Christmas with the Mountain Man (Log Cabin Christmas)

Chapter 1

Lacey

If I was a superhero, my superpower would be not fitting in. I’m opposite girl. I’m left handed, way too fat to fit in with my LA co-workers, and then there is the whole orphan, nobody wants me thing. I’m a round peg in a square hole.

But rather than dwell on my own shortcomings I put on a brave face, dye my hair blue and spend my time investigating other people’s lives. Rich and famous people to be exact.

I’m the girl digging through an actor's trash or running down the street throwing questions at models half my size. I like my job, I like what I do. Everybody has their dirty little secrets and I am here to find them out.

That’s how I find myself here in this tiny mountain town at Christmas time.

Oh yeah, there’s another thing. I hate Christmas! While everyone else is off spending time with their family, I volunteered for this assignment.

Starfall Valley. There is absolutely nothing special or remarkable about this town. They might have done themselves up for Christmas with garlands strung between lamp posts, fairy lights everywhere and a big tree in the middle of the town square. But take that away and it looks like any other run down, forgotten, small mountain town. It’s ice cold, there is no Starbucks or Costco or even a Walmart. Certainly no high-end fashion boutiques.

So why are so many billionaires, actors, and the rich and famous making this place their home? There are the Wilde brothers. One is a successful crime writer, another is a real estate developer. My research tells me they grew up here, so that is understandable. But Roman Fitzgerald is uber rich and has no connection to the Wilde family. Benson Blake is the son of one of the most famous rock stars in the world. There are romance writers, YouTubers and other rich and famous, all of them have set up right here on this mountain. And so I’m on the case and determined to find out why.

Walking down the sidewalk, my collar turned up against the cold wind, I glance into store windows, trying to find the place where everybody hangs out. Somewhere I might overhear some gossip or find a talkative local to help me out. If this was LA it would be the newest bar, but I’d already gotten a cold reception at the one pub in town when I started asking questions. The more closed mouthed the locals are, the more determined I am to find out what this little town is hiding.

On the corner a hanging sign and a blue painted door to a bookcafe looks promising. I guess books always make a good Christmas present and there is every chance I might stumble across a billionaire casually perusing the shelves.

The cheery woman behind the counter gives me a bright smile. Her name tag reads Nina and she looks way too happy for a girl serving coffee in a dead-end small town. “Well hello there. Are you in town for Christmas? Visiting family?”

I try not to visibly cringe from the question every orphan hates.

“I’m just visiting.” I take a deep breath in. “Actually, I wonder if my uncle is in town? Roman Fitzgerald?”

The girl’s smile slips a little and a worried frown creases her brow before she tosses her hair. “I’m not sure I know that name.”

It was a lie but then I had just lied outright to her so fair is fair. I get my coffee in a to-go cup and pretend to look at some books while I scan the place.

A box wrapped in Christmas paper in the corner catches my eye. It’s a collection of toys for orphans. A nice thought and I guess teddy bears and books are better than the usual toothbrush and socks. That’s what we got every year in the homes. No personalized gifts for us. Just a random selection of donations. All those years we were told we could ask Santa for what we wanted. But none of us got the loving family we wished for. I feel the usual mix of emotions swell in my chest. Loneliness, anger, rejection.

Chin up, Lacey. I whisper the words in my head. You are not a product of your past. You are strong, independent and here to do a job.

It is at that moment I see a young woman looking in the store window. She looks vaguely familiar and I scan my memory. I’m sure I’ve seen that face in a magazine.

Great Scott, I’ve got it. I race to the door as the girl starts to move on. It was in an article about rock God, Byron Blake’s family. A picture of the son Benson and this girl walking beside him in the streets of New York.

“Jesse.” I call out and she stops on the footpath. I whip out my phone, ready to record, and march towards her. “I’m Lacy Lane from Seen Online. I'm here to find out why this town is so popular with the rich and famous. Are you here with Benson Blake? Is it true he lives here in town? Can you tell me why he chose to live here?”

It’s a technique picked up from approaching actors. You only have seconds to get them between the car and the restaurant door. If you fire off a few questions you can hope they will respond to at least one of them.

Jesse’s eyes go wide with fright, proving I might have chosen the wrong tactic. She turns on her heel and races across the road and into a store.

I follow her in only to smash into a broad chest in a khaki shirt. Big hands on my arms lift me off my feet and back to the pavement.

I look up and catch my breath. I’m looking up into the most handsome face I’ve ever seen.

And I work around movie stars, people featured on the hottest one hundred and sexiest guys in hollywood lists. But they don’t hold a candle to these green eyes framed by thick black lashes. Black hair that is longer than it should be, curling up at the ends. He looks like he could tackle a bear. Or he should be up on a billboard. Somewhere you could just stare at that face.

The words “Hot guy” slip from my lips and I could kick myself as his mouth turns up in a sexy half smile.

Arms folded in front of that massive chest, his voice is stern despite the smile.

“What’s your business here, miss?”

The gold badge glinting on his belt tells me I’m in trouble with the law. Well, it’s not the first time. A celebrity's right to privacy can be kind of a gray area in my line of work.

I hold out my hand and he takes it. The warmth of my hand in his much larger one is having an effect on me more than it should.

“I’m Lacey Lane from Seen Online. I’m in town on assignment and I thought that lady might be able to tell me where I could find Benson Blake. He does live here in town, doesn’t he?”

He tilts his head and takes his time. His answer is slow compared to my rushed words. “Well, Lacey Lane. I’m Officer Tate and we don’t take too kindly to reporters around here.”

In the past I have a tendency to rebel against authority but there is something damn sexy about this guy, his frown makes me feel all giddy inside and the way he holds himself with such confidence sets my pulse racing.

“Well, Officer Tate.“ I repeat his greeting with a cheeky smile. “I’m not here to cause trouble and I’m in town for a while. Might be easiest if you help me out and point out where the rich and famous are hiding so I can do my article and go home.”

“The rich and famous?” He asks with one eyebrow raised.

“Sure. Word is this town is the place to be for billionaires and actors on retreat, sons of famous rock stars? Hunter Wilde? Roman Fitzgerald?”

I analyze his face for a hint of recognition. But his expression is blank. If anything I feel like he is assessing me and wondering the best way to boot me out of his quaint little town.

I glance up at the sign above the door. “Well it’s been nice chatting to you Officer Tate, but if you don’t mind I was just going into this hardware store….for hardware type things.”

I look up at him as he unfolds his arms and there’s that quirk of his mouth into another half smile.

But he’s not letting me pass. Instead, with a gentle hand on my elbow he turns me away and leads me down the street.

“I’m pretty sure the hardware store is closing up for the day. They do that around here, just close up shop for no reason. Can I suggest I show you to the bus station instead?”

“I have a car. But I’m not leaving that easy. How about you show me where Roman Fitzgerald does his grocery shopping?”

He lets out a laugh. Stopping to look down at me. “I can’t kick you out of town. But just know I’ll have my eye on you, Lacey Lane. The moment you step out of line you’ll be on your way back to whatever big city you came from.”

He turns and walks away and I watch him go. He is a sexy figure of a man and that huge belt swung around his hips is a turn on. I never knew I had a thing for cops. Or mountain men. But it turns out the combination sets my body on fire and turns my insides to mush. He would be the perfect guy for someone. In fact, he is probably married. But a nice guy like that wouldn’t be interested in my mess of a life. Nice to know I’m going to see him around though. When he said he’d be watching me, it made me go weak at the knees.