Page 19 of Snowed in with the Mountain Man

"Right," Jake says. "Well, roads are mostly clear now. Got your truck out of the ditch, too. Battery's dead, but we jumped it. Should get you back to town no problem."

"Thanks," Aiden says.

"And I can take a look at your car in town," Jake tells me. "Probably just the cold killed the battery."

Reality crashes in. My car. Town. Vancouver. The life I left behind just days ago.

"Great," I manage. "Thank you."

An awkward silence falls. Jake, clearly sensing the tension, clears his throat.

"I'll, uh, wait outside. Take your time." He gives his brother a significant look before stepping out.

When the door closes, Aiden and I stand facing each other. The easy intimacy of moments ago feels suddenly fragile.

"So," I say, aiming for casual, "civilization returns."

He nods, his expression unreadable. "You'll be able to get back to Vancouver now. If that's what you want."

Is it what I want?Two days ago, I'd have said yes without hesitation. Now...

"I still have a cabin to renovate," I hedge.

"Right." His gaze drops. "It'll take work. Might want to hire someone local."

"Are you offering your services?" I attempt a teasing tone, but it falls flat.

"If that's what you want," he repeats, still not meeting my eyes.

I step closer, frustration building. "What do you want, Aiden? You keep asking what I want, but you haven't said a word about what you want."

His eyes lift to mine, something raw and vulnerable in them. "What I want doesn't matter. You have a life in Vancouver. Friends, opportunities. Things you won't find here."

"That's not an answer."

He runs a hand through his hair, agitation breaking through his usual stoicism. "What do you want me to say, Phoebe? That I want you to stay? That these two days have been more real than anything I've felt in years? That I'm falling for you despite knowing it's crazy?"

My heart stutters. "Is that true?"

"Yes." The admission seems torn from him. "But it doesn't change the facts. You don't belong here."

"Don't tell me where I belong," I shoot back, suddenly angry. "My whole life, people have been telling me what I should want. My parents, my ex, my boss. Everyone has an opinion about what's best for Phoebe."

I move closer, poking his chest for emphasis. "You know what I had in Vancouver? A job I hated that doesn't exist anymore. An apartment I couldn't afford without that job. An ex who dumped me the minute things got tough. Friends who were mostly work acquaintances." My voice catches. "Nothing that felt like this."

He stares at me, hope and doubt warring in his expression. "Like what?"

"Like I matter. Like I'm seen. Like I'm more than just... convenient."

His hands come up to cup my face, his touch surprisingly gentle for such a large man. "You matter, Phoebe. You're the least convenient thing that's ever happened to me, and I've never been more grateful."

I laugh through the tears I hadn't realized were falling. I cover his hands with mine. "I want to stay, Aiden. Not just to fix the cabin. I want to see where this goes. Between us."

The hope in his eyes strengthens. "It won't be easy. Small town life is different. Winters are hard."

"I'm tougher than I look." I smile up at him. "Besides, I have a sexy mountain man to keep me warm."

A ghost of a smile touches his lips. "What about work? Writing, you said."

---