Page 21 of Shelter for the Mountain Man
Slipping from his arms I turn and meet his gaze. “What happens then?”
“If I get the job?”
“Or if you don’t?”
He leans against the porch railing. “What do you want to happen?”
“I asked you first.”
“If I had my choice, I’d get the deputy job. If not, I’ll find something else in town. I was a carpenter with my gramps and already plan on helping Jax with the upgrade to his cabin.
“I want to spend every hour I can right here with you. Helping with the stock and anything else you’ll let me do.” He raises an eyebrow. “Fawn, I’m not the guy who hops into bed just to get off. I have to feel something. I need to care.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” He stiffens and steps back. “I—I thought you did too. Was I wrong? Was this something real and meaningful, or was I just an opportunity?”
He’s hurt, doubting. “It is for me, too. I’m not good at this. Like I told you I have no experience. I’m—I’m a little scared. I don’t know what comes next or how to proceed.”
Taking my hand in his, he steps closer. “Then we’re both scared. We take our time and get to know more about each other.
“I need to be able to pull my own weight. I’ve got a place in town and if I get the deputy job I’ll have a few months of training, then I’ll be working three or four day shifts. I’d like to spend as much time as possible with you. Let us really get to know each other. I’d like to come here and help, spend time with you, take you on some dates. Hell, I even want to learn how to sheer the sheep.
“We both need to take it slow. But this feels more right than anything has in a long time.”
“It’s what I want, too.”
He pulls me in for a kiss then leans his forehead against mine. “Let’s take care of the animals. We can plow later.”
While I cook breakfast he talks with Jax explaining what he saw, the shooting, and that his injuries are, in his words, minor.Jax agrees to contact the sheriff and relay the information. Once he’s plowed a path at his cabin, he’ll be over to help clear my road. He insists we need to be able to get out if we need to.
Spade volunteers to take care of the excessive snow on the roof, while I plow the yard and start on the road. I’m a little past halfway down when Jax meets me coming up from the main road. When we’ve finished, he follows me up to the house. He and Spade give each other the clasped-hand bro hug I’ve seen other guys do.
“Come in, I just made coffee and warmed some of Fawn’s homemade biscuits. You have to try her blackberry jam,” Spade offers.
Jax smiles and winks at me. “I never turn down coffee and biscuits. Heads up, another storm is supposed to hit tonight. Not like this last one but expect a couple more inches at least.”
Between the two of them they polish off half a dozen biscuits before Jax leans back in his chair. “You need to sell that jam. In fact, I’d buy some off you right now for Maura. She’ll love it.”
“I’ll give you a couple jars for her before you leave.”
He nods at me. “I talked to the sheriff and told him I got your photos, Spade. Look for him tomorrow. He’s been trying to catch these two for months. Did you recognize them, Fawn?”
“I don’t know them but I’m sure it’s the same guys I’ve seen on the mountain before. Same plaid jackets and the ATV has an orange bumper. I’m not sure they made it off the mountain before the storm hit. If they were headed to the old mine they may be stuck there. They didn’t have snow tracks.”
He nods. “I’ll make sure the Sheriff is prepared. If I remember right, it should be manageable from here. If you don’t mind that we meet here as a command post.”
I nod. “Depending on the drifting. If they are using the old mine, they could be in rough shape. It will depend on if they had back up supplies like skis and food. If they made a drop and weresmart enough to turn right around, they may have made it out. But I didn’t hear anything when I was rescuing Spade.”
Jax shakes his head. “Fools.”
CHAPTER 13
Spade
I walk Jax to his vehicle.
He pauses in the open door. “Be careful. After she reported to the sheriff what she saw, we’ve been up to the old mine a couple times. It’s obvious there’s been activity there but never any product or anything we could use to identify someone. There have been more drug related deaths in the towns around us and heading upstate along the highway due to the drugs having lethal fentanyl cuts.
