Page 110 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bargain

Guilty that it should be Dave?

“I’ll teach you everything I know, buddy. You’re such a big help and a good learner.”

“Are we going to stay here on the mountain”—he looks around the room he and Camille have spent so much time in—“at your house?”

Hell, I haven’t had a chance to give that any thought yet, either.

I brought them down here where we’d all be together, where they’d be safer with Pops and me around until things get sorted out. But I’ve just spent months fixing up the property that’salwaysbeen his home and has been Camille’s for even longer so that they could stay.

This might be my home, but that’stheirs.

Where Camille built a life for him with Dave and created all those memories I don’t want Davey to forget.

I don’t know if I could ever take him away from that.

Squeezing him gently, I shake my head. “I don’t know, bud. We’ll figure that out.”

He seems to accept my vague answer easily and lowers his head again as his lids start to droop.

A little sigh of contentment falls from his parted lips, and he snuggles deep, bringing his blanket up to almost cover his face.

The fire distorts before my eyes as tears fill them.

How the hell do I fix any of this?

I’ve always been good with my hands. More than capable of repairing just about anything on the property that might need it. But this goes so far beyond my capabilities.

Maybe Pops was right in keeping me in the dark about what was happening with Gallo and the other threats that have been made to the mountain over the years.

For a long time, it kept me blissfully unaware that therewasanything to worry about beyond the chores on the homestead.

Or maybe not.

If he had told me, I could have been better prepared for this or anything else that might get thrown at us.

It’s naïve to think this mountain will remain untouched forever. After two hundred and fifty years, something was bound to try to taint the sanctity of our safe haven.

But even Pops couldn’t have known it would come tothis.

I glance over at the paper again, and that same anger that burned through me after I found it reignites. Only the soft weight of Davy against my chest keeps it from exploding.

Just like his mother did earlier, having him in my arms soothes the fiery fury and allows me to drop my head back against the leather chair and let my eyes close.

Tomorrow will be filled with problems and questions and things I don’t even want to have to face, but for tonight, I’m going to try to let it go long enough to relish this moment.

Knowing Davey feels safe enough with me to fall asleep like this. That Camille trusts me enough to allow herself to open up to me the way she has in the last few days.

Rather than wondering what’s coming when the sun rises, I’m going to be thankful for what I have today and pray to God that it won’t be taken away.

* * *

CAMILLE

Bright morning sunlight pours through the window of Dalton’s bedroom, and I blink awake slowly, trying to let my eyes adjust to it. I shift and struggle to find a more comfortable position, which is almost impossible at this point during my pregnancy.

It was the same way with Davey.

By this far along, my body was ready to be done with all this, and it’s the same this morning. Yet, given how light it already is, I somehow managed to sleep in far later than I normally do.

---