Page 21 of Chased By the Mountain Man

“Apply for it, Jasmine,” Trent says firmly. “I’ll support you every step of the way. I’ll always support your dreams.”

Emotion wells in my eyes as I look into my mountain man’s handsome face.

“What about your dreams?” I ask.

“You’re my dream, Jasmine. You’re all I want. I love you, beautiful girl. I always will.”

His words take my breath away, and a moment later, he’s kissing me. It’s a kiss full of promises. His lips are firm, his tongue gentle against mine, and when we finally pull apart, I feel like I’m full of sunlight, glowing with happiness from every pore.

“I love you too, Trent,” I say breathlessly. “I love you so much.”

He grins behind his beard and I kiss him on his open mouth, my whole body bursting with love for this strong, handsome veteran. He’s changed my life forever, and with him by my side, I know I’ll always be happy.

Epilogue

Trent

“Thanks, Ken,” I say, getting up from the comfy armchair and shaking hands with the man sitting opposite me.

“No problem. That was a great session, Trent! I’m very proud of your progress.”

I nod at him. “I appreciate that.”

I’ve been seeing Ken for a couple of years now, ever since I promised Jasmine I’d get the help I needed. It’s been a slow process, but Ken has the patience of a damn saint. He’s a serious-looking guy in his sixties, thin and bald, with thick glasses and a soothing voice. Opening up to a stranger sure as hell didn’t come naturally at first, but I stuck with it. I worked hard, and now, with Ken’s help, my demons are quieter than ever.

They’re not gone. They’ll always be there, and the things I’ve seen will never completely vanish from my mind. But my past doesn’t control my life anymore. I’ve built a new life for myself with Jasmine, and now that we’ve got a baby on the way, things are better than ever.

“Any plans for this evening?” Ken asks as I pull on my jacket.

“I’m going to go home and see my beautiful wife.”

Ken smiles. It’s the answer I give him every week.

“Well have a good one, Trent. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you soon.”

I say my goodbyes and step out into the corridor. Ken’s office is on the outskirts of Winterdale, and he shares the building with several other counselors. Each has their own office, and I smile when I pass the door with my wife’s name on it. I kiss my hand and press it against her nameplate, but I don’t stop. Jasmine’s not in her office; she’s been working fewer hours now that she’s pregnant, and I can’t wait to get home and see her.

I swing by Sweet Tooth Bakery to grab a red velvet cake—Jasmine’s biggest pregnancy craving—before heading toward Snowfall Ridge. As I approach the turn for the mountain path, I drive past the bank where my wife used to work, smiling to myself as I think of how far she’s come since then. She quit her job the day she moved in with me, and she worked so damn hard to complete her master’s degree in only two years. I’ve never been so damn proud.

As I catch sight of the employee parking lot where I threatened Danny all that time ago, I feel a flicker of satisfaction. The cowardly asshole was charged with possessing cocaine, falsely reporting to the cops, and obstructing justice. Once I was certain Jasmine would be safe, we went to the police station together and explained everything to Dave Goodman. He wasn’t thrilled with Jasmine for running from him, but he understood why she was so scared and apologized for any distress caused by Danny’s false allegations. It was a relief for Jasmine to clear the air, and even though Danny didn’t spend long in jail, he left Crave County immediately after he got out. Rumor has it he was scared shitless I would come after him. Last I heard, the scumbag’s skulking around somewhere in California, so my wife will never have to see him again.

I reach our cabin a few minutes later, and my wife flings open the front door before I’ve even gotten out of my truck. I grin at her. She looks so gorgeous, her belly round and her breasts swollen beneath the pretty dress she’s wearing, and my cock hardens instantly at the sight of her. I can’t believe this perfect angel is carrying my baby. She’s curvier than ever, and it’s enough to drive me wild as I jump out of the truck and race toward her.

“I missed you,” I groan, throwing my arms around her. I’ve only been gone a couple of hours, but I always miss Jasmine when we’re not together.

“I missed you too,” she says with a sigh of contentment, her belly protruding against me. “I’m so happy you’re home. I have a surprise for you!”

“Really? Color me intrigued.” I lean in to kiss her silky lips, smiling at the taste of frosting. My girl has been eating red velvet cake again. “I bought another cake. It’s in the truck.”

Jasmine raises her eyebrows and laughs. “That means we’ll have two cakes! Perfect! The more the merrier.”

“Two cakes?”

“Come on, you’ll see.”

Jasmine takes my hand, but she doesn’t lead me into the cabin like I was expecting. Instead, she guides me into the backyard. I stop and stare. Three familiar faces are grinning at me: my grandma, my brother Rafe, and his wife Sophie. Their baby son, my cute little nephew Bobby, is blinking at me from his mom’s arms.

I see my brother and his family all the time. We’re technically not just family anymore; we’re also co-workers. Rafe has owned the White Elk Lodge for a couple of years, ever since my grandpa left it to him in his will, but it’s now split three ways between Rafe, Sophie, and me. Sophie handles the guests and marketing while Rafe and I share financial responsibilities and take care of security and general upkeep of the property. It’s a great system for us. I get to spend time with my brother, but I also don’t have to work crazy long hours, which means I’m always there to greet Jasmine when she comes home from work.

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