Page 32 of Mistletoed with the Mountain Man
Ledger catches my eye and jerks his head toward the kitchen. "Beer?"
"God, yes."
We escape while Sadie starts peppering Nia with questions about the decorations, her voice animated and delighted. Bear settles on the rug near the fireplace, clearly content with the new arrangement.
In the kitchen, Ledger pulls two bottles from the six-pack they brought, popping the caps and handing me one.
"So," he says. "She seems nice."
"She is."
He takes a long pull of his beer, watching me. "How long have you known her?"
"About four days.”
His eyebrows rise. "That's it?"
"That's it." I lean against the counter, running a hand through my hair. Through the doorway, I can see Nia laughing at something Sadie said, her whole face lit up. Bear has moved to sit beside her, resting his head on her knee. "I know how it sounds."
"Actually, it sounds familiar." Ledger grins. "The moment Sadie ran after me in the forest I knew she was special. Hours later, I knew I wanted her in my life forever."
"That's different."
"How?"
"You live here. You could actually build something." I gesture vaguely toward the great room. "I'm in Colorado. She's here. And she's twenty-two, Ledger. She just graduated college. She should be figuring out her life, not tying herself to some cop who lives two states away."
"Does she know you're making these decisions for her?"
I glare at him. "I'm not—" But I stop. Maybe I am.
He leans against the opposite counter. "Look, I don't know her well, but she seems capable of deciding what she wants."
"That's what she said to me yesterday.”
"Then maybe listen to her." He studies me for a moment. "What do you want, Kade?"
The answer comes without hesitation. "Her. I want her."
"Then tell her that."
"It's not that simple?—"
"It actually is." Ledger sets down his beer. "You know I spent a lot of time thinking Sadie deserved better than a bitter ex-con living like a recluse in the woods. But then she told me all thegood things she saw in me. Things I’d forgotten about myself. And that I didn’t get to decide what was best for her.”
I look back through the doorway. Sadie has her phone out, showing Nia something that's making them both laugh. Bear's tail thumps against the floor. They look natural together, easy, like they've been friends for years instead of minutes.
"I think I'm in love with her," I say quietly.
Ledger doesn't look surprised. "Yeah, I figured."
“Really?”
"Love doesn't run on a schedule, man. Trust me on that." He picks up his beer again. "The question is: what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know." The admission feels like failure. "I can't ask her to wait while I figure out how to transfer departments, or uproot her life to move to Colorado when she's just starting out?—"
Ledger shakes his head. “Just talk to her, first. See what she wants. You might be surprised."
