6. Juniper
CHAPTER 6
JUNIPER
It took me a few moments to figure out where I was. The bed was too big, and the pillows smelled like woodsmoke and pine needles, just like Griff. I rolled over, and the events of the night before came rushing back. The way Griff’s beard felt against my cheek. How gently his huge hands had held onto my waist. And how he’d left me standing in his kitchen, my lips tingling from his kisses.
I’d waited for him to come back, but when I heard metal clanging against metal, I figured he was out in his workshop and got ready for bed.
Appie stretched then sauntered across my stomach and nudged his wet nose into my neck, his way of telling me it was time to get out of bed and feed him breakfast. Oh no. We’d left my cabin in such a hurry, I hadn’t grabbed the cat food. I’d have to go back today.
I didn’t want to get out of bed yet. Didn’t want to see Griff. Didn’t want to have to acknowledge that kiss and what it might mean. But we were going into town today. Not even the guaranteed awkwardness that was sure to bubble up between us would keep me from seeing what we could find out about Caleb’s land.
Reluctantly, I pulled on the robe I’d found hanging on the back of the door and ventured out of the bedroom. The cabin was silent, though the smell of fresh coffee hovered in the air, pulling me toward the kitchen. I searched the cabinets until I found a mug, then filled it. Griff had left a note on the counter.
Went out to check the perimeter. You’re safe with Scout. He’ll bark if anyone shows up. I’ll stop in and grab the cat food from the lodge.
- G
The man might pretend to be harder and colder than an iceberg, but actions spoke louder than words. He said I didn’t belong and that he didn’t want me here. Now he was going to get food, so my cat didn’t starve? There was definitely more to him than the grumpy persona he hid behind.
I found a can of tuna in the cupboard that would tide Appie over until later. By the time Griff returned, I’d showered, dressed, and was waiting for him on the couch.
“About last night…” I started.
“I checked a few of my trail cams. They didn’t pick up anything, but there were fresh footprints around the back side of the lodge.” He set a bag on the counter. “I went in to get cat food. Doesn’t look like anyone has been inside.”
“Thank you.” I unpacked Appie’s bowl and filled it with dry food. He’d already been sharing a water bowl with Scout, so I set his food down next to that on the floor.
“Are you ready to go down the mountain? Sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back.” Griff hadn’t taken off his jacket or boots and stood by the door. The grim line of his lips suggested he wasn’t looking forward to heading into town.
“I can go by myself. You’ve already done so much.” Plus, it would give us a break from each other. He clearly wasn’t enjoying sharing his personal space.
But he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s the lodge and land they’re after, not me.”
“And if something were to happen to you on your way down or back?” One dark brow arched. He looked even broodier than usual.
“I hate being an imposition.”
“You’re not an imposition. You’re…” he paused, searching for the right word. “A friend.”
“Friends… is that what we are?” Heat prickled my cheeks. “I don’t make a habit of going around kissing my friends.”
“That’s all I can offer.” He grabbed my coat off the hook by the door. “I overstepped last night, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
I didn’t believe him. That kiss was way more than a neighborly gesture. I’d never been kissed like that before. But if he didn’t want to acknowledge whatever heat we’d had between us, that was fine with me. I’d just become single again and wasn’t ready to jump back into whatever I might call something between me and Griff. A situationship? The fulfillment of a grumpy, growly mountain man fantasy?
Shaking the dirty thoughts out of my mind, I shoved my arms into my coat. “Fine. Let’s go.”
We pulled into town and Griff insisted on stopping at the general store first. He said I needed a pair of good winter boots and after stomping through the snow in cold, wet socks, I actually agreed. While Jack helped me find my size, Griff wandered through the store. I waited for him to ask questions, but when he didn’t, I figured it would be up to me to find out if anyone had mentioned Uncle Caleb’s land.
“Hey, I heard a rumor recently that someone was interested in buying my uncle’s lodge.” I looked at Jack to gauge his reaction. “Do you know anything about that?”
Jack pulled a box out of a tall stack, and I waited for the rest of them to tumble. “Not as far as I know. Caleb kept to himself, but if he’d been considering selling, half the mountain would be talking about it.”
“Thanks.” Disappointed, I sank my foot into the warm, fluffy boot. “Wow, these are so much better than what I’ve been wearing.” The thick liner surrounded my foot. I wiggled my toes.
