Page 22 of The Minx and the Mountain Man

I wait and wait. But the silence stretches, filling the room with something thick and unbearable. My heart cracks wide open.

I nod once, more to myself than to him. “That’s what I thought.”

Lifting my chin, I grab my suitcase and push past him, my shoulder barely brushing his as I leave.

He doesn’t stop me.

The wind bites at my cheeks as I trudge into town, my breath coming in unsteady puffs of white against the cold air. The walk from the cabin to Pine Hollow isn’t long, but every step feels heavier than the last.

I don’t let myself cry. Not yet.

The moment I push through the door of Annie’s café, warmth and the scent of cinnamon wrap around me like a hug. The bell over the entrance jingles, but before I can even take a step inside, Annie is there, taking one look at me and sighing.

“Oh, honey,” she murmurs, her expression soft with understanding.

I let out a shaky laugh and sink into the nearest chair, dropping my suitcase beside me. “That obvious?”

Annie slides into the seat across from me, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. “You’ve got that ‘just had my heart stomped on by a stubborn man’ look about you.”

I groan, letting my head fall into my hands. “I should never have answered that ad.”

She doesn’t say anything, just waits, letting me get it all out.

“Not because I regret meeting him,” I continue, my voice thick. “But because now I know what it feels like to love someone. And I know what it feels like to lose him.”

Her face softens as she reaches across the table, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I need a place to stay until I figure things out. I can’t go back to the cabin.”

Annie nods immediately and with no hesitation. “You’ll stay with me.”

Relief rushes through me, even though it doesn’t ease the ache in my chest. “Thank you.”

She studies me for a long moment. “Will you at least stay through the Valentine’s Day dance?”

I blink at her. “Annie—”

“Hear me out,” she says, holding up a hand. “You’ve spent all this time making a place for yourself here. People here love you, Sadie. And maybe… just maybe… Reid needs time to get his head out of his own stubborn ass.”

I let out a weak laugh, but my heart clenches. “I don’t want to wait around for something that’s never going to happen.”

“I’m just asking you not to make any big decisions yet,” she says gently. “Give yourself a little more time.”

I hesitate, my fingers tightening around the edge of the table. “I don’t know, Annie.”

She leans back, a knowing look in her eyes. “You’ve started building a life here, Sadie. You can still have that life without Reid. It might hurt for a while, but I don’t want you to leave Pine Hollow just because of him.”

I don’t answer. I can’t. Because deep down, I know she’s right. I want to stay. I want to fight for this life I’ve started to carve out. For the friendships I’ve made. For him.

But how can I stay when he won’t even fight for me?

Annie squeezes my hand one last time before standing. “I’ll get you some tea. And a cinnamon roll.”

I nod absently, staring down at the table. “I’ll think about staying.”

And that’s the best I can do.

Chapter Fourteen

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