Page 19 of Her Mountain Man Neighbor
I don’t waste another second. I jump out of my truck and grab the pastries, then make a beeline straight for her. Mila has already disappeared in the direction of Holden’s cabin; it’s just me and Grace. Everything else melts away—the trees, the churning river, the chirping birds. I only have eyes for my girl.
“Good morning,” she says, smiling as I climb the porch steps toward her.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I close the space between us, bending down to press a kiss on her pillowy lips. When I pull back, her eyes are sparkling like emeralds.
“You just missed Mila. She came to tell me they got back okay.” Grace takes my hand and pulls me into the cabin. “Oh, and I got your note! Thank you for getting breakfast.”
“No problem. Wanted to treat you.”
She beams at me as I set the box from the bakery on the table and open it to reveal a selection of golden pastries, everything from bear claws to cinnamon rolls. I head to the kitchen to grab a couple of plates, nerves buzzing in my gut. I need to talk to her…ask her something…but I don’t know how to begin. The dark, cynical part of me still whispers that I’ll never be good enough for Grace. But it doesn’t matter.
Because I need her.
I need her like I need the air in my lungs.
Maybe I’ll never be good enough for her, but I’ll just have to spend my whole life trying, because no way in hell am I letting her go. I don’t know how I lived without her for so long. But now that I know she exists, that’s it. My heart is hers. I couldn’t get it back even if I wanted to.
With a deep breath, I head back into the living room, setting the plates down on the table.
“These look amazing,” Grace says brightly, biting into a cinnamon roll. “God, that’s good.”
I smile, but I’m too nervous to eat. My stomach feels like it’s doing backflips.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about, sugar.” My voice sounds hoarse and rough. “Something important.”
“Oh?” Grace meets my gaze curiously, setting down her pastry. “What is it?”
I reach for the key in my pocket and set it on the table. She looks down at it, uncomprehending.
“I went to the locksmith in Cherry Hollow.” I slide it across the table toward her. “Got this made before I went to the bakery.”
Grace runs her finger over the grooves of the key. “It looks like the key to your cabin.”
“It’s a copy.” I take her hand in mine. “It’s for you, sugar. I’m asking you to stay…to live here with me.” Her eyes flicker up to mine, her lips parting in surprise as I continue. “Look, I know it’s crazy. I know it’s too soon. But I also know how I feel…I know I want you with me, every day. And sure, Holden’s cabin isn’t far. But I don’t care. I want you here, sugar. Right here. Forever. Because I love you. I really fucking love you, Grace.” The words spill out of me, messy and breathless. I’ve never been much of a talker, but I need her to know how serious I am about this. About us.
I need her to know how much I love her.
Hell, I think I fell in love with her the minute I saw her walking along the riverbank—a shining light in the darkness of my life. I tried to hold back, but maybe it was inevitable all along. Fate. Destiny. Who knows? Maybe it was written in the stars. But fuck, all I know for sure is that the universe shiftedwhen I set eyes on her. My whole purpose changed. She became everything to me in that moment, taking over every thought, every heartbeat. Now she’s the only thing that makes sense—the sun my world revolves around.
But shit, what if this is all too much for her?
She’s blinking at me with wide eyes, her breath coming fast. I’m terrified I’ve misjudged this. Fucked it up. Scared her. I’ve never felt so damn nervous before, my jaw clenching tight as I wait for her to speak. The silence only lasts a moment, but to me, it feels like forever. Then suddenly, Grace’s face lights up. She gives me a dazzling smile, jumping up from the table to throw her arms around me. The tension drains from my body, all my fear dissipating like smoke as I hold her tight.
“I love you too, Lucian,” she breathes out, her voice giddy with joy. “I would love to live with you! I’d love it more than anything in the world.”
She melts against me and I lift her into my arms, smothering her pretty face with kisses. Her sweet laugh fills the cabin as I spin her around, the noise disturbing Midnight, who blinks at us sleepily from her spot by the fire, letting out a meow of annoyance. Grace laughs even harder, and I join in, pure joy flooding my veins like liquid sunshine.
I’ve never felt so damn happy.
So alive.
When Dominic died, I thought my life was over. The guilt ravaged me, stripped me bare and picked at my bones until all I felt was misery. But Grace has changed all that. She gave me a second chance—pulled me back to the light. And as I hold the woman I love in my arms, I finally understand how wrong I was.
My life isn’t over.
It’s only just beginning.
