Page 30 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

My phone buzzes. A text from Axton.

Axton: Hope you don’t mind. I rallied the team. We’ll meet tomorrow night. 2100 hours at the usual spot. You good?"

I type back a quick affirmative, grateful for the distraction. This is what matters.

The mission.

Not Mackenzie Duncan.

But even as I try to immerse myself in work, the feeling that something has shifted lingers, refusing to fade. That Kenzie might be more dangerous than any mission Specter could throw at me.

I'm starting to wonder what it might be like to let someone in.

7

WHISPERS AND WOUNDS

KENZIE

I smooth the wrinkles from a faded band t-shirt, my fingers tracing the worn fabric. The shop hums with quiet energy, starkly contrasting the chaos swirling in my mind. It's been almost a month since I stumbled into Silver Ridge, and some days, I still can't believe I'm here.

The bell above the door chimes, and two blurs of energy burst into the shop, all giggles and flying curls.

"Miss Kenzie! Miss Kenzie!" Harper's voice rings out as she skids to a stop in front of me. "You won't believe what we saw!"

Hazel follows close behind, her eyes wide with excitement. "It was so cool!"

I crouch down, bracing myself for impact as they crash into me with twin hugs. "Well, hello there, troublemakers," I laugh, ruffling their hair. "What's got you two all fired up this morning?"

Hazel launches into a breathless tale of their latest adventure on the mountain. "Daddy took us on an adventure, and we saw a real live bear! It was huge!"

"Not that huge," Harper chimes in, rolling her eyes. "It was just a baby."

"Still a bear!" Hazel insists. "And we saw a deer! It was this close!" She holds her hands about a foot apart, her eyes wide.

I laugh, picturing the scene. "Sounds like quite the adventure. Your daddy let you get close to a bear?"

"No way," Hazel says. "He made us stay super far back and be real quiet."

"Smart man," I murmur, a warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of Everett keeping his girls safe. "Wow, that sounds amazing. Did your daddy take pictures?"

"Uh-huh!" Harper nods. "He said we could print them out and make a scrapbook!"

As the girls chatter on about their adventure, I can't help but picture Everett leading them through the woods, patient and protective. It's a side of him I haven't seen much of, but one that's clearly adored by his daughters.

"And then," Hazel continues, practically bouncing with energy, "we found this really cool rock that looked just like a heart! Daddy said we could keep it!"

Harper nods solemnly. "He said it was a sign that the mountain loves us."

My heart melts a little at that. Who knew the gruff, standoffish Everett Logan had such a soft side?

"That's beautiful, girls," I say, meaning every word. "Your daddy sounds like he knows how to have a good time."

The twins continue telling me about their hike, and I notice the differences between them. Harper uses all energy and big gestures, while Hazel uses quieter, and her words are more carefully chosen. Harper does most of the talking, and Hazel gives the critical details. It's like watching a live-action version of Kendrick and me at that age.

I feel a pang in my chest, remembering my own childhood. Meme was always there for us, but my mamma... well, that's a whole other story.

"Miss Kenzie?" Harper's voice pulls me from my thoughts. "Do you wanna see the rock?"

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