Page 78 of Mountain Wood

My gaze lifts to his and I whisper. “What if I never want it to stop?”

“The snow… or us?”

Both. My chin trembles because this is scary and I’m in over my head.

Dean cups my chin and gently kisses me. “It’ll be okay, Grace.”

“I don’t want my heart broken.”

“Neither do I.”

“Are we crazy? Like this is crazy, right?”

“Maybe a little, but…” Dean kisses the tip of my nose. “I think that makes it even better, don’t you?”

Yes.

“Let’s just go a little slower,” he says. “We’ve got all winter to warm up to each other. You can sleep in my bed whenever you want, and if you need time for yourself, stay in your room and I won’t come knocking. No hard feelings.”

Sounds easy enough.

After we finish our hot chocolate, Dean grabs another shirt from his room.

“Come on, sugar. We’ve gotta get our girl from the cabin.”

Oscar’s still down where the latest renovation is happening. “Ourgirl?”

“She’s been more yours than mine since you got here, Grace.”

“Well, us girls have to stick together.”

“I’m officially out numbered.” He shivers dramatically. “Oh no. Whatever am I to do?”

I playfully smack his chest, and he laughs. Catching my wrist, he brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Last chance to run, sugar. The snow is falling hard, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon.”

“Guess it’s just like love then.”

Dean cocks his brow. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Hands locked together, we’re goofy smiling until we reach our best goodest girl…who somehow destroyed the plywood we needed for the half-renovated kitchen.

Dean picks up a hunk of wood that’s still all slobbery. “Damnit, Oscar!”

One step forward, two steps back, I think to myself as I pick up another wet chunk of useless wood from the floor.

Oscar wags her tail and sits between us, staring up at Dean as if waiting for a treat.

“At least it’s not something worse,” he says tiredly, scratching her ears.

Chapter 19

Dean

A week has gone by, and my thirst traps have taken off. I’d posted the video Nick took of me in the tub from the other day and that one, plus a pre-recorded beard oil video I made two days ago, hit the algorithm wave. It’s boosted not only my views, but my followers in astronomical ways. As of last night, I have over a hundred thousand new followers and the views keep climbing.

It's easier for me to make videos on the fly, which I also argue is more authentically me, and Grace agrees. I get in my head when shit is staged. It’s just not my style. But she warned me that I might have to compromise if I land a sponsorship deal with a large company. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. If I get there.

“Are you ready to get dirty, baby?” Winking, I may be looking at the camera, but I’m talking to Grace.

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