Bitter Roots by C. J. Carmichael

Author:C. J. Carmichael
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Published: 2017-04-24T16:00:00+00:00

With Spade for company, Tiff went for a long walk, to clear her head, careful to avoid the field where the men were harvesting. She didn’t want to make small talk, or deal with Kenny and the complicated way she felt when she was around him.

As she tromped through rows of fragrant fir she noticed threatening clouds mounting from the north. Given the bite in the air she guessed a snowstorm was coming. It wasn’t yet winter, but in Montana snow rarely waited for an official invitation.

Last night she’d pulled up YouTube video clips of Kenny’s various skiing adventures. There were lots of them. The more she investigated, the more she appreciated his strength and skill. From accompanying comments and links to various blogs and magazine articles she could see he had a respected name in the industry and was one of Montana’s highest-rated backcountry ski guides.

The fall that had resulted in his sprained knee had been caught on camera and was spectacular. Watching him fly off the cliff, tumble in the air, then awkwardly hit the ground on one leg before smacking into a tree, she couldn’t believe he’d survived.

His injuries, besides the sprained knee, had included a severe concussion, several cracked ribs, and a dislocated shoulder.

Something else she’d learned from the Internet was that before his accident Kenny had been engaged to Kate Novak from the Canadian National Olympic ski jumping team. There was a clip showing Kenny watching on the sidelines while Kate competed in Sochi. Then another of the two of them carving powder in Glacier National Park.

There were no videos, blog comments, or articles about a break-up, but Tiff guessed one had occurred. The only question was whether Kenny or Kate had been the one to pull the plug.

As she looped back toward the barn Tiff became aware of the grumpy engine sounds of a big tractor. A moment later the John Deere came into view, pulling a trailer loaded with fir.

She hurried her pace, hoping to make it inside before the driver noticed her, but she was too late. The engine quietened with a shudder, and then Kenny jumped to the ground. At that moment Spade left Tiff’s side and loped toward Kenny, tail wagging enthusiastically.

Kenny bent to pat the dog, then headed for the barn, holding the door open for her. “How’s the bookkeeping going?”

He smelled of sawdust and pine resin, familiar aromas that for once did not give her a sense of comfort. His cheeks were reddened from the cold, and his scruff of a beard had a hint of frost on the bristles. As always his deep-set dark eyes were inscrutable to her.

“Fine. I just needed to clear my head.” She had a hard time meeting his gaze, unable to stop herself from picturing him in a compromising situation with young Riley.

“Finding everything you need?”

“Yes.” She stepped back from him a bit. “I noticed you cleaned the office.”

Their gazes met and this time they held. She waited for him to say something about the pink underwear.

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