Page 3 of Protected By the Mountain Man

“You… you remember me?” she asks, her pale cheeks turning red. The last five years have treated her well, her maturing features have only made her more beautiful. Her hair falls in gorgeous waves and I can’t believe that this is happening.

“Of course I remember you, honey,” I say with a wink, struck by my own confidence in this moment. “Could never forget the woman from my first fire call.” She laughs at that. “I could never forget you either,” she says.

“Back up,” Ethan interrupts. “Howdoyou know each other?”

“Remember when I first got back from Afghanistan and couldn’t figure out what to do with myself so I joined the firehouse?” Ethan nods, he experienced something similar when he got back, and that’s how we connected and eventually opened up this spot. It gave us something to learn and focus on, and we both think it was the best thing we’ve ever done. It’s helped Whiskey Mountain and given us a purpose.

“Well, Ava here was my first rescue. Her house went up in flames my first night on duty and I pulled her out of a window.”

“He did,” Ava confirms. “You saved my life,” she says, looking straight at me, brown-green eyes piercing me like they did back then.

“It was nothing, honey,” I say, staring right back.

“Well, looks like we should let you two catch up,” Luna says with a laugh. “It was so nice to finally meet you, Ava.” She pulls Ethan along with her and they get back to work.

Ava pulls her plate closer to her, looking unsure of whether she should start eating or not.

“Dig in, I don’t want to let it get cold. What are you drinking?”

“Cider. I’ve tried it from the grocery store before, but it’s eve better on draught,” she says before lifting the burger to her mouth. She takes a bit and the moan she lets out sends blood rushing straight to my dick.

I wonder if she would make the same sound if it was me in her mouth instead?

I snap back to reality, eager for anything to take my mind of how attracted to her I am.How attracted to her I’ve been for the last five years. I clear my throat, trying to pull my eyes away from her lips. “Oh, yeah… we brew it here. It took us a few years to perfect it, but it’s our most popular drink. I’m working on developing a pear cider next, maybe you can be my taste tester.”

She laughs and tells me she’d be happy to try anything I make, which again sends my mind straight to the gutter.

“When did you open this place?” she asks, picking a fry up and dipping it in her ranch. Just the way I like them, too. It’s like she was made for me.

“About three years ago. Ethan and I connected at a local veteran’s group and when this space came up, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to start something new.”

“That’s great. I always wondered if you were still a firefighter, or if you even still lived here,” she says, meeting my eyes once again.

“I still volunteer at the house once a month, but decided I needed something a little less stressful for my daily life. I stayed on for a few years after I met you, but knew I needed something different, more stable.”

“Well, I’m glad you found it.”

“What happened to you after the fire?” I ask, no longer able to contain my curiosity. I want to know everything about her, and I don’t see any use in trying to hide that. She looks surprised at my bluntness, but quickly shakes it off.

“My parents decided it wasn’t worth rebuilding with me going off to school and spending less time here. They kept our cabin,but I didn’t feel ready to come back yet. I took a year off instead of heading straight to school. I was dealing with a lot of guilt, thinking that the fire was my fault, and really needed to do something to clear my head. I spent the year travelling and searching for plants around the country. The time in nature helped me get back on track and this year I graduated with a degree in botany. I’m back here, searching to see if this specific type of fern can grow in mountain climates, and if it could help in reforestation efforts in California. I hope to continue my research at the local university… but that’ll only happen if I find something.”

She finishes, looking sheepish at how much she just told me. I reach out my hand and place it on hers on the bar, wanting her to know I could listen to her talk for hours.

“That’s great, honey. I’m sorry you dealt with so much pain after the fire, you know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

“I do. I know it turned out to be electrical, but for so long after I was terrified to even look at an oven. School and lots of time outside, and endless talks with my parents, have helped me realize that nothing I could have done would have stopped it.” She flips her palm upwards under mine and squeezes my hand.

“Thank you,” she says, still holding my hand. “For saving me that night. For remembering me now. It means a lot.”

I squeeze her hand back. “I have to check on some things out back, but don’t leave until you see me,” I say, more demanding than asking. But I can’t let her get away this time. This time, she’s mine.

“Okay,” she says with a smile, before letting go of my hand and bringing her cider to her lips. I walk away, but not without turning to give her a wink. She laughs again and I think it might be the best sound I’ve ever heard.

I head back to the office, needing to finish up the ordering before the 10 o’clock deadline, rushing through it so I can get back to Ava as soon as possible.

As I’m clicking submit, a shuffle by the door sends me turning around, where I see my best friend looking at me with a shit eating grin on his face. The expression makes me laugh before he even starts speaking.

“Honeyyyyy,” Ethan says, still grinning. “How the hell have you never told me about her?”

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