Page 86 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

"Fuck the contract," I say, more forcefully than I intended. I take a breath, softening my tone. "We'll figure it out. Whatever you need—a raise, different hours, whatever. We'll make it work."

Kenzie's quiet for a long moment, and I hold my breath, waiting. Finally, a slow smile spreads across her face.

"Okay," she whispers.

"Okay?" I repeat, hardly daring to believe it.

Kenzie nods, her smile growing. "Okay. I'll stay."

Joy surges through me, and I pull her in for a deep, passionate kiss. Kenzie laughs against my lips, the sound music to my ears.

When we break apart, both breathing heavily, I rest my forehead against hers. "Thank you," I murmur.

Kenzie's fingers trace my jaw, her touch feather-light. "For what?"

I open my eyes, meeting her gaze. "For giving us a chance. For being here. For... everything."

Kenzie's eyes soften, and she leans in to gently kiss my lips. "Thank you for letting me in," she whispers.

I pull her close, burying my face in her hair. As sleep starts to tug at the edges of my consciousness, I'm struck by a realization.

For the first time in years, I'm not dreading tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it.

Because tomorrow, I get to wake up with Kenzie in my arms. Tomorrow, we get to tell the girls she's staying. Tomorrow, we get to start building something real.

Tomorrow, for the first time in a long time, feels full of hope.

19

UNEXPECTED NEWS

KENZIE

I drag myself out of bed, feeling like I've been hit by a truck. The girls' voices echo from downstairs, already bickering over breakfast. It's gonna be one of those days.

"Hazel! That's my cereal!" Harper's shrill voice pierces through my foggy brain.

"Is not! You always get the marshmallows!" Hazel fires back.

I stumble down the stairs, rubbing my eyes. "Girls, please. It's too early for this."

They turn to me, identical looks of indignation on their faces. I smile despite my exhaustion. These two are something else.

"Miss Kenzie, tell Hazel to give me back my cereal!" Harper demands.

I sigh, pouring myself a much-needed cup of coffee. "How about we split the box? That way, you both get marshmallows."

They consider this for a moment, then nod grudgingly. Another crisis averted. My days are filled with driving them around and mediating arguments.

This is the life.

As I sip my coffee, I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the microwave. Dark circles under my eyes and my hair a mess. I look about as good as I feel.

"You okay, Miss Kenzie?" Hazel asks, her brow furrowed with concern.

I force a smile. "Just tired, button. Nothing to worry about."

But later, as I herd the girls out the door and into the car for school, I can't shake the feeling that something's off. My body feels heavy as if I'm moving through molasses. I must be coming down with something.

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