Page 62 of Twins for the Mountain Daddies

Does she think I’ll be upset about what happened with Hank? She clearly hasn’t been paying attention if she does.

She sits down at the table, taking a quick look around but not making eye contact. I put the plate of eggs in front of her. I made them the way she likes, but she doesn’t pick up her fork and start digging in. She just pushes the food around on the plate.

Huh.

She looks down at the coffee I made, then takes a sip. I watch her face shift like the taste is something she wasn’t expecting.

“Too strong,” she mutters, setting the cup back down and pushing it away.

What’s going on with her lately? She’s been acting weird as fuck.

I grab my own plate and sit across from her, trying to keep it casual. "You sure you're okay?”

She doesn’t look up at me, but I see her stiffen just the slightest bit. She doesn't answer right away, and when she does, her words are short, clipped. “I’m fine”

She’s not fine. I’ve seen her fine, and this isn’t it. She’s been off for days now, maybe longer. I lean back in my chair, watching her, but she avoids my gaze, keeping her focus on her coffee cup like it’s the most interesting thing in the world.

“You’ve barely eaten anything,” I say, trying to keep the concern out of my voice. “If you’re not feeling well, I can make you something else. Toast, maybe?”

She takes another sip of the coffee, cringing as she does. “I’m not hungry.”

I watch her for a moment longer, the unease settling heavier in my gut. She’s acting weird, but it’s not just that. She’s jumpier than a deer in hunting season. Napping randomly. Quick to snap when she’s usually so calm, so collected. Her eating patterns are all over the place too. One minute, she’s snacking nonstop, the next she’s not hungry at all. She seems to hate foods she used to love and now she’s barely touching her breakfast.

Is she getting cabin fever? I mean, yeah, I get it. She’s a city girl, used to the hustle and bustle. Being stuck in this cabin for weeks with nowhere to go, no one to see—it’s gotta be getting to her. Even if we are keeping her entertained.

Is she…is she plotting her escape? Maybe she’s already thinking about leaving once the roads clear. Fuck, I hope not. I’m not done with her, not even close. I don’t want to let her go.

The roads do clear a few days later, and the first thing Ivy does is ask for a ride down to town. My heart sinks like a stone.

“I can take you,” I say, trying to sound casual.

She nods and doesn’t say much else.

Fuck, baby. Please don’t go. Not yet.

Wyatt comes in, stomping snow off his boots. “What’s this about town?”

“Ivy needs a ride,” I say.

He grins. “I’ll tag along. Check in with Mason about your car, City Girl. I’ve got to run a couple errands, anyway.”

Chapter 29

Ivy

The truck bounces over a pothole, and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. Holt’s arm tightens around my shoulders, pulling me closer. Or maybe it’s Wyatt’s. It’s hard to tell when I’m wedged between the two of them, squeezed so tight I can barely breathe. Though that might have more to do with the anxiety clawing at my insides than the actual lack of space.

“Whoa there, CG,” Holt teases, his lips brushing my ear. “Afraid we’re gonna lose you on the way into town?”

I force a laugh, trying to ignore the way my stomach is churning. “Just not used to being the filling in a mountain man sandwich.”

Holt smirks, his hand tightening on my thigh. “Pretty sure you’ve had plenty of practice, baby.”

Wyatt chuckles on my other side, his voice a low rumble. “Yeah, I’d say you’re more than qualified at this point.” He nudges my leg with his knee, sending a jolt through me. “Hell, if there was an Olympic event for it, you’d be bringing home the gold.”

I huff, rolling my eyes, but my face is burning. “Glad to know I’m excelling at something.”

Holt’s fingers brush my wrist, featherlight, almost teasing. “We’re damn proud.”

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