Page 51 of Mountain Boss

And since I’m a man of action, I keep standing here as I type out an email with my purchase request.

I know it’s going to be a large expense, ordering more than thirty mattresses all at once. But Rocky mentioned that his guy would haul away the old ones for donation—if they’renot disgusting—so I might as well bite the bullet and do them all.

Plus, it’s an investment in my property.

Something I can advertise.

I’m not dropping a few thousand dollars just for Courtney.

My eyes raise toward her bedroom as I slide the phone back in my pocket.

I’m not going to leave the mattress here in the front room for her to struggle with.

I’m going to put it on the bunk for her.

But for that, I’ll need to move her clothes.

And if I move her clothes, do I fold them? Or spread them back on top of the mattress?

Reaching up, I pull the sheets and blanket off my shoulders, where I draped them like the world’s biggest scarf.

As I start to haul the bedding through the cabin, I wonder what her reaction will be to finding the mattress.

My first thought is wondering if she’ll be all sweet and smiley when she thanks me.

Because it’s not like she won’t notice it.

Even if she doesn’t see it until she’s climbing into bed, she’s going to know thatIput a mattress onto her bare bunk.

I pause on the threshold, looking at the wooden bunk and the stepstool she uses to get onto it.

Of course she isn’t going to thank me.

She probably won’t bring it up at all.

I’m positive Courtney didn’t tell me in the first place because she thinks I did it on purpose. So me replacing the mattress now will probably make her think it was some fucked-up test. Some sort of trial to see if I could bully her out through inhumane sleeping conditions.

And why wouldn’t she believe that?

What sort of owner doesn’t know his own property?

I even opened the front door for her.

I opened the door but didn’t step inside.

Didn’t look at the conditions I was leaving her in.

But I’m looking now.

And anger wraps warm fingers around my neck as I stare at the rough edge of plywood running the length of the bunk.

“Fuck.”

I turn and storm back out of the cabin.

Chapter 37

Courtney

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