Page 3 of Courage of the Mountain
“Thank you for catching me,” the stunning woman in front of me says. “I was sure I was going to break an arm or leg, which would make running this store a bit difficult.”
She tears her eyes away from me, leaving me cold and almost agitated now that her focus isn’t on me. Why am I so awkward right now? I’m having trouble processing the fact that my best friend’s little sister is the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Are you okay?” I ask, finally finding my voice. “That was a long fall. You could have gotten seriously hurt.” The more I think about it, the more upset I become. Not at Lily, but at the situation in general. I’ve never had such an overwhelming need to protect someone, and I’m not sure how I feel about that person being Lily.
“I’m fine. I mean, I had a happy ending, right?” I blink at her choice of words, watching a deep red blush bloom across her cheeks when she realizes what she said. “Oh my god, not like… not, um… wow, I just meant I’m okay.”
A smile curls up one side of my lips at her flustered words. She’s definitely adorable. How she can be irresistibly sexy and heart-meltingly cute at the same time is a mystery. One that I absolutely cannot investigate further.
“Good. I’m glad I was here,” I tell her with a smile.
“So, how long are you in town for?”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” I tease.
Lily shakes her head no. “Not at all. I’m so happy to see you.” Her voice is so sincere, it catches me off guard. My chest does that funny thing again, where I feel like she’s somehow stolen a piece of me. “I’ve thought about you over the years,” Lily adds.
“Oh, yeah? You remembered me all this time?” I shouldn’t be flirting with Hayden’s little sister. I sure as hell shouldn’t enjoy making her blush.
Her blue eyes drop from my face to my chest, trailing over my arms and down my torso. Jesus, I swear I can feel her gaze every-fucking-where, as if she’s teasing me with the tips of her fingers.
“I definitely remember you,” she whispers before swallowing thickly.
I don’t think she meant to say it out loud, much like her comment about being in heaven. It’s endearing and, honestly, kind of charming. I won’t ever have to guess what’s on her mind.
Lily shakes her head as if forcibly removing her inappropriate thoughts. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part. I’m ten years older than she is. I’m sure she already has a boyfriend her own age. Fuck, I don’t want to think about her with another man. I’m not a possessive person, but with Lily…
“So, are you in Hope Mountain on leave from the Army?” she asks.
“Actually, I’m back for good. Just moved here last week.”
“Really?!” The spark of excitement in her eyes makes me feel some kind of way. I can’t remember the last time someone was so happy to have me around. Lily is looking at me like I just gave her the best gift in the world.
Slow down, I tell myself. Where are these crazy, obsessive thoughts coming from?
“Really,” I confirm. “I’ve been staying at Willow Tree Inn with Sullivan and his woman, Gabby.”
“Oh, my gosh! Aren’t they the cutest? Sullivan loves her so much.” Lily sighs and stares off into the distance. A small smile plays on her lips, but it’s more sad than joyful. Without her saying a word, I can tell she desperately wants what they have. Why do I have a sudden and urgent need to be the one to give it to her?
“Yeah, they seem really happy. Like they can’t keep their eyes off each other.” I capture Lily’s gaze, unable to look away. The moment stretches on and on in my mind, but in reality, only a few seconds have passed. Time seems to slow down when I’m around her.
“So, are you looking for a place here in town? Or maybe you want to join Cutter further up the mountain?”
“I actually just signed the papers on a new place yesterday. I came in here for a cookbook. I’m afraid my time in the military didn’t teach me how to make a proper meal, and I can’t be eating MREs for the rest of my life.”
“I can’t believe you’ll be back in town. That’s great news.” She looks away from me, but I can see the smile she’s trying to suppress. Is she really this happy to have me back? I didn’t think I made that much of an impression on her.
“So, is your brother here? We talked a few weeks ago, but he told me he would be out on a security job for a while and hard to reach.”
Lily’s shoulders drop slightly, her blue eyes dimming ever so much. I don’t think anyone else would notice, but I can’t seem to help myself from studying everything about her.
“He stopped by for one day last week, but then he was off to Arizona for another freelance job. It keeps him busy, which I think is something he needs right now.”
I nod, wanting her to tell me more. What she doesn’t say is that while he needs his space, she needs her brother. I don’t know how I know that, but I feel it in the very depths of my soul.
“Is he working a lot?”
“Yeah,” she says with a sigh. “I mean, it’s good. I’m glad he has work to do, and Hayden seems to enjoy it. Well, as much as he enjoys anything these days.”
