put me in mind of a sentry standing guard over this part of the world.”

  “Were you by yourself?”

  “What? Yes.”

  He briefly touched her shoulder, made it impossible for her to drop her gaze. “Be careful.”

  “I always am.”

  “I hope so. Just because the majority of people who come to Lake Serene are here to commune with nature doesn’t mean they all are. There are bad apples everywhere.”

  “I’d think the bad apples have better things to do than tromp around in subzero weather looking for someone to rob.”

  “Or worse.”

  Surprised he’d brought that up, instead of getting into her vehicle, she continued to look at him. He made her feel safe, something she wasn’t used to. “I appreciate your concern.”

  “I’m serious. Always be aware of your surroundings.” He rubbed his forehead. “Now that I’ve made my point, I take it you’ve heard about our resident wolf.”

  “Who hasn’t? You aren’t concerned about him are you?”

  “No. I was trying to lighten things.”

  “Well you succeeded. Shaw, I’m used to taking care of myself.” Now.

  She thought he might touch her again then told herself she was letting her imagination get away from her. Just the same, she liked knowing her safety mattered to him. Needing to be doing something, she brushed snow off her shoulders, debated doing the same for him, decided she shouldn’t.

  Enough with thinking about him this way. He’s your boss, nothing else. “So what are your thoughts regarding approaching your uncle about getting a real snow groomer?” There. That was getting things back on the right track.

  “It makes sense. Uncle Robert is generous with big picture items. It’s a different story when it comes to the day-to-day operation.”

  “Oh.” She could get behind the wheel, start her vehicle, go home. Why then was she still standing close to Shaw while snow slipped around them? “Uh, I hope your brother gets out of the mountains without any problems.”

  “He’s cautious. It was wonderful seeing them. Kids grow up so fast I wouldn’t have recognized Bobby. That’s Alexa’s little brother.”

  “I wish I’d met him.”

  “I don’t know how he’d react. It took him awhile to decide I was going to live up to his standards.”

  “Little kids can be slow to accept someone they see as a stranger.”

  “Yeah.”

  He doesn’t want it to be like that. “Has Alexa always been into purple?”

  “I’m not sure. She’s a character and she knows it.”

  “She’s delightful. Will she and her family be able to come back soon?”

  “I hope so. Believe me, I hope so.”

  Shaw was hurting. A few hours ago he’d in essence only been the man whose decision had made it possible for her to have a job a considerable distance from a place she hoped she’d never again see. Then, somehow, he’d become more. Or rather she was finally acknowledging her feelings where he was concerned.

  “Where are you from if you don’t mind me asking?” she asked.

  He brushed snow off his collar. “Chicago.”

  “Seriously?” She clamped a hand ov
er her mouth. “That didn’t come out right. I’m just surprised you went from a metropolitan area to here.”

  “It was what I needed to do. What about you? Where were you living before you came here?”

  “Oregon.” No way would she tell him why she’d had to leave the state.

  He stared down at her for a long time while she floated in every second he gave her. “Oregon,” he muttered. “Are there enough snowmobiles there for a number of businesses to succeed?”

  “Not as many as here or Alaska of course but quite a few.”

  “Then mystery solved, at least part of it.”

  “What mystery are you talking about?”

  His gaze remained intense. “I was wondering why you got into the business so early in life. Most young teens don’t have jobs.”

  “I did.”

  “You certainly did. During the interview, we focused on your skills, not much about how you acquired those skills.”

  She’d deliberately tailored her responses so she could say as little as possible about why she’d spent all her free time working for her brother’s in-laws. It wasn’t that she had anything to hide. She just didn’t want to risk going down a road she’d been avoiding for years.

  Hoping to continue to do so, she busied herself wiping snow off the side mirror. Unless it stopped snowing, her effort would soon be undone. “About the grooming equipment, there are a couple of used ones for sale in Kalispell. Maybe your uncle—”

  “I’ll get him to agree that new is better.”

  She relaxed a little more. All she had to do was remember that her relationship with Shaw was one hundred percent professional, and he didn’t care about her personal life. As for her interest in him—

  “I’m glad we had this conversation.” Not sure she wanted to leave after all, she nevertheless opened the driver’s side door. A pickup towing a trailer was circling the parking lot. Hopefully it wouldn’t get stuck and hem her in. “I wasn’t sure how to bring up what you might decide is an unnecessary expense.”

  “Don’t ever hesitate to approach me.”

  As she slid around the door in preparation for getting behind the wheel, his warm hand brushed her snow-chilled one. What he’d just said about approaching him cemented itself inside her. Between that and the light touch, she stopped thinking of herself as a Lake Serene employee. Right now she was a woman, deep down where it counted.

  A woman in the presence of a man who meant more to her than he had a few hours ago.

  Chapter Three

  Once Haley had backed out of her parking space and eased around the snow-covered trailer behind the undersized pickup, Shaw turned away intending to return to the lodge and up the stairs to where he lived. Three steps later he stopped and stared at the SUV’s taillights through the falling white. Haley was heading toward the trailer park where most of the employees lived. Hopefully she was content with the one he’d earmarked for the snowmobile operation manager. He’d been concerned because when she’d come onboard, the only vacant trailer was one of the smaller ones but maybe it didn’t matter since she lived alone.

  Alone.

  He knew what that felt like.

  She was out of sight now, probably shifted down and heading up the snow covered gravel slope leading to her place. He’d noted groceries in the SUV’s back which meant she had some unloading to do before she could shut out the cold and dark.

