Page 36 of Jack Raider

“You are so welcome.”

15

Jack

Leaving felt heavierthan I expected.

Not because I didn’t want to go—I loved Frasier Mountain. The clean air, the sense of purpose, the guys. It was home.

But this time, I was leaving somethingmorebehind, the woman I was crazy about.

Eloise stood on the porch in her hoodie and boots, coffee mug in hand, hair messy and eyes tired from what I knew was a night of very little sleep. She tried to smile, but I saw through it. I knew her smile. This one had a crack in it.

“I won’t be gone long,” I said, stepping close.

“I know.”

“If you miss me—”

“I’ll call you.”

I brushed a kiss across her forehead, then leaned in and kissed her lips slowly, trying to memorize the taste of cinnamon and coffee and everything that grounded me.

“Don’t fall in love with any bulls while I’m gone,” I murmured.

She smirked. “Only if they bring me flowers.”

I pulled away, gave her one last look, and got in the truck.

The mountain airhit differently when your heart wasn’t fully with you.

I threw my duffel bag into the cabin, gave Wolf his usual ear scratch, and set to cleaning out the gear shed with the guys. Routine. Task after task. But every time my phone buzzed, I hoped it was Eloise—even though she’d texted just that morning.

That evening, I was stacking firewood when headlights cut across the trees. I stood, ready for trouble.

Instead, the truck door opened… and out came Bonnie, Liam, Nile, and my dad.

“Thought we’d visit a day early,” he said with a sheepish grin.

I stared for a second, surprised, before a slow smile pulled at my mouth. “You brought the whole crew.”

Bonnie ran up to hug me, nearly knocking me over. “You said to tell you when we had a game. Liam has one next week. So we came to remind you.”

“You came all the way up the mountain to tell mein person?”

“We also wanted to meet the wolf,” Nile added, like that made it totally normal.

Dad hung back, watching me with quiet eyes. “We wanted to see where you lived. Where you built your life.”

It hit me harder than I expected.

I showed them around. Let the boys ride the four-wheelers with Frasier’s supervision. Introduced Bonnie to Wolf, who immediately became her furry soulmate. By nightfall, they were bundled up on the porch with hot chocolate while Dad and I grilled steaks under the stars.

“You doing okay?” he asked as we stood by the grill.

“I’m doing better than I deserve,” I said honestly. “I’ve got people I care about. A business. Friends. A woman I love who somehow puts up with me.”

He looked over. “Then go get her.”

---