Page 15 of Her Mountain Man Stalker

I shrug, my voice catching as I say, “Anything. Anything could happen.”

Scarlett stares at me for a long time, searching me with her gaze. “Gunner, is this about whatever happened in San Diego? Did something bad happen to you?”

Her voice is tentative and gentle, but it doesn’t stop the guilt and pain that stabs at my heart. I should have known she’d be curious about San Diego—I never gave her the full story, and Idon’t think I can now either. The words are buried so deep that they might never come out.

“Gunner,” Scarlett says, her thumb brushing lightly over my hand. She doesn’t look offended anymore; she looks sympathetic, like she’s trying to coax a wild animal toward her. “Please tell me what happened. Help me understand.”

She pulls me gently toward the couch, and I sit beside her, my throat painfully dry. I don’t speak for a long time, but Scarlett waits patiently, her hands still soft in mine.

“Something bad happened,” I say eventually. “But not to me…to my twin brother, Gabe.”

Scarlett looks stricken. “I didn’t know you had a twin.”

I don’t,I think to myself bitterly.Not anymore.

“He ran the company with me in San Diego. We created it together, worked together, even lived together. We were always together, Scarlett. Always. But we never got sick of each other…we were like two sides of the same coin.”

Scarlett doesn’t interrupt, she just watches me, her eyes fearful like she’s scared of what I’m going to say.

“Then one day, I had to work late. I didn’t go home with Gabe. I never usually stayed late, but for some reason that day, I slept in the office…until the cops showed up at four in the morning telling me that my brother had…that my…” I breathe hard, my throat clogged with emotion. Scarlett’s hand tightens around mine, giving me the strength to continue. “They told me my brother had been shot.”

Scarlett gasps, her free hand flying to cover her mouth. “Oh, God…”

My jaw is starting to ache from clenching it so tight, but now that I’ve started, I don’t want to stop. If I stop, I’m not convinced I’ll ever be able to say these words again. “He went home as usual, went to bed, then somebody broke in and shot him three times. Twice in the chest and once in the head. That was the onethat…that killed him.” Horrible images flash in my mind, and I close my eyes tight, trying to block them out. “I assumed it was a burglary gone wrong or something. We had this huge apartment full of valuable tech, but the shooter didn’t take anything. When they eventually caught the son-of-a-bitch who did it, turned out that killing Gabe was just some random act of violence. The guy was unstable. It wasn’t the first time he’d been violent. He killed my brother because he…he just fucking felt like it.” I shake my head, a familiar anger pulsing through me. “If I’d been there…if I’d gone home with Gabe that night then maybe I could have done something. Maybe I’d still have my brother.”

“Oh, Gunner,” Scarlett says, her bottom lip trembling. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t possibly have known what would happen, and if you’d been at home, the shooter would probably have killed both of you.”

“Maybe,” I say hoarsely. “Or maybe he’d just have killed me. Maybe my brother would have escaped when he heard the shot and he’d still be alive…my bedroom was closest to the front door. If I’d been in bed, asleep, then maybe I’d have died and Gabe would still be here.”

Scarlett wraps her arms around me and pulls me close, brushing a kiss on my cheek. “You did nothing wrong, Gunner. Blaming yourself only takes the blame away from the guy who’s really responsible. I’m sure you were an amazing brother, and I bet Gabe would be really proud of you.”

My eyes prick with emotion at her words. “Thank you.”

After my brother died, I couldn’t bear to stay in San Diego. We were both getting sick of the ruthless nature of the tech world before he died, and I know he’d be relieved to see that I got out and made a life for myself somewhere peaceful. I just wish he could be here to enjoy it all with me. The last three years without Gabe have felt so empty. My brother was a piece of me, and he left a gaping hole when he died. I’ve spent so long throwingmyself into physical work just to avoid thinking about what happened, trying to bury my emotions, doing anything to stop them from consuming me completely. But then I met Scarlett. From the minute I laid eyes on her, it was like my heart woke up. Finally, I had a purpose again: to protect her. I thought if I stayed with her and never left her side, she’d be safe. If I could just follow her everywhere, nothing bad would happen. It felt like a second chance.

“I’m sorry, Scarlett,” I tell her. “I know I crossed a line, and I know what happened to my brother doesn’t excuse what I did. I just thought that if I could be there all the time, you’d be safe.”

She snuggles against me, burying her face into the crook of my neck. “I understand why you thought that. I’m not mad, Gunner. I know you were trying to protect me, but you don’t need to watch me all the time. You’re right, sometimes bad things happen and it’s not fair. But most of the time, they don’t. You can’t live like that, always fearing the worst. It’ll drive you crazy.”

Deep down, I know she’s right. Always feeling on edge, thinking about the worst things that could happen…it’s been messing with my head for too long. I can’t let my fears get in the way of what’s happening between Scarlett and me. She deserves better than that.

“I’ll do better,” I promise. “You’re right. I can’t live like this forever.”

Scarlett leans in to kiss me softly, her hand gentle against my cheek. She pulls back and smiles at me, her eyes full of affection. “Thank you for opening up to me like that. You’re an amazing man, Gunner. The most amazing man I’ve ever met.”

My heart swells at her words, and I run my hand through her silky hair as a rush of courage makes me say, “I have an idea.”

She looks a little bemused. “An idea?”

I nod, my eyes fixed on her pretty face. “If you lived with me in my cabin, I wouldn’t need to follow you around to make sure you’re safe.”

Scarlett’s eyes widen, her mouth falling open. “You mean…move in with you?”

“That’s exactly what I mean, beautiful.”

Her open mouth splits into a wide smile, making her whole face glow. “Really? You want me to live in your cabin?”

“Of course I do, Scarlett. I want that more than anything.”

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