Page 23 of Rugged Mountain Man
“I’m Cormac,” I said. “Mika’s boyfriend. Soon-to-be husband.”
A bold bluff, considering I hadn’t even asked Mika yet, but her ex didn’t have to know that.
He glanced down at my hand with a sneer.
“Brock. Her ex. And glad to be rid of her. She’s your problem now. I wouldn’t bother marrying her though. She’d make a shitty wife. Take my advice—there are plenty of fish in the sea. Don’t tie yourself down to that one.”
I gritted my teeth so hard that my jaw threatened to lock up.
Raff let out a low whistle and crossed his arms with a gesture that said,he’s all yours, brother.
Despite Brock’s refusal to exchange a handshake, I grabbed his hand anyway. Crushing it as tightly as I could. I gripped his shoulder hard enough to make his knees buckle.
“What the fuck—?” he croaked.
Then I leaned in, bringing my mouth close to his ear.
“I’m a better man than you, so I won’t bury you in a shallow grave right now. But if you come anywhere near Mika ever again—let alone touch a single hair on her head—there will be nothing left of you for the cops to find. I can promise you that.”
I pushed Brock away with a shove of disgust, releasing his hand. He flexed his fingers with a look of surprise, as if he couldn’t believe that nothing was broken.
I held my ground with a menacing stare until Brock backed away and fled.
After he was gone, I turned my attention to Mika. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her coat, wide eyed. I crossed to her side and took her hands to calm her anxiety.
“You scared the shit out of me this morning, KitKat,” I said. “Next time, wake me up before you leave, all right?”
She nodded, swiping at her cheeks.
“I just wanted to surprise you with pancakes for breakfast, but you didn’t have any ingredients…”
I sighed at how sweet and thoughtful she was. Bringing her hands to my lips, I kissed her knuckles, then her palms. A small smile curved the corner of her mouth up and her eyes brightened.
“Do you really want to be my husband?” she whispered in the most hopeful voice I’d ever heard.
“You should know by now that I mean what I say,” I replied. “Especially when it comes to you. But only when you’re ready.”
“Do you…maybe…want a family, too?”
I took a breath to speak, only to realize I’d never considered it before. My ex-wife didn't want kids when she was with me, so I hadn't considered it for myself.
Could I ever be father figure material? I always assumed Raff would be the one to have kids, since he had better social skills than I did.
But I saw the eagerness in Mika’s eyes as she awaited my answer.
She would make an incredible mother. Protective, patient, and kind. If my future bride wanted to have a family, I would do everything in my power to be a good husband and a father to her children that she could be proud of.
“How many kids did you have in mind?” I asked. “One? Two?”
“Six!” Mika chirped. She wasglowing, so animated at the idea of surrounding herself with a big family.
Raff wheezed with laughter, slapping his knee as he doubled over.
“Better get busy, brother. The clock is ticking and you’re not getting any younger.”
I shot him a look and took Mika’s arm, guiding her to my car.
“We should have this discussion at home, sweetheart,” I said.
