Page 12 of Mystery Mountain Man

I haul my bag up over my shoulder, and Mimi gives me a little wave, her eyes shining with tears, before taking off down Ethan's driveway.

Mine!

"What am I doing?" I drop my stuff, running to the front gate as she rounds the horseshoe driveway. She starts to pick up speed, and I sprint toward her car. Mimi turns, sees me at the last second, and slams on her brakes, but I have too much momentum, so I try to veer right. This takes me in a roll over the trunk of Mimi's car, and I land heavily on the concrete driveway behind her car.

"Ow."

"Oh my god, Clint!" Mimi shrieks, and the driver-side door slams. She runs over to me as I sit up, wiggling my toes and stretching out my limbs, testing my body for injuries. "I grew up in the city! I'm not that good of a driver!" Her hands flit over my biceps and head, looking for injuries or blood. Finding none, she holds her chest as if stemming the panic. She finally looks at me. "Did you forget something?"

"Yes," I say, my voice strong and growly. "You."

The look of confusion that flashes over Mimi's features is quickly replaced by a blinding smile. She launches herself into my lap, and I grunt, but I refuse to let her go as she straddles me in broad daylight. She peppers my face with kisses. "Oh, thank god!"

"Who the fuck is Pierce?" I demand.

"My best friend," Mimi says, kissing my face, and then she pulls back. "He and his boyfriend, Dante, are the closest people in my life."

Relieved, I bury my face against her. "Mimi, I want to live with you, eat dinner with you, and wake up with you. Every. Single. Day." I press kisses against her cleavage and neck, and her chest heaves as I blurt out, "Marry me."

It's not a question. It's a demand. I pull back, worried I'm freaking her out, but she cups my face.

"I was going to find Billings Corp. and stalk you. I was going to convince you to come over to my apartment and then tie you to my bed. Make all of your fantasies come true until you only want to be with me." Mimi kisses me hard, and I groan, pulling her hips down to grind my erection against her core.

"My only fantasy is being with you. Forever. I love you, Mimi," I whisper against her breasts.

"I love you, Clint..." she trails off, and then she pulls back to look at me. "What is your last name again?"

"Mitchell." I grin at her.

"Mimi Mitchell," she says, testing it out. Hearing her name with mine, I have to stop myself from laying her out on the driveway and rutting into her like a savage animal. "I like it."

"Mine," I growl, burying my face in her chest again. "Stay with me."

"Forever," she promises. "You're my epiphany, Clint. My angel-eyed, mystery mountain man epiphany."

Chapter 9

Epilogue - Mimi

Two Years Later

"Der-der!" Nora's little voice babbles to her Uncle Dean, who holds her tiny hand out in his loaded with reindeer feed.

Clint pulls me toward him, tucking me under his arm as we watch a baby reindeer lick at our fifteen-month-old daughter's hand. Dean's wife and my new sister-in-law, Mary, takes a video, and our nieces and nephews all crowd around giving Nora instructions on the best way to do it. Nora's little peals of laughter make us all crack up. Everybody is smitten with our little angel.

I can't believe two years ago, I was waiting for my life to change, and it all happened in a split second when a big mountain man barreled into my campsite.

And boy has it changed. I apparently needed to pay closer attention in health class, because I was definitely ovulating that weekend. Clint is convinced we conceived our first time together, but I stayed with him for an extra two days atThe Palmerafter he checked in with his bosses, and my V-card spontaneously combusted by the end. We haven't been apart a single night since we met.

Clint moved into my apartment the weekend after we got home. His lease was up first, and he had practically nothing but his clothes, so it was easier for him to move. When he told me he pretty much lived at work, I thought he was exaggerating, but the only thing in his fridge was a bottle of water and an apple. He had been sleeping on a blow-up mattress for two years. Now, he spends as much time at home as possible.

We had already planned to get married at his parents’ farm the following year, but when we realized Nora was on the way, we got married at the courthouse, after promising his family they could still throw us a huge party to celebrate. Pierce and Dante served as our witnesses, and then we went to dinner and cut a purple velvet cake that was the most delicious dessert I have ever eaten.

A few months later, Clint's family pulled out all the stops for us with a big tent, dance floor, and included every person from Grand Falls. Clint's sister, Jenn, even decorated some sneakers with sparkles and lace so my swollen pregnant feet could last longer, and then they recreated the purple velvet cake with a beautiful topping of fresh blueberries and blackberries from their garden. It was perfect.

Barely five months later, we became parents. If I thought I couldn't love Clint any more than I already did, Nora proved medead wrong. She didn't sleep more than two hours at a time for the first three months, and Clint's reserved calm was like baby catnip. Billings Corp. offers free daycare as part of the company perks, so we have childcare available when I pick up freelance jobs, and I've been able to stay home with her part-time as well.

Clint is the best husband and father I could have imagined. I like to think he was heaven sent.

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