Mountain Man's Baby: A Best Friend's Brother Romance Read online

  Mountain Man’s Baby

  Chole Morgan

  Contents

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Want More?

  Come Swoon With Us

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Description

  Nathan Winston is all about the ladies.

  Specifically, their bodies. He loves every shape, size, and proportion.

  So long as they don't go above a size six.

  But, all that changes when he lays his eyes on Jenny.

  A boisterous laugh. Stunning eyes. A smile that could blind the sun. And curves in places his hands hadn't even though to touch on a woman.

  The problem?

  He's too focused on making sure his sister, Sara, doesn't screw up her world on her Thanksgiving Break.

  The other issue? Jenny just happens to be his sister's best friend.

  Chapter 1

  Nathan

  My choice to head to Winter Moon Lodge during my vacation time was a last-minute sort of thing. Like most of my decisions. I’d taken my sister’s Thanksgiving break off work to make sure she and her “gal pals” weren’t going to do something reckless during their days off from college. But when I heard them throw down the idea of Miami, I jumped into emergency mode. Hell no, my sister wasn’t going to Miami. She wasn’t going anywhere near Muscle Beach! The second I heard her talking about it, I put in for my time off from the lodge—the same fucking dates of her vacation. To hell if she’d be pissed at me. To hell if she thought I was being overprotective. I knew what girls got up to on trips like that. I knew how guys preyed on women like her.

  Hell, I was one of those guys. I knew how they thought more than anyone else.

  After booking my paid vacation time, I succeeded in convincing them to stay at the Winter Moon Lodge, thank fuck. I worked there as the general manager, so I got them a discounted room right there in the main building of the resort. My best friend, Luke, talked me into taking the GM role once the place reopened. I hadn’t thought about ever being a manager of a place, but he sold it as the perfect job. Minimal paperwork, since he did all that shit. A free room with my name on it if the weather got to be too bad for me to get home. Half off at the five-star restaurant being built in the place, and same with the drinks. All I had to do was interact with people, deal with customer service issues, and make sure the guests felt welcome.

  Hell, I could do that shit in my sleep.

  After convincing my sister to do their girls’ trip at the lodge, I told them I’d be there to see them check in. She wasn’t happy about it, at first. But when I explained to her that she needed to be twenty-five in order to book a reservation and check in on her own, she caved. My sister knew I was going to be at the lodge the night before their arrival, but they didn’t know about anything else.

  That was all she had to know. She didn’t need to know I had intentions of staying to make sure she was safe.

  I figured I could keep an eye on them myself, but I knew I’d have to enlist Luke’s help. Even though I was awesome, I couldn’t be everywhere they were. My sister didn’t even know I was going to be at the lodge while she was there. Which meant I couldn’t creep around to where they were all the time.

  I’d need to enlist eyes everywhere to make sure they were okay.

  But worry for my sister wasn’t the only reason why I was winding my way through the damn mountains in my aging sports car. Taking care of my only sibling wasn’t the only draw to the lodge over Thanksgiving.

  Rather, it was the invitation I received from a girl I’d been seeing.

  Casually, of course. No one could nail me down. I was a free spirit, and I couldn’t be wrangled. Long-term relationships weren’t my thing. Women went crazy after a few months, and then it was time to jump ship. Which was why a few one-night stands were the best. More than one night, if they were good at what they did. But I didn’t stick around long enough for the crazy to kick in.

  The only issue?

  I figured out this girl hadn’t been as casual as I had been.

  I wound through the mountains, drifting around patches of ice and kicking up fresh powder with my tires. The second she asked me to Thanksgiving dinner to meet her parents, I knew we were done for. When she invited me, I knew then and there she was in deeper than I was. Fucking hell, I should have known better than to get my balls all twisted up for some girl like that. But damn, she was good at what she did. Beautiful. Could hold her alcohol. A very impressive girl with a curvy body to get my mouth salivating every time I saw her.

  Like Pavlov’s fucking dogs.

  I actually considered the dinner, just to have one last night with her. I could go, enjoy a nice meal, get us a hotel room for the night before coming back to the lodge to continue keeping an eye on my sister. But the second she referred to me as her “boyfriend,” all bets were off.

  It didn’t matter how good the sex had been.

  I tried letting her down gently. I told her we had different views on our time together. I was as straight up with her as I could have been. I told her that she was looking for a relationship I wasn’t. That she was planning a future I wasn’t. I told her that I enjoyed the time I spent with her, but I wasn’t looking to pick myself up a girlfriend or a future wife of any sort.

  She wasn’t happy with that at all.

  So, after listening to her yell in my ear about how I’d pay for what I’d done to her heart, I packed up my shit and jumped in my car. I called the lodge to make sure the booking for my room was still confirmed, then I sped out of my driveway. I could use this time at the lodge not only to watch over my sister, but to clear my fucking head. Start from scratch. Right my mind and shake this girl from my system.

