Page 24 of My Fearless Mountain Man

“I’m sorry,” I force myself to hold her gaze. “I’m sorry I never responded. I’m sorry I let you go unanswered for six years. I’m sorry I walked away after kissing you, when all I wanted to do was kiss you again. I’m sorry I walked away after we...thatnight. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve been honest. I’ll never walk away from you like that again.”

“Sl-slow down, Calder,” she whispers, her voice trembling as she reaches for me, finally letting the distance between us close.

I shudder just hearing my name on her lips. I press my lips to her forehead, then rest my forehead against hers. “I have so much work to do. I know that. I’ve got so much to fix, it might take me years to get it all right. But I’m not going to make my choices based on what’s easy. Loving you, liking you... it’s not even close to easy.”

I’m panting, my chest tight, overwhelmed by the rawness of this moment, by standing here so exposed in front of her. I don’t know what to do, or how to make sense of everything inside me. The words just spill out, like they’ve been forced free by the shock of realizing I might lose her.

Chapter 13 - Nora

Calder looks more shattered than I’ve ever seen him. He’s trembling, his body barely holding itself together as though he’s afraid of falling apart in front of me. I lick my bottom lip, feeling the weight of his vulnerability.

“I forgive you,” I finally say, my voice quieter than I intended.

“No more silence, I promise you that. Right here, right now.” His voice is ragged, full of something raw and real. “Even if you leave, I’ll write to you. I’ll send a dozen letters just to get one back. I’d rather admit that I want you, that I need to talk to you, than stay silent.”

His words are jagged, and I can see how much it’s costing him. He’s not the only one who’s been broken.

“You’re not the only one who will make mistakes. I will too. I am not perfect.” I glance at his shoulder, pressing my lips to it softly. “And we all have our own scars. Yours are stories you can tell me later, stories I can help make better—or at least soften. Just stop hiding from me. Stop running before we’ve even had a chance.”

“I’ll... work on that,” he says, his voice shaky, as if he’s still struggling to make sense of it all.

“Don’t pull away from me when I’m choosing to be with you. It’s my choice too, and you don’t have to protect me from myself.” I can’t help but tease, trying to ease the tension. “Except with the bears. I’m not fond of them.”

“So, will you stay?”

“I...” I glance toward my Airbnb, my mind spinning. “I could check if the B&B has an opening, but I’m not exactly the camping type. I can’t even start a fire.”

“We’ll fix that. You’ll learn to start a fire in my fireplace.”

“The one in your…?” I trail off, surprised.

He leans down, his lips close to mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. He waits, his hand brushing over my cheek with a tenderness I didn’t expect. “That’s where I want you. To see everything. See the mess. See the pictures I’ve kept, the lack of décor, the books I haven’t finished. See it all. And still want to stay.”

I stand on my toes, leaning toward him, but I stop, laughing softly because I’m smiling too much, afraid of bumping teeth. But Calder doesn’t let us stop there. He kisses me slowly, deliberately, as if this moment is everything. It’s not just heat and tenderness; it’s reverence.

He said he needed to worship me before we had sex, and in this kiss, I feel him doing just that. His hand pulls me closer, his lips moving over mine as if he’s memorizing every part of me. I can feel his relief and joy in the way he kisses me, like he’s finally found something worth holding onto.

“Do you trust me enough to let me take you to my place?” His voice is soft, but the weight of his question lingers in the air.

I nod slowly, my heart beating faster. “Yes.”

He kisses me again, slow and deep.

“To spend the night?”

“Yes,” I say, standing on my toes to steal another kiss, then letting him guide me to my car. He pauses, opens the door for me, and holds it until I’m settled inside. I smile softly. “I’m following you, Calder. But you have to trust me, too.”

“I do, angel. More than I’m comfortable with,” he says, leaning down to kiss me one last time before walking to his truck.

Epilogue - Nora

2 years later

The house is alive with the warmth of a Sunday afternoon—sunlight streaming through the windows, birds singing outside, the faint smell of coffee in the air. Calder’s truck is parked outside, its presence familiar and comforting after all these years.

I’m sitting on the kitchen counter, my legs dangling, watching him as he moves around the kitchen. There’s something so calming about the way he works—his focus, the ease with which he goes about his tasks. He looks more at peace now, the weight of his past finally starting to lift. He’s still the gruff, protective man I fell for, but softer in the ways that matter most.

He turns to look at me, catching the way I’m staring. A small, knowing smile plays at the corner of his lips.

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