Page 61 of Mountain Wood

He swallows hard.

“I’ll get a whistle and strap jingle bells to my hips, so I spook everything around me.”

He finally cracks and a laugh blows out of him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m the best I’ve ever been.”

That seems to be enough reassurance because he starts the engine and drives us back to the cabins. My smile is still so big, it hurts my cheeks. And my heart rate won’t slow down. This was the scariest, coolest experience ever.

Once we’re back at the cabins, he parks in front of mine. “Hang tight.”

He hops out and disappears in my cabin. I have no idea what he’s doing, nor do I care. I’m still reeling about being saved by a hot lumberjack from a vicious bear attack in the middle of the woods.

Which isexactlythe story I’m going to tell everyone.

My cell rings, snapping me out of heroic story creativity-mode. Ugh. It’s my brother. “What do you want?”

“Hi to you, too.” Jackson says, making me roll my eyes. “Want to come over for family dinner tomorrow night?”

“No.”

“Gracie.”

“Jackson,” I shoot back, matching his tone.

Our mother already disowned Mason, and I’ll be next once she sees I’m following in his footsteps.

You’d think being forced to marry a woman he won’t love would be enough to make Jackson walkaway from our mother too. But his love of money must outshine his desire for anything else because he’s basically the last Finch kid standing. Mason has a much softer spot for him than I do. Maybe it’s because Jackson tortured me growing up, never letting me do anything I wanted and always tattling on me.

He's no better now. The fucker keeps tabs on me all the time like I’m still sixteen trying to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night.

“Grace, come on. Don’t be like this.”

“Bye, Jackson.” I hang up. Nothing I say makes a difference to him, anyway. Our mother has him wrapped around her diamond-clad finger. Pretending I’m okay with how she treats us has to stop, and sitting across from her at family dinner isn’t going to send that message. Jackson and I have been arguing a lot lately because I want him to break away too, and he won’t. The Finch family is known for having big bank accounts and even bigger stubborn streaks.

My phone dings with a text.

Mason: Where are you?

It’s not a coincidence that he’s contacting me right after Jackson’s call. Jeez, can’t a girl be left alone? Guess not with two over-bearing, over-protective brothers who have more money than God.

Grace: Out and about.

Mason: Leah and I are in town. Why aren’t you coming to dinner at Jackson’s with us?

Oh. Shit. I thought Jackson meant dinner with our parents when he said family dinner. Now I feel terrible. He should have said it was a sibling only affair, damnit. I would have refused in a nicer way and not hung up on him.

Grace: I’m not in Manhattan.

Mason: Where are you then?

Grace: In the mountains.

The little bubbles pop up as he types again. I quickly shoot Jackson anI’m sorrytext.

Mason: With who?

Ugh, he’s so nosy.

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