Page 194 of Rough and Rugged

“Here we go, Gunner. Time to bring our girl back to the mountain,” I mutter to Gunner as I absently pet him. Clearly, I’m more nervous than I’m letting myself admit.

I see her SUV in the coffee shop’s lot, so I know she is here. I crack the window for Gunner and jump out of the truck, ready to get my girl to listen, no matter what it takes.

As I stalk past the front windows of the shop, I look inside and catch a glance of Trouble…and some fancy pants in a suit WAY into her personal space. I don’t think so. With a growl, I push through the front door and stalk straight over to my girl. I push past Mr. Fancy Pants and toss Ariana right over my shoulder, barely stopping my momentum as I continue to the back room.

“Hunter!” I hear her gasp as she lands over my shoulder. A quick swat to her delectable ass stops whatever she was planning to say next.

I hear some chuckles from her employees and a few of the locals as I stalk through the shop.

Once we get into the small back office, I kick the door shut and drop her onto the desk. “All right, Trouble, I gave you a day. Now we talk.”

“Hunter..” she starts, but I cut her off with a shake of my head.

“No, Vixen, I want to tell you the whole story. What you found in my office doesn’t tell it all.” I proceed to explain the entire situation that transpired between Dublin Inc. and Jackson Industries. I do my very best to avoid making her dad out to be any worse than necessary. Once I wrap up the story, I wait and see how much trouble I’m in.

“Hunter, I already knew the truth. I talked to my mom yesterday, and she told me what really happened when my dad sold Dublin Inc. I just needed time to process everything, but I promise I was coming to you when I got done with work today.” She wraps her arms around my waist and leans against my chest.

“I wouldn’t have let you get away, Vixen. You are mine. I spent too long fighting the attraction between us. But now that I’ve had you in my arms and in my bed, there is no way I can live without you,” I say as I press a kiss on the top of her head.

“I am forever grateful for what you did for my dad’s employees. You didn’t have to bail him out; you could’ve waited for foreclosure and gotten the business for a fraction of the cost.”

“I don’t need your thanks, Ariana. I saw the value in your dad’s work and what his company had brought to the world. I’d like to think I did what any businessman with morals would’ve done in the same situation. Truth be told, though, it was that acquisition that led me to step away from the business. I was feeling burnt out and needed out of the rat race. I had no idea that decision would lead me to you, but I’m glad it did.”

“I’m so glad it did, too, Hunter,” Ariana replies as she snuggles into my chest.

“What do you say we head home? Gunner is waiting for you in the truck; I think he misses you as much as I did. He was moping around all morning until I told him we were coming here.”

Ariana grabs her purse, and we head out of the coffee shop and back home. Yes, home. If I have my way, she’ll never spend a night away from me again.

Chapter Ten

Ariana

SixMonthsLater

It’s been the longest and yet shortest six months in history; at least, that’s how it feels to me. Hunter quickly moved me and my meager belongings from the apartment above the coffee shop to his mountaintop hideaway.

As luck would have it, that worked out perfectly as his best friend Gage needs a place to crash for a while until his cabin is built. Yup, Walker’s Ridge is getting another big city transplant.

I woke up a few days later to a giant, sparkling rock on the fourth finger of my left hand, and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. I tried to put up a fight about the non-proposal and his assumption that I’d just marry him without him having to actually get down on one knee, but my resistance faded just as fast as his mouth on my lady bits brought me to the quickest orgasm of my life. Hunter is what makes me happy, and if he wants to marry me quickly, who am I to complain? I want him too!

Today is our wedding day. Hunter gave me and my mom six months to plan the wedding or he was hauling me off to an Elvis chapel in Las Vegas. We managed to pull it off, and with only days to spare.

Laken storms into the room with a scowl on her face. “That insufferable man!” she mutters as she sets down a couple of martini glasses on the makeup table I’m sitting at. “Forget him. I’m not letting Gage Schefield ruin my day. My bestie is getting married! Let’s toast to you. I scored us espresso martinis from the bar!” Her grouchiness does a quick one-eighty, and she slaps on a smile, to match the now overly cheerful tone in her voice.

“I am LOVING the theme for today!” I say with a contented sigh as I take a sip of my drink. “Hunter insisted that since coffee is what brought us together, it needed to be the theme of the day. Did you see the dessert table? It’s sprinkled with chocolate-covered coffee beans! And don’t get me started on the cake! Cold brew flavored with vanilla bean frosting, yum!”

“The whole place looks amazing! I can’t believe you talked Hunter into letting so many people into his hideaway,” Laken responds with an amused chuckle.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve got that man wrapped around my little finger. He’s having a contractor come out to draw up plans to put in a coffee bar in the kitchen. That way I can experiment with drinks for the shop’s menu at home. According to Hunter, Gunner misses me too much when I’m gone, so I need to work from home sometimes too,” I say with a chuckle and an eye roll since clearly, my grumpy mountain man is using Gunner as a cover.

A rap on the door is followed by Gage sticking his head in the doorway. “Ladies, you look amazing. It’s time to get this party started. You ready, Almost-Mrs. Jackson?” he asks with a wink.

I can’t help but notice that Laken is avoiding looking in his direction and has a scowl on her face. I have to remember to ask her for the story there after the dust settles from today’s event.

“Hot damn! It’s time! Let’s get this party started!” I shout as I finish off my martini and grab my bouquet.

As we head into the reception tent, I can’t stop the smile that is threatening to overtake my entire face. I’m the luckiest woman; I’m now married to the man of my dreams, we are surrounded by friends and family who adore us, and I’m living my dream: a coffee shop of my own and a little slice of heaven in the mountains. And let’s not forget Gunner; he’s the bestest boy.

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