Page 17 of Kissing My Mountain Man

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he says.

I glance over at Bellamy. She gives me an attempt at a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“I’ve been so eager to hear about your adventure,” Professor Emerson says, drawing my attention back to him.

I follow him into his office. “It was quite an experience.”

“Did you find out anything new?” He waves his hand to the chair in front of his desk for me to take a seat.

I place my bag on the floor and look down at it. The box with the lost journal and tintype photo is tucked inside, ready to be revealed, but I can’t do it. Glancing up at Professor Emerson, I find him staring at me expectantly.

“Only some trinkets, but nothing worth mentioning. Clara Bishop is still the open book that history knows her to be.”

He frowns and leans back in his chair. “Ah, well, that’s disappointing. I must admit that I thought if anyone could unearth any hidden secrets lurking up on that mountain, it would be you.”

I force a smile at him.

If he only knew.

We talk for a few more minutes, and I let him know I’ll have my notes typed and sent to him by the end of the week. Then he gets a call and has to cut the meeting short. I leave his office, waiting for the dread of disappointment that I didn’t tell him the truth to hit me, but it never comes.

It seems that when I was finally able to set aside my ambitions, I could see what Denny and Bellamy saw all along. It’ll be enough that I know the truth. Clara and John’s love will continue on, even after they’ve been long gone over a century.

Bellamy had to get to class, so the hallway was empty when I walked out. She’ll want to talk later, but the only person I want to talk to right now is Denny. I need to apologize to him for the way I left. He was right about everything. He taught me more than I could’ve hoped. I’ve been so driven that the tunnel vision blinded me to what was right in front of me—love.

One day with him wasn’t enough. It’ll never be enough. I want to have everything with him. Love doesn’t have set rules for how long it takes to fall for someone. And our short time on the mountain was all it took for him to win my heart.

I run down the stairs and out the front doors. The sun is bright, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden blast of light. But a moment is all it takes for me to miss the bottom step, I roll my ankle in my attempt to right myself, but I still fall towards the concrete sidewalk. Just before I even hit the ground, two strong arms wrap around me before impact.

I’m about to thank my savior when I turn and see Denny holding me in his arms.

“Are you okay?” he asks, concern creasing his brow.

I nod. “I was coming to you.”

“You were?” He smiles. “I wasn’t sure if I showed up here that you’d want to see me.”

“I was wrong. Nobody needs to know about John and Clara, especially my professor. You’re right. Some things need to be left as they are. I’ve just been on this path for so long that I forgot what’s really important.”

Denny helps me back up to my feet, but he doesn’t let me go. “Clara would be proud of you.”

“I’m not so sure she’d be proud about the way I spoke to you and walked away like that. Please forgive me.”

“I’m sorry too. I could’ve found a better way to express how I thought the secret should be handled and not given you judgment. But the one good thing that came out of our fight is that now that it’s over, we can make up.”

He leans down and kisses me with everything inside of him. I feel it in the way he holds me close like he’s never going to let me go.

“I finally know how Clara felt when she found her mountain man.”

“How’s that?” Denny smiles.

“Filled with love.”

“That makes two of us.”

Epilogue

LANDRY

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