Her Older Mountain Man - Page 5

“I did, yeah.” I scroll through and show him the wildlife that I captured, stopping before I get to the shirtless shots of his buff body.

“Oh, I see you found Sonny,” he says, pointing to my picture of the marmot.

I stare at him blankly. “Sonny?”

“Sonny and Cher are the marmots,” Owen explains. I push the button and show him the dusty brown bird. “And that’s Clive. He’s a grouse.”

“A grouse?” I ask.

“Yup,” he says. “There he is now.”

He points, and sure enough, a few yards away, there’s Clive, pecking at the ground as he casually saunters by.

His finger moves to show me a couple of birds chattering in a tree. “And there are George and Martha. They’re pygmy nuthatches.”

Just then, Sonny and Cher warily approach the porch.

“Hey guys,” Owen says warmly. “Good to see you.”

“Do you give them treats?” I whisper. I don’t want to startle them.

“Nope,” he replies. “I take care of the land, and that’s how they get what they need.”

I slowly raise my camera, careful not to make any sudden moves, and snap some pictures of the two marmots. They scamper off not long after that, and we get more visitors. Two chipmunks named Sam and Diane. A tanager he calls Queen Elizabeth. There are so many creatures, and he knows what they are, their names and their place in this wild country. It’s…incredibly charming, honestly.

“You’re like a big hairy Snow White,” I giggle as I finish snapping pictures of Queen Elizabeth as she flies away.

He shrugs with a lopsided grin. “I think it’s a good look for me.”

I lower the camera and flick through all the photos of Owen’s animal friends.

“You been a photographer for long?” he says, gesturing to my camera.

“Always,” I say. “It was my job, before…” I trail off, and instantly regret bringing it up.

“Before what?” he prompts me. His voice is gentle, but there’s iron behind it. He wants an answer.

“Before Luke’s dad fired me.” I take a deep breath and steel myself to continue. “Once I told Luke I was pregnant, they both just sort of wanted me gone.”

Owen swears under his breath. “Believe me, Colette, they’re the ones who fucked up. You’re going to be a fantastic mother.”

I stare off into the forest, unable to meet his eyes. Providing for my baby and being a good parent is the thing I want most in the whole world. “You think?”

He catches my chin in his warm fingers and pulls me closer to look at him again. “I know you will be.”

I feel the tears well up in my eyes. “Please tell me you aren’t just saying that.”

The tears spill out, and for the second time in as many days, he wipes my tears away. Patiently, kindly, and without judgment.

“I can see into you, Colette,” he says. “You’re so warm and kind and lovely, and I’m so glad I met you.”

I sniffle and give him a watery smile as I place one shaking hand on his bearded cheek. “I’m glad I met you too,” I tell him. “It feels so good to be with you. Something about you just makes me feel like—like I’m home.”

His bright green eyes are luminous as they stare into mine, and his hand shapes the side of my face as I lean in closer. My eyes flutter closed as he bridges the remaining distance between us and presses his lips to mine, soft and warm. His tongue flickers against the seam of my mouth, requesting—not demanding—entry, and I grant it willingly. Our tongues twine together as we sit in the golden late-day sunlight, thick and syrupy as it splashes through the towering trees and warms our skin. I’m warm and safe and cherished here, and I know that it’s not just because he was the first person to show me some kindness—it’shim.

Our kiss ends, and I just sit there, wrapped in his arms, breathing him in and savoring our closeness.

I knew when I came up here that Luke sent me here to lose me, because I had nowhere else to go. I didn’t think—not for a second—that when I got here, I might also be found.