Page 21 of The Mountain Man's Accidental Bride
Finding a cop standing on the porch, I quickly realize he’s holding my wallet. It’s almost amusing to see a bulky cop cradling my small, pink wallet.
He takes notice of me, straightening up. Assuming he’s taken a look at my ID, he almost seems relieved to see me.
Better to be in a cabin instead of being lost in the wrath of the aftermath of the storm.
“I’m Officer Williams, ma’am.” He tips his hat and glances at August. Probably notices that he’s lingering close.
It shouldn’t make my heart flutter at the possessiveness radiating off of him, but it does.
The man comments on finding my car, mentioning the flat. After trying to explain to him what happened, I yawn, and August takes this as a sign to move this along.
“Atlas.” He sighs, using the officer’s first name like they’re familiar with each other. “I was going to help her change out the tire once the weather cleared up. Storm kept us up late, that’s all. We’ll get it up to my place first thing.”
Heat forms on the back of my neck at the lie, but I don’t jump in to correct him.
Atlas puts his attention back on me and the underlying worry that comes with being someone in his position.
“You’re sure you don’t need me to take you somewhere?” He offers a smile, one that’s reassuring. “We’re giving rides left and right. We don’t mind if you need to get out of his hair.”
Blinking, I realize what he’s asking me. Like he’s double-checking that I don’t want to leave, I grow even more confident that there is no place I’d rather be.
Glancing next to me, I take in the way August is staring at the ground. It’s the same way he looked at me the first time he opened the door. Grumpy and bothered.
Returning my gaze, he stirs like he’s nervous, like he expects me to disappear with the officer. So soon, I can see him struggling with his trust issues, as whatever has hurt him in the past still lingers.
Reaching for his hand, I squeeze his fingers. Smiling at him, I look back at Atlas. “I’m right where I’m meant to be.”
While the officer looks between us, he soon nods and tilts his hat to us. Asking us to take care of the flat, he bids us a good afternoon.
Once we’re alone, August doesn’t give me time to suggest handling the problem. Instead, he pulls me against his chest, kissing me like it’s the first time all over again—desperate, dizzying, as if we’re discovering each other anew.
When he finally breaks away, leaving me breathless, his hands cradle my face with unbearable tenderness. His gaze holds mine, so full of love that the small, crooked smile on his lips is impossible to resist.
It’s wild when I think about it. I entrusted my heart to Cupid’s Bloom Co., hoping only for a man who’d want me longer than a weekend. But August? He stole my heart in a single day and gave me more love than I ever dared to ask for.
8
August
Epilogue
The sun hangs high, baking the trail ahead of us, and Payton’s a few steps in front—her tank top sticking to her back, her hair pulled into a messy knot that’s slowly coming undone. She glances over her shoulder, cheeks flushed, and shoots me a look that’s full of exhaustion.
She looks like she’s ready to overheat. The only thing fueling her to keep going up this climb is the thought of the cool waters waiting for us at my buddy’s lake.
“If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to break out in a full burst sprint and jump in without you.”
I smirk, adjusting the pack on my shoulders. “There is no way you’ll survive a hundred feet in your state.”
Giving me a cheeky smile, I can already see the gears turning in her head as she takes up my words like they’re some kind of challenge.
“Payton…” Dragging out her name slowly, a warning behind it, the heat above taunts me that I risk falling for the same fate if she makes me chase after her.
She laughs, the sound bright against the quiet of the mountain, and takes off running before I can catch her. Thankfully, our destination isn’t too far away.
By the time I reach the lake’s edge, she’s already toeing off her hiking boots, her breath coming fast. The water’s gonna be freezing, but she doesn’t hesitate. Just yanks her shirt over her head to reveal the top of her swimsuit and leaps in once her shorts hit her ankles.
The splash echoes, and then there’s silence.
