to sit down and relax for a few minutes before they get here,’ Axel tells me.
Earlier today, he got the call from Cash that he needed to talk to him. Also, he said that Hope would like to get to know me. Of course, I insisted they come over for dinner tonight.
Ever since, I’ve been running around making sure the house is clean and working on dinner. Over the last few weeks, I’ve talked with Hope, but this will really be my first chance to get to know her and you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
‘Tonight has to go well for many reasons. So after they leave, I will relax. Deal?’ I try negotiating, but I get the look that means that’s not what he wants, but he’ll go with it anyway.
‘If Cash is bringing this girl to officially meet us, then he’s really serious. And you know what that means? She could be joining our little group, and I want to make a good first impression.’
Axel just sighs because he knows it’s important to me. While I love our life on the mountain, the one thing that I don’t like is how hard it is to make friends. But not just any friends, but friends that understand this lifestyle.
When Phoenix and Jenna got married, Jenna and I bonded. We’re both up on the mountain and we know what it’s like to be married to a mountain man. Also, Whiskey River is a small town. Neither of us is from here, we’re both from bigger cities. She’s from Denver and I’m from Billings. Because we have so much in common, we’ve clicked.
I really want Hope to feel comfortable and fit in with us. If she’s it for Cash, I’d love to add another woman to our group.
Plus, if Cash is coming all the way out here to talk to Axel, whatever he has to talk about has to be serious. Otherwise, he would have just used the radio.
‘Are you going to watch me get dressed?’ I throw him a wink before I head down the hallway to our room.
Without even looking, I know he’s following me. Though Axel would not miss a moment with me, he especially loves watching me get dressed. Personally, I think he just likes the unobstructed view of my body.
As I start stripping off my clothes, there’s a knock on the door. A quick glance at the clock shows it’s later than I expected.
‘Looks like you’re going to have to wait until after they leave,’ I tell Axel.
After adjusting himself, he leaves to answer the door while I quickly change my clothes.
By the time I’m dressed and have joined them in the living room, Cash is sitting on the love seat with Hope pressed to his side. Axel sitting on the couch, and I go right to him, knowing he’s going to want me right there.
‘Hope, I’m so happy you’re here tonight. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.’
When Hope wants to know my story and how we met, and how I ended up here on the mountain, Axel tells her how my ex-boyfriend abandoned me in the woods. Then I stumbled upon Axel. I know he hates the story because it could have ended up so much differently and not had such a nice ending. But it is our story, and I wouldn’t change it because it led me here to him.
Once dinner’s ready and we’re sitting at the table, Axel and Cash take over the conversation.
‘I’m assuming there’s a problem if you want to come all the way out here to talk.’ My husband says, getting right to the point
Cash finishes chewing his food before answering.
‘A few days ago, I found footprints in the tree line by the house. I followed them down to the road and they disappeared into a car. My brother has a bunch of cameras and hunting cameras that he’s had mounted on the property at one point or another, so I put up several of them around where I found the footprints.’ He stops and looks over at Hope and takes her hand before continuing.
‘Then this morning Hope woke me up saying she felt like someone was watching her. Sure enough, when I go outside there are more footprints, fresh ones. I pulled up the camera feeds and caught someone, but we couldn’t get it clear face, but it was definitely a male.’ Then he pulls out a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket and hands it to Axel.
After Axel looks at the picture, he shows it to me. The man in the sweatshirt is definitely not someone that lives up on the mountain. But not anyone that either of us recognizes.
‘Any idea what he’s doing there? Obviously, it’s not some lost hiker,’ Axel says.
‘No, and it’s not anyone we know,’ Cash says.
‘What do you need from us?’ Axel asks.
While I know this is a serious topic, it warms my heart to hear Axel refer to us versus saying himself. Especially out here on the mountain, we’re a team and work together no matter what and that means a lot to me.
‘Well, I want you guys to be careful up on the mountain. I plan on letting Phoenix and Bennett know as well. Since I don’t know if I’m a target or if any of you are as well, I wanted you to be aware in case anything was to happen.’
‘You know all of us will be there if you need anything. Drop everything to come and help,’ Axel tells him.
It warms my heart that these men would drop everything to help each other. But we are the closest to Cash, so if he were to need anything, we’d probably get the call first. I also know exactly what my husband is thinking, and he confirms it a moment later when he turns to me.
‘No more going out alone, little one. Not until we know what’s going on with this.’
‘That just means you have to come berry picking with me tomorrow.’ I smile at him and he just nods.
I know he’s serious about my safety and if he doesn’t want me out alone, I won’t be. But I also know that he will change his plans, so I don’t have to change mine. Anyway, he knows I would rather him come with me to go berry picking because it goes faster with his help. And, of course, it’s always more fun with someone else.
After we finish eating, the guys keep talking. so I pull Hope into the living room and sit on the couch.
‘So how did you end up here in Whiskey River? You’re not from here, right?’ I ask.
She nods. ‘Long story short, my mom was a druggie and dated druggies so as soon as I graduated high school I moved into my car and traveled around for a bit. After doing some classes online to become a freelance editor, I saw a brochure for Whiskey River and decided to check it out. I fell in love with it, rented a place here in town and have been here ever since. Now it’s been a little over six months since I moved in.’
‘So, you moved here at the tail end of winter and then you still loved the place?’
‘Yeah, I’m excited to see what winter is actually like here. Even more so, up on the mountain.’
This makes me smile because without realizing it, she admitted she has plans of sticking around and being with Cash for a while. Also, it makes me happy that he won’t be alone this winter.
Then we talk about her work and the books she edits. I can tell she loves her job because she’s always smiling when she’s talking about this author or that author.
She asks me more questions about how I met Axel, and we get lost talking and giggling. Before I know it, the guys are coming back into the living room and in one movement Axel has his hands on my waist, lifts me and plops me right back down in his lap, wrapping his arms securely around me.
Cash does the same move to Hope. Watching her melt into him, I know that these two are just meant to be. Though it might take them a little time to get there, I know they will.
‘I love hearing you giggle in here, little one,’ Axel whispers in my ear.
When a huge smile covers Hope’s face, I wonder if Cash told her the same thing.
For a little while longer, we sit and talk. It’s not often we have visitors out here, so I enjoy it. But Cash and Hope decide to head home not too long after.
Before she leaves, Hope and I make plans to have lunch together the next time the guys are at the shop. Then we say our goodbyes and they head out. As I start to go to the kitchen to clean up, Axel picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, carrying me to the bedroom.
‘You promised you would relax after they left. Lie down and read while I clean up the kitchen. I’ll join you in a few minutes.’ Handing me my book off the nightstand, he then leaves the room before I can argue.
Doing as he asks, I start to read, but I can’t really concentrate on the words on the paper in front of me. Instead, I keep thinking about the guy in the picture that Cash showed us.
When Axel enters the bedroom, I ask the question that’s been worrying me about the man on the property. ‘How serious is it?’ I don’t have to elaborate. My giant knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Climbing into bed, he wraps his arms around me.
Climbing into bed, he wraps his arms around me. ‘I don’t know, little one, it could be nothing, but we don’t know yet.’ Even though he’s trying to stay positive, I like that he doesn’t flat out lie to me about it.
Since I know that if he continues to fixate on it this all night, it’s where his mind will be. So it’s time for me to give him a distraction.
‘You know we’ve still got about an hour of daylight, and it was a really warm day today.’
‘Yes, we do, and yes, it was.’ I can hear the smile in his voice without even looking at him. He knows exactly where my mind is.
‘In that case, I think you should take me to the river, my giant.’
