Page 3 of Redemption in Misty Mountain

“What are you doing here?” Her voice is sharp and clipped, but I don’t miss the flicker of something beneath it.

I flash a slow grin, letting the moment stretch just to rile her up. “Nice to see you too, sweetheart. You really know how to welcome a hero home.” I hang up my coat and lean casually against the mantle of the fireplace. “It’s quiet here. Looks like we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

My ex-wife exhales, a little exasperated, but not quite immune to me and I take that as a good sign. The corners of her mouth twitch, and I see her fighting it. Rosalie was never good at hiding things from me.

“This place is closed because of the snowstorm rolling in. All the reservations were canceled.”

“Must’ve missed that memo,” I say, unbothered. “Lucky for me, I guess. I don’t have anywhere else to go. Not in this weather.”

She mutters something under her breath and turns toward the check-in desk. “How long are you here?” Her tone is all business.

I hold her gaze. “I’m here forever. I’m done with the military.”

I know it isn’t the question she was asking, but I don’t care. I want her attention and from the way her head snaps up, I’ve got it.

“Really?” For a split second, something flickers in those deep, knowing eyes of hers. Something warm.

“Yeah,” I say, savoring the way she looks at me now. “Told you I wasn’t in it for life. Checked my boxes, served my country, and now I’m free.”

Her expression shifts in an instant, soft curiosity hardening into something colder. “Yeah. Being in things for life isn’t exactly your strong suit.”

The hit lands square in my chest. “Ouch,” I say, dragging a hand through my hair. “That’s fair.” I hold up my hands in surrender. “I’ll go get settled in. My reservation is in room one. And just so I know… what room are you staying in?”

She crosses her arms over her chest and it’s one of my favorite sights in the world if I’m being honest. The round swell of her full tits press up and there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for the chance to bury my face in them one more time. I check her left hand. No ring.

“I’m not a guest,” she says flatly. “I work here. Or I did. This is my last shift. I’m leaving right now before the roads ice over.”

Something sharp and unwelcome twists in my gut. “It isn’t a good idea. They’re already slick. Are you still driving that tiny Toyota, because without chains, you really shouldn’t?”

She shakes her head like I don’t have any right to be protective of her, and maybe I don’t. But I can’t help it.

“I am leaving, and not just the inn, Dawson. I’m done with Misty Mountain, too.” Her voice is steady, and I don’t miss the sharp edge beneath it. “I’m heading into a whole new life, far away from here. So you can have this place all to yourself.”

The words spill out of her thick with the weight of everything left unsaid between us. It’s not just a statement… it’s a warning, a clear line drawn in the sand. But for right or wrong, I make the decision right there to ignore it.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”And I hope I can change your mind.

She must read the determination on my face because Rosalie walks behind the front desk. She retrieves a key for room one with a huff and slides it across the counter toward me. Then she stomps away without another word.

CHAPTER 3

DAWSON

I haulmy suitcases in one by one and brush off the fallen snow as I enter the inn. The wheels drag over the threshold with a dull thud and the snowflakes dissolve into wet spots. I make it up the staircase to the first room and unlock the door to my new home… for now.

The inn smells like cedar and memories I haven’t had time to face yet. As I unpack, I keep one ear tuned to the hallway. My muscles are tight with anticipation. If Rosalie thinks she can slip out without talking to me, she’s dead wrong. I’m not ready to let her go. There’s too much left unsaid and I need to apologize. I need to know she’s okay. More than that, I need her to know that I never stopped loving her.

I yank the heavy curtains open and my pulse is a steady drum in my ears. It’s an idyllic view. The snowy mountains create a backdrop for the endless quiet of the forest that stretches out in front of me. It’s breathtaking even under the heavy weight of my thoughts.

Snow falls in thick, lazy sheets, blanketing the world in white. It should feel peaceful, but it doesn’t. Not without her. How did I manage to screw this up so completely?

My parents didn’t teach me much; except how to survive when the odds are stacked against you.When you’re poor, the world doesn’t care.That was the lesson drilled into me early.No one’s coming to save you. You want out? You claw your own way up.

The military was my way out. The only way. But it came at a cost. One I didn’t understand until it was too late. At work, they loved me because I never said no. Tricky deployment? Yes. Stay late? Yes. Arrive early? Yes. Give more, be more, sacrifice more? Always yes. There was no cost too big to write my ticket for a secure future.

Now I’ve got more money than I ever imagined. But no Rosalie. So what the fuck was the point?

At the time, I never thought I was choosing my job over my wife. But hindsight has a way of cutting straight to the truth. I did. I chose wrong in a million tiny ways until I finally lost her. I exhale, watching the snow morph into sleet. The wind rattles against the glass. I glance toward the driveway. Her car is still there… Good.

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