Page 11 of Wild for the Mountain Man

LIVVY

Adam keeps calling and I keep turning my phone off because I can’t handle it anymore. I don’t want to talk to him and listen to him spin more lies to trick me. Every time I turn it back on, it rings again. Like he never puts it down. It’s an awful torture.

My head hurts, my eyes feel like sandpaper. I can’t eat, can’t sleep and all I can do is think about how much I miss him. How much it hurts that another Redfern man managed to turn my head and trick me, stealing my pride and my heart. You think I’d have learned my lesson the first time. I sigh and lean back against the wall, more tired than I think I’ve ever been in my life. And I went through natural childbirth. Every time I manage to push Adam out of my head, my phone would ring or there would be a message and it hurt all over again.

I think he’s given up though. I haven’t heard anything for days now and I have to go in to work. I dress quickly and head out the door, smiling even though my heart is broken. Mrs. Madison sits on the front porch, waiting for me. She stands and eyes me critically. Her mouth twists wryly.

She sighs. “Men. You can’t live with them. Can’t kill them.”

But she holds Sam’s hand as he waves goodbye and I drive down the mountain slowly, carefully. It takes a lot less time than it usually does to get to work, my mind a clouded mess that’s refusing to stop thinking about Adam.

Pulling into the diner, I groan when I see that it’s dark. Did we have a blackout again and they forgot to let me know? I need the money. I don’t have time to waste driving down the mountain for no reason. And I could use the distraction as well. So I’m not in the mood to hear that my harrowing trip was worth nothing.

But when I reach the door it pushes open easily and I hear soft music playing on the jukebox. The lights come on and I close my eyes, the light blinding me briefly. When I open them slowly, I’m surprised that the light is dim and romantic. I lift my eyes and my mouth falls open. The diner is full of flowers of every shape, size and color, pouring off of every surface. Red roses, blue hydrangea and soft pink carnations. Just a riot of beautiful color and light. My mouth hangs open and my eyes can’t seem to land on any one thing. It’s too much and yet not enough.

And then a big figure strolls out from the back, wearing a dark suit and green button-down. Adam Redfern stands there in all his glory. His dark eyes staring at me, dark circles under them and his hair a bit of a mess. Like he keeps running his thick fingers through it, tugging at it. He looks haggard, like he hasn’t slept in days.

I’m sure I look the same.

I hold my head up and cross my arms. “What are you doing here?” His eyes dip down my body and I swear I feel the heat of his gaze over every single inch of me, like a physical touch. But I lift my head higher and press my lips together to keep them from quivering, from opening and telling him how much I missed him. I cannot go through what I’ve dealt with the last few days.

“I’m here to win over my woman. The one who claimed my heart and soul. I talked to my parents and they’re not doing a damn thing to take Sam away from you, angel. I told them they can’t. He’s our boy. And if they want a fight, I’ll give it to them. For you. For him. For us.”

I toss my head and glare at him. “That’s all well and good, Adam. But I’m not sure I trust you anymore. How are you going to fix that? It feels like you lied to me. I can tell from what they said that you showed up with every intention of taking my son away from me. Didn’t you?”

He stalks towards me and I fight not to back away. His big hand touches my cheek gently and he sighs like he’s missed me as much as I missed him. “I was going on faulty information my parents fed me. They made you seem unstable and a terrible parent. I just wanted what was best for my nephew.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’m so sorry. I should have just reached out to meet you both and got my own insight into you. If I had, I’d never have even had the thought that you were unfit. Just seeing you with Sam would have proven how wonderful a mother you are. You love Sam so much and everything you do is for him. To make him happy. To make his life as good as you possibly can. But I’m dying here, angel. I want to be that for you. I want to make your life as wonderful as just being with you makes mine. I want to make you happy every damn day and spend my whole life taking care of you.”

“I can take care of myself, Adam,” I bristle. It sounds like he thinks I can’t take care of myself and my son. I know damn well I can.

“Baby, I know that. You’re such a damn strong woman. I just want to add to that. Make your life easier if I can. Won’t you let me be your family? Your anchor in the storms of life. That’s what you are to me. On days that feel awful and stormy beyond belief, you’re my safe space. An anchor in all the storms around us. Including our families.”

My heart cracks in two. I reach out and rest my palm on his hard chest, touching him like I’ve longed to for days. “I love you, Adam. So much.”

He reaches out and grabs me, holding me tight and I can barely breathe. But I don’t care. He can hug and hold me as tight as he wants to and I will never say a damn word. Just as long as he touches me.

“I love you too. We’re going to have the best life ever. We can’t have anything but. Not with how much I love you. How much you mean to me. You’re amazing and if I have you, my future couldn’t be more bright and blessed. We’re going to fill our home with love and laughter and so many babies that run through it with Sam, probably tearing it apart, that we could start our own football team.”

I grin, tears in my eyes, my throat tight with so much emotion I have to clear it to even speak. “We can talk about that.”

“As long as we always talk. As long as we always stay together, I’ll do whatever you want, whatever you need. These last few days without you were pure torture. It’s like my heart wasn’t with me. It was always with you. Living outside my body and leaving just a shell of a man. You’re my heart, Livvy. The reason that I get up every morning, the reason I breathe and smile. You’re everything to me. You’re mine.”

I move in closer, resting my head on his chest and listen to his heart thudding wildly under my ear. I feel his hardness cradled against my belly. His dick stirs and he groans, his fists clenched at his side. “Are you sure about this, Adam? I know how your family feels about me. It has to color how you feel about me.” His manly scent surrounds me. I feel safe and seen in this moment.

He nods his dark head. “It does.” A sharp stab of pain rolls over me and tears well, but I refuse to let them fall. I’ve cried enough.

“But I think you’re a beautiful woman, a fantastic mother. What they think is what they think and I know it. But I refuse to let their opinions wash away what I feel for you. I love you, angel. So damn much. And nothing’s gonna change that. I’d fight the world for you. I’d climb the highest walls for you. I. Would. Do. It. All for you. I used to think that there was no such thing as love at first sight, but the first second I looked in your glorious eyes, I knew that I was wrong. I met my perfect person and I fell for her…you. I couldn’t help it. You’re perfect.”

“I’m far from perfect,” I mutter, flushing.

“Don’t say anything bad about yourself, angel. I will not tolerate that.”

Giggling, I hide my face in his broad, muscular chest, breathing in the musky, sweet pine scent of him, delirious with love and lust.

“I love you, Adam. I know I’ve said it before but I was afraid…of how you make me feel and how much I cannot stand the thought of losing you. I think it would break me.”

“Luckily, you’ll never have to feel that. Because you can’t lose me. And if you try to leave me, to disappear?” He grins wickedly. “I will hunt you down and tie you to the nearest bed until I make love to you and you forget that you wanted to leave.”

My breath catches. “Are you trying to scare me?”

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