Page 15 of Rugged Mountain Man
“He won’t last that long,” Rafferty said to me. “Mac hates hospitals. They make him nervous.”
“You’re not any better than me,” Cormac countered. “Mika, was he pacing the waiting room?”
I nodded.
“Like a caged tiger.”
Cormac shot a satisfied look at his brother.
“I knew it.”
Rafferty rolled his eyes and cupped a hand to his ear.
“You’re welcome, by the way. I haven’t heard you throw a little appreciation my way for saving your ass. Again.”
Cormac groaned and closed his eyes, chuckling.
“Thanks, Raff. I owe you one.”
“Damn straight, you do. I’ll be rubbing your nose in it for a while, so just get used to it now.”
I smiled, listening to them banter and tease each other. Cormac was lucky to have a sibling like that who cared for him enough that he would drop everything and lend a hand when Cormac called.
“Hey,” Cormac rasped, breaking through my thoughts. He crooked a finger, beckoning me closer. “Come here.”
I crossed the room to his bedside. From the corner of my eye, Rafferty slipped out the door and disappeared, leaving me alone with Cormac.
“Do you need a place to stay?” he asked.
“Eventually, yeah. I haven’t booked a motel yet. I was waiting for you to get out of surgery first.”
Cormac nodded and hesitation flickered in his eyes for a split second. Then he took a bracing breath and spoke.
“I have a cabin on the outskirts of town. A real cabin, with running water and electricity. No drafty windows, I promise. And it has two spare bedrooms that are never used. You can stay as long as you want to get back on your feet.”
I considered for a moment. It was the perfect solution, and I already felt safe with Cormac. But was I ready to move in with someone again after the nightmare of living with my ex?
“I can’t pay you very much,” I said.
Cormac shook his head.
“Don’t worry about that. This leg is going to take a while to heal, and I’ll need some help around the house. If you say no, Rafferty will be the one to check in on me, and he’s a nosy son of a bitch who won’t let me have a moment of peace.”
I laughed softly, but anxiety still churned in my stomach. I liked Cormac. And that terrified me.
I wasn’t supposed to catch feelings for another man. Ever. Let alone so soon after escaping Brock’s tyranny.
Cormac must have sensed my hesitation. He took my hand, smoothing his callused thumb over my knuckles.
“I’m not him, KitKat,” he murmured.
For the second time, Cormac had to remind me that he wasn’t like my ex-boyfriend.
But I knew that now. I’d seen it in his behavior, in the way he spoke to me, in the way he cared for me.
There was a better world waiting for me beyond the clutches of my hellish ex. All I had to do was step forward and claim it.
“That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.”
