Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
I picked up my forgotten coffee and grimaced as I took a sip of the cold liquid. The chill reminded me of Adrian’s violent shiver, how quickly I’d shed my own jacket for him. How natural it had felt to protect him.
My phone buzzed on the counter. I knew without looking that it was probably Adrian, asking about footage from today or perhaps ideas for tomorrow’s shoot. I should check it. Should maintain professional communication.
Instead, I walked to my desk and woke up my computer. The footage from today’s shoot was already uploaded, waiting to be edited. I hesitated before clicking Play, knowing exactly what I’d see.
Adrian’s face filled the screen, his expression transforming from concentration to triumph as the axe bit into the tree. The camera had captured everything—his determination, his unexpected competence, the genuine joy when he’d succeeded. There was nothing rehearsed or artificial about these moments. They were raw, real. Beautiful.
I let the footage continue playing, watching our interactions from the objective eye of the camera. The ease of our banter. The way his expression softened when he thought I wasn’t looking. The tension visible in both our body language as I positioned his hands on the axe.
Anyone watching would see it instantly. The chemistry everyone in town was gossiping about was right there in high definition, impossible to deny.
I paused on a frame where we were both in shot, Adrian looking at me with an expression I hadn’t caught in the moment—something warm and curious and far too genuine for my comfort.
Maya’s voice echoed in my head. “When’s the last time you sparked with someone like that?”
The truth was, I couldn’t remember ever feeling this kind of immediate connection with anyone. Not even with Michael, the guy I’d been dating when my parents died. The one who’d left because he “couldn’t handle” the weight of my grief and the responsibilities I’d inherited. The relationship I’d convinced myself had been serious… until it had proven to be anything but.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure whether to continue editing or just close the program altogether. The footage was undeniably good—exactly the authentic moments Adrian had been hired to capture—but something about watching it made me restless.
I closed the video and leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. This thing with Adrian—whatever it was—scared me more than I wanted to admit. Because for some reason, it felt like Michael’s departure had been a paper cut compared to what Adrian’s inevitable exit would be.
Before the month was over, Adrian Hayes would return to Los Angeles. Back to his influencer life of luxury hotels and designer clothes and carefully manufactured moments. Legacy, Montana, would become nothing more than a successful content series in his portfolio, a stepping stone to bigger sponsorships.
And I’d still be here. Running the store. Worrying about Maya’s college tuition, the leak in the stockroom roof, and the suppliers demanding payment.
My phone buzzed again, more insistently this time. Reluctantly, I crossed the room to check it.
Two messages from Adrian.
Adrian
Thanks again for today. Tree looks amazing. The footage even better.
Hoping the storm doesn’t mess with our shooting schedule tomorrow at the reservoir. Weather app says it might clear by mid-morning. Fingers crossed we’ll still be a go for ice fishing with your friend Reid.
So professional. So proper. No mention of what had almost happened between us.
No reference to the moment when everything had shifted.
Maybe I’d imagined it. Maybe for him, it had just been an adrenaline response, a momentary connection without deeper meaning.
The thought should have been comforting. Instead, it left a hollow feeling in my chest.
I typed back a brief, equally professional response:
Footage looks good. Let’s touch base in the morning about weather. Rest up.
My thumb hovered over the Send button before I added:
Tree really is perfect. Good choice.
It was the closest I could come to acknowledging what had happened between us. A small olive branch extending into the chasm of what remained unsaid.
His response came almost immediately:
Adrian
High praise from my grumpy mountain man. I’ll take it.
His use of the word “my” hit me funny. It was both annoying and sweet. I hated that I liked it.
Another text came in a moment later.
Adrian
Going to study some ice fishing videos on YouTube. Have to impress my date tomorrow. ;)
The wink emoticon was so perfectly, irritatingly Adrian that I couldn’t help but smile. Even through text, he managed to be both charming and infuriating.
I set the phone down without responding, knowing anything I said would only encourage him. Instead, I returned to my computer and pulled up the contract he’d sent over before our first shoot—the one outlining exactly how many videos we needed to complete, the payment schedule, the deliverables.
Business. This was business. A short-term project with a clear end date.
I needed to remember that, to hold on to that reality like a lifeline. Because the alternative—admitting that Adrian Hayes was getting under my skin, that I was attracted to him in a way that went beyond the physical, that I actually enjoyed his company when he wasn’t being performative—that alternative led nowhere good.