Page 21 of Harvested By The Mountain Man
♥♥♥
The scent of roasted chicken and herbs still lingers in the air long after we’ve finished dinner. Levi made no fuss about it. He simply pulled a ready meal from the freezer, heated it in the oven, and set it on the table with quiet ease. Somehow, the simple act of eating together at his wide wooden table felt likethe most normal thing in the world, even though nothing about today has been normal.
Now, steam fogs the bathroom mirror as I towel Ivy’s hair dry. She chatters about her new room and how she wants to build the fort Levi promised tomorrow. I smile and nod in all the right places, grateful she still feels safe enough to dream.
Once she’s warm in her pajamas, rabbit tucked under her arm, Levi knocks softly at the bathroom door.
“Ready to tuck her in?” he asks, voice low.
Together, we walk her down the hall. She climbs into bed, pulling the quilt to her chin. Levi adds her favorite blanket while I brush a kiss across her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Ivy-girl,” I whisper.
“Night, Mommy. Night, Levi,” she murmurs, eyes already drooping.
“Night, kiddo,” he says, his voice gentler than I’ve ever heard it.
We ease the door shut and return to the main room downstairs, where the fire crackles low in the hearth. I sink onto the couch, exhaustion pressing at me from all sides. Levi settles beside me, not too close, not too far, just present. The flames paint his profile in gold and shadow.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice unsteady. “For today. For all of this. Your support really helped.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t have to thank me, Hannah. Protecting you … protecting her, it isn’t a burden. It’s something I want.”
The words crack something open inside me. The tears I’ve been holding back slip free, hot and sudden. I press my palms to my eyes, but it’s no use.
“I hate that Jake still has this power over us,” I whisper. “He left us, and now he shows up like he gets to decide again. Itisn’t fair. I can’t deal with him and whatever he’s planning, Levi. I can’t.”
He shifts closer, his hand finding mine, strong and reassuring. “His plans won’t go anywhere. Not while I’m breathing.”
I turn toward him, and in the firelight his eyes are fierce yet unbearably tender. The world narrows until it’s just him, the warmth of his hand, the certainty in his voice.
Before I can think better of it, I lean in. He meets me halfway, his lips warm against mine. The kiss is soft at first, then deepens when I don’t pull away. His thumb brushes a tear from my cheek, and the taste of salt lingers between us.
When we finally part, I rest my forehead against his strong shoulder, breath shaky. For the first time since Jake appeared, the fear eases … just a little. I hope and trust Levi’s right.
Chapter 19
Levi
The hot water pounds across my shoulders, steam filling the bath until the mirrors fogs over. It does nothing to wash away the tight feeling knotting inside me. I brace both hands on the tiled wall, letting the heat soak into me, willing it to chase the worry out of my bones.
They’re here. Under my roof. Safe for tonight. That truth steadies me more than I expected, but it doesn’t erase the image of Jake’s smug face at the school, or the way Hannah’s voice cracked with fear that something bad would happen with Jake.
Not on my watch.
I close my eyes, water coursing down my neck. Hannah and Ivy belong here now … at least until this situation fully resolves. I’ll make sure of it. Tomorrow, I’ll take Ivy to school myself, stand right there until she’s through the doors. Hannah too. I’ll drive her to work and pick her up when the day is done.No room for Jake to sneak back in, no cracks in the armor I’m building around them.
Still, part of me knows this isn’t just about protection anymore. Tonight, tucking Ivy in beside Hannah, hearing her tiny voice say goodnight – it branded something deep in me. And Hannah… the way she kissed me by the fire, tears still wet on her cheeks, leaning into me like she finally let herself believe someone could carry the weight with her.
I shouldn’t be thinking this way. It’s too fast, too much. But every instinct I have is pulling me closer, tying me to them both in a way I don’t want to untangle.
By the time I shut off the water and towel off, my decision is clear. Tomorrow won’t be left to chance. I’ll keep Hannah and Ivy close … closer than Jake could ever get. And if he tries again, he’ll learn the hard way that he’s not the only man in their lives anymore.
I pull on a pair of boxers, rake a hand through my damp hair, and step into the hallway. The house is quiet except for the pop and crackle of the fire dying down. I make a slow circuit of the cabin, checking the locks on the front door. I make sure the kitchen window is latched, along with the back door. Everything is secure, but still I don’t let my guard down. Jake could be a damn sociopath … or psychopath. I won’t even pretend that he couldn’t have already figured out who I am and where I live.
Information is easy to obtain on anyone nowadays.
Tomorrow, I’ll have a conversation with the Sheriff and find out everything I can on this crazy motherfucker. That’s what I need to do … turn the tables on him so he’s hunted instead of him hunting Hannah and Ivy.
Back in my room, I lie down, staring at the ceiling beams. Sleep won’t come. Every time I close my eyes, I see Hannah’s tear-streaked face by the fire, the tremor in her voice, the wayshe kissed me like I was the only thing holding her together. I toss once, twice, then finally swing my legs out of bed with a muttered curse. I need to check on them. Just once more.
