Page 22 of Challenged By the Rugged Lumberjack

But that's a revelation for another day. Right now, I have a job, a place to stay, and somewhere ahead, a man and a little boy waiting for me in the park. My new life is taking shape, piece by piece, in ways I never could have imagined when I fled Portland two days ago.

And for the first time in longer than I can remember, I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Chapter 8 - Josh

"Higher, Josh bear! Higher!"

Mason's laughter rings out across the small park as I push him on the swing, his little body soaring through the air with each push. The nickname no longer bothers me—if anything, it's become a strange point of pride, this small person's unwavering trust in me after just two days.

"Not too high," I caution, moderating my pushes despite his pleas. "Your mama would kill me if you fell off."

"No kill," Mason says seriously, twisting to look at me over his shoulder. "Mama nice."

I can't help the chuckle that escapes me. "Yeah, buddy. Your mama is nice."

Nice doesn't begin to cover it. Elisa Lowell walked into my life forty-eight hours ago with nothing but determination and hope, fleeing something dark enough to make her eyes go distant whenever it's mentioned. And somehow, in that brief time, she's managed to crack open parts of me I thought were permanently sealed.

Like this—playing in a public park, in full view of curious townspeople, pushing a toddler on a swing and not minding the stares. Two days ago, I would have rather cut off my own arm than be so visible, so... vulnerable.

"Again!" Mason demands as the swing slows. "More push!"

"Say please," I remind him, surprising myself with this automatic parenting instinct I didn't know I possessed.

"Peeeeease," he draws out dramatically, and I comply, sending him skyward again.

Over by the sandbox, a cluster of mothers watch us, whispering behind their hands. I can imagine what they're saying. Josh Carter, the mountain hermit, playing babysitter to some woman's kid. The gossip will be all over town by dinnertime.

Strangely, I find I don't care. Let them talk. Let them wonder. None of it matters compares to the sound of Mason's uninhibited joy as he swings beneath the clear blue sky.

"Look! Mama!" Mason suddenly shouts, pointing past me.

I turn to see Elisa approaching across the grass. She's smiling—not the careful, guarded smile I've seen before, but something radiant and bright. The sunlight catches in her hair, turning the brown strands to gold at the edges, and for a moment I can't look away.

She's beautiful. Not just pretty or attractive, but beautiful in a way that makes everything around her seem more vibrant, more alive.

"Hi there!" she calls, waving as she draws nearer. "Looks like you two are having fun."

"Swing, Mama!" Mason announces proudly. "Josh bear push high!"

"I see that," she says, giving me a mock-stern look that melts into a genuine smile. "Not too high, I hope."

"Within safety parameters," I assure her, slowing the swing to a stop. Mason immediately scrambles off and runs to his mother, wrapping his arms around her legs.

"How did it go?" I ask, suddenly awkward now that she's here, unsure what to do with my hands. "At the flower shop."

Her smile widens. "I got the job! I start tomorrow, nine to two."

"That's great," I say, meaning it. There's something infectious about her happiness, something that makes me want to preserve it, protect it. "Christine's good people."

"She seems wonderful. A little... talkative, but sweet." Elisa laughs, the sound light and melodic. "She's already told me her entire life story and her views on child-rearing, despite not having any children yet."

"Sounds like Christine," I agree. "Shop's been doing well. Good place to work."

"I think so too." She looks down at Mason, stroking his curls affectionately. "And she's fine with me bringing this little guy in emergencies, which is a huge relief."

I nod, watching the easy affection between them, the natural way she touches her son, the absolute trust in his upturned face. Something shifts in my chest—a warming, an opening.

"Things are finally looking up," she continues, that radiance still emanating from her. "A job, a place to stay... it's more than I dared hope for when we drove into Cedar Falls."

---