Page 22 of Mountain Man Crush
When we pull back, Shepard is looking between us with a sly smile like he knows what we were talking about. Jack looks lost, but he usually does when people are involved.
Our food is brought out and it’s amazing, just like I remember it. While we eat, we talk and catch up. We’re laughing and having a great time. When dinner ends, I’m in no hurry to part ways. I don’t get to see my sister very much since I live up the mountain and she’s been traveling so much, but I’m sure she’s tired, and I know she needs the rest.
We walk out of the restaurant together and stop in front of our vehicles to say goodbye. I give her a long hug while the guys shake hands. “I love you,” I tell her.
“I love you too.”
I hug Shepard. “You better take care of her and that baby.”
He pulls back. “I plan on it,” he says, waving at Jack. “See ya, Jack. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Jack nods and slides into the car. I climb behind the wheel and start the engine. “Your place or mine?”
He shrugs. “It’s up to you.”
“What did you think of my sister and her new husband?”
“Your sister looks a lot like you.”
I laugh. “We’ve been told that all our lives. Our mom used to force us to wear the same dresses in pictures. We hated it.”
He chuckles. “Shepard seems like a great guy too.”
“So, what was it that I heard him talking about? Something about a woodworking business?”
He nods. “Yeah, he said that he’s been killing some time in his garage by making furniture and stuff and he’s thinking about turning it into a business.”
“And that’s something you’re interested in?”
Jack leans back and looks over at me. “Yeah, I think it would be nice to get some kind of job, make some extra money, especially if we’re going to have kids one day. I want to be able to provide. It wouldn’t hurt to come down the mountain a little more.”
I smile. “I like this idea.”
“You do? Even if it means I won’t be around to bring you lunch every day?”
“I’ll give up my lunches, but I’m keeping my breakfasts and dinners.”
He smiles. “Deal.”
We finally make it back to my place and I walk in first. He locks the door behind us and follows me into the bedroom where we both start to get undressed. I kick off my shoes and toss them into the closet before reaching for the zipper on the back of my dress.
He steps up behind me and presses his lips to my shoulder before I feel him start to lower it for me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, looking up into the mirror in front of us and meeting his eyes.
“You’re welcome,” he replies, spinning me around. His lips land on mine and I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands move from my hips up to my shoulders where he pushes the dress down my arms. It falls from my body into the floor. My fingers quickly start unbuttoning his shirt. When I finally have him free of it, he picks me up against him and carries me to bed.
As he lays me on the bed, I can’t help thinking how lucky I am to have found him. I never expected to settle down, not living where I do. Almost nobody comes up this mountain and I almost never go down. I guess maybe we were put here for a reason. That only leads me to believe that maybe we really are soul mates.
We’re so in tune with one another that half the time I don’t even have to say what I’m feeling. He just knows, and he knows how to fix it. It’s like we were created with each other in mind. That’s the only thing that fits, but I’m not going to question it. I’m just going to trust it like I trust him.
Jack pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. He pushes my hair away from my neck and kisses my shoulder. “I love you, Bethany,” he whispers.
I smile with his words. “I love you too, Jack.”
He lays his head down and moments later I hear his deep, even breathing and know that he’s out to the world. In a house so quiet, he’s the only thing I can hear and that grounds me. Just knowing he’s here comforts me, excites me, and relaxes me. I don’t know how I ever managed to fall asleep before because every night since we got together, it’s been the sound of his breathing, his heart beating that has lulled me to sleep. I feel safe in his arms and together, and I know we can tackle anything that comes our way.
My eyes flutter closed and like every other night, I dream of our future together. I see a couple of kids playing on the floor in front of the TV while we relax and unwind on the couch. I see us growing and changing together. I see our kids growing up and moving on, coming back to visit with their spouses and our grandchildren as we age. In fifty years, there will be a whole family tree because of us and a winter storm. As excited as I am about our future, I’m even more excited about our present. I love every moment we spend together and miss him every moment he’s away.
