Page 14 of Craving the Mountain Man

Grayson chuckles, wrapping an arm around my waist as we resume our descent. "Well, I think a proper date might be in order. One that doesn't involve near-death experiences or sleeping bags."

I laugh, leaning into his hard body. I never thought I could be this happy, but I’m deliriously so.

CHAPTER 7

GRAYSON

My heart rate is skyrocketing as I watch Skylar lead us toward the local diner—small-town date nights aren’t exactly my thing—I tend to stay away from town, not wanting to deal with the idle chit-chat.

I promised Skylar a date, and this is what she wanted. It's not exactly my scene, but I love watching Sky smile. It takes over her entire features and face and lights up everyone around her.

I watch Skylar chatting animatedly with Marge, the diner's no-nonsense waitress who's been serving up coffee and gossip in this town for longer than I've been alive. There's an ease to Skylar's interactions that I've always envied - the way she can make anyone feel like an old friend within minutes of meeting them.

"So honey, how'd you manage to drag our resident grumpy mountain man out for a real date?" Marge asks with a wink in my direction.

I feel my cheeks heat slightly, unused to being the subject of such open teasing. But Skylar just laughs, her eyes sparkling as she glances my way.

"Oh, you know, I just promised him we could talk about proper trail maintenance the whole time," she quips. "How could he resist?"

Marge cackles at that, slapping her order pad against her thigh. "Well, I'll be. Looks like you've finally met your match, Grayson Wells."

I grunt noncommittally, but can't quite hide the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. Skylar does have a way of drawing me out of my shell, whether I like it or not.

Once Marge bustles off to put in our order, Skylar turns her full attention to me. The soft lighting of the diner casts a warm glow on her face, making her eyes seem to sparkle even more than usual.

"So," she says, propping her chin on her hand. "Was this really such a terrible idea? Coming out into civilization for one night?"

I lean back in the booth, surveying the familiar surroundings of the diner. I've been here more times than I can count, usually to get take-out, but have never really seen it until tonight. "I suppose it's not entirely awful," I admit grudgingly.

Skylar grins triumphantly. "High praise indeed from the mountain man. I'll take it."

As we dig into our meals—the diner's famous meatloaf for me, a towering bacon cheeseburger for Skylar— conversation flows easily between us. We talk about the upcoming changes to Fire Mountain Expeditions, Skylar's ideas for new educational programs, my tentative plans for more specialized guided trips.

But we also talk about smaller things— our childhood memories, I know that Skylar is an only child. We talk about our favorite books and the constellations we can see from the mountain on clear nights. With each passing moment, I feel the last of my reservations melting away. This vibrant, brilliant woman across from me isn't just my employee or even just mylover—she's quickly becoming my best friend, my partner in every sense of the word.

As we're finishing up our slices of Marge's homemade apple pie, Skylar reaches across the table to take my hand. Her touch sends a familiar warmth through me, and I marvel at how natural it feels now.

"Thank you for coming out tonight," she says, softly. "I know crowds aren’t exactly your thing.”

I squeeze Skylar's hand gently, marveling at how such a simple touch can send sparks through my entire body. "Thank you for suggesting it," I say, my voice low and earnest. "You were right—it's good to step out of my comfort zone sometimes."

Skylar beams at me, her smile lighting up the entire diner. "Well, don't sound too shocked. I do have good ideas occasionally."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "More than occasionally. You're full of good ideas, Skylar. It's one of the many things I lo-" I catch myself, the word "love" hovering unspoken between us. We haven't said it out loud yet, not since that moment on the mountain.

Skylar's eyes widen slightly, and I can see a mix of hope and uncertainty in them. "One of the many things you do, Grayson?" she asks softly.

I take a deep breath, realizing that this is it - the moment I've been both anticipating and dreading. Here, in this small-town diner, surrounded by the low hum of conversation and the scent of coffee and pie, I'm about to lay my heart bare.

"One of the many things I love about you," I say, my voice rough with emotion. "I love your optimism, your determination, the way you see the best in everyone and everything. I love how you've brought light back into my life when I thought I'd be in darkness forever."

Skylar's eyes fill with tears, but she's smiling so brightly it's like looking at the sun. "Oh, Grayson," she whispers, squeezing my hand tightly. "I love you too. So much."

The world seems to fade away around us as we gaze at each other, lost in the moment. But then a smattering of applause breaks out, and I realize that half the diner is watching us with fond smiles and misty eyes.

I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment, but Skylar just laughs, the happy sound ringing out clear and true. "Guess the cat's out of the bag now, huh?" she says, grinning at me.

I shake my head, unable to suppress my own smile. "Looks like it. You ready for the whole town to be talking about us?"

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