Page 115 of The One With the Mountain Man

"And that's a good thing since I'm not sleeping over tonight." Oh no, my nights belonged to Marley unless Karis was at DEFCON 1.

"So that's what it's supposed to look like." Her smile was sad.

"What?"

She waved at my face. "That's what love is supposed to look like. Yeah, we never had that. At leasthedidn't."

I simultaneously wanted to find Julian so I could beat the shit out of him and ask Karis what she saw. Only one of those was safe. "What do I look like?"

"Like Marley is the most precious thing in the world and there is nothing better than sleeping over with her. Not work, not a mountain to climb, no other women, just Marley. You'd tear down the world for her."

My chest ached because I would. I didn't want to need to, but I would do it in a heartbeat. I squeezed Karis's hand.

She squeezed back. "You're a good man, Huk. I hope one day I can find a man half as good."

"Fuck that. You'll find a man twice as good as me and you will not settle for less. You deserve it and he's out there. I promise he is." I liked to believe there were a lot of people out there who cared about the people around them, it was just a matter of filtering through the noise until one day she's having a panic attack right in front of you. "Load up. I'm taking you home. I just need to wrangle Marley."

"Good luck with that, big bro. You have some competition in the sleepover department."

I handed her the keys, then turned my attention to my beautiful, drunk woman. "Hey Marley."

She turned, blinked, and then grinned. "Jackson! You're here? This is a girl party."

"No boys allowed." Mack waggled her finger at me.

It was really hard not to laugh. "The party is over and it's time to go home."

Mack threw her arms around Marley. "But I don't want you to go. We're best friends now, Huk. The bestest."

"The bestest." Marley nodded so solemnly I checked their palms for signs of blood oaths.

No blood.

I nodded at the remaining pizza. "Why don't you each take one slice so I can get this box out of here."

"He's going to steal you," Mack whispered very loudly as she took a slice and shoved half of it in her mouth. "Oh damn, that's good. Why am I so hungry?"

"Because you drank half a bottle of whiskey," Scottie sighed as he came to stand beside me. "Somehow got Willow into my truck. She's all elbows and knees."

Mack's eyes went round. "Is Willow coming to our sleepover? She has the best stories. She hears all the gossip."

"No, darlin'. She's going to sleep at the bookshop apartment."

Mack grinned. "We'll do a sleepover there!"

"No babe. No sleepovers. You live with me, where you belong. Now up you go." He grabbed her under the armpits and boosted her over his shoulder.

She squealed the whole way. He smacked her ass. "Quiet or I'll do it again."

"Don't put me over your shoulder," Marley pouted.

It was the cutest fucking thing. "Never, darlin'." Instead, I scooped her up, one arm under her knees, the other around her back. "Hang on."

She looped her arms around my neck and nuzzled against my chest. "I'm sleepy."

"Go to sleep. I've got you."

I tucked her into the passenger seat and belted her in while Travis barked orders at a very unhappy Joanne.

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