Page 5 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
No matter how much I try to convince him otherwise, he resists, so I shrug and dig in. I’m unable to control the moan that makes its way out of my mouth at the taste of the delicately balanced shrimp and cream. Aiden eyes me with intensity in his gaze.
I avert my eyes as my cheeks warm with color.
“So, uh,” I begin once I’ve scarfed down the toast, “why do you guys live in the mountains? Isn’t it a bit too secluded?”
“That’s how all three of us prefer it. I’d always liked the mountains as a kid, and ever since Brody gave up on the Navy life, he agrees with me, more or less. Tanner is a survivalist, and a good one at that, so living here was right up his alley, too. It’s really the only place we’ve found the peace we had been desperately searching for,” he responds quietly.
“Oh,” I say, not very eloquently.
He opens his mouth to say something else, but that’s the moment Sophie walks in, rubbing a fist against her left eye, her beloved teddy bear clutched tightly in her right hand.
“Good morning, baby. Sleep well?” I coo at her. She looks so cute every time she wakes up. Aiden seems to agree with me, if the fond smile that takes over his face when his eyes land on her is any indication. “Say hi to Aiden.”
She pushes out something that is a mix of gibberish and groaning.
“You’ll only get the lovely breakfast he brought over for us if you greet him properly.”
“Good morning, Aiden,” she responds obediently, and I push her plate toward her as she hops onto her stool.
Aiden chuckles. “Good morning to you, too, Sophie. Seems you slept well.”
Sophie doesn’t respond, lost to the toast and the pancakes she’s devouring. I shake my head, grinning.
“She’s not a morning person, I take it?” Aiden observes.
I only chuckle at his remark.
“So, what brings you to the mountains of Whitefish, Lena?”
The question surprises me, even though it shouldn’t. I search for words, but they escape me. My body tenses as the ugly memories try to wriggle to the surface like disgusting worms at the bottom of a pond. Trying to push my emotions down, I will my body to relax and try not to make my discomfort obvious to Aiden, even though I’m sure he has already noticed my severe reaction.
Right then, my phone begins vibrating on the counter. A quick glance at it reveals that a random number is calling. Turning on the silent mode, I look back at Aiden, trying to get my body to relax. Tension has locked my body completely, and I’m trying to keep my breathing stable and slow.
“Life here is more difficult than I thought it would be, you know. Finding the nearest convenience store is my newest nightmare,” I manage to joke after a moment, hoping he’ll accept me diverting the topic. He eyes me with worry, lips parting as if to ask me something, but nothing escapes for a few moments.
He seems to rethink his next words and says, “Tanner can help you.” He leans back in the chair. His biceps flex against the sleeve of his sweatshirt as he does so. “He’s a trained survivalist, after all. He’ll make you fall in love with the mountains like nothing else.”
I purse my lips a little at that. “I like the mountains just fine already. I don’t need to be convinced to fall in love with them.”
“Can’t hurt to learn a little more about them. Being ready for anything is important up here,” Aiden says. “Come on. You guys need to bundle up. We’re going to have fun.”
Chapter four
CHAPTER 4: Lena
Aiden sends Tanner over once he leaves, and the man looks as ready to face the day as one can.
He’s in baggy cargo pants, a carabiner hanging from his belt that jingles with every moment. His buzzed head is covered with a beanie, leaving only his pierced earlobes out in the open. A thick sweater covers him completely but does nothing to conceal the thickness of his shoulders at all.
“Why are neither of you ready? Let’s go face the fire,” he says after we’re done greeting one another.
Sophie and I eye each other apprehensively, standing there with our pajamas still on.
“Er, ready for what?” I ask him.
He raises his brows. “Well, to go climb the mountain, of course.”
“Oh, yes! I’m going to go change, Mom!” Sophie yells excitedly as she whizzes out of the living room and back into her bedroom.
