Page 5 of Fascinated with the Mountain Man

Jolene’s eyes lit up, and she squealed with laughter.I was so close to kissing her…so close.

But I’d wait. I’d wait forever for her if I had to.

“Great! I can’t wait! What’s first on the list?” Jolene chugged her coffee. I liked her eagerness.

“Slow down there. We don’t want you too wired,” I teased.

“Is there such a thing?” She got to her feet once again and grabbed her camera bag, pulling her prized possession out tenderly. “You ready?”

I stood, grabbed our cups, and placed them in the sink. “Sure am. I’ve already finished this morning’s chores. So next on the list is gathering milk and eggs to deliver to the town market.”

“Perfect. Lead the way.”

“Sure thing. Don’t check out my behind too much.” I winked and took great satisfaction in the flush on her cheeks.

HavingJolene by my side made my day infinitely better. So good, in fact, I invited her over the next day and the day after that, and soon, she was spending all her free time with me.

Since she started a business with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Veda, she still had things to take care of, and so far, she’d always left before dinner.

But it’d been over a week now, and tonight, I’d ask her to stay for dinner. One of her favorite meals was meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, a meal I definitely could get down with. So earlier this morning, I prepped the meatloaf, then washed, peeled, and cut the potatoes all before she came over. She might say no to dinner, which meant I’d be eating leftovers for a while, but meatloaf sandwiches for lunch were a hit any day.

“Hi.” I handed Jolene a mug of coffee as she stepped onto the porch, her bright smile filling my whole heart. This had become my most favorite part of the day—seeing her smile, her beautiful hair, and having her sweet lavender scent filling my nose when she got close.

“Hi.”

“Did you know we’ve been hanging out for over a week now, and Caden is none the wiser?” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her inside my warm cabin. My dogs greeted her at the door with licks, and my cat, Lewis, who hardly came around, rubbed himself against her legs.

“Have you been to the orchard recently?” Jolene plopped onto the couch and sipped her coffee.

“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.” I took a seat next to her.

“He knows something’s up. Especially when you don’t come around. He questions me a lot, mainly seeing what I’ve been up to, but I feel like he has ulterior motives beneath his questions.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I should be stopping by, keeping things smooth, but I just haven’t had the time and?—”

“I know. Because of me.” Jolene interrupted before taking another sip of coffee. “It’s been a blast hanging out every day, but I have new projects to work on with Veda, and I’m not sure how much time they’ll take up.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been selfish with your time lately. I enjoy our days together.” I shrugged. “But you’re right, you need to work on your projects. Who am I to stop you?”

“You’re not stopping me,” Jolene said softly, her big smile on display. “I’m here because I like being here. I just wish we didn’t have to hide it.”

“We don’t have to. Caden will get over it.”

“I’m not so sure he will.”

“We’re friends, Jo. What’s the big deal?”

The light in her eyes dimmed, and she looked away quickly. Instantly, I knew I had said the wrong thing, and my heart cracked. I couldn’t stand the look on her face, the look I caused.

“Right. Friends.”

“Jolene…” I wished I could start this whole conversation over. “You know how I really feel.”

She waved a hand before placing her mug down on the coffee table and getting to her feet. “There are milk and eggs to be brought into town, right? They won’t deliver themselves.”

Before she could walk away, I grabbed her hand. The sparks were instant the minute our skin touched. Our eyes locked, and my heart lurched. There were so many things I wanted to say, needed to say, but instead, I asked, “Stay and have dinner with me tonight?”

Jolene’s expression lifted. She hesitated, and I was afraid she’d tell me no, afraid she’d walk right out the door and never look back.

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