Page 16 of The Mountain Man's Runaway Bride

“Everything seemed to be going a million miles a minute. I needed to get away from it all. So, I called the airline, switched our flights, and ordered the closest car to take me to the airport.”

“You came here to catch your breath?”

“Pretty much.”

“And how’s that going for you so far?”

“I’m still waiting.”

At that, he gives a wry grin that sets my heart racing.

“I must still be in shock or something.”

“You want to go somewhere to catch your breath.”

“That’s the goal.”

He scratches his cheek. “I might know a place.”

“Let me guess.” I roll my eyes. “You’ll tell me to just look out the damn window and take in the stunning view waiting for me in your backyard and to stop my damn complaining.”

His arm falls to the side and his brow furrows. “Why would I say that?”

“Because, it’s the kind of thing guys say when they think they’re being helpful.”

It’s the kind of thing my former future husband would have said all the time.

“Maybe some men,” he concedes. “But I try to always say what I mean.”

I nod, because so far, Knox has been nothing but a straight shooter. “So, there’s a place where I’ll be able to catch my breath?”

“Show me.”

SIX

KNOX

With the sun growing higher in the sky, the trail up the mountain is quiet. But it isn’t silent.

The dirt crunches beneath our boots. The wind rustles through the trees. Birds sing their song.

And every few minutes, Quincy sees something that makes her gasp. It’s the sweetest sound of them all. So full of awe. Joyful. Soul-stirring. With every passing moment, I can practically see the tension she’s been carrying all this time disappear bit by bit.

Meanwhile, I’m growing increasingly tense with every step.

I must have walked this trail hundreds of times. Usually on my own. Sometimes with the tourists who pay me to show them a slice of Alaska they can tell their friends about for years to come.

I’ve never had better company than I do today.

Every time Quincy cries out in excitement, every time she grabs my arm to point at some new wonder, she captures my heart a little more.

I’m in real danger of losing it to her completely.

An eagle dips low overhead and Quincy reaches for me again, pure delight on her face. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah.” I turn to face her.

“Isn’t it completely amazing?”

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