Page 14 of Saved By the Mountain Man

He curls into me, his hands still shaking.

“Th-thank you,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. “F-for being h-here.”

“I’ll always be here.”

We lay there in the peace of Jack’s cabin. It’s turning into a healing home, not just for me.

I haven’t stopped thinking about moving up to the mountain since Jack started teasing me about it on our hike. It makes sense. I have nothing left in the city. It’s always just been a place I lived because I had no other choice, but maybe now, maybe I do have a choice.

Minutes pass by and I feel Jack drift off to sleep. I slide down and curl into his warm body, wrapping my arms around him. The pull of sleep tugs at my eyes, and as much as I try to fight it, wanting to enjoy every last second of this moment, the warmth of my giant protector takes me over the edge and I fall asleep.

***

I stare out of the window of Jack’s truck as we drive down the mountain towards Misty Peaks. He rolls down the windows and pops an arm on the ledge, his brown skin shining in the sunshine.

Fresh air fills the cabin and I take in some deep breaths. So crisp and clean. The sun has been shining all morning as Jack and I cooked breakfast together, not once uttering a word about last night. He showed me his garden patch and where he collects his eggs, introducing me to his chickens as if they’re his family.

Jack truly loves it up here, and I can see why.

I gaze out at the beautiful scenery glistening in sunlight as we wind down the hill.

“It’s so beautiful here,” I say.

Jack agrees, nodding thoughtfully. “There’s no better place in the world.”

He glances my way and strikes me with a sexy-as-fuck wink. He slides his hand across my lap and finds my hand. We hold hands as we drive, and I feel like something might have clicked last night. Deep inside this gorgeous man, I think he wants me.

Yesterday, he rejected me. But I know he’s only doing it to be honorable. I’ve seen the way he looks at me, the way he stares at my lips. He wants it, I just need to get him to realize it.

I turn and look at him. He’s absolutely beautiful. The richness in his eyes is almost too much. With all the emotions flowing through both of us, the history of my father, the old scars that still impact Jack so much, it’s amazing that this connection is blooming so quickly.

I could love this man. I’m so at ease when he’s around. I don’t need to look over my shoulder. I don’t need to worry about my safety. I feel so… so… complete whenever I’m with him. I feel like I’ve known him my entire life, which in a weird way, I kind of have.

“I’ll drive you through Misty Peaks township first and then take you to a few of my favorite spots,” Jack says, one hand gripping the wheel, the other splitting my fingers with his so our fingers are entwined. “Maybe then I’ll have you convinced.”

I laugh and squeeze his hand. “I think you’ve already managed that.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh really? We never did settle on where you would live.”

Jack steers us around a sweeping bend and I get my first glimpse of Misty Peaks. It’s a small town, protected by a valley of enormous, snow-capped mountains. The streets are small and there are people on the cobbled sidewalk chatting to each other, no phones, no horns blaring.

It’s peaceful.

“There must be a real estate agent in this town,” I say. “Maybe they can help me find something.”

“Actually, funny story. I’ve heard from a few friends that a real estate agent is moving to Misty Peaks soon.”

“Oh, that’s good timing.”

“Yeah, apparently, she’s fallen in love with a Park Ranger or something. He’s just too damn stubborn to admit it.”

“Hmmmm, must be something in the water around here.”

He turns to me, chestnut brown eyes shining. “What do you mean by that?”

It’s my turn to wink at him. “Nothing.”

Jack laughs and pulls into a parking lot outside a cute little restaurant. He kills the engine and before I can even unbuckle myself, he’s around opening the door for me. He holds out a hand and I step down from his truck, looping my arm in his as we make our way to the entrance.

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