Page 21 of Taming the Wild Mountain Man

"He's doing…okay," I reply cautiously. "We've got another appointment with a specialist in LA this afternoon."

The initial tests the hospital ran ruled out various neurological conditions, cardiac issues, and inner ear infections. That was a good thing. The problem was, they weren't able to identify what Hume's issue was. He continued having episodes of ear pain, nausea, and dizzy spells.

After all sorts of testing—hearing and vestibular tests, electrocochleography, and CT scans—the ENT was able to finally diagnose his condition. Hume has Ménière’s Disease, a chronic condition that affects the inner ear. It explains all the symptoms he's been having, including why he wasn't able to hear me calling out over the fence when I first moved in.

Unfortunately, it's a disease without a cure, but there are ways to manage and even reduce the frequency of the painfulepisodes. After months of trying to avoid the issue, Hume is taking this seriously and doing everything possible to look after himself, including changing to a low-sodium diet, taking medication, and undergoing Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, which is a form of physical therapy designed to retrain the brain to compensate for balance issues. I'm there with him, every step of the way.

"How are things with you?" I ask Belle. "Excited about starting your new role?"

Belle scored the Chief Stew position on a mega luxury yacht that will be sailing off the Australian coast for the next six months, making stops at a number of beautiful Pacific Islands.

"I can't wait," she replies with a smile that lights up her whole face. "I've been waiting for this for so long."

"I'm glad it's happening for you," I say, giving her a hug. "And thank you for all your help here. I know that sticking around to assist me delayed your plans by a few months."

"It was worth it," she says. "I want you to succeed, and I got to make an awesome new friend along the way."

We hug again.

"And who knows?" My brows wiggle. "A two-hundred million dollar superyacht could be a great place to meet a guy."

She laughs. "Nope. I'm there to do a good job and prove to everyone I'm more than a nepo baby who can make her own way in the world without relying on her mother's name."

We're chatting away when Hume strides into the lodge. His silver-blue eyes scan the room, and he smiles when he spots me. Even though we've spent nearly every day together these past three months, I'm still amazed at everything that's happened. Of how far we've come in such a short period of time. Of how wrong I was about him.

He wasn't ignoring me, he just had an undiagnosed ear condition he was too stupid and pigheaded to see a doctor about.

He wasn't rude and arrogant, he actually left several notes on my front porch, which a certain someone lived up to their name and chewed up.

He wasn't strutting around shirtless because he thought he was God's gift to women, he's actually a humble, down-to-earth man. Not that I ever really complained too much about that. Hume's body deserves to be seen.

And I'm amazed at myself, that by taking a huge leap of faith, I've landed smack bang in the middle of the life I was meant to have. Being close to my family, in a job I love, with a man I love.

Yes,love.

I love him.

"Hey, sweetheart." He tips his chin toward me, grinning playfully before turning to Belle. "Hi, Belle." The two of them make small talk while I go grab my purse.

The visit with the specialist goes well. She tells Hume that his condition hasn't deteriorated, which is the best case scenario we were hoping for. It means all the things he's doing are working. I'm so relieved.

Since neither one of us felt like doing two three-hour drives in one day, we agreed to spend the night in LA before heading home to the mountain tomorrow. Hume found a dog sitter for Chewy, and took care of the accommodations, finding us an excellent spot. We're spending the night at a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, with a massive balcony that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

I'm staring out into the endless ocean, breathing in the salty air, processing the good news from the ENT. My thoughts then drift to something else—Hume and I sharing a hotel room for the night.

We've been taking it slow. We had enough going on, what with his condition, my work requiring a lot of my mental space as I learned the ropes, ongoing house repairs, and just life ingeneral, that when it came to us, I wanted to take things one step at a time and really get to know each other.

Despite spending almost every day together, he always walked me back to my place like a true gentleman, and I always slept in my own bed.

But not tonight.

"Penny for your thoughts," Hume murmurs, approaching from behind and sliding his big hands around my waist.

"Your timing is uncanny, you know that?" I smile as I stare out into the waves, letting my body meld into his. "I was just thinking that tonight, maybe we could…you know."

It takes him exactly zero point three-five seconds to catch my drift. "Are you sure?" he breathes into my ear, igniting a fire in my core. "Because I managed to get reservations at that hip new Japanese restaurant you mentioned last week when we were planning out this trip."

"You did?" I turn around and loop my arms over his broad shoulders. "That's so nice of you."

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