Page 9 of The Mountain Man's Curvy Christmas Treat
"I love you," I say before I lose my courage. "I know it's crazy and too fast, but I love you, Colt Murphy. And I'm not going to let you push me away because you're scared."
He stares at me like I've just spoken a foreign language. "You can't love me. You barely know me."
"I know enough. I know you're kind and protective and gentle. I know you make incredible coffee and that you gave up everything that brought you joy because you didn't think you deserved it anymore."
The sound of engines grows closer.
"I know you're worth saving," I finish. "The question is: do you want to be saved?"
He cups my face in his hands, his eyes searching mine. "You terrify me."
"Good. Maybe it's time you took a leap of faith."
The first rescue vehicle rounds the bend, followed by others. Our time is up.
"Choose," I whisper as the vehicles pull into his driveway. "Choose me. Choose us. Choose to live again."
But before he can answer, the world intrudes, and everything changes.
6
Colt
The rescue vehicles pull into my driveway just as Ivy whispers "Choose," and I realize I already have.
I've chosen her from the moment she showed up at my door with snow in her hair and Christmas cookies from my mother. I've chosen her every second since, even when I was too scared to admit it.
Fire Chief Cal MacAlpin climbs out of the lead vehicle, followed by two paramedics and Lottie from the bakery. Ivy's boss looks frantic, her face pale with worry.
"Ivy!" Lottie calls out, rushing toward the cabin. "Oh thank God, you're safe! The Chief here found your vehicle and we thought the worst!"
"I'm fine," Ivy assures her, but I can see the way she's watching me, waiting for my answer to her ultimatum.
"We need to check you both over," one of the paramedics says. "Make sure there are no injuries from the crash."
"I'm fine," I say roughly. "Check her."
Cal approaches while the paramedic examines Ivy. "Colt. Looks like you've been taking care of Lottie’s new girl here."
Our girl. The possessiveness that surges through me at those words is immediate and fierce.
"She's not hurt," I tell him. "The crash wasn't bad, just got stuck in the snow."
"Lucky thing she found your place." Cal's studying me with those sharp eyes of his. “I found the van on a routine drive and called the bakery. Lottie has been worried sick."
Guilt twists in my gut. While I was falling for Ivy, people in town were worrying about her. Because of me. I should have called someone to let her know she was ok.
"We should get her back to town," I say, stepping away from where Ivy's being examined.
But Ivy's having none of it. She finishes with the paramedic and marches straight over to me, ignoring the audience we have.
"Don't you dare," she says, poking me in the chest. "Don't you dare use their concern as an excuse to push me away."
"Ivy," I warn, aware of all the eyes on us.
"No. I meant what I said in there." Her voice carries across the snowy yard, and I see Lottie and Cal exchange glances. "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. So you can either come down to town with me and let me show you what it's like to be part of something bigger than your own pain, or you can stay up here and spend the rest of your life wondering what if."
The silence that follows is deafening. Everyone's staring at us—Cal, Lottie, the paramedics. Waiting to see what the hermit will do.
