Page 22 of Scolded By the Mountain Man

“Well then you need to leave,” I say. She stares defiantly back at me as though waiting for me to break. “We’re not a couple anymore, Gracie. And we never will be. And the longer you stay here, the worse you make things for yourself.”

Gracie’s eyes roll in her head once more, and she crosses her arms over her chest. She shakes her head as though somehow, I’m being unreasonable, despite the fact that everything she’s done thus far has been unreasonable. Then she scoffs.

“Fine. I’ll leave. But don’t forget about the check you owe me.”

I say nothing as she walks passed me. I know she’s just doing her best to get in the last word. Whether or not she still believes I owe her money doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is getting her out of here. She won’t get another dime out of me, and I believe she knows that.

I watch her go, and once I’m satisfied that she’s not going to double back and try something again, I race back to where I left Penny. My heart leaps when I see her sitting on a rock, her arms curled around her shins, her chin leaning on her knee. She looks up when she sees me.

“Wife, huh?”

“Ex-wife,” I reply. “We’ve been divorced for about a year now. Just about as long as I’ve been missing.”

“But she still calls herself your wife?”

I sigh as I go over to her. “She’s got more than a few screws loose,” I tell her, offering her my hand. “Which is one of the reasons we got divorced in the first place.”

Penny takes my hand, and I lift her to her feet. “And the other reasons?”

“Where to begin?” I chuckle. “Remember when I told you it was hard to determine who actually liked you and who only liked you for your money when you’re a guy like me?”

Penny nods. “I’m guessing she was one of those girls?”

“As it turns out, yes.” I run my hand through my hair and take a deep breath. “I probably should have seen it coming, but I didn’t. And I paid for it.”

Penny gently rubs the back of my hand with her thumb. It’s exactly what I need right now. “Literally or figuratively?” She jokes. I laugh and nod.

“Both. But I can afford it. That’s why she was up here, though. Trying to get me to pay even more than I already paid out during our divorce.”

“Will she get it?” Penny asks. I smile and shake my head.

“Hell no. But let me ask you something,” I say, inching even closer so our bodies are nearly touching. Penny is so beautiful. It’s almost impossible to believe. I can barely even process it. “Will I get you?”

Penny’s cheeks instantly redden, like roses in bloom. She looks down for a moment to hide her eyes, then looks back up at me, slightly embarrassed but enjoying every moment of it. She nods, and her voice comes out of those sweet, plump lips as just a whisper.

“Yes.”

EPILOGUE

TYSON

Five years later…

I never thoughtI’d be one of those guys who worked remotely. It was either go into the office or don’t work at all. But after I married Penny and she gave birth to our baby boy, Jacob, I felt like I could reach a compromise.

I had some more buildings built on the property. I expanded the cabin a little, just enough to make it big enough for a three-person family. I added a helipad for quick ins and outs, and I also added a small house just up the hill that functions as an inn for when Penny or my parents come up for a visit.

So far things have been going incredibly well. New research is being done at the company, and on the rare occasion I have to actually go into the office, I take the chopper down to headquarters and spend the day being the boss.

The people who weren’t aware I was still alive and not missing somewhere were pretty surprised to see me come marching back through the front doors of the building. We’ve been churning out new products and advanced treatments that will help people, and the research lab at the office is so advancedand the people who I’ve hired are so smart and so self-sustaining that I’m able to spend most my time being a husband and a father for Penny and Jacob.

I have weekly check-ins and monthly team meetings with the entire staff to make sure we, as a company, are headed in the right direction. In fact, I’m just finishing up one as Penny walks past the door to my office, wearing nothing but a sheer red silk robe. She spins to get my attention as I finish up my call to the office, hanging up with my assistant.

“Are you trying to distract me?” I ask, rising from my chair and stalking over to her, flexing my fingers as I drag my eyes up and down her gorgeous, curvy body.

“Maybe a little.” She shrugs, teasing me with her naughty little smile she loves to give me.

“Where’s Jacob?” I ask as I reach her and slip my hands around her waist.

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