Page 25 of The Maverick of the Mountain
“Oh.” She bobs her head. “Okay. Cool… Cool. Cool.”
I climb onto the boulder and then reach back for her. “Come on. It’s going to be worth the hike.”
Corinne smiles, slipping her hand into mine.“It’s already been more than worth it.”
My mind blanks. I completely forget what I’m doing as she looks up at me. I thought the lookout would sell her on the mountain. I guess she’s already sold. Maybe there’s hope that she won’t just leave after the wedding.
“Maverick?”
I swallow. Right. I pull her up onto the boulder with me, and we continue making our way up the mountain, hand in hand.
I’m not letting her go.
“Blaze,”I shout as Wolfe’s fluffy dog comes barreling towards us.
Corinne leaps behind me just as Blaze jumps on me and then bounces away, bounding around us and barking excitedly. I drop to my knees, and Blaze takes the opportunity to lick my face and then sniff my back pocket.
“Smart pup,” I mutter, reaching back to retrieve the couple of treats I brought for him. I toss them to the ground to give me a little space, and he starts nosing for them, finding them almost immediately.
I get back to my feet, turn around, and find Corinne over by the field of poppies and other colorful wildflowers. Can’t help but smile.
“You weren’t wrong,” she says when I slide in beside her. “It’s gorgeous up here.”
I slip my arm around her without thinking. It feels right. Even better when she eases against me, as though I’ve held her like this a million times before.
“Few places better than this,” I mutter as we both stare at the valley sprawled out in front of us. The canopy looks like an endless sea of dark green, undulating with the varied slopes of the mountain. Birds are diving and darting all around, glad that the storm’s moved on. A calm like I haven’t felt in years blankets me.
“Is there a better view than this?”
Yes. And I’m holding on to her. Everything is dull and lifeless compared to you. Black and white. A gentle murmur compared to the screams my soul makes when I look at you.
I smile, kissing the crown of her head. Another reflex. It’s coming far too naturally, but I make no apologies. And Corinne’s making no complaints, nuzzling even closer to me. Blaze trots over to us, brushing against our feet, but neither of us moves as though we don’t want to break the magic of this moment. Although maybe that’s just me.
“Maverick?” A deep, rumbling voice shouts from behind us.
I sigh. It was magical while it lasted.
I turn my head, still refusing to let go of Corinne, expecting to find Wolfe, but instead, I see Heath leaning against the railing of the firewatch.
Corinne drops to her knees, giving in to Blaze’s whimpering as she scratches his scruff.
“You can be down there all day,” I mutter. “That dog will never get his fill of pets. Or treats for that matter.”
“Well, good for him that I’ve got an unlimited stock of pets to hand out. Don’t I, Blaze. Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?”
I scratch my head, wondering if I need to roll over on my side to get that kind of attention from Corinne. I’ll damn well bark too if it means I can get those hands on me.
“Heath?” I shout, heading towards the lookout. He’s already coming down the stairs by the time I’m halfway there. “What are you doing here?”
I pull him into a hug, each of us patting each other’s back before breaking away. Can’t remember the last time I saw Heath. Damn near a year, I think.
He slides his sunglasses up on his head, pulling back his lank black hair. He’s a big man. Not quite as big as me, but he spends his days jumping out of helicopters and fighting fires. Running and lifting and training in the off-season. A well-oiled machine. Well, I guess my machine is well-oiled from the sheer volume of pastries I fill up on whenever I make it back to Whispering Winds. But Heath’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t break a sweat racing in an Ironman competition. I’m the kind of guy who can break a sweat just watching an Ironman competition. And eating cake.
“Where’s Wolfe?”
I see his gaze shift to Corinne, and well, some unhinged thoughts come to mind. Better keep his hands and eyes to himself. I don’t care if he’s got the body of a Lamborghini, I’ll take him to task with my Ford fuckin’ Bronco.
His eyes shift back to me, and I settle, exhaling sharply as I relax my fists. Lamborghini? Bronco? Jesus, what am I thinking? Heath’s a good man. A better man than me, given the thoughts that have been circling around my head since I met Corinne. Thoughts that would send her running into the woods again if she knew.
