Page 31 of Big Daddy Mountain Man

He offered a little nod. “I guess you could say that. In a way. Came from the land. And the land and I have an understanding, if you will.”

He watched as she spooned another bite of stew into her mouth. The look on her face told him she enjoyed it, a fact he was proud about.

Why?

He took a lot of pride in his work and in his life. But with Amber, it was a different feeling that went beyond the satisfaction of a job well done, hard labor, and ethical practices. Now, he’d provided for Amber. Had taken care of her. It was a feeling unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, even in past relationships.

Something was different here. And it felt… right.

They continued to talk through dinner, with Sawyer trying to learn as much about her as possible without sounding nosy. Itwasn’t that he wanted to pry. He just felt as if he needed to know. She was… something… to him now. Their lives were intertwined, and with each passing moment, a growing hope made him desire that they stay that way.

Yet when the conversation was over, he knew some facts but had the impression she’d sugarcoated a few things. Amber didn’t seem to be secretive. She just didn’t want him feeling sorry for her, he suspected.

He didn’t press, either.

Could be that some memories were just too painful to discuss. There was no way he would try and force it upon her.

But he got a taste of her past once they’d finished cleaning up supper and she said, “You’ll never believe what I found! Come look!” She grabbed his hand and tugged on his arm, pulling him into the living room.

Just that simple touch had fireworks erupting inside him.

What’s going on with you, Sawyer? You’re getting outright giddy like a damn junior high student or something.

In the living room, she rushed to the cabinet that the old TV rested on and opened it. She looked as if she was revealing a rare treasure.

“A VCR,” Sawyer said.

“Yep!” she replied with excitement.

For a moment, he thought she was going to laugh and talk about how outdated the tech was. Instead, though, she grabbed a tape from a stack beside the machine and said, “Look! They have Disney movies! Want to watchSnow Whitewith me?”

He nodded. “You know how to work that thing?”

“Of course!” she said, squatting down to feed the tape in. “Back in the group home I lived in—well, one of them—they had a VCR.”

That’s when it hit Sawyer: the tech wasn’t outdated to her. It was familiar. All she knew. She’d most likely be more lost in the world of Blu-ray players or, more accurately now, streaming.

Wearing a smile, he told her, “I’d love to watch it with you.”

“Yay! We can sit on the couch with Honey and Jazzie. I bet they’ll love this movie.”

Sawyer watched as she got her stuffies, started the movie, and then sat on the couch close to him.

He wanted her to be closer.

Should he reach out and pull her to him? That would be too much, too quickly. What if she felt like she couldn’t say no? He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or put her in an awkward situation. So, he kept his hands in his lap, fighting those urges.

The previews started, and he chuckled.

“I remember those days,” he said. “You either sat through the ads or fast forwarded them.”

“The trailers are my favorite part!” she said. “They show me what to watch next.” She shrugged. “We didn’t get many movies, but sometimes, I’d see a trailer for one and walk to the library and check it out for everyone.”

He could picture a younger Amber doing just that—walking alone, who knows how far, just to check out a free movie for her and the other kids in the home.

He was about to ask her what some of her other favorites were when she sprang up urgently from the couch and said, “I have to go brush my teeth!”

“Okay,” he replied, a bit puzzled. “Is everything okay?”

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