Page 15 of Promises on the Mountain

"Be careful there," Maggie tells me, her teeth worrying her lower lip as she gives me a concerned look. She's not talking about handling the hot coffees.

"Why? What's wrong with Raine?"

I know all about the family drama between the Harts and the McAllisters. You don't move to a town like Moonshine Ridge without getting the local tea spilled all over you before you've even had a chance to meet your neighbors. But no one's warned me off of dating any of the men on the Ridge and the way Maggie and Birch are looking at me now has me wondering if their concerns go beyond the bounds of the family feuds.

"I've never seen one of the Hart boys do right by a woman yet." Birch slides his arm around Maggie's shoulders as he grumbles. “I find it hard to believe one of 'em would start now."

"Just be careful there." Maggie finishes the transaction on the touch pad point of sale, tapping a button to leave a tip and signing the screen with her finger.

"Have fun with him." She gives me a wink and half a smile that has Birch scowling deeper. "Just remember it's just fun, okay?"

Ten minutes later, the door is still open and the open sign is still in the window but my mood is a lot darker. I still haven't heard from Raine, and Birch and Maggie's warning is ping-ponging between my head and my heart.

I have the La Pavoni torn down; the portafilters and the steam wand are soaking and I'm about to go turn the sign in the window to closed and lock the door when I hear the distinct idle of Raine's truck shut down and the sound of the e-brake being applied the way he always does.

This time there's no hesitancy. He jumps the steps to the boardwalk porch in two quick leaps and jogs across the empty shop space before jumping the counter in a lithe move, sliding over the surface like the Duke boys hood-sliding across the General Lee, and landing on my side with the heavy sound of both boots hitting the floor at the same time.

Before I have time to think, I'm pressed against the back counter, held tightly with one strong arm wrapped around my waist while he presses something into my hand, but I can't see what it is because I'm too busy swooning into the searing kiss that's busy wiping any doubts I was having from my brain.

Raine

"Sorry I'm late, baby. Did you get my text?"

Letting go of April's soft body shouldn't be so hard. Never thought I'd be jealous of a fucking espresso machine, but it was clear when I came through the door that she's busy taking the thing apart.

"No. I just thought you didn't have service up at the camp."

I fucking love that breathless quality to her voice and the dazed way she looks up at me. Letting her body lean into mine like she trusts me completely to keep her on her feet.

It's impossible to resist kissing her again. So I do.

"Couldn't call out of camp," I confirm when I let her up for air again, "but I shot off a message when I was at the Gulch...do you like 'em?"

It's only then that she seems to become aware of the bouquet in her hand.

"Oh my gosh, Raine, these are gorgeous!"

My sister will skin me alive if she finds out I raided her precious greenhouse, but watching April bury her nose in the handful of mixed flowers I picked for her is worth it.

"How come you're just getting this place closed down?" I ask, looking around at the little coffee shop that's obviously been open an hour past her usual hours and feeling guilty about being late. "You weren't staying open just to wait for me, were you?"

Leaning back on the blue Formica counter, I kick my legs out in front of me and take her in my arms eagerly when she steps back between my knees for another long kiss.

I've been aching to get on this side of the counter ever since I first walked in here. Because this is where my girl is.

"No," she laughs lightly when I let her lips go. "It's been crazy today. Apparently, Terra and Hawkins are a thing now and everyone on the mountain had to come in to get the scoop."

"Everyone came in here? Damn, woman. If it's not bad enough that you got yourself hooked up with me, Alice McAllister is going to hate you for taking her gossip business away. She's used to her store being the tea capital of the Ridge."

A shadow crosses April's pretty face. She must know she's easy to read because she pulls the flowers back up for another sniff.

"What's wrong? Alice wasn't over here giving you shit already, was she?"

The McAllister/Hart feud has never really affected me, outside of them and their friends not being keen on sharing space with me, but for an old lady, Alice can be a real bitch sometimes and if she's giving my girl trouble, I'll have to tell gran.

"Not Alice, no, she's only come in the one time when I first opened. But uh, Birch and Maggie were in."

Birch McAllister fucking hates my brother, Hayle, and while I can't say he doesn't have good reasons for it, Hayle's still my brother and kin is always where my allegiance is gonna lie.

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