Page 6 of Marrying the Mountain Man

I raised my palms in mock surrender. “Snow fort? Not sure I have the skill set.”

Mindy laughed. “Let’s see if you can keep up with these two. And me,” she teased.

“Hey, I’ve lived in Montana for years,” I retorted with feigned indignation. “But sure. Let’s do it.”

Outside, the sky was clear and bright despite the chilly air. The mountains surrounding Hope Peak loomed in the distance, capped with fresh powder. My backyard wasn’t huge, but it opened into a wooded area with plenty of space. The boys raced ahead, flinging handfuls of snow at each other.

Mindy and I trudged through the drifts side by side, breath visible in the cold. She was laughing under her knitted cap, her cheeks flushed. Every once in a while, she’d glance at me, her eyes dancing with amusement. I couldn’t help but notice how the winter sunlight highlighted subtle copper strands in her hair.

“Alright, kiddos,” Mindy called. “Operation Snow Fort: Who’s in charge of the design?”Connor waved an arm. “Me! I watch all those building shows. I’ve got ideas.”

Cody smirked, rolling a snowball in his gloved hands. “I’m more about offense. We need a stockpile of ammo for when Mom and Levi get lazy.”

“Ammo, huh?” I said, raising a brow. “We’ll see about that.”

For the next half hour, we all dove into the snow with determined energy. Connor outlined a rough shape, and we packed snow walls as best we could. Cody occasionally lobbed a snowball at me or Mindy, forcing us to retaliate. Laughter rang out across the yard.

At one point, I found myself braced behind a half-finished wall, trying to shape the snow. Cody sneaked up behind me and launched a handful at my back. I whirled, feigning exaggerated outrage, scooped a big chunk of snow, and chased him. The kid shrieked, half-laughing, half-panicked, until I dropped the snow lightly on his head.

“Mercy!” he yelled, flailing. “I surrender!”

Connor took that moment to pounce, tackling me from behind. I staggered, arms out, and ended up half-falling into a snowdrift. Mindy, who’d been piling snow neatly, turned just in time to see me sprawl into the fluff with both twins piling on top.

“Mom, we got him!” Connor crowed triumphantly.

I let out a mock groan, playing along. “Two against one? That’s not fair.”

Mindy’s laughter was bright and genuine. “Boys, be nice. Levi has to be able to walk tomorrow.”

Despite my best efforts, a grin tugged at my face. The chaos was…fun. I’d always assumed a family’s presence in my house would drive me nuts. Yet as Cody scrambled off, I caught Mindy’s eye and felt a burst of warmth that had nothing to do with the layers of clothing I wore.

Eventually, the twins scampered off to gather more ammo, leaving Mindy and me alone for a moment. I stood, brushing snow off my coat.

She looked at me, still smiling. “You survived. Guess we know who’s on top in that wrestling match.”

“Barely,” I joked. “They got me good.”

Her laughter subsided, and for a second, we just looked at each other. My chest gave an odd flutter. Suddenly, I remembered how furious I was at Tessa for orchestrating this entire scenario—but I also recalled how Tessa always said she had a feeling about things. Could she have known I’d actually enjoy Mindy’s company? Or find her as attractive as I did? Then again, she was a beautiful woman. Any warm-blooded man would think the same.

Before I could dwell on it, the boys returned, brandishing snowballs. “Truce, truce!” Mindy announced, raising her hands. “We still have to finish the fort!”

“Right,” I agreed, stepping back into the rhythm of packing snow.

After another hour in the cold, we called it quits. Our fort was crooked but impressively tall in a few spots—enough to satisfy Connor’s ambitions. Once inside, Mindy set aboutmaking hot cocoa for the boys. Steam curled from their mugs as they sipped; cheeks rosy.

I hung my coat by the door, then caught Mindy’s eye. “So, you’re really going to start looking for jobs around here?”

She nodded, raking her fingers through her damp hair. “Yeah, I want stability for the twins. And it seems quiet, but maybe that’s what we need. I can’t keep uprooting them.”

A flicker of curiosity stirred in me. “What about their dad?”

Her gaze lowered. “He…things ended badly before the boys were even born. The pregnancy came as a surprise, and he basically checked out. I never wanted the boys to feel unwanted, so I’ve done my best to give them as much time and attention as possible when I don’t have to work. It’s why I haven’t…you know…really dated, since they were born.”

I exhaled. “The guy was a fool.”

Mindy offered a small, grateful smile. “That’s kind of you to say. I just do what I can.”

An unexpected rush of protectiveness flooded me. I wanted to tell her that any man who didn’t appreciate her was missing out. But I wasn’t sure how far to push that sentiment. Instead, I cleared my throat. “Well, for what it’s worth, you’re managing amazingly. And if you need help with job leads, I have some contacts in town. Not exactly the corporate scene, but hey.”

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