Page 133 of Ten Mountain Men

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the familiar weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. It’s not easy being the one who always tells the truth when the truth is that half your family wants to stick to tradition and the other half is ready to bulldoze it. Maybe half ain’t quite the right divide. All I know is that most of us welcome change and Luke does not. But we all owe Luke, so this is the one time I will shut my trap and keep some of my brutal honesty to myself.

So I shift the subject.

“Look,” I say, sighing, “you know I’m not one to beat around the bush. There’s something else you need to know, in case you don’t already. But last night, Goldie told me…toldusshe loves us. Not just me or Ash. She said she loves all of us.” I pause, watching Luke’s reaction. He’s not shocked. Yep, she told him already. “Well, she loves all of us except you, ’cause you haven’t given her a chance.”

Luke’s eyes snap to mine, sharp and narrowed. “And you’re just…fine with that?”

I take a deep breath, my heart racing. “Yeah, Luke. I am. Because the truth is, I love her too. And I think, deep down, you know the rest of the guys feel the same.”

He stares at me like I’ve just slapped him. His lips twitch, his fists clenching at his sides. “You…loveher?”

I nod, my voice steady. “I do. And I’m not the only one. I know we all agreed this would be about sex and fun and friendship, but it’s more than that now. She’s gotten under our skin and into our hearts, and maybe that scares you, but it’s the truth. Maybe you’re scared she’s going to get under your skin too? Maybe she already has?”

Luke runs a hand through his hair again, pacing around me in tight circles, which is making it mighty darn hard to walk, so I stop in my tracks.

“You’re out of your mind,” he says. “She can’t be in love withallof you. That’s not how this works. That’s not how anything works.”

“It’s not conventional, yeah, but since when have we ever been conventional? Who says it can’t work?” I ask, keeping my voice calm but firm. “You’re scared, and I get it. But it’s happening, Luke. She’s fallen for us, and we’re falling for her. You can either fight it, or you can give her a chance, like we did.”

Luke shakes his head, looking away. “I’m not fuckin’ scared. This is just stupid. I don’t see it working. I see Susie May, all over again.”

“You don’t have to see it right now,” I say softly. “But you need to think about it. Really think about it. She’s not here to hurt us, Luke. She’s here because, against all odds, we’re what she’s been looking for. We’re that home she’s never felt like she’s had. And I think…no, I know—we need her as much as she needs us.”

Luke’s silent for a long time, his eyes focused on the trees ahead, lost in thought. I let the silence hang between us, knowing he needs time to process this. Finally, he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.

“If she loves you all and you all love her, I’m not gonna take that away from you. But don’t expect me to be the tenth Mr. Goldilocks. And you need to tell her to drop this business about selling our sculptures. And to stay the hell out of the Secret Garden.”

My body practically sags with relief. It’s hard to not point it out, but he can’t be mad at her about going to the Secret Garden because it would’ve stayed, well, a secret if Ash hadn’t taken her back that way. It’s not like she was poking around, being nosy.

“I can do all that,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s get back to the cabin. We’ll have a family meeting, like you want, and air everything out.”

We make it back to the cabin, and Luke marches inside. As I follow, I spot Clay in the living area, dusting off the cluttered shelves, muttering to himself.

“Why the hell do grown-ass men not much shorter than a damned grizzly bear standing on its hind legs, and weighing about as much, need so many damn dainty knickknacks?” he says under his breath.

“Grizzly bears weigh about nine hundred pounds, Clayton,” Luke says. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Literally not my brothers’ keepers. And I don’t give a shit what a grizzly bear weighs. My point is, this hand is massive.” He holds up his hand and waves it at us. “And these itty-bitty things are impossible to handle. Already dropped two, and I swear if I have to sweep up anymore shattered porcelain or whatever the fuck…”

His voice trails off as he reaches for something else, this time a small snail figurine. He picks it up carefully, but as luck would have it, his grip slips, and the thing tumbles from his hands. It hits the floor with a dull crack.

“Dammit,” Clay mutters, bending to pick it up. “Well, so much for that.” He squints at it, turning it over in his hands. “Wait a second…what the hell is this?”

Ash, who’s just walked in, raises an eyebrow. “What the hell is what? The hell are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning, Sherlock,” Clay says. “What can I say, Goldie has inspired me to be a better man.”

We all roll our eyes, because it’s hard to take Clay serious when he’s literally never serious. But it’s pretty wild to see him taking initiative and actually tidying up a mess he didn’t even make himself without it being on his chore list.

“Where’s everyone?” Ash asks. “Goldie’s waiting outside. I told her to give me two minutes to make sure it’s safe before she comes in.”

Clay frowns, holding the cracked figurine up. “I’ve never seen this little guy before.”

I squint. He’s holding what looks like a pretty damned realistic snail. I’ve never seen it before either.

“And looky here—there’s something hidden in it. Doesn’t look like any knickknack Ma would’ve had,” Clay says.

Ash steps closer, his analytical gaze locking onto the broken snail. “Give it here,” he says, taking it from Clay’s hands. He examines it for a moment, turning it over, his brow furrowing. “This isn’t a figurine,” he mutters.

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