Page 25 of Mountain Man Tempted

“I haven’t had a chance to ask her,” Holt muttered. He held out the ring and I slipped it on my finger. “Calla, will you please say you’ll be mine forever? Will you marry me?”

“Us,” Lane added. “You said she was marrying both of us, Dad.”

“You’re right, bud.” He looked up at me, his heart mine for the taking. “Will you marry us?”

“Yes.” I hugged Lane first before I tugged Holt to his feet. Then I leaned in and kissed him soft and slow, like it wasn’t just yes, but absolutely and finally and always.

When I pulled back, we stood there for a long moment, watching our chaos unfold. A goat wearing a bandana trotted past. Someone had gotten into the bubble machine. A counselor blew a whistle and called for backup.

Holt exhaled slowly. "You sure about this?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

He turned and kissed my temple. "Then we’re just getting started."

I thought about the first day I met him, back when he was gruff and guarded, all walls and protective instinct. Then I thought about the day he came to my grandparents' porch with a box full of dinosaurs and a little boy who wanted me to come home. He never needed fancy words. I could always tell how he felt though his actions. His quiet, unwavering love was the most simple and grandest gesture of all.

I slipped the permit into my pocket and turned back to him. He was still watching me, his brow furrowed, like he wasn’t sure if what he’d done was enough. It was more than enough.

“You really think we can do it?” I asked. “Build all this?”

He didn’t hesitate. “We already are.”

I leaned in, palms pressed to his chest. “You know this means I’m never leaving, right?”

His mouth curved into the rare kind of smile that made me feel like the sun came out just for me. “Good,” he said. “Because I’ve got plans.”

“Oh yeah?”

He leaned down, his voice low and rough against my ear. “You, me, and a porch swing with no kids, no goats, and absolutely no pants.”

I burst out laughing.

From behind us, Lane yelled, “No more kissing in front of the campers, Mom.”

I grinned up at Holt, my heart overflowing. “Better hurry up and build that swing, mountain man.”

His eyes heated. “I already started. It’s almost done.”

Then he ignored Lane’s warning and kissed me anyway. It was slow and sure and full of every promise he was still trying to figure out how to say out loud. We might be a work in progress, but we were working on it. One step at a time. Together.