Page 29 of Trusting the Grumpy Mountain Man
"And now?" She squeezes my hand.
"Now he's a blacksmith. Metalworker." I can't keep the pride from my voice. "Got out of the club life, taught himself a trade. Makes custom pieces that sell for thousands to rich folks in Reno."
"That's amazing." She sounds genuinely impressed. "Self-taught?"
"Community college welding classes eventually. But yeah, mostly learned by doing." I smile, thinking of Colt's workshop, the intricate beauty he creates from raw metal. "He teaches classes for kids now too. Shows them how to make things with their hands."
"So he found his way despite the system."
"Because he's stubborn as hell." I run my thumb over her knuckles. "But he could have been so much more, so much sooner, if someone had believed in him. Seen past the anger to what was underneath."
Understanding dawns in her eyes. "That's what this program is about. Seeing past the surface."
"Every kid here reminds me of him." I admit what I've never said aloud to anyone. "Darius especially. All that anger, hiding fear. All that potential buried under labels slapped on by people who never took the time to really see him."
"You're trying to give them what Colt never had." It's not a question.
"A chance. Just a real chance." I meet her gaze. "These kids aren't broken. They're survivors. They just need someone to show them how to channel that strength."
"The sheriff in town still sees him as trouble," I add, remembering Riley's interaction with the kids on her first day. "Sees the tattoos and the motorcycle and makes assumptions. Doesn't matter that Colt hasn't been in trouble for over a decade."
"That must be frustrating for both of you."
"More for him than me. I've got my reputation in town. Colt still fights his past every day." I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "We don't talk as much as we should. My fault as much as his. Too many years of me trying to be the responsible one, him resenting being taken care of."
"Have you told him about the program?" Riley asks.
"He knows about it. Helped build some of the structures, actually." I smile at the memory of working alongside him last summer. "But we don't talk about why I started it. Some things are still too raw."
"Thank you for telling me." She rises, coming around the table to stand beside me. "For trusting me with this."
I pull her onto my lap, needing her closeness after opening old wounds. "You deserved to know what drives this place. Who drives me."
"It makes even more sense now." She wraps her arms around my neck. "Why you fight so hard for these kids. Why regulations from people who never meet them frustrate you so much."
"Now you see why your report matters so much." I trace her cheekbone with my thumb. "These kids need this chance. For some of them, it's the only one they'll get."
"I won't let them down." The determination in her voice leaves no room for doubt. "I won't let you down either."
In that moment, looking into her eyes, I believe her completely. Whatever happens with her report, with the department, with us, I know she understands what matters now. She sees the heart of what we do here, not just the structure around it.
I kiss her then, pouring everything I can't yet say into the contact. She responds with equal fervor, her body melting against mine as the kiss deepens into something more urgent, more necessary.
Words can wait. Tonight is for showing rather than telling. For connection that transcends the barriers between her world and mine.
As I carry her to the bedroom, I realize I've never felt more at home in this cabin than with her in it. Never felt more certain of my path than with her walking beside me.
The kids have Jesse. The program is running smoothly. Tonight belongs to us, to exploring this connection that defies all my expectations.
Tonight, I'll show her exactly what she means to me. And maybe, if I'm brave enough, I'll find the words to tell her too.
CHAPTER EIGHT
RILEY
"Your preliminary report is completely unacceptable, Riley."
Margaret's voice slices through the phone connection, cold and sharp. I've stepped outside the admin cabin to take her call, the morning sun doing nothing to warm the chill spreading through me.
