Page 18 of Her Mountain Man Veteran

He takes a step toward the forest before turning around and saying, “When you talk to Celeste, tell her…tell her…” But he can’t seem to find the words. They echo around us, unspoken.

Tell her I love her.

Tell her I’m sorry.

“Don’t worry.” I nod my head in understanding. “She already knows.”

11

CELESTE

I wakeup to something brushing my face, rough and gentle all at once. The familiar scent of pine and spices fills my nostrils, and I moan sleepily as my eyes flutter open. It takes me a second to process what I’m seeing.

Dane is in my bed.

All at once, I’m wide awake, my heart fluttering wildly as I look at him. He’s lying beside me, pressing kisses on my face, pulling back when he sees I’m awake.

“Morning, beautiful.”

I sit up, blinking at him in surprise. “Dane?” My gaze slides to the clock on the wall, and I gasp when I see it’s nearly eleven-thirty. “Shoot! I’m so sorry. I set an alarm, but I must have slept through it.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who tired you out yesterday.” His amber eyes glisten as he flashes his crooked smile, running a hand over my cheek. “I missed you, sugar.”

I nuzzle against his palm, relaxing. Then a surge of anxiety hits me all at once, and I sit bolt upright.

“Does Brody know you’re here?” I ask. “Crap. He didn’t try to fight you, did he?”

“He knows I’m here.” Dane pulls me back against him. “We talked it out, and I think he’s coming around.”

I gawk at him. “Are you serious?”

“You bet. He wants you to be happy, sugar.”

My head spins, and I feel a rush of pure relief as I realize what this means. I can be with Dane without making my brother hate me. I don’t have to choose…

With a laugh of delight, I throw my arms around Dane, and he pulls me on top of him, kissing me hard. He tastes like whiskey and home, and I lose myself in him, the pressure of his lips, the glide of his tongue. It feels like I’ve woken up straight into a dream, and when we finally pull apart, I’m smiling from ear to ear.

“I have something for you,” Dane says, reaching into his pocket. “I made it this morning.”

He pulls out a beautiful wooden ornament, carved into the shape of a tree. Every detail is so lifelike, from the shape of the leaves to the gnarled texture of the bark, and my heart jolts when I see the heart carved into the trunk, our initials etched inside.

“It’s a bookmark,” he explains, watching as I turn it over in my hands. “There’s a little wooden tab on the back so you can slot it over the top of your page.”

“It’s so beautiful. I can’t believe you made this…and it only took you one morning?” Affection floods through me as I look up at Dane. “Thank you so much. Nobody has ever made anything for me before.”

“Glad you like it, princess.”

“It’s perfect. I love it.”

Beaming at him, I reach over to grabThe Adventures of Tom Sawyerfrom the nightstand. I remove the folded-up piece of paper I’ve been using to mark the page, replacing it with the bookmark. When I look back at Dane, he’s not smiling anymore. His face is serious, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“There’s something I want to ask you,” he murmurs. “Something I’ve been meaning to say.”

My pulse quickens at the intensity in his eyes, and I nod. “Yes?”

Dane sits up on the bed, taking my hands in his. His gaze is fixed on mine as he says, “Stay here, Celeste. Move in with me. Don’t go back to Denver.”

My breath hitches. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about staying. Ever since I arrived on Cherry Mountain, the idea has been in the back of my mind, tempting me. The forest feels like home, and the two people I care about most in the world live right here.

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