  I wound around the mountain toward Winter Moon, figuring one night without having to give my attention to my sister would do me some good.

  I pulled up to the lodge and whistled softly to myself. The number of luxury cars and SUVs that were in the parking lot took me by surprise. I mean, I knew the place had been booked out for our entire winter season, but I didn’t realize the audience we had been catering to until I got a closer look at those cars. Pristine condition, with glowing paint jobs and expert detailing. These were people with money, and they were wining and dining at our lodge for the season.

  I could smell the money already being raked in.

  “Mr. Winston, good to see you again. Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?” the valet asked.

  I tossed my keys to him. “And what better place to vacation than at the place I love most?”

  “Well, we hope you enjoy your stay as a guest. No working for you.”

  “Trust me, I’ll enjoy every second of it. Then, I’ll be coming with feedback,” I said.

  “Any feedback for me thus far?” the valet asked, grinning.

  “Nope. You made me feel welcome, and you have a great smile. Keep it up.”

  I patted the valet’s shoulder, then pulled my suitcase out of the back seat. I headed into the lodge and took it in for the first time as a guest. I smiled at the good work my best friend had put into the place. Sure, Mason Graves had footed most of the bill for it, but all of the decorating and layouts were Luke’s doing. Though he’d never admit it.

&nb
sp; And even though I was general manager of the place, there were always changes every time I walked into it. Whether another piece of furniture had been added or another room had been renovated or another piece of carpet had been laid, there was always something new to see.

  I checked in at the front desk and got a good night’s sleep that first night. I woke up feeling refreshed, the memories of the girl already forgotten about. The bed was fantastic, and my morning was off to a late start. Just like mornings on vacation needed to be.

  I pieced myself together and got Luke’s location from the front desk. Then, I went off to find him in the new wing that was being built in the corner lot of the resort.

  “Hey! Luke!”

  I peeked around the corner and watched him whip around.

  “Hey there, man. Welcome back to Winter Moon Lodge,” Luke said, grinning.

  You snarky bastard.

  I went over and shook Luke’s hand before clapping him on the back.

  “You know damn good and well you and Mason have turned this place into a fucking resort,” Nathan said.

  “And from the looks of this foundation, it’s going to keep going that way,” Luke said.

  “Okay. Why do you look like you have a bone to pick with me.”

  “Sara? Really?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “What? Can’t a brother cash in a favor for his younger sister?”

  Luke narrowed his eyes, and I sighed.

  “Look, she was talking about going on a girls’ week trip or whatever with her college friends, and I knew if she was here I could keep an eye on her. I mean, I was already booked to be here anyway. The least I can do is watch out for my sister, too.”

  “Uh-huh,” he said.

  “Will you help me make sure those three don’t get into any trouble?”

  “Not my problem.”

  “Come on. You know Sara. She’s sweet. Nice. But that Jenny? I’m not too sure about her, to be honest. Please? Pretty please? For your best friend?”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll help watch out for them.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it. I wanted to dip my head in here and say hey. But I gotta go meet with ski patrol.”

  “This is your week off, Nathan. You’re supposed to not be working,” he said.

  “Oh, whatever. You know me. I’ll never not be working at this place. Plus, someone’s gotta keep that guy in line. Graves sure hired a hell of a supervisor for the damn ski patrol units out here. You think he’d run that by me, since he hired me to be the General Manager of this damn place.”

  I clapped Luke on the back again as he grinned at me. I was glad he didn’t press the issue of my being here any further, because I sure as hell didn’t want to get into the Thanksgiving meet-the-parents debacle.

  “Hey, I’ll come with you to tackle ski patrol. I need to leave Jack and Sam to their work anyway,” he said.

  “Oh, you met Sam? Isn’t she fantastic? Hell of a woodworker,” I said.

  “Come on. Let’s head on out. Jack?” he asked

  “Go on. You’ve seen enough. You’ll have my weekly report on your desk Friday afternoon,” Jack said.

  We headed out of the new wing and made our way toward the ski lift. And as we got closer, I heard Luke inhale sharply next to me. I looked over at him and furrowed my brow, then followed his gaze to the mound of red, curly hair bouncing around against the white of the fresh snow that had fallen. Ah, he had spotted my sister. And the two other girls next to her.

  Then, the brunette off to Sara’s side laughed.

  She threw her head back and her thick, braided hair swung in the wind. It felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I knew her name, I swore I knew it. I knew the names of the two girls Sara was bringing with her on this little trip of theirs.

  But as the brunette’s laughter fell over my ears, my mind went blank.

  Who the hell was that gorgeous girl standing by my sister?

  Chapter 2

  Jenny

  “Holy shit.”

  “This is incredible.”

  “Look at those crystal chandeliers. The crystal is in the shape of deer antlers.”

