Page 53 of Playing With The Mountain Man

The longer I stared at it through watery eyes, the more mixed emotions I was hit with. I loved Sean. I missed him. Part of me knew I always would, but for the first time I felt something else. Something I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to feel again. Hope. I had hope that maybe my life hadn’t ended. Hope that my heart hadn’t stopped beating in the same breath Sean’s had. Deep down, I knew he’d want me to be happy, no matter what that looked like, but I’d long ago given up hope that it was on the cards for me. Now I was starting to feel as though maybe the flicker hadn’t been completely extinguished.

With a heavy sigh, I set the frame down again and clicked off the lamp, rolling over and hugging my pillow to my chest.

I’d just wiped away my tears and closed my eyes when my phone beeped.

Cody: It feels weird climbing into bed without you in my arms

I read his message a dozen times, not sure how to respond. He wasn’t completely wrong in how different it felt, but I was trying not to get ahead of myself.

Cody had called when he landed in Dallas earlier, complaining about the traffic and the inconsiderate drivers. I had to admit his words made me laugh.

Tillie: Get some sleep! You’ve got a big day tomorrow. Let me know how it goes.

I replied, trying to keep things casual, even if the memories in my mind were flicking through the last few nights of warm snuggles on the couch, sexy times in the hot tub, and the feeling of his hands on my skin.

Cody: Will do! Night, gorgeous xox

With a smile, I snuggled down under the comforter and let sleep drag me under.

Morning arrived all too soon, but I woke with a spring in my step. My baby was coming home today, and I couldn’t wait. A week was a long time without your other half, and I was excited to see him.

“Morning!” I called out, breezing through the door to find Ryan already flipping switches and firing up the grill.

“You’re awfully cheery this morning,” he commented.

“It’s a beautiful day,” I replied.

“How do you know? The sun isn’t even in the sky yet!” Ryan reminded me as I turned on the coffee pot and added beans.

“It just feels like a beautiful day,” I pointed out as I started lifting chairs off the tables.

“Someone got some last night,” Ryan grumbled as he hovered over the coffee pot. It was almost comical. Everyone gave me shit for my desperate need for caffeine to function, but they weren’t much better.

“Sleep, Ryan. I got sleep last night. A full eight hours. And it was magical,” I bragged as I focused on getting everything ready to open.

“Hmmm,” he muttered. “Now you’re just showing off!”

Half an hour later, with the scent of coffee and bacon filling the air, I unlocked the door, and the first customer, grumpy old Mr. Wolens, shuffled in.

“Morning, Mr. Wolens. Your usual today?” I asked cheerily.

He flashed me his most menacing scowl, one so scary it wouldn’t even frighten a kitten, before dropping into his seat by the front window.

“Coffee. Black,” he barked.

“And to eat?”

“Bacon and eggs. Sunny side up. And make sure the bacon’s extra crispy.”

“Coming right up,” I assured him as I went to organize his breakfast.

Mr. Wolens was the town grump that everyone secretly adored. He liked to pretend he was The Grinch who ruined Christmas, but in the short time I’d been in Wattle Creek, I’d already been exposed to his softer side. He always made sure he left a generous tip when he paid his bill, cleaned up his mess, and if River was around, they’d sit together and read the comics in his crumpled newspaper. He wasn’t nearly as scary as he wished he was, but I wasn’t about to burst his bubble.

When I returned a few minutes later with his coffee, he asked where that skinny girl was.

“You mean Emmy?”

“Yeah, the skinny waitress who sings under her breath?”