Page 12 of Marrying the Mountain Man

“Yeah,” she said, cheeks pink from the cold and auburn hair streaming from her face. “It’s actually… kind of fun.”

We inched along, occasionally glancing at the twins who ventured farther. A couple of local kids recognized them from school, squealing in delight when they realized they were new to town. Connor’s face lit, warming me with pride. Mindy caught me staring at him and gave me a soft smile.

After twenty minutes, we took a break near the bank, the kids bounding up with rosy cheeks.

“Mom, Levi, can I try going faster?” Cody asked breathlessly. “Logan said there’s a race or something soon, but I said we’re new.”

Connor shook his head. “Dude, you just got out here.”

Mindy laughed, ruffling Cody’s hair. “Slow down, speed racer. Let’s not break anything on day two of school.”

He rolled his eyes but grinned. They rushed off again, brimming with energy. Mindy exhaled, removing her skates to rub her ankles. I eased down next to her, careful not to slip on the icy ground.

“Worth it?” I teased.

She nodded, smiling at the kids. “Absolutely. Thank you.”

A quiet moment fell. Crisp March air brushed our cheeks. The lake glimmered under weak afternoon sunlight. Something in the hush brought a fleeting urge to reach for her hand. I ignored it, focusing on the twins instead.

Eventually, the cold got to us. We returned the skates, the kids practically buzzing with stories of near-collisions and wobbly glides. Mindy insisted on treating them to hot cocoa from the little concession window, so we stood there sipping chocolatey warmth, letting the last of our nerves thaw.

“This is awesome,” Cody mumbled through whipped cream. Connor nodded, wearing a big grin.

Mindy flicked her gaze my way. “I think you just became their hero, Levi.”

I scratched my chin, self-conscious. “Glad they enjoyed it.”

Under that soft compliment, a part of me stirred, appreciating how easily Mindy praised me. No one had made me feel this needed in a long time.

By the time we returned to the house, the boys were worn out. They dropped onto the pullout couch, half-finishinghomework while Mindy supervised. I rummaged for a box of cereal with a picture of a cartoon frog on it I’d bought earlier, offering them each a small bowl as a snack. Cody’s eyes lit up.

“Frog cereal? That’s so cool. Thanks!” he exclaimed, munching away happily.

Connor teased, “We don’t even know what flavor it is,” but he still ate with gusto.

Mindy set down her laptop, smiling as she watched them devour the cereal. Then she turned to me. “I was thinking of making grilled cheese tonight. Simple, but I can jazz it up with tomato soup if you want.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said, already enjoying the mental image of another cozy meal. “I’ll help with the soup.”

She nodded, and we got to work in the small kitchen, a comfortable routine forming. The kids piped in with random comments from the couch—something about their classes, something about carnival tokens, something about their new friend Logan. The chatter never stopped, but I found I liked the background noise.

After dinner, the boys retreated to the bathroom to wash up for bed. Mindy and I lingered at the dining table, sipping water and relishing the calm. The overhead light cast a soft glow, highlighting the tired relief in her eyes.

“Thanks for the ice-skating suggestion,” she murmured. “They had a blast. And I did, too, as a matter of fact.”

I chuckled ruefully. “Didn’t realize how out of shape I am.”

She laughed, a gentle sound that sent warmth through me. “You did great, considering all your talk ofnot showing off.”

Rolling my eyes, I stifled a grin. “I’d prefer not to break my tailbone.”

A brief silence settled, not awkward, just reflective. Eventually, Mindy exhaled. “So tomorrow’s Wednesday—the board meeting with Beth is at three. I hope the kids don’t mind staying at afterschool program for a bit while I pitch my marketing ideas.”

“I can pick them up,” I offered. “Or they can hang with me at Skyline if that’s easier. We have an office with a couch and a stash of soda, but they might not get homework done,” I teased.

Mindy’s eyes brightened. “They’d love that, actually. But maybe for a short time. Let me see how the afterschool schedule works first.”

“Sure. Whatever you need,” I said, meaning it. The thought of Connor and Cody running around Skyline was oddly pleasing. Maybe they could do some quiet reading in the back office or amuse themselves with the old arcade machine we kept in the back.

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