Page 3 of Promises on the Mountain

It's the guy that thought he was going to give me shit that steps forward from somewhere off to the side to take the cardboard cup from her.

"Thanks, April," he mutters as his buddy grabs his drink off the counter where she sets it.

The kids talk to her differently than when I first walked in. Polite but distant as they say thank yous and goodbyes, making sure to keep their distance from me.

If there's one thing men understand up here, it's the look on another man's face when he's looking at the woman he's meant to be with forever.

2

APRIL

"Did you save me anything today?"

Deputy Hawkins casually leans across the counter to eye the shelf where I usually hide a pastry for him.

Handing over his usual coffee and the croissant, he thanks me and heads toward Terra's table.

I notice my new friend is shooting a particularly menacing scowl in my direction and briefly wonder what I did wrong, but then she's yelling at her brother and Ozzie and storming out of the cafe, leaving the men laughing at the stunned deputy, and me feeling entirely confused. But I don't have time to catch up on their in-jokes because as soon as Terra walks out, he walks in.

Raine Hart looks better every time I see him. I swear he gets taller, more muscled, more handsome, with every day that he stops in. Which has been every day for over a week now, since that first morning.

A few people make a hasty exit, Terra's brother among them. Other locals greet Raine warmly and ask about his mother.

"Hey sweetheart." His voice is molasses over gravel, it does things to my insides. "My asshole brother couldn't come up with enough busy work to keep me at the camp today, and I was thinking--"

Raine braces his weight on the counter between us and leans over. Irresistibly, I'm drawn toward him, stepping close enough that he could kiss me if he wanted to. I really want him to want to.

"I've got a cherry '79 that would look a hell of a lot better if you were in it. Are you up for a ride later?"

When he mentions his truck, his nods his head toward the window where the two-tone burgundy and cream truck is parked in front of the building.

When he asks if I'm up for a ride, his voice drops to a thick whisper that makes my thighs clench.

It's become our daily routine, usually he stops by much earlier in the morning, right after I open, but no matter who's in the cafe, the crowd always parts to let him through, regardless of who's next in line.

He always leans over the counter, dangerously close to hopping across entirely, and he always whispers something for my ears only.

Sometimes it's just a shopping list of whatever his brother is sending him down the mountain to pick up. Sometimes he asks how business is. Sometimes he asks if I dreamed about him-- but it's always a private conversation and it always sounds dirty, even when it’s not.

"I can't go until I close up," I remind him, finding myself leaning into him, magnetically drawn toward him till there's barely space between us at all.

"Good answer." His voice kicks back up to its usual volume, no longer telling secrets just for my ears. "I'll be back at three."

Before I can respond, he leans a little farther, jumping up to completely support his weight on his hands and dropping a quick peck on my lips.

So quick. Too quick. And then he's out the door just as quick, firing up the classic Ford and backing out into the road with a speed that says he expects traffic to stop and make way for him.

A few people in the cafe grumble about him as the truck tears back up the mountain highway, but I like the way he commands the space around him. What some people see as cockiness, I see as confidence. I like that way Raine makes me feel special. Safe-- like as long as I'm with him, no one will dare fuck with me.

I could use some of that these days.

Raine

No more distractions, and no more of Cane's stupid grunt work that he doles out on me just to keep me busy.

I know what he's doing, he's trying to keep me out of the tavern. Away from temptations, and out of trouble.

My older brother has developed some sort of fucking savior complex since he got back to the Ridge, and it seems pretty clear I'm the one he thinks needs saving.

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