Page 21 of Mountain Gift

As Eileen and Doris go back to talking and decorating, Caroline nods to the bell cookie in my hands.

"Your cookie looks good, too, Boone."

I chuckle. "Don't flatter me, baby," I say, setting the cookie down on another plate to dry. "I'm not really made for this stuff. Not like you."

Looking back down at the cookie in her hands, she turns it from side to side. Like she's analyzing it. After a moment, she gazes around at the other items on the table.

Pointing to a small jar of black and white sprinkles, she asks, "Could you pass those to me? I think this little guy needs eyes."

"Of course," I say and immediately reach for it.

As I hand the jar to her, I feel something warm and slightly slick touch my finger. Once she's pulled the jar away, I turn my hand to see what it is. A little glob of chocolate frosting has been smeared across my pinky where her hand touched mine.

She blushes again when she sees it. "Oh my gosh," she says. "I'm so sorry, Boone."

But before she can grab a napkin for me, I bring my finger up to my mouth and lick the frosting off.

For a moment, she stares at me like she's surprised I've done this. But then she breaks out into laughter. It's a wonderful, tinkling sound, interrupted by the occasional snort from her nose.

But before I can get the first word out, Maggie appears next to our table.

Leaning over Caroline's shoulder, she says, "Hey, Caroline? Could I have your help with something? There's another batch of cookies in the kitchen, but I need to stay and watch everyone. Would you mind…?"

She lets the question trail off, but Caroline fills in the blank.

Standing so quickly that her thighs bump into the table, Caroline says, "Of course, Maggie. I'll be right back."

A few seconds later, Caroline walks back into the room. She balances a large tray of fresh cookies in her hands for a moment before Maggie clears some space on another table for her to set it down.

Now that she's back in the room, I can't take my eyes off her.

As Maggie accidentally knocks a spare jar of sprinkles onto the floor, the two women laugh playfully.

I watch as Caroline bends down to pick up the jar, my eyes floating upward to the curves of her hips as they strain against her jeans. Something stirs within me, a feeling I haven't felt in a long, long time. A kind of craving I forgot I knew how to feel.

I'm so in love with this woman.

I've never met anyone like her. No other woman has had her same focus, her same grace, her same kindness. No other woman has had a body like hers either. Those eyes that distract me. Those curves that dominate my mind.

And hopefully, one day soon, she'll feel the same about me.

I know this must be so hard for her. The loss of her husband, the guilt of moving on. But I can't help but want to be by her side through it all. To hold her and support her.

I'll keep trying, keep showing her that she's not alone in this world. That there are people who care about her and want her to be happy. And maybe, if I'm lucky, she'll see that in me too.

I'm so energized, so enthralled, that I could stand from this table right now and walk over to her. I could take her into my arms and hold her against my chest again. Whispering to her everything that I feel.

I could tell her how beautiful she is. Tell her everything I want to do to her. Tell her about the way my body secretly craves hers. I could lift her off her feet and pull her closer to me. I could let the world disappear around the two of us. I could lean my head to hers, the smell of her filling my nose and driving me into a frenzy.

And then I could kiss her. I could put my lips to hers and taste her, breathe in her scent through my hungering mouth. I bet she tastes even sweeter than the frosting on my finger.

What would she do if I kissed her like this? Would she stop whatever happened next?

And then I realize that she's looking at me. I fall out of the daydream again, staring back into those burning chocolate eyes.Feeling my thighs growing warm. Aching to feel her body against me again.

How much longer can I resist her?

The sun is settingas we drive back from the nursing home, casting long shadows across the road.

---