Page 7 of Charmed By the Mountain Man

Come on, brain – think of something light to say so he doesn't realize your heart is about to burst out of your chest from the most oddly romantic thing you've ever heard!!!

"You mentioned that you're tired of flipping houses and want to live here now. What are you going to do for a living instead?"

He grins. "I really do like renovating and repairing houses. Just not the whole damn thing at once. I've been doing some smaller projects – gutting a powder room, updating a dining room. Things that don't displace the family entirely but still improve their daily lives."

The entire rolling forest is lovely, but it gets extra lush as we drive up the hill and onto some private land to approach the lake. I don't know if we're technically allowed here, but Hux obviously knows his way around and doesn’t seem too fussed.

We park in front of a timeless, quietly elegant country-style house right on the lake, set just back from the rocky shore. Hux turns to me with a grin. "This is my grandfather’s house, where I’m staying now. Welcome."

"Wow," I sputter, staring in disbelief.

It's the kind of home that is passed down from generation to generation. Not just because of the location, with a sprawling lawn that leads right down to a long dock and a wide rocky shore, but also because the house itself is large and rambling, and at the same time completely unpretentious. It's designed to be lived in, not to impress anyone.

Hux wraps his arms around me as he helps me down from the truck. "You mentioned making charms from beach glass. I'd like to show you something."

He takes my hand as we walk down to the very edge of the water. It's not a huge lake, but big enough that there are noticeable waves.

I look down, and my mouth falls open. Among the polished stones are beautiful chunks of well-worn beach glass—deep bottle blue. Light green. Dark green. A wonderful teal color that I've never seen in beach glass before.

I kneel down to pick up several pieces, then straighten up, looking around the lake. The only other signs of life are a few cottages at the far end. "Is there a glass manufacturer or something around here?" I ask.

Huxley chuckles, wrapping a thick arm around me. "My grandfather took my grandmother to the beach for every birthday, holiday, and anniversary. She loved the water, and particularly adored searching for sea glass at the edge of the ocean. While he was building this house, he collected a whole bunch of colored bottles. He smashed them up and put the pieces in a rock tumbler to take the rough edges off and speed up the process, then dumped them near the center of the lake, so the waves would eventually push them ashore right here. It took about twelve years for them to start showing up."

My heart is pounding. This is the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

"Grandpa didn't want Grandma ever to find out it wasn't natural, so every summer when she went to visit her sister for a long weekend, he’d smash up and tumble more glass, and plant it in the lake."

I blink in surprise as I suddenly realize my hand is cupping the side of his rugged face. It's becoming so natural to touch him that I'm not even noticing when I do it. It feels incredible. "Lake glass that’s semi-natural, with a helping hand. That's so romantic." I don't mention that it seriously bodes well that Huxley comes from such a sweet family. "Plus, it’s amazing tothink you could make pink beach glass if you wanted to. Or even purple."

"Any color you like," he chuckles. "It just takes a long time." He massages my lower back gently as he holds me. "My grandparents moved to Arizona to be closer to her sister. Grandma isn't that well, so she'll probably never get back here. I'm sure she would love it if you made jewelry from some of this."

"Oh! I couldn't. I mean… It belongs to her, right?"

"What’s she going to do with it at this point?" His eyes twinkle. "You know, her birthday is coming up next month. Could you make her a pair of dark blue earrings but using silver wire instead of copper? I'd love to buy them from you."

"Sure. I mean, I've only worked with real silver a couple of times. It's a little expensive."

His eyes flicker. "How about you send me a list of everything you need tomorrow, and I'll get it to you. Plus, you need to make glass charms and stuff for Crow to sell in his shop. Mention that it's glass from Cedar Lake and they’ll sell like crazy. People love that kind of thing."

"That's an amazing idea."

I collect a large handful of pieces, then we go into the house, where Hux already has dinner mostly prepared. I wander around a bit, admiring the solid, handmade furniture, the family photos, and the framed map of the Cedarville area.

He notices my interest. "Do you like this town so far?"

I drift over to join him at the dining room table. "Yes. I really do."

"How long do you think you'll stay with your aunt?"

"Hmm, not sure. We initially said just until the fall, but now I’m hoping to stay longer."

He reaches out to run his fingertips under my hair, circling the top of my spine, where he kissed me last night. "Good."

"Why is that good?" I whisper.

"Because it means I have a few months to make sure you completely fall for me and never want to leave."

I can't believe he just said that. This whole situation feels like a lucid dream: a gorgeous, sweet man with an endless supply of beach glass, encouraging me to make jewelry instead of pursuing some random certifications in topics I don't care about.

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