“Anything would be better than what you’ve been wearing,” Griff said.
“They’re not that bad,” I argued.
“With those things on, you may as well be walking around barefoot. You’ll need some wool socks as well. And some proper gloves.” Griff pulled a few pairs of socks from a display.
“Do you want me to box those up or are you going to wear them?” Jack asked.
“Oh, I’ll?—”
“She’ll wear them.” Griff’s tone didn’t leave much room to argue. “Put it all on my tab, Jack.”
“That’s not necessary.” I wasn’t sure what kind of macho BS he was trying to pull, but I wouldn’t let him get away with it. “I’ll pay at the counter.”
Jack looked back and forth between us, his lips spreading into a wide grin. “I’ll meet you up there when you’re ready. Take your time.”
“Why do you have to fight me at every turn?” Griff shoved my old boots in the box and tucked them under his arm.
“I’m not.” I bent down to lace up my new boots. “I’m not your responsibility, and I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, because you’ve been doing a great job of that already.” His jaw clenched so tight I was surprised his molars didn’t crack.
“I’m sorry I’m not an experienced mountain dweller and that I don’t know how to make fires and chase mice away and look out for trespassers by smelling the air.” His moods changed faster than my mom changed outfits. “Those things don’t come naturally to me, but I’m a fast learner and I’ll be all right. You can drop the grumpy, growly mountain man act. I can find someplace to stay in town and report the rabbit to the sheriff. I’m sure he can handle it, and you can go back to hammering metal and pretending like you don’t give a crap about anything but yourself.”
He closed his eyes for a long beat, his chest rising and falling with his breath. When he opened them again, his gray eyes had lost their hardness. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know. Because I’m Caleb’s niece and you were good friends, and?—”
“Because I care about you.” He let out an exasperated sigh.
I blinked. The air between us shifted, heavy with everything he hadn’t said until now.
A muscle along his jaw ticked and he shifted his gaze to meet mine. “I’m not used to it.”
My heart warmed. “Well, I can work with that.”
We had lunch at the Pine & Petal Café. Griff didn’t have a complete 180-degree turn after he admitted he cared about me, but he was a tad more gentle. I suppose it had to be hard for a guy who’d shut himself off from the rest of the world to let someone in, but I was determined to widen that crack.
Clara delivered our lunch herself: a huge salad for me and bison meatloaf for Griff. She didn’t appear to be in a hurry to leave our table, so I asked her if she’d heard anything about my uncle receiving any offers on his land.
“Caleb never would have considered selling.” She shook her head. “He was more a part of this mountain than most of the animals who live here. His roots grew as deep as some of the huge pines.”
“We think someone wanted his land.” I glanced at Griff, and he refused to meet my gaze.
“Everyone wanted his land,” Clara said with a laugh. Deever Jones has been trying to get him to sell for years. Of course, he never had the cash to back up his offer. Until last year.”
“Who’s Deever and what happened last year?” My gut said we were onto something, but Griff just hunkered over his plate and shoved another big bite of meatloaf into his mouth.
“He fancies himself as our local real estate developer, though the only thing he’s ever developed is a short-term rental cabin that never got enough business to stay open. Last year he hooked himself up with some movie guy from California. Says he’s going to start bringing in rich clients for trophy hunting.” Clara shook her head and chuckled. “No one around here wants that, but I’m not worried. The day that man delivers on any of his promises, we’ll throw a parade.”
“Thanks, Clara.” I swallowed, trying to force the apprehension building in my gut to calm the heck down. Griff glanced up with a cloud of guilt in his dark gray eyes. He knew something he wasn’t telling me, and I was going to find out the truth.
“I’ll leave you two to finish your lunch.” She brushed Griff’s shoulder with her hand. “It sure is nice to see you keeping such nice company, Griffin.”
The faintest shade of pink crept over his cheeks, though it was difficult to see underneath his thick beard. “Your meatloaf’s just as good as always.”
Clara blushed at the compliment. “You can be such a charmer when you want to be.”
She turned to go, and I practically launched myself across the table at Griff. “You knew about Deever, didn’t you?”
He hung his head, then lifted his chin and stared me right in the eyes. “Caleb told him he wasn’t interested. I didn’t think it mattered.”
“And now he’s dead.”
Guilt darkened his eyes. He definitely knew more than he’d been letting on. And I wasn’t going to give up until I found out what it was.