Page 8 of Rebuilding with the Mountain Man

“Even if you didn’t want to continue a relationship with me, I still needed a shop for my business. Losing your phone makes sense. But with social media these days, it doesn’t take long to find someone you want to find.”

“I know.” He took my hands in his and this time I let him touch me. I desperately needed his touch though I wouldn’t admit it. “I’m sorry. Please let me make it up to you. Please let me show you what I did for you.”

“What even is this between us?” I searched his eyes, desperate for answers I wasn’t sure of.

“I don’t know, Amara. But what I do know is that I don’t want to spend another day without you by my side. I should’ve never let you go the first time. But if you don’t want this, then I would make myself understand. I would never force anything on you.”

“I know you wouldn’t, Thane. But I’m not going to stick around for something casual. That’s not who I am. I got caught up in the heat of the moment when I should’ve slowed down.”

“I don’t want casual with you. I want you. All of you. For the rest of my life. Be my forever, my lover, my wife, the mother of my children. I’ve never wanted anyone so much as I want you.”

His words took my breath away. Tears filled my eyes once more. A sob caught in my throat.

“Thane…I…I…yes. Yes, to all the above.”

He cupped my face between his hands and wiped my tears away with his thumbs as he leaned in close, brushing his lips against mine. “I’m falling in love with you, Amara.”

“Oh, Thane…I’m already head over heels.”

He let out a growl and covered my mouth with his, pulling us into a deep, earth-shattering kiss. All our pent-up passion anddesire poured out into our kiss, making up for lost time, time we could’ve spent in each other’s arms.

“I missed you so much.” Thane whispered between hot, stolen kisses.

“I missed you more.”

We kissed again and again.

“You should probably move your truck.” I chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Will you come with me? I want to show you the project I worked on.”

Excitement sparked deep inside my belly, swirling like a tornado, a mix of nerves, anticipation, and wonderment of what he wanted to show me. “Okay. Let me go grab my purse and keys. I didn’t even shut my door.”

Thane laughed. “You made it just in time.”

Thane drove us to Appleridge,and we held hands, our fingers intertwined. Conversation didn’t flow this time as we enjoyed just being back in each other’s presence, a comfortable silence forming between us.

As we crossed over into Appleridge, Thane steered his truck through town, and I watched the streets pass by. I wondered what direction he might go in, wondered where this special project was.

There was no way he got a flower shop built already, so I didn’t think it was that. But what else could it be?

Thane turned onto a familiar street, and I looked around for the clearing of land, but it wasn’t that street we were on. It was his street.

And when we drove past his cabin, a little further way down the street, my curiosity heightened.

Where are we going?

A few more feet and he pulled over to the side of the road. “Close your eyes.”

I did as I was told even though I couldn’t see anything anyway, the street lined with tall bushes. I waited as he rounded the truck and opened the door, helping me out of it.

“No peeking, okay?”

“Okay.” I held on to him tightly as he navigated us along. I assumed it was the sidewalk or something, the concrete turning into grass rather quickly. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.” He chuckled. “Patience, sweetheart.”

A few more minutes and we came to a stop. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close against him. “Okay on the count of three you can open your eyes. One. Two. Three!”

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