Page 12 of Engaged to the Mountain Man

Grizz makes a motion like he’s swatting away bugs.

I clear my throat and add, “Also the netting does...repels mosquitoes.”

“That sounds good to me,” she answers and follows me up to the counter where Grizz has been carefully stacking our purchases. I see he’s added a few extra things, battery powered lanterns and other items I wouldn’t have thought to include.

While Aurora goes to the restroom, I pay for the purchase.

“You know where your property ends and Roman’s begins?” He asks.

I nod. I’m familiar with the boundary lines on these mountains though they’re rarely enforced. As long as we all respect each other’s properties, no one has any issues. I’ve always lived peaceably with my fellow mountain men.

“There’s a clearing with a lake and a fire pit. Set your tent about fifteen feet away from both of those. Avoid putting it under the trees, and don’t keep food out.”

I yank out my credit card and pass it to him. “Your next beer at Liquid Courage is on me.”

He chuckles as he bags up the order. “Invite me to the wedding.”

We arrive at the spot Grizz mentioned by late afternoon. Storm clouds are already gathering overhead.

“Should we go back?” Aurora asks.

Thunder cracks, but I think about how this might be her one and only chance to experience everyday things like this. “What’s a little bit of water?”

The smile she gives me tells me that I made the right call. She wants this camping trip as much as I do, and I won’t stand in the way of her dreams.

“What’s the first step?” She looks at me expectantly.

“Choose a place to put down the tent. Anywhere with flat ground is perfect. We want to avoid tree roots and rocks.” Yeah, that sounds smart. That sounds like I know what I’m doing.

She begins walking the perimeter of the clearing, studying the ground beneath her new hiking boots with the bright pink laces. She squealed when she saw them, and I knew right then they were going in the cart.

It’s funny how two days ago we were perfect strangers, and now I’d do anything to make her smile. Because when she smiles everything in my world feels right. Something that’s been tight in my chest eases, and I can breathe.

She selects a spot, and points in the distance. “This is perfect. See that? We have a view of the sunflower field you planted.” Her expression wavers, a frown marring her features. “My parents were married for over twenty years. My dad never brought my mom flowers, never tried to do nice things to make her smile. I mean, she was always doing things for him. But I don’t think he ever noticed.”

My heart twists in my chest. “Sunflowers are your favorite, huh?”

She beams up at me, the frown fading. It strikes me then that she hasn’t had a lot of people listen to her. Not reallylisten. “They’re bright and sunshiny, and they stand tall. They’re proud of who they are.”

I nod as we begin to spread out the ground sheet. Next is the tent and there are plenty of pieces that would be unfamiliar to me. Except that Grizz had my back and already explained exactly how to set this up, so I don’t look dumb in front of my girl.

We finish as light rain starts, and we take shelter in our newly formed tent complete with top of the line sleeping bags.

Aurora settles on top of her bag, crossing her legs. The motion causes those little hiking shorts she bought at the store to ride even higher. If I ever needed proof there is a higher power, it’s right here in this tent with Aurora’s sweet scent filling the space and her tiny shorts tempting me. I’d love nothing more than to yank them down, put her on all fours, and take her from behind.

She’s oblivious to the filthy movie playing in my mind as she searches the backpack for the protein bars. “I’m really glad you thought of these since it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a real dinner over the fire. Do you think the tent will hold?”

I sit down gingerly, thankful that her attention is still captivated by the contents of the bag. Otherwise, she’d see the monster bulge between my legs and probably take off running.

“Don’t know. My first camping trip.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. I’m no prince, but I can take care of her.

Her mouth hangs open for a split second then she throws her head back and laughs. “This is your first camping trip. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrug, not sure if I should tell her the truth. But then I decide to go for it. “I wanted everything to be perfect for you for one day.”

Her smile softens and she scoots closer to me. Something electric arcs between us. Something that has nothing to do with the thunderstorm. Rain is dripping down onto the tent outside, creating a gentle soundtrack.

She’s looking at me with hero worship, so close our breaths mingle. When she tilts her head toward mine, I meet her the rest of the way. Our lips are crashing against each other. My arms go around her body, and I pull her into my lap. Heaven, I’ve found heaven.

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