Page 28 of The Mountain Man's Curvy Surprisem
Chapter
Ten
CALLIE
Reluctantly, I climb onto the hospital bed next to Mateo. The hulking Army Ranger wraps his arms and legs around me possessively, letting out a contented sigh. I don’t know how I feel about any of this.
But I do know from my parents’ marriage that when it comes to a relationship, sometimes you have to give the other party the benefit of the doubt. Even when it seems like the foolhardy thing to do.
“First off,” he says softly. “I had no clue you were a virgin. I’m so sorry, Calliope. I never meant to hurt you. When you told me, it devastated me. I would have done things so differently if I had known?—”
“But the emails?—”
“Shivers, you have to listen to what I’ve been telling you ever since you showed up at my cabin today. I’m not Mack. My name is Mateo.”
His confession on the porch rushes back over me.Could he have meant it literally instead of figuratively?If so, then who in the hellisMack?
I shake my head. I should have listened to what the man was telling me. But no, I was caught up in my fantasy. Like Felicityhas warned me numerous times. Too stubborn to see the truth in front of my face.
Still, there’s so much this man needs to explain to me. “Yes, I know your real name. You told me so in an email. Don’t you remember? And you live in the right cabin. You look like the photos of the man whose profile I matched with on Mountain Mates, and your life story fits what I know about Mack. Even the nurse called you Mack.”
He inhales slowly, like he’s prepping to dive into deep water. “Two weeks ago, my AA sponsor, a guy by the name of Maxwell ‘Mack’ Leveque owned the cabin that I now live in. But then he up and split in the middle of the night with this Burning Man gal named Trixie, offering me a deal I couldn’t pass up to take ownership of the cabin.”
I may lie in Mateo’s arms, but I remain stiff, emotions roiling inside. As he speaks, discussing another Mack, my head spins.Where in the world is this headed?
“Mack said if I cleaned up the old place, organized his shit and put the stuff he still wants in a storage unit, kept up his homesteading efforts, and transcribed his many volumes of journals for publication, the house was mine ...”
His voice trails off, but I know there’s more. I wait, lips pressed tightly together.
“He also asked me to gently let down the dozen women he had been corresponding with through Mountain Mates.”
I shift in his arms, looking over my shoulder at his face. How can Mateo still take my breath away when I’m confused as hell, angry, and embittered? His turquoise eyes meet mine, and he adds, “Mack also confessed that he used my photos to set up his match profile. Now, from you, I know he stole my name and identity, too.”
“But why?” I gasp.
He shrugs. “I don’t know, Calliope. Though I’m sure he got some kind of ego boost out of the whole thing, and he prides himself on being an excellent love letter writer. He told me he used my photo because his wouldn’t have attracted women. It’s not like he ever consulted me or asked for my permission, mind you. I was furious when I found out, but the man had already split town, leaving me to clean up his dumpster fires.”
“How do I know you’re not making all of this up?”
Mateo raises his head, his eyes narrowing. “Would anybody make up something so improbable?”
He has a point. “Truth is stranger than fiction.”
“Yep.”
“So, what happened after that? The women started showing up one by one, and you took them to the lake for skinny dipping and sex?” I try to keep my voice hard, but I’m already melting, wrapped in the warmth and security of the stranger I gave my virginity to.
“Hell, no,” he grumbles. “I’ve been ostracized, thanks to the local women he matched with?—”
“Like the nurse,” I butt in.
“Exactly. Shit, I’m not sure I’ll be welcome in town much longer. I keep waiting to find slashed tires, flaming dog shit on my porch, all of it. I was never in a relationship with any of those women. I’ve been single for a good year and a half. Ever since getting sober and moving to Rough and Ready Country. But now I’ve got to walk around with the baggage of having eleven exes without any of the perks. Please don’t make it twelve.”
“I’m going to need proof. This is way too outlandish to believe.”
“Done. Mack swore he’d check in with me regularly. The next time he calls, I’ll have you listen in. Once he’s unknowingly confessed everything over the phone, you’re free to confront him yourself.”
“So, the letters?” I ask, my heart shattering.
