Page 131 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bargain

“You seem surprised.”

“I am. We just spent six months fixing your homestead, ensuring you and Davey could stay there. I know how important it is to you, and I’m more than willing—”

“No.” I shake my head, trying not to let myself get worked up and have Dalton think it’s because I’m not confident in my answer. “I’m not going to let you uproot your life and mess with Pops’, making you split your time between helping there and at my place, especially because…”

I can’t believe I’m going to say this.

My chest tightens with the words.

“It doesn’tfeellike my place anymore.”

Silence fills the room as Dalton stares at me, apparently stunned speechless by my confession.

He waits for me to continue, and when the tears start to fall down my cheeks, I try to wipe them away, even though there’s no hiding them from him.

“When I was there with Dave, it felt like home. Like it was where I was supposed to be. But after he died, before you showed up, I spent those weeks, those months, fighting so hard to keep it going, to keep the dream we had alive for my sake and for Davey’s. And…” I bite my lip, glancing down at Davey. “And I think that was a mistake because we’re never going to have that life, not without him. Over the last six months, our lives have changed so much. You and Pops and everything you’ve done for us…” I let out a little sob. “It’s just showing me where myrealhome is, and it’s whereveryouare. And thatneedsto be on your homestead with Pops. Rent out my place to someone else looking to build their dream. I have mine on the James property, if that’s what you want.”

Dalton swallows thickly, shifting forward to the edge of the chair slowly and carefully with Hope in his hold. “Ofcourse, that’s what I want, Camille. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than to have you, Davey, and Hope with me permanently. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this, like we can’t figure something out.”

“I don’t.” I manage to say that without sounding like I’m on the verge of another emotional breakdown. “I promise. This is what I want.”

His lips twitch. “And I know how determined you can be to get what you want.”

I return his growing smile. “I can be.”

His joy and any humor fade quickly, a seriousness settling over his face again. “But it isn’t safe to go back there right now. I think you three should stay down here until Pops and I can get something figured out, a way to handle all this more strategically.”

“Trying to send us away again… How well did that work last time?”

He releases a shaky breath. “I know.”

Thelasttime, he ended up bending me over the table in the tack room and fucking me senseless, then demanding I stay instead.

“Last time, I was selfish, and look what it almost cost us.”

His gaze drifts down to Davey at my side, then down to Hope, both sleeping so peacefully, oblivious to all the drama that surrounded both of them only a few short days ago.

“I am coming back up the mountain with you, Dalton.” I say it with as much finality as I can inject into the statement so he understands there is no room for argument. “I can handle a gun, and I am sure you and Pops will be more than willing to help me get even better with it. We’re safest when we’re all together, watching each other’s backs.”

Helooks ready to argue, but a knock at the door draws both of our attention toward it and away from the impending fight Dalton seems to want to have.

The door swings open, and Pops steps in from the hallway, scanning over both of us and the sleeping children. “I hope I’m not interrupting, but we need to talk.”

* * *

DALTON

The tone of Pops’ voice immediately makes me tense, and Hope shifts where she sleeps against my chest. I rub my hand over her back until she resettles, her tiny hand pressed against my skin.

Camille reaches for Davey beside her, drawing him closer as Pops enters, followed by a man in an expensive-looking dark suit and equally impressive tie.

Shit, this can’t be good.

The entire time we’ve been down here, Pops has been making calls—something I haven’t seen him do in years since he refuses to use a SAT phone up at the cabin. And, of course, true to form, he wouldn’t tell me a damn thing about what he was doing.

He just keeps insisting he has been “taking care of things” where the fire was concerned.

It’s not like we could report it to Sheriff Wilson and expect anything to come ofthatinvestigation, considering his connection to the person who likely perpetrated the crime in the first place.

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