Page 21 of Her Mountain Man Secret
“I might go and get some more pie,” she says, easing herself into a sitting position. My eyes slide to her belly, her bump only just visible. I find myself staring at it all the time, thinking about our baby.
I still can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.
“Stay there, princess,” I tell Isabelle, sitting up and pressing a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll get it.”
Pushing myself up off the picnic blanket, I head into the cabin. Isabelle has been craving cherry pie like crazy lately, so we always have plenty of it in the house, and I grab a fresh box from the kitchen, cutting the pie into slices. Plating it up, I head back into the hallway, pausing for a moment in front of the door to the nursery. I’ve been working on it ever since Isabelle told me she was pregnant, extending the cabin outward so we’ll have more room for the three of us. There’s still nearly six months to go until my wife’s due date, and my excitement is building every day, my stomach flip-flopping every time I think about our baby.
Smiling to myself, I head outside and hand Isabelle the plate. She thanks me, and I sit back down beside her, resting my hand on her thigh. She’s wearing a baby blue summer dress, the fabric hugging her curves—thicker than ever now she’s pregnant. It’s a constant struggle to keep my hands off her. She’s so fucking sexy, and if I had it my way, we’d never leave the bedroom.
“Dad just texted,” Isabelle says, pulling me from my thoughts as she takes a bite of pie. “He’s stopping by on his way home to give us another basket of cherries. I think this will be the last batch of the year.” I nod. Holden and Mila are always bringing us fruit from their garden—apples, cherries, apricots.
After we finished fixing up Ralph’s cabin, Holden changed his mind about selling up. He decided to buy me out and move into the cabin to be closer to Isabelle. Things were tense between us at first, but then we sat down and had an honest conversation about the past. I explained where my head was at back then, told him about all my demons, and he was able to get a few things off his chest. It took him a little longer to warm up to my relationship with Isabelle, but now we’re friends again, and the twenty years, which seemed like an unbridgeable gap before, feel like they never even happened.
Holden sold up his auto shop in Denver when he moved out here, starting up a new one on the outskirts of Cherry Hollow. It’s been a big success. People used to have to go all the way to Winterdale if they wanted their vehicle fixed, but now Holden’s place is right here. Isabelle co-owns the business with her dad. He fixes the cars while she does the accounts, orders parts, and handles appointments. She loves working with her dad, helping their business to flourish. Between my handyman work and Isabelle’s job at the auto shop, we have enough to live comfortably in our cozy little cabin.
We hear the rumble of Holden’s engine a few minutes later, his pickup stopping beside mine. He raises a hand in greeting as he gets out, walking toward us. As usual, his hands are blackened with oil, but there’s a glint in his eyes that didn’t use to be there—and it’s all thanks to Mila. Holden met his wife soon after he moved out here, and she makes him happier than I’ve ever seen him before.
“Hi, Dad!” Isabelle calls as he approaches, pushing herself up onto her elbows and waving.
“Hey Izz. Wyatt.” Holden stops in front of us and sets down an enormous basket of cherries. “Can’t stay long. Just came to give you these.”
The cherries are ripe and shiny, dark red and perfectly formed. Everything that grows in Holden and Mila’s garden seems to turn out perfect.
“They look amazing!” Isabelle gushes. “Thank you.”
Holden nods. “You’re welcome. No more cherries this year, but we’ll have plenty of raspberries for you next week. The bushes are covered with them.” He reaches down to ruffle Isabelle’s hair. “Don’t forget you’re both coming over tomorrow. We’re having a barbecue.”
“We won’t forget, buddy,” I tell him. “Looking forward to it.”
Holden smiles and takes a step back toward his truck. He’s clearly eager to return to his wife. I know how he feels—I get antsy as hell if I’m away from Isabelle for too long.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he says. “Come over around five.”
“We’ll be there,” I tell him.
“Bye, Dad!” Isabelle calls.
“Bye, Izz. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Say hi to Mila for us!”
Holden gives us one last wave and gets back in his truck, driving away through the trees. Once he’s gone, Isabelle lies back down beside me, curling up against my chest.
“It’s great to see him so happy,” she says affectionately. “He deserves it.”
I wrap my arm around her, squeezing her tight. When she first moved out here, I was worried Isabelle might find it hard to live in the town where she was abandoned by her birth parents. But when I asked her about it, she assured me that’s not how she sees things at all. As far as she’s concerned, Cherry Hollow is Holden’s hometown, and he’s the only parent she’s ever needed. For her, it’s a happy place because it’s where he found her. She seems to love this town as much as I do, and I know we’ll never leave it. This place will be our home forever.
The sky is darkening to a deep navy, and fireflies start to skitter over the lake—putting on a light show just for us. I glance at Isabelle, smiling as she watches in delight. We get fireflies out here all the time, but it doesn’t stop her from getting excited. Her lips part, eyes wide as the fireflies dance, and my heart thumps as I look at her.
My beautiful wife.
She senses my gaze and faces me, the air humming with electricity as I reach out to touch her cheek. A familiar desire courses through me, hot and heavy, impossible to resist.
“You’re so fucking pretty.” My voice is a growl of need, and I reach for her hand, pressing it against the hard bulge in my jeans. “Look at what you’re doing to me, Pixie.”
Isabelle bites her lip, shuddering against me. Then she grabs my free hand and pushes it between her thighs, her wetness coating my fingers.
“Fuck,” I groan, my cock twitching. “You’re not wearing any panties?”
