Page 29 of The One With the Mountain Man

But somewhere along the way my whole life changed. Marley stumbled into my path. A surprise. And then just as fast she was gone. That short encounter knocked me out of whatever half-asleep daze I'd been in and suddenly the world was a whole lot brighter.

And now here I was, about to have dinner with her. After our first encounter I felt like we were meant to meet. But now? This was just too fucking much. The Universe might as well have held up a giant neon sign pointing to Marley.She's here. She's right fucking here, you moron!

The Golden Hour was as nice as I'd imagined. The deck was large. The square footage probably equaled the inside, which was a perfect design, in my opinion. Golden Hour was a cozy little cottage. The kind of place I would like to call home one day.

Just not in Lost Creek.

On one half of the L-shaped deck there was a nice stone fireplace, a big, comfortable couch, and a makeshift desk. The other contained a grill and dining table, along with a set of Adirondack chairs for sitting and staring at this view.

The couch had clearly been used. Marley had it set up with pillows and blankets. A side table had been dragged over. There was a half-full glass of water, an empty teacup, and a small plate with nothing but crumbs.

I liked that she didn't feel the need to rush those away, make everything neat and perfect. She lived here. It looked like she lived here.

Genuine.

"So, what's for dinner?"

"Beef stew." She shrugged like she confused herself. "I never make stews or soups normally. It only gets cold back home for a day or so at a time, and only like three or four times a year. So it's not like I usually crave warm, filling dishes. But here? Whoo boy, it's the first thing I wanted. It's funny how the weather affects our stomachs." Then she froze. "You're not vegetarian, are you? I can make something else! I have lots of vegetarian friends. And gluten-free friends. I'm really good at tweaking recipes!"

God, it was fucking cute the way she wanted to make sure I could eat the food she served. The way shecared.

That. That was all I wanted from my own damned family, and here Marley did it out of instinct. Maybe that was why I was so drawn to her. I never once had to bend to fit into her orbit, never had to brace myself until I could get away.

Iwantedto be near her.

And that...was everything.

"I'm not vegetarian. I'm also not a meat and potatoes man. I like variety in my food, vegetables, nuts, fruits, all of it." Travis, on the other hand, loved his meat and potatoes. He also had trouble breaking off from years of eating chicken, rice, and vegetables as the staple of his diet.

"Oh good. My dad would make beef stew sometimes and I never quite enjoyed it, but then when I was in England, I had one that made me lick my plate. And ever since then I've been chasing that recipe. I think this one is pretty close."

"Looking forward to it. I take it you enjoy cooking?" I would slowly, steadily, chip my way into her world. Food appeared to be the first, most obvious opportunity.

"Sometimes. It can be really soothing and creative, which I enjoy, but when I'm busy, it turns into the most complicated pain in my ass. Ingredients to buy? Who has the time? Dishes to wash? No." Her hand slashed through the air. "But I'm here to reset, so I've cooked a little. Plus, it's not like I can order takeout delivered to my door."

I strode over to her makeshift desk, hoping for some clues. Her silver laptop was closed shut, the power cord trailing off the end to the plug in the wall. Her tablet also sat closed beside it. There was a notebook and some papers secured under a rock. And then there was a photograph. I instantly picked out a much younger Marley crouching in front of a castle with a group of kids who all looked the same age. They were a mix of male and female, skin color and fashion choices all over the place.

"Disney?" I asked, holding up the picture.

Her eyes flared for a second, then her lips curved into a tentative smile. "Yep. My friend Georgie was beside herself because my first name is Aurora. Like the Disney princess. She made me take photos all over that place." The saddest look came over her.

It broke my damn heart, but I didn't dare ask why.

"I've never been. Is it fun?"

She wiped the look away and forced a smile that didn't match the rest of her face. "It can be. I liked it a lot more when I was younger and it wasn't as crowded."

"Doesn't sound like a place I'd enjoy then." Behind Marley a rainbow appeared. It wasn't vibrant, but it was clear as day. It arced from one mountain down into the trees below. I blinked twice just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. "Holy shit!"

Marley spun and clapped her hands. "Isn't it amazing! It happens every evening. Like nature is drawing me a map to the pot of gold."

I'd seen this a few times before. A place where the light and moisture in the air is just right to create a regular show, but I'd never seen it here in Lost Creek before. "Your view is a thousand times better than mine."

"Might be why they chose to put the house here and the workshop there." She giggled.

And I was glad she didn't seem sad anymore. So I put the picture right back where I found it and joined her at the railing.

"So, you know I have four sisters. Do you have any siblings?"

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