  He should have asked if she carried a weapon. She might say yes or be shocked by the question. Whatever her reaction, he had no intention of telling her why he still looked at the world through cop eyes. No way would he let anything bad happen to Haley.

  He jammed his hands in his coat pockets and started walking. The fingers of his right hand brushed his smartphone where he no doubt had several text messages, but they could wait.

  Yes, they could. For the first time in longer than he wanted to think about, he wasn’t putting his job front and center. Despite the cold and so much snow falling that he had trouble seeing, he was content to remain outside.

  To be one with the quiet now that the trailer pulling pickup driver had given up.

  Barely thinking about what he was doing, he angled to the left so he could go around the lodge. While Haley and he had been in there, the restaurant had started to fill with visitors chilled from a day spent in the elements.

  From what he could tell, he was the only one at the side of the lodge opposite the parking lot and front door. He had to work at keeping his footing and occasionally sank into loose snow up to his hips, but the physical exertion felt good. Staying physically fit had been one of the things he enjoyed the most about being a police officer. He still exercised thanks to the weights and treadmill in his apartment, but it wasn’t the same.

  He was sweating by the time he reached the area devoted to outdoor summer activities. A treeless, grassy slope filled the space between the lodge and lake. If he kept going, he’d wind up on ice. He went to within about fifty feet of it and stared out at what little he could see of one of the primary reasons people came to the area.

  The outside lodge lights turned the storm into something unreal. If he didn’t think about how soon he’d start shivering, he could picture himself staying here until morning while breathing frigid air, watching treetops sway, listening to the ice groan, and imagining Mount Lynx guarding his world.

  Some of those in the restaurant were probably looking at him, a solitary figure surrounded by winter. There was no way they could know what had brought him to Lake Serene. Maybe that was why he felt at peace tonight.

  No. The guarantee of anonymity had nothing to do with the moment. What Haley Walters had said about the area was responsible. If he continued to mentally replay her words, hopefully bloody memories wouldn’t invade his sleep.

  Haley who didn’t need to know how messed up he was.

  *

  Haley turned up the heat in her trailer as soon as she went inside. While she waited for the uncluttered space to warm and the oven to heat up, she made two trips to her SUV for the supplies she’d picked up in Kalispell. After putting the chicken in the oven, she restocked her refrigerator and put the few cans in the cupboard. Then she opened the package of prepared salad and dumped it in a bowl.

  Her mouth watered at the thought of eating something she hadn’t cooked, but it would be a few minutes before she could. Instead of turning on the TV, she walked over to her living room window.

  When she’d thanked Kolina for positioning her trailer so the window faced the woods, Kolina had explained that jockeying trailers was no big deal for her because she’d once been a long distance trucker so she could work with the man she’d been in love with. Then Brian had been killed on the job. For a long time Kolina hadn’t cared how she supported herself, but fate or something close to it had brought her here where Terron was already working. They’d found each other.

  Been healed by each other.

  And by Lake Serene. Kolina and Echo had told her she’d fall in love with Lake Serene like they had. Even Alisha Hearne who owned one of the private cabins across the lake and had recently gotten engaged to Nate Quaid who used to be the resort’s plumber had told Haley to prepare for the area to take hold of her heart and not let go.

  So far it hadn’t happened.

  Oh, she enjoyed being in the wilderness. Loved it in fact. But tempered with enjoyment was the pressure to prove herself so, if she wanted, she could return to this job every winter. Hopefully once she had the snowmobile operation running smoothly she’d be able to relax. In the meantime…

  Frowning, she tried to remember what she’d been thinking about but maybe it didn’t matter. Instead of returning to the kitchen and dinner, she turned on the outside light. The trees grew so thick around her trailer that not all of the flakes made it to the ground. Branches drooped under the snow’s weight and she hadn’t seen the ground for several weeks.

  There wasn’t a world beyond this small lighted space. Where she’d come from didn’t matter. She h
ad no emotional baggage, no memories that sometimes turned into red-washed nightmares. It was quiet out there, the silence so deep she vowed to do everything she could to protect it.

  She just wished there was someone she could share her thoughts with tonight. Not her family because her mother was dead and her older brother Mick had a wife and two teenage daughters.

  Shaw maybe.

  Not questioning the thought, she stroked her hand where his fingers had briefly rested.

  *

  It had stopped snowing during the night but the forecast was for more later today. Shaw had taken the stairs down from his apartment where he’d spent his usual restless night and had entered his office, which was adjacent to the restaurant, before daylight. Despite his vow to get some fresh air—his office had only one small window—it was midafternoon before he found an opportunity to make good on his promise.

  He’d just stepped out back where he’d briefly stood last night when his cell phone rang. He was surprised and pleased to see that the call was from Haley.

  “I’m not going to add to your to-do list,” she said as soon as he said hello. “I can handle this. Just thought you should know. Rey’s on his way. If you want, I’ll send you a picture.”

  “A picture of snow grooming equipment?” He couldn’t reconcile what he thought she was talking about with her decision to involve his building contractor.

  “No. Sorry. I didn’t explain, did I? I’m concerned about the amount of snow that’s on the snowmobile shed’s roof. I heard some groaning.”

  His belly tightened. “Get out of there. If it collapses—”

  “Don’t worry. I’m out. Rey is hopeful we can avoid disaster by scraping off some of the snow load.”

  He trusted his foreman to assess the situation and do what needed to be done but that didn’t completely ease his mind. Haley’s safety was important to him, more so than it had been a few days ago.

  “Don’t bother with a picture. I’ll be right over.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I’ll have to dig out my rig first but it shouldn’t take long.”