Page 11 of Crushing on the Mountain Men

Few were out on the cool spring day, but sitting on a picnic bench with them seemed perfect.

“Heck of a first date,” Davin said.

I nodded. “Romantic dreams are made of this, guys. How will you two top this?”

“I could cook for you at the cabin sometime,” Creed said.

I had a feeling this was the equivalent of another man asking a woman to go to an expensive restaurant.

“That sounds nice. Do you cook at all?” I asked Davin.

“I do some, some of my mother’s Indian recipes. I also like to bake bread, but with only the two of us there, we don’t need that much.”

“Does your family think it’s odd that you both live on the mountain now?”

They glanced at each other.

“Yes.” Davin said. “It was quite a switch from the high-powered finance career.”

I knew there was more to it, but didn’t want to push too hard.

“I’d love to see your rescue group in action.”

Davin pointed a fry at me. “We’ve been through two rescues together. What more do you want to see?”

I laughed.

“Why are you studying to be an EMT?” Creed asked.

Ah. We were already on this subject.

“I lost my high school friend when we were at the beach. I could do CPR as I was a lifeguard, but she didn’t wake up.” She’d had a heart condition, but I didn’t want to get into all of that.

“I’m sorry.” Davin said.

Creed covered my hand with his. It felt terrific, though it was twice the size of mine.

“Have you two dated one woman before?” If we were getting it all out on the table, I was curious about that especially.

“No.” Creed said.

I wondered if that was all he would say and pictured myself teasing his thoughts out of him. It was oddly appealing.

“There are two men in our group who married a woman.” He finally followed up his response.

“Married? How is that legal?” I thought of my nurse friend at the hospital, with her three boyfriends.

“We don’t ask about that,” Davin said. “But they are amazing and told us of a town in Colorado with lots of groups like themselves.”

“Losing our friend in the car accident bonded us even more than our years of friendship from college and National Guard. We want to live together, and we understand each other.” Creed looked into my eyes.

“No one else can put up with Creed,” Davin teased.

We finished our food, and I couldn’t remember a date I’d last enjoyed this much. I always felt so awkward over coffee or at bars, meeting men. Maybe the issue had been that I’d been dating one man at a time. But something inside me knew it was these two men who made this work.

We were clearing up, and I was wondering if they’d ask to see me again, when Creed’s phone buzzed. Then Davin’s phone buzzed.

They both looked at their phones.

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