Page 20 of Enticed by the Mountain Man
I nod once, letting her know it’s over. The relief that flickers across her face hits me harder than I’m ready for.
Maisie squeezes her hand, stands, and says she’ll check in later. When she’s gone, I sit beside Maeve. For a while, we look at the trees, the moon shining through the branches.
“You went after him,” she says finally.
“I made sure he left,” I answer. “He won’t bother you again.”
Her throat works as she swallows. “What did you say?”
“Enough.”
She studies me for a moment, like she’s trying to read something behind my words. Then she leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder.
“Thank you,” she says quietly.
I wrap an arm around her and pull her closer. “You don’t need to thank me for protecting you.”
We sit together for a long time. Every so often, she exhales like she’s been holding her breath for months.
***
The next night, the town gathers for the bonfire at the edge of the lake. It’s a Pine Hollow tradition—cider, music, too many people, and flames that reach high enough to see from half a mile away. Normally, I’d skip it, but tonight, I want everyone to see her beside me.
She looks nervous when we walk up, but the second she spots familiar faces, Dottie waving from near the cider stand, Ford and Maisie by the fire, her shoulders ease. Conversations pause as people notice us. Then smiles spread. Someone calls out a greeting, then another.
The warmth spreads fast, the way it always does here when someone belongs.
I keep my hand on the small of her back, steady and certain. “You okay?” I ask quietly.
She nods, eyes bright in the firelight. “Yeah. Better than okay.”
“Good.”
When Dottie bustles over, she’s all smiles and motherly energy. “I told Ford you two would end up together. I’m a bit psychic when it comes to this stuff.”
Maeve laughs, blushing. “Apparently.”
Dottie hugs her, then leans toward me. “You take care of this girl, Graham Hawthorne.”
“I plan to,” I say.
She grins, satisfied, and disappears back into the crowd.
I turn to Maeve. Her cheeks are pink from the heat of the fire and maybe from everything she’s hearing. She looks up at me, unsure. “They’re all looking at us.”
“Good,” I murmur. “They should.”
Then I pull her closer, one hand sliding to her jaw, and kiss her right there slowly, deep enough to make her melt against me. The crowd cheers, someone whistles, but I barely hear it. All I know is her hand gripping my shirt and the way her heart beats against mine.
When I pull back, she’s smiling, breathless.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says softly.
“Yes, I did,” I tell her. “You’re mine, Maeve. And everyone here ought to know it.”
She shakes her head, laughing through the tears that start to gather. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe.” I brush my thumb over her cheek. “But you’re stuck with me anyway.”
