Page 14 of Crushing on the Mountain Men

I slapped him on the back. “Good thinking, getting some choices. And maybe if we’re lucky, we can convince her to stay.”

His nod told me he was thinking along the same lines.

I kept thinking about what Jordan said about us not going out. When I told Creed, he just snorted, but he agreed we could meet some friends in our group for a drink and to watch a basketball game that night.

***

“So how are you two?” Pam stood between us at our table in the evening. She and Bascomb had just come into the bar.

I noticed the diamond twinkling on her ring and wondered idly what kind of ring Kailee would like. Or would she need two rings?

“You two have it bad.” She said. “I love Kailee though. Good choice. But she has four brothers.”

I looked at Creed. “We are respectful guys.” Though of course I was having some dirty fantasies about her already, I fully intended the relationship to be long-lasting if not permanent.

She laughed. “I’m sure you are. I’m glad she went out with you. There are a few firefighters and paramedics who have asked her out, and so far, she’s put them off.”

Creed sat up. “Anyone we know?”

Pam waved a finger at us. Again, the ring caught my eye. I couldn’t believe I was thinking like this already. We’d scare Kailee off if we pushed too hard.

“I’m not saying. I was just happy she agreed to go out with you guys. She works so much and then helps Tina with the wedding plans.”

She saw that her bar food order was ready and went to get it. Bascomb beat her to it and held it up over her head until she kissed him.

The emotion I was feeling was not one I was used to. Happy for them, but wishing I was already at that point in our relationship.

“I think they call that relationship goals,” Creed said before taking a handful of pretzels from the bowl at our table.

I nearly choked on the sip of beer I just drank. “You’re getting soft.”

But he was right.

“I should be off by 12:30 tomorrow.” Kailee texted us while we were at the bar. “Unless I’m on a call.”

“We know how it works. Don’t worry. How about a late lunch in town?” Creed wrote to her.

We debated on asking her up to the cabin but knew she’d likely want to unwind after a shift if she was anything like us.

She named a 24-hour restaurant near the fire station. We agreed and headed back home after the game.

***

Early the next morning, I went for a jog outside the cabin.

I stopped for a few minutes at a clearing about a mile from our place along the creek. I loved this place, and knew Tim did, also.

“Thank you,” I said out loud to him. “We miss you.”

The last time I’d seen Tim, we’d all gone to a corporate breakfast. He’d told us he had signed up for a dating app and that Creed and I should get a life.

“I know you two don’t want to be alone, and living with each other doesn’t count. Find dates. Heck, find one woman who would put up with both of you. Stop thinking about finance all the time and get better priorities.”

We wondered later if he’d known he had little time.

I think he would have liked Kailee and would have been happy that we were finally trying to get better priorities, as he put it.

***

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