Page 28 of Heart of the Mountain
Cutter collapses on top of me and then rolls off the couch and onto the rug in front of the fireplace. I giggle at him, then shriek when he pulls me down on top of him.
We’re sweating and out of breath, yet Cutter cups the back of my neck and draws my face toward his. He presses his lips to my forehead and breathes me in. His tender touch is exactly what I need after the intensity of what we just experienced. Cutter gives me a quick kiss on my lips and adjusts me so I’m tucked into his side, my head resting against his chest.
“Does the power go out here very often?” I ask after a few moments of soaking up the afterglow of everything we just did.
“Baby, we don’t need the excuse of a power outage to fuck in front of the fireplace,” he answers.
I giggle and look up at him, a grin taking over his features. “Noted,” I say before kissing his chin.
We have more things to talk about with our future and what it means to be together, but I’m content to stay right here in this moment as long as possible.
12
CUTTER
Ipull my old truck into the parking lot of Willow Tree Inn, waving at Sullivan, who is pulling weeds from a flowerbed out front. Sadie kisses my cheek and then hops out of the vehicle, heading inside to check on Gabby.
The two have been texting and calling each other for the last few days. Unfortunately, Gabby’s car had more damage than initially thought, though she hasn’t made much of an effort to find a ride back to Denver. Interesting. Sadie told me Gabby was feeling out of her element in this small mountain town, but she sure doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave anymore.
I step out of my truck and walk over to Sullivan. He wipes his hands off on his jeans and offers to shake my hand. I take it, though I pull him in for a hug. It surprises me as much as Sullivan, though he doesn’t make it awkward.
“Good to see you, too, Cutter.”
“Yeah,” I say once I’ve taken a step back. “I wanted to thank you again for your help the other day. You put yourself at risk for a guy you barely know and two complete strangers.”
“I wouldn’t say I hardly know you,” he points out. “We just haven’t seen each other much over the last few years.”
He doesn’t say it, but we both know he’s talking about my move up the mountain. “I needed some space,” I say with a shrug.
Sullivan claps me on the shoulder in a warm, friendly gesture. “It’s good to have you back, Cutter.”
“Thanks,” I tell him before clearing the emotion from my throat. He’s not just talking about being back in town. I’m back, maybe not to my “normal” self, but that was never going to happen. Sadie has taught me that loss changes people, but doesn’t have to define us.
“So, uh, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Sullivan hedges. “You and Sadie are together, right? Like,together, together.”
I grin at his question. “We’re not in high school, but yes, Ilikelike her. In fact, I love her.”
“Well, shit,” Sullivan says in disbelief.
“I think the word you’re looking for is congratulations,” I joke.
“Right, no, yes, of course,” he’s quick to correct himself. “I, uh… the thing is…” Sullivan blows out a breath and shoves his hands into his pocket. “I was wondering how you two are going to make it work. I mean, how can you be with someone who’s employed by Top Spot Realty?”
“Sadie isn’t working for them anymore,” I answer confidently.
“Does she know that?”
“Of course.” The more I think about it, I realize we never actually discussed it. “I mean, I think so. We’re definitely on the same page about her moving here.”
“You asked her to move in?”
“Well… no, not exactly. I just assumed…”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to cause any drama,” he’s quick to say. Sullivan holds his hands up, palms out in a sign of surrender.
“No, I know. We’ve been locked up in my cabin, enjoying each other these last few days, but I guess we didn’t plan out what happens next.”
“You can keep theenjoymentup at your cabin, thanks,” he deadpans. I elbow him and he chuckles.