  “Those are deer antlers, right?”

  “It’s still beautiful. Look at all the rainbow colors.”

  “It’s like Mrs. Claus meets the Sharper Image Catalog.”

  I couldn’t get over how fancy this place was. When Sara suggested us going to some place called Winter Moon Lodge instead of, you know, the fucking beach, I wasn’t sure about it. Our plan had been Miami, with a bunch of our other school friends who were going down there to party. But as my eyes cased the snazzy place we had ended up, I figured it wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it was going to be.

  Especially after laying eyes on the luxurious spa tub I had in my own fucking bedroom!

  Amber seemed way too cool for the upgraded digs we had just gotten. Sara proclaimed that we were supposed to have a regular hotel room in the main building of the lodge, but I wasn’t complaining. This place was a palace, and it was a palace with a hot tub out back. And I knew it was courtesy of the hunky lumberjack at the front desk formerly known as my best friend and roommate’s crush.

  Oh, I knew all about Luke. I knew all about the dirty little dreams she had of him growing up. Her brother’s best friend, giving my best friend the tingles. It made me laugh every time I thought about it. But those thoughts didn’t occupy my mind for long. Not when we still had to claim our rooms in this awesome house with the gorgeous views.

  Amber and I rushed up the stairs to claim our rooms, leaving Sara in our dust. And when I laid my eyes on the tub in my bathroom, I dropped my things and closed the door behind me. I peeled my clothes off and sank into the hot water I drew for myself, basking in the view I had from my bathroom. There was a full-length tinted window that sat right by the damn tub, overlooking the gorgeous mountains I couldn’t wait to explore.

  I spent over an hour in that thing, until I was pruned and wrinkled.

  As I sat there in the tub, I thought about how nice it must be to have money. I grew up like Sara, poor and destitute. My mother and father preferred partying to being parents, and it had been like that my entire life. They hopped from job to job, drinking away their savings and barely putting food on the table or clothes on my back.

  College was the best thing that ever happened to me. Because if I wanted, I never had to go home for breaks. There was always something to do, or somewhere else to go, or some other loan I could take out to stay in the dorms over summer breaks.

  That was one reason why I agreed to go skiing instead of to Miami. Because being with my two good friends was better than being alone in Miami.

  Or with my parents for an actual holiday.

  I pulled myself out of the tub and ran down my life’s plan in my mind. This quiet break would give me a chance to think about it. I dried myself off and got into some clothes as I thought about my last year of college. I’d graduate come the summer. And then, it would be time to start my own life. Get a decent job with some sort of security. Benefits. Maybe a 401(k). Start paying these loans back I took out for school. I wanted to build a stable life for myself and never have to worry about being broke and helpless ever again.

  I wanted a better life than the one I had been raised in.

  “Jenny! We need your services!” Sara exclaimed.

  I bounded down the stairs as a smile crossed my face.

  “I take it we’re ordering alcohol?” I asked as I walked up behind them.

  “We want to test out room service. See if it works along with this deal. Care to order us a bottle of champagne?” Sara asked.

  “Oh, I’m all over that,” I said.

  It turned out that room service was covered in our upgraded deal. Which didn’t shock me one bit. We celebrated our new digs and our newfound vacation freedom with a bottle of champagne. The alcohol settled into my bones and the three of us soon parted for our bedrooms. I slept the night away, not waking up once until
Amber came knocking softly on my door.

  “Ready to go tubing?” she asked.

  I rolled out of bed, excited to hit the slopes. Even though I had grown up poor, I had cousins who lived next to a slope. I went to stay with them many Christmases in high school so I could actually experience a Christmas and so my parents could follow one of the many bands they enjoyed that toured over the holidays. I learned to ski and tube while I stayed with them, and I enjoyed how free it made me feel.

  I enjoyed the cold wind whipping around me, forcing me to forget about my past.

  We all got dressed and headed out toward the lodge. We decided to talk in the fresh air rather than ride on the golf cart. After all, we had all day, and none of us were in a rush. I walked beside Sara, linking my arm with hers as the three of us headed toward the lift. Our wristbands were in our pockets, ready to be flashed so we could get on, free of charge.

  But before we reached them, a voice caught my ear.

  A smooth, comforting, male voice that I recognized.

  “Hey! Sis! There you are!”

  The three of us whipped around and I recognized both of the guys. Sara’s brother, and Luke. They walked up to us and stopped, and I noticed how hard Luke was staring at Sara. I looked over at her and saw shock drip over her features, her eyes locked with her brother’s. I mean, I knew her brother was the one who got us the deal, but I didn’t know he was going to be here while we were here.

  And judging by the look on Sara’s face, she didn’t know either.

  “Sara,” Luke said.

  “Luke,” she said softly.

  I looked over at Amber and watched her shrug before Sara sighed.