Page 24 of Saved By the Mountain Man

“I-is this what you’ve been doing all day?”

I nod and lead her down the passageway. “There’s more.”

I’ve put a new rug down and it leads us towards the bedrooms down the hall. There are three enormous rooms, plus a big master bedroom. They’re all ready to be filled.

This cabin is so much bigger than the one down the mountain. It’s ready for tiny little footsteps running up and down the floorboards. I imagine the sound of children’s laughter echoing through these halls, the sweet pitter-patter of their feet as they chase each other from room to room.

I’m ready for that. I’m ready to be a father to Emma’s children.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding inside my chest as I turn into the first bedroom on the right.

“And this…” I let go of Emma’s hand and step over to the crib set up against the wall. “This is the crib you slept in the night you stayed here. That picture you have? I bet you didn’t know we spent the night right here, sleeping in this crib.”

Emma’s hand goes to her mouth. “I-I… wh-what?”

I nod gently, taking her hand.

“Your mother nursed you to sleep in that chair by the door,” I say, gesturing to the wooden rocking chair I re-stained today. “I can still remember how sweet she sounded as she sung you to sleep.”

Emma gulps down. “Why did you ever build the new cabin? This place is gorgeous.”

“It was too big. When I returned home from duty, I was in a bad way. PTSD and all that, I was broken. Walking around these empty halls became too much. I distracted myself and built a new home down the hill a bit. Big enough just for me and my dog. The idea was that it wouldn’t be as lonely, but I guess I was wrong on that part.”

She steps closer, one hand on my chest, the other leaning on the edge of the crib as she peers into the soft sheets I’ve laid out. She sobs as she sees the mobile softly spinning above our heads, tiny little woodland animals dancing in slow circles.

Her eyes fill with tears, but I think this time they’re tears of joy. She drops her head to my chest.

“Come on,” I say. “There’s more.”

I show Emma what will soon be our bedroom. It’s not finished yet, but it won’t be long before we’re waking up in here. She’s already making good suggestions on how we can improve it.

We move back to the main living area and Emma’s face is brighter than I’ve ever seen it. Absolutely gorgeous.

“I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

“For us,” I correct her gently. “And for your dad. He always wanted you to be happy. I’ve made a promise to him, to myself, to you, that I’ll spend the rest of my days making that happen.”

Emma leans in and kisses me. “I’m sorry I’m so crazy.”

I shake my head. “You’re not crazy.”

She laughs and widens her eyes. “Are you kidding? I was a wreck, I thought you were gone.”

“That will never happen.” I cup my girl’s cheeks with my hands. “Emma, you’ve given me a reason to live again. You’ve healed parts of me I didn’t even know were broken.”

“I love you Jack,” Emma whispers against my lips.

“I love you too, Emma. More than anything.”

For the first time in a long time, I feel at peace, standing with my girl in my arms. We’ll have a new family home soon, a new beginning. The past no longer holds me at its mercy, the future sparkling brighter than I’ve ever thought possible.

With Emma, we have a bond so deep anything is possible.

Epilogue

Jack

FIVE YEARS LATER

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