Page 12 of One Night with the Mountain Man

Samuel went to the back door to let Lucky outside. “It’s been a few years.”

“Don’t you think it’s time to let them know you’re okay?” My heart ached for the pain he’d been living with for so long. And what did that mean for us? When I’d flirted and encouraged him last night, I’d had every intention of losing myself with a stranger. It had been so long since I’d felt attractive and sure of myself. The way Samuel looked at me, with raw hunger in his eyes, had been too hard to resist.

I wasn’t looking for love, but the kind of chemistry we had together was something special. Was one night all we’d ever have together?

“I can’t, Adelaide.” He crossed the narrow family room and stood in front of me. His shoulders slumped in defeat. “What happened between us was magic, but I’m not the kind of guy who can follow that up with flowers and candles and promises of happily ever after. I’ve never met someone who touched me on such a deep level, and honestly, there used to be a time in my life when I would have fought like hell to hang onto it. Those days are long gone, though.”

His words stung. Forever was exactly what I wanted from him, but I wouldn’t admit it. “Who said anything about happily ever after? I’m just asking you to come to the wedding with me. Your brother needs you.”

He cradled my cheek with his palm. The look in his eyes slayed me.

“I need you,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry, gorgeous. I can’t.”

12

SAMUEL

Watching Adelaide get into that chopper was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Harder than pulling my buddies’ bodies behind me as we took cover. Harder than watching their coffins being lowered into the ground. Harder than having to face their parents and apologize for being the reason their sons came home in a box.

By letting her go I was committing myself to spending the rest of my life alone. She’d offered me hope for a future I hadn’t dared to dream about—a future I didn’t deserve. And I’d turned her down.

The chopper climbed into the soft gray light of early morning while Lucky and I stood by. Adelaide held my gaze as it lifted into the air. My heart begged me to call her back. To tell her I’d follow her anywhere. But the hate I felt for myself kept me frozen in place.

I couldn’t bear to go back into the cabin. Not when reminders of her were everywhere. I headed to the woodpile to take my aggression out with an axe.

Hours later, I set the last log up on end. My arms ached as I lifted the axe over my head. I’d made my way through the entire woodpile and still, I hadn’t been able to get Adelaide out of my mind.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding? Right under my fucking nose?” Tyson’s voice came from behind me.

My pulse spiked. Of course, she told him where to find me. I hadn’t seen my brother since we served as pallbearers together at the two funerals that never should have happened.

I swung the axe. The wood cracked in two, the loud crack bouncing off the mountains around us.

“Don’t you have to be somewhere today?” I turned slowly, bracing myself for my first look at my brother in over three years.

“You look like shit, bro.” He held out his hand like we were just meeting up after not seeing each other for a couple of weeks. I could always count on Tyson to not blow sunshine up my ass.

“You always do call it like you see it.” I wiped my palm on my pants before gripping his hand. He looked good. Being engaged sure as hell agreed with him.

Tyson leaned forward, turning our handshake into a half hug. “It’s been too long, man.”

His voice cracked with emotion. I steeled myself against the wave of feelings threatening to crash over me. I had to hold them back.

“To what do I owe this unannounced visit?”

He pulled back. “Adelaide told us you were here. I borrowed a dirt bike from one of the staff so I could come see for myself.”

“That explains the mud.” His pants were caked in mud and splatters dotted the long-sleeve shirt he had on.

“Can we be real with each other for a minute?” I knew what he was asking. He wanted me to toss the bullshit facade aside.

“Come up to the house and I’ll make some coffee.” I jerked my shirt off the tree branch and tugged it on over my head. The action made me think about the day before when Adelaide found me chopping wood. Seemed like a lifetime ago that I’d held her in my arms, not just a few hours.

Tyson stayed on the back deck while I went inside and made coffee. By the time I handed him a cup of the steaming brew, he’d slumped into one of the Adirondack chairs I’d made when I first moved into the cabin and kicked his feet up on the deck railing.

“I can see why you picked this place.” He looked out over the trees surrounding my land. “It’s gorgeous.”

---