Page 16 of The Mountain Man's Heat
“This morning,” Jake calls behind me.
The last thing I hear as I sprint to my motorbike is him shouting, “Have fun.”
Chapter Eleven
Iris
Staring at my phone, I bite my bottom lip.
I am never impulsive. Okay, maybe sometimes, but usually only about whether to eat ice cream for breakfast. The answer is always yes, BTW. And Iwasn’timpulsive about the call I just made.
I’d spent every second of the climb back up the hill to Aunt Lily’s place thinking about Hudson. Every second of cutting up all the branches littering her driveway and front yard thinking about how wonderful he made me feel. Every second of raking up twigs and leaves and dealing with the aftermath of the storm thinking how every time he’d smiled, I’d smiled as well. Every second finishing my assignment for class—now woefully overdue—imagining Hudson relaxing on the sofa next to me. Every second bathing Archie in Aunt Lily’s oversized tub thinking about how amazing it would be to share the tub with Hudson. I’d even burnt my toast because I’d been completelypreoccupied berating myself about being a coward by running away.
So no, making the phone call hadn’t been impulsive.
I just hadn’t planned to blurt out to a complete stranger that I wished I’d never left Hudson’s side. Of course, I hadn’t plannedanythingafter making the call. Who knows what would have come out of my mouth if Hudson had answered?
I love you? Marry me? Adopt a dog with me? Be with me until we’re both ancient? All of the above?
If nothing else, I should have at least asked who the woman in the photo was, right?
Skin prickling with an agitated impatience, I put my phone on the dining table and turn to Archie.
He looks back at me. Wags his tail.
“So…” I swallow. “I don’t actually know what happens now, Arch.” A heavy pressure wraps my chest. Good grief, that note… “Should I go into town? Kind of just wander back and forth in front of the fire station on the off chance he might see me andnotwant to throw rocks at me?ThenI could ask him about the woman. I mean, I need to know, even thought my heart tells me he’s not a cheater. Oh, God, what am Idoing?”
Archie tilts his head to the side, pricks his ears, and tilts his head back the other way.
I sigh out a snort. “Assuming Ican, of course. Maybe the tree is still down across the road. I haven’t heard any chainsaws today. Have you?”
Archie wags his tail and trots off, heading for his beanbag in the living room.
“Great chat, Arch,” I call after him.
Chest still tight, I rub at my elbows, look around myself, and puff out another sigh. I have to do something. “I’m going to have a shower,” I declare.
Archie wriggles deeper into the beanbag. He’s clearly done with my drama.
I stomp to the bathroom, strip, glare at my naked self in the mirror, and blast the cold water on. If this doesn’t shock some sense into me, nothing will.
Sucking in a breath, I step under the water and let out a yelp as the doorbell rings.
Archie barks, a continuous stream of who-the-fuck-is-there barks, and even from the shower, I hear his nails scraping against the floor as he runs to the door.
“Archie!” I bellow, killing the water and reaching for a towel at the same time. “Job done, Arch,” I shout, wrapping my wet self in the towel as I hurry through the house. “Job done! That’s enough.”
He’s at the door, sniffing at its bottom, tail wagging.
“Coming,” I call to whoever is on the other side of the door. “Coming.”
With a quick check to make sure the towel corner is tucked firmly in place and the towel itself is doing its best impersonation of a strapless dress, I open the door.
Hudson.
He’s standing on the other side of the mesh screen door looking at me.
“Oh,” I whisper.
