enjoy the fresh air and a good, long hike.”
“We had an agreement,” Lucy said.
“Well, if you knew anything about Annalise you’d understand that she’s rather flexible when it comes to promises and agreements.”
“We have a contract. This entire project is supposed to be run by women. Women producers, women editors. We want to make a statement. Exactly how Trudie would have wanted it.”
“How do you know what Trudie wanted?” he asked. “You never even met her.”
“And I suppose you did?” she asked, arching her eyebrow and leveling a cool gaze at him.
“I used to spend summers here with her,” he said. “I helped her put up the addition on the cabin and I built that outhouse all by myself.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Annalise had mentioned that she had a son, but she said he was away a lot and that they didn’t see much of each other. Cursing beneath her breath, she strode up to him and held out her hand. “You must be—”
“Eli,” he said after studying her for a long, uncomfortable moment. “Eli Montgomery. I’m Annalise’s son.”
“I’m Lucy Parker,” she said, sending him an apologetic smile. Of course the son of a woman like Annalise would be as handsome as she was beautiful. And he’d have to love the outdoors.
He took her hand in his and gave it a shake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.
He took off his sunglasses, letting them hang from the strap around his neck, and she found herself transfixed by eyes so blue, they rivaled the sky above. They stared at each other warily, like two wild animals deciding between fight or flight.
“You must have left very early to get here before noon,” she said.
“I move fast,” he said.
A shiver skittered down her spine and she drew her fingers from his.
“For most people, it’s a four-hour hike,” he explained. “I can do it in three. And if I’m going to make the round trip before sunset, I wanted to be here by noon.”
“You’re going to leave right away?”
He frowned. “Yeah. I guess I didn’t think you’d want me to stick around. Why? You need something? You want me to stay?”
“No, no. You’re right. You really should go. The whole point of this project is for me to live life like Trudie did.”
“Trudie had lots of visitors,” he said.
“In that case, maybe you could you stay for lunch?” She gave him a tentative smile. “To be honest, it would be nice to have some company. Even for just an hour. And as long as you don’t do any of the cooking, I guess it won’t break any rules.”
“There are rules?”
“Guidelines, really. An entire notebook filled with them. I can’t accept any outside help, beyond the monthly check-in.”
“All right,” he said. “I’ll stay. Under one condition.”
“What would that be?”
“You let me show you how to handle that rifle.”
“I know how to handle it. They gave me lessons at a shooting range in LA.”
“Even so, I’d like to show you myself.”
Lucy sighed. “All right. We’ll do that after lunch.” She glanced down at what she was wearing, realizing for the first time that she must look like some kind of crazy lady. “I’m just going to get dressed. Is there anything you need? I can—” Lucy paused. “I guess you remember where everything is. Just make yourself comfortable.”
She hurried back inside the cabin and slammed the door behind her. Leaning against the rough planks, she drew a deep breath. “Stop it!” she muttered. This was ridiculous.
She’d come here, to this remote mountain cabin, to prove that a woman didn’t need a man to find peace and contentment in the world. And here she was, panting over Eli Montgomery like he’d come specifically to seduce her.
He was delivering supplies and nothing more. Just because he had a nice smile and a charming manner did not mean he wanted to pick her up, wrap her legs around his waist and do the nasty.
“Show some self-control,” Lucy said to herself, pushing off the door.
Still, as she searched the cabin for something decent to wear, she discarded anything that might make her look lumpy. In the end, she settled for yoga pants and a simple chambray shirt that she knotted at the waist.
For the first time since she arrived, she regretted the lack of a mirror in the cabin. It was something that Trudie had prided herself on—the ability to grow comfortable with her natural appearance. Lucy grabbed a brush and quickly ran it through her hair. “Forgive me, Trudie,” she murmured, pinching her cheeks to give herself a bit of color.
When she opened the door again, Eli was sitting on the porch, Riley stretched out beside him. He’d unpacked the supplies he’d brought along, laying them out on the floor. “Is that chocolate?” she asked.
“It is. My mother thought you might need it, but I can take it back down with me if you don’t want it.”
She reached down and grabbed the package of chocolate bars. “Not a chance, mister. Now, if you’d also brought me a triple-shot caramel latte, I might have kissed you.”
“Nope,” he said with a grin. “But I’ll remember that next month.”
* * *
ELI HADN’T PLANNED to spend any time at the cabin. He’d been irritated that his mother had rented out the property, especially for a dumb reality television show, and he wasn’t really looking forward to meeting the new tenant. But then he’d gotten a good look at Lucy Parker.
He’d expected some fortysomething feminist, a woman experienced with life and ready to prove a point to anyone who might be interested. He’d imagined someone like his grandmother, not some sweet-faced, doe-eyed woman with a disarming smile and an amazing body.
It was clear why they’d picked her for the job. Even dressed in raggedy clothes with her hair tangled, she was drop-dead beautiful. She wasn’t wearing a bit of makeup to enhance her features and yet, she had a beauty that was unmatched by any woman he’d ever met.
Her skin was flawless, pale and smooth, and her lips were as pink as ripening fruit. Her hair, thick and flaxen in color, tumbled around her face in a style that was best reserved for the bedroom immediately after sex.
Eli had been prepared to hate her, or at least dislike her for underestimating the harsh reality of living on the mountain. But she was so determined to honor Trudie with this project that he found himself carried along by her enthusiasm. Still, he was worried about her preparedness. Before he could walk away, he needed to know that she’d be fine out here all
