Page 24 of My Mountain Man Valentine
I scratch the stubble that I’ve been too lazy to shave off since Lucy. When she puts it like that, it sounds lame.
“What happened to the guy who had sworn off women?”
I shrug. “I met Lucy.”
“Then why don’t you go to her?”
Suzie makes it sound so simple. But when your heart’s been hurt before, when you’ve been betrayed by one person, how do you make yourself vulnerable to someone else?
“I don’t know if I can be in a relationship,” I say truthfully. “When my ex cheated on me, I swore that was it. No more women for me. I was better off on my own, and I believed that until two weeks ago. Now I’ve found someone I want to be with, but what if I can’t?”
Suzie nods slowly and sips her tea. She knows about betrayal and forgiveness, and I hope I’m not bringing up old wounds, but she’s the one person whose advice I trust.
“How did you forgive Jack? How did you let him in?”
She sips her tea and takes a while to answer. “It wasn’t easy. I fought my feelings for a long time. But ultimately, the thought of not letting him in was too bleak.”
I consider her words. And I know she’s right. Lucy might not feel like I do. It might be hard for me to let her in completely. But if I don’t try, then I lose her completely.
I hate that my ex-wife has left me so uncertain, but I don’t want to let her win. I want to give love another chance. I want to put myself out there and make myself vulnerable. I need to tell Lucy how I feel even if she shoots me down. Because if I don’t take this chance with Lucy, I can’t bear to spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have found happiness with her.
I push the chair back so abruptly it falls to the floor with a clatter. “Thanks Suzie.”
She looks at me wide-eyed as I bolt for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“You need to call in Alex to cover my shift. I’m going to get my woman.”
14
LUCY
Cassie leans against the doorframe of my classroom and peers in at me, her face a picture of concern. Her wispy skirt billows in the wind, and she keeps a hand protectively over her baby bump. The other arm wraps around Olivia’s shoulders as the girl leans against her side.
It’s been two weeks since Olivia sparked a mountain search, and she hasn’t stopped clinging to her stepmom since.
“You sure you don’t want to come over? Nick’s cooking ribs. We can throw extra on for you.”
I shake my head and try to put on a bright smile that my friend sees right through. “I’m fine. I’ve got grading to catch up on.”
“It’s Friday night, Lu. You can’t mope about that big mountain man forever.”
“I’m not moping,” I say defensively.
“You are,” pipes up Olivia. “You haven’t been as smiley since you sprained your ankle. If you like a boy, you should tell him.”
Great, now I’m getting advice from a nine year old.
“No,” says Cassie, giving her stepdaughter a pointed look. “If you like a boy, you should tell your mom.”
The sound of kids laughing in the playground has Cassie glancing outside. It’s been five minutes since school ended for the day, and the playground is full of excited kids and parents corralling them to their cars. Something catches her attention, and she frowns. “What did you say your mountain man looks like again?”
“He’s not my mountain man.” I regret telling Cassie about what happened with Ethan. She’s convinced that I should go back to Hope and track him down. But she’s been a hopeless romantic ever since she breezed into town a few years ago and Nick convinced her to stay.
“Is he tall and broad with short blond hair?”
She’s basically describing Ethan. “How did you know?”
