Page 5 of The Mountain Man's Curvy Obsession
Tears well in the back of my eyes, but I won’t give him the pleasure of making me cry, no matter how much he tries to hurt me.
“No. They sold the Boise house for your information, and moved to Portugal last year. I don’t even have a passport. There are twenty boxes of everything I have in transit to this address from Missouri. I was hoping the trial marriage would work out. It wasn’t a joke to me. I was really praying I’d fall in love with the man they set me up with, and we’d get married, and have a happy life.” I sniff. And the admission is the final straw. I can’t stop the big, fat, warm tears from rolling down my cheeks, and quickly wipe them away.
“Damn that’s rough,” Zephyr says softly. “You know, you could move into my place for a few days, a month, if it would help. I have an extra bed you could use. It wouldn’t bother me at all, especially if you cook for me.”
“Are you out of your damn mind?” Slade swivels so fast to his brother I’m afraid his neck might snap. “Hard pass.” Slade glances at me before pivoting back to Zephyr. “Are you trying to make things worse?”
“No.” Zephyr keeps his voice firm. “It’s just if she doesn’t have any money and no place to go, what is she supposed to do?”
“Not my problem, and it isn’t yours either, big brother.” Slade huffs and takes a few breaths to find his composure. “Making breakfast was nice, Eva, and I appreciate it, but don’t get confused.Youliving in my house, or my brother’s will not improve the situation. I’ll give you the cash for a train ride back to Missouri. Maybe you can work it out with your ex.”
My heart sinks as the men finish up their coffee and head to the front door.
Zephyr sends me a small wave and a tight “thanks” before dashing to his truck, and I see the rain has stopped. Slade pauses and turns his massive frame to face me, and locks his deep, inky eyes on mine with his usual brooding intensity.
“Wait. Shoot, I almost forgot.” I dash back inside and grab the brown paper sack off the counter, and thrust it toward him. “Your lunch. It’s only peanut butter and jelly, but that’s all I could find for your sandwiches. Oh, and there’s an apple in there too, and a couple of biscuits.”
He stares down at the bag, his thick fingers gripping it tightly, his brow furrowing like he’s weighing its significance.
“I thought you might get hungry.”
“You didn’t need to do that.” A glimmer of a smile flickers in his eyes, but his lips stay set in a hard line as he shifts his weight.
“I wanted to.”
“I was serious about the money. I’ll give it to you tonight when I come home. There’s Wi-Fi at the Grizzly Grind. Do you remember where it is?” I nod, remembering it clearly. He gestures to a path between two pine groves, across his gravel driveway. “That will take you to the main road through the back. About a fifteen-minute walk.”
“Does your mom still own it? I’d love to see her again.”
“She does. Maybe after your chat, you’ll make checking the train schedule a priority. You can stay one more night, and I’ll drop you off at the station tomorrow.”
I don’t know what to say. A thousand questions race through my brain, but I can’t find the answers. There is no way my ex, or his parents, are taking me back.
Slade places his massive hand on my shoulder, and I almost flinch. I can feel his warm, calloused fingers through my thin shirt. “Remember, you’re in bear country. And theylikethe drizzle. Don’t bring any food outside. I’ll take out the garbage. Do not do it yourself.” With his jaw clenched, his penetrating stare pretty much impales me.
“Okay, okay. I won’t. Thanks for the reminder.” I nod quickly. Great. A bear attack would be just the thing to wrap up this nightmare.
“There’s bear spray on the hook by the back door. Bring it with you if you leave the cabin.
“Got it.”
He nods silently, studying me with such intensity that I drop my gaze, my cheeks flush as my body hums with nervous energy and total confusion. “Hey,” I say softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, “please be careful out there today.”
“I will,” he responds, holding the stare a moment longer, his broad chest rising with a deep breath. “See you later.”
He strides to the truck with his shoulders squared, and the paper sack swinging in his grip. I linger in the doorway with my arms crossed against the morning chill and watch the mud trail behind them as they disappear into the pines.
What the hell am I going to do?
Chapter four
The rain’s coming down in sheets now, hammering the windshield of my truck so hard the wipers can barely keep up. It’s getting dark fast. If this storm gets any worse, it’ll be pure hell out there tonight.
I’m exhausted, my shoulders ache from my early shift, and as much as it bothers me to admit, I’m looking forward to seeing Eva when I get home. She’s more gorgeous than she ever was. Smells just as sexy and sweet too. We never actually went all the way, but God, did I want her. We were obsessed with each other—did everything but the deed.
We had fun formostof the three years we were a couple. If she hadn’t been so bossy all the time and such a nag, who knows? Maybe we would’ve stayed together, but I just won’t tolerate being micromanaged. I saw the writing on the wall and knew we’d never work out in the end.
Zephyr said I was rough on her at breakfast, but what does he know? He isn’t the one who had his ex-girlfriend show up at his door after six years, expecting him to marry her.
