Page 36 of Shared By the Mountain Men Triplets

“Please.”

She slides a menu onto the table. “I’ll be back to take your order.”

I wasn’t planning on eating, but tempting smells coming from the kitchen make me rethink my decision, so I order a grilled turkey sandwich when the waitress returns.

While I wait, I wrap my hands around the coffee mug and let myself breathe, and for a few minutes, I feel normal.

I’m a woman having lunch in a mountain town, not a biologist whose soil samples are contaminated with narcotics,and certainly not a woman living under the protection of three men who make her pulse jump around like a rabbit doing a courtship dance.

Just coffee, a sandwich, and maybe pie.

When laughter rises from a table nearby, I glance over at the two women sitting across from each other, who look vaguely familiar. One has dark hair pulled into a thick braid, and the other has long blonde waves and a sweet little baby tucked into the crook of her arm. She catches me looking and waves, and then the brunette looks over and smiles.

“You’re the biologist, right?” she asks. “No maps today?” When my brows lift in question, she says, “We saw you in here a while back.”

As I nod, the blonde says, “Want to join us?”

Before I can answer, the brunette pulls a chair out, welcoming me over. The women are about my age, and because it’s been a while since I’ve spoken to anyone except my supervisor and the Wilder brothers, I decide to accept their invitation.

As I take my coffee over and sit in the offered chair, the dark-haired woman introduces herself as Elena Ramirez and says she’s the principal of the elementary school.

“And this is Kira Parker and her daughter, Felicity,” she says, as the blonde adjusts the sleepy baby’s position in her arms. The infant looks to be about two months old, and has one tiny fist pressed to her cheek.

“I’m Wren Hollis, but maybe you alreadyknew that.”

“Moon Ridge does have a pretty efficient news network,” Elena says.

“How long are you in town?” Kira asks.

“A few weeks, probably. Depends on the fieldwork.”

“Wildlife?”

“Yes, US Fish and Wildlife. There have been some disturbances in the backcountry.”

Kira’s eyes sharpen. “That sounds vague in an official way.”

“It is.”

The waitress finds me at my new table and delivers my sandwich and fries. The other two women are halfway through their lunches, and they continue eating now that I have food.

“Was that a Wilder brother you were with out front?” Elena asks after a few quiet bites.

“Boone Wilder. You know him?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize how silly the question is. “Of course you do.”

“We also know you hired the Wilder brothers to guide you,” Elena says, “but don’t worry, we don’t know everything. Information is still being scouted on your middle name and your exact shoe size.”

I let out a laugh and feel myself relax like I haven’t in days.

As we eat, we talk about the town and how long the women have lived here. I learn that Elena has an eight-year-old son and Felicity is Kira’s first baby, thoughshe’s hoping to have more children.

At some point, Elena casually asks if I’m staying at the motel, and I freeze just before taking the last bite of my sandwich. It’s a short pause, but the women notice it.

“I guess there are still other things the town doesn’t know,” I say. “I’m temporarily staying at the Wilder cabin.” As heat rises to my face, I add, “For safety reasons.”

“Of course,” Elena says gently.

Kira, who’s been eating one-handed, sets down her fork and shifts the baby against her shoulder. “Safety reasons are how a lot of things start around here.”