Page 16 of Mountain Man's Longing
Hell and damnation.
Brenna’s lips curve into a smile, and she steps close to me. Too close. I thrust out a hand to stop her, only turning it at the last second to appear as if I’m going for a handshake. Wrinkles crisscross her brow as she reluctantly slips her hand in mine. Her skin is soft against my palm, and the contact sends electricity straight through me.
Fuck.
“Actually, we—” she starts, her gaze flicking to mine.
“Nice to meet you,” I bark out, too loud and too fast, cutting her off. My gaze locks onto hers, and she blinks, confusion flashing across her delicate features. I try to send her a message with my gaze.
“Likewise,” she replies quietly, dropping my hand as if it’s burned her.
For a moment, none of us speaks. The silence stretches until Eric lets out a laugh.
“You’re speechless, aren’t you?” Eric grins, enjoying my reaction.
I clear my throat, trying to find my voice. “I’m… shocked.”
“I knew you’d be.” Eric beams with pride. “Twenty-two years of wondering, and she just walked into my life today.”
Brenna moves to my right as Eric talks. The gesture is so subtle I doubt he notices, but it hits me. She remembers. And cares. Even after I’ve just treated her like a complete stranger. The realization makes me hate myself even more than I already do.
“You said best friend?” Her voice is carefully neutral as she glances between us, her fingers working her purse strap.
“When my dad passed away last year, Graham showed up at my door with homemade soup and stayed for a week, chopping wood and taking care of everything without me even asking.” Eric’s eyes shine with emotion. “Salt of the earth, this one. The kind of man you can trust with anything or anyone.”
The irony cuts me like a blade. Eric’s absolute faith in my character, his complete trust, makes the weight of what I’ve done twist like a knife between my ribs. Brenna’s face has gone pale as he continues. “We’ve been through a lot together, Graham and I,” Eric says, shooting a smile my way. I wince.
“Yeah, some real…curveballs,” I offer weakly.
“That’s what friends do,” Eric says, hands on his hips. “Weather storms together. Speaking of which, did you come up yesterday?” he asks her. “That storm last night was something, hmm?”
Both Brenna and I go perfectly still. Her face drains of color, and I can practically see her mind working.
“The storm,” she repeats faintly. “Yeah, I was driving in it and—”
“Driving in it?” Eric exclaims, taking a step closer to her. “Please tell me you made it somewhere safe and warm.”
I don’t remember the last time I felt so nauseous. I breathe through my nose and pray I don’t throw up.
“I… Yes. I found shelter,” she whispers.
Eric doesn’t notice the way her voice breaks, too caught up in his paternal concern. “Good. I would feel terrible knowing my daughter was stuck out in that weather all alone on her first night here.”
“Nope, all good,” she adds, her eyes meeting the floor.
“So what was your news?” Eric asks, turning back to me with expectant eyes.
Brenna’s eyes snap to my face, watching closely as I scramble. My mouth opens and then closes. I can’t exactly tell him I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with when that woman is standing right here. And I haven’t even told her yet.Andshe’s his long-lost daughter.
“It’s nothing,” I finally choke out. “Just…another commission. Nothing that compares to this.”
“Another magazine feature?” Eric presses. “Like thatArchitectural Digestcover?”
Brenna’s eyes sharpen, but I shake my head. “No, nothing like that.”
“Well, I can’t wait to hear more about it.” Eric’s grin returns full force. “But hell,” he continued, his gaze sliding back to Brenna, “twenty-two years, Graham. Twenty-two years, I’ve wondered about her, and here she is.”
Guilt shoots down my spine. Leave it to me to complicate the one moment Eric waited for half of his life. And it’s just my luck to finally fall for the one woman I can’t have.
