Page 66 of Mountain Man Officer

“I’m fine,” I assured him.

“Can you stay with her?” Jason asked Macy and Ava.

“Of course,” Macy said.

“I’ll try to get off early today, but I don’t want you alone at the cabin.”

“We’ll be fine,” I told him.

“We won’t let her out of our sight,” Ava promised.

Jason nodded, retreating back down the stairs. I watched him go with a mixture of pain and regret. It hadn’t been the right time to drop my bombshell on him, but the way things were going, it didn’t seem like there would be a good time. We finished our coffee, talking around the elephant in the room. Macy insisted on fantasizing about my baby shower.

“We could make goodie bags for everyone with all those cute little baby things inside,” she said. “Like Baby Ruth candies and Junior Mints.”

After coffee, I invited the girls back to the cabin and cooked grilled cheese for all of us. We sat in the living room and played Rummy for hours. I showed Ava my remaining wigs that had been hidden in the box in my closet and were therefore untouched. Macy went through my wardrobe, picking out things that she might like to borrow. Not everything had been destroyed, and I still had a number of presentable outfits.

“This would be perfect.” Macy held up a blouse, checking herself out in the mirror. “You have such great taste in clothes.”

“We’re gonna have to get you some maternity threads,” Ava said.

“We could go into Nashville,” Macy suggested. “There’s this great little maternity shop—nothing but the best.”

“All I need are some jeans and I’ll be set,” I tried.

Macy shook her head. “Trust me. When you’re out to here, you’re going to want something that makes you feel beautiful.” She indicated the width of a pregnant belly with one hand.

I laughed. It felt good to be surrounded by friends, even if they were here to ward off tragedy. Jason arrived home at five, just as he said he would. I thanked the girls for staying with me and promised that it would all blow over soon.

Ava kissed my cheek before leaving. “Take care of her,” she commanded Jason.

He nodded.

Macy pulled me into a hug, whispering, “Tell him.”

“I will,” I promised.

They each got into their vehicles, and the small caravan rumbled down the hill, disappearing into the forest. Jason and I were alone with the ghosts of his crazy wife and our baby between us. We went back into the living room and sat down.

“I think I know where she’s staying,” he said. “I can serve her with divorce papers.”

“What if she does something really stupid?” I asked, leaving the threat of violence unspoken.

Jason nodded in agreement. “She might. Our life together was pretty rocky, but I was in it for the long haul. I mean, I thought when you got married that was it, for better or for worse. When she left me, it was actually a weight off my shoulders.” He sighed. “Then she turns up here and starts stalking the woman I’m in love with.”

My heart froze. Had I just heard him right? Had he backed into admitting that he loved me? My voice betrayed my emotion when I asked the pointed question. “What did you say?”

I could feel his hesitancy at repeating the phrase, “The woman I’m in love with.”

Bliss settled its warm body around my own, wiping all my fears away. “I love you, too,” I said, feeling relief and power in equal doses. He did love me. He felt the same way about me that I felt about him. That first bridge had been crossed, and we arrived safely on the opposite side. Feeling suddenly tired, I laid my head down against his shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

25

JASON

Iwoke with Lindsey in my arms. The night before, she had been out of sorts, and I had carried her to bed after she fell asleep on the couch. It was enough to show me how much I missed having her with me and how much I wanted to spend the rest of my life together. I had accidentally admitted that I loved her, and to my astonishment, she had reciprocated. Staring down at her sleeping face, I wondered how I ever could have doubted her. She wasn’t the type of woman to give her body freely. I realized I had known all along how she had felt about me. She told me in the way she smiled and the way she moved. I had been a fool for withholding those three little words for so long.

I touched her shoulder, running my fingers lightly across her skin. It was so soft and smooth, as if her entire body had been created from clouds. She stirred in my arms, responding to my affection before even waking up. I felt her body stretch, toes curling and muscles flexing. She rubbed her ass against my crotch, finding comfort in my budding erection.

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