Page 76 of My Three Mountain Men

“It’s not the mountains,” I agreed wistfully.

“Then let’s do something about that,” Brooks said, wasting no time to stand and straighten himself out. “LA is too damn hot, anyway.”

“Yes,” Ryder agreed, smiling at me. “Let’s get you home.”

Epilogue

SIMONE

Two Years Later

Ijabbed the walking stick into the path as Brooks reached for my arm, and I gave him a scathing look. He immediately raised his arm defensively, a grin overtaking his gorgeous features.

“Don’t stab me!” he cried. “I forgot!”

“I don’t need you guys babysitting me,” I insisted, pulling the stick out of the mud and moving forward. “I’m going to be making this trip myself three times a week if this sale pans out.”

“Yeah, but with the precious cargo you’re carrying…”

I offered him another look, and he again assumed the merciful position. “I’m sorry. Ryder is rubbing off on me.”

“He’s taking this father role a little too extremely, considering the baby hasn’t even come yet,” I commented with a fusion of affection and annoyance, my free hand automatically reaching for my swollen belly.

Brooks cast me a sidelong look, the adoration on his face naked.

“He’s not the only one,” he reminded me. “We’re all pretty excited.”

He hesitated, and I groaned. “Please—not again.”

We made our way out of the semi-hidden woods toward the waiting truck, the light spring rain letting up slightly as we approached the vehicle. Brooks hurried to let me in the passenger’s seat, and I swallowed a smile, turning my head away. Even after all this time, he, Knox, and Ryder still opened the car door for me.

“It’s not a bad thing to talk about,” Brooks insisted, not dropping the subject as I asked. “I mean, you’re already taking this property for the foundation. It means you’re not opposed to putting up roots in town. It might be a good idea to get a house closer to civilization for the baby, too.”

Climbing in, I waited for him to take the driver’s seat before offering him a sour look. “There’s a big difference between taking on an office space for a charitable foundation to do work—one that keeps weirdos from coming to the cabin, I might add—and building a place among the commonfolk.”

Brooks grunted, backing out of the remote spot to find his way out of Loganville, heading us home.

“I know you didn’t just call the residents commonfolk.”

“I was just trying to get your attention. Do I have it now?” I replied sharply. “I don’t want our son growing up among the vultures of the world. Is that what you want for him?”

“I want our daughter to be in touch with the world,” Brooks argued, ignoring my insistence that we were having a boy. “I want her to know the people and connect with them like we have.”

“Me too. But from a safe distance.”

Brooks rolled his eyes, but to his credit, he dropped it. “If she’s anything like you, it won’t matter where she’s raised—she’ll move wherever she wants to be when she comes of age,” he determined. I smirked, but inside, I worried that he was right.

The spring thaw had fully taken effect, green illuminating the entire back mountains, but as we climbed out of Loganville toward our remote location, I sensed something amiss.

“What’s going on?” I asked Brooks worriedly. He cast me an innocent look.

“What do you mean?”

My eyes narrowed, but before I could push the issue, I saw several cars parked near the property line. Panic seized me, my palms splaying over my stomach protectively. “Brooks, what is this?”

He grinned wickedly, and I relaxed slightly, realizing that he was aware of the intrusion, but the foreign sight caused me anxiety.

“Is that Lynnie’s car?” I asked slowly, recognizing some of the vehicles. “And Vero’s?”

---