9.

 

She unpacked her clothing for the second time since she had arrived on Grey Mountain, and she spent the rest of the day finding her way around the cabin and making herself at home.

It really was a charming little place. The kitchen and the living area were all in the same space, and they had big windows that looked out onto the forest beyond. It was old and rustic, and there was a real fireplace filled with logs in the main living area, and the kitchen looked like it hadn’t been replaced for around thirty years. She smirked as she looked at the cooker and the refrigerator. She was going to have a challenge when it came to trying to make anything in there.

She slumped down on the couch and pulled a wool blanket around her shoulders. She was exhausted, but she knew she had to work. She needed to get some more thoughts down, and some more ideas for posts she could actually use.

She yawned and let her head roll back as she pulled the laptop onto her knee. She tapped at the keys to make it come to life, but all she could do was sit and stare at the screen. It was going blurry in front of her, and she couldn’t think of one damned thing to note down.

“Urgh,” she said out aloud. “This sucks.”

At the same time, her stomach growled and she rested her hand on the top of it.

“When was the last time you even ate?” she asked herself as she tried to rack her brains for the answer.

It had been that morning when she had nibbled at fruit during breakfast. Since then, she had been so distracted nothing but water had passed her lips.

She got to her feet and slammed the laptop closed before she lay it down on the kitchen island and headed toward the front door. She didn’t have the energy to go shopping and cook, but she did have the energy to head down to the bar and choose something off their extensive menu.

She grabbed her purse and the keys to the cabin and then she made her way outside. It was only early, and she had a full night ahead of her… What better way to spend it…

 

When she slipped back down onto the stool in front of the bar counter, it only took Jack a couple of seconds to register it was her that had arrived. He gave her a salute and wandered over with a bar menu and set it down in front of her.

“Back again?” he asked her.

Monica nodded her head and tried not to smile too wide. She felt as if she had had a positive day, and now that she had cleared the air with Evan, she was back to feeling like her old self again.

“I sure am,” she said. “There’s only so much cabin fever I can take.”

Jack smiled at her.

“Cabin fever… I see what you’ve done there,” he winked.

She couldn’t help but grin, he had obviously heard about her new accommodation.

“Has Evan been in here by any chance?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Maybe,” Jack teased. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

She felt her heart pick up pace a little and she shifted in her chair. She would be lying to herself if she tried to say she hadn’t been hoping to see him when she had come down to the bar. She had done nothing but think of him all day, and she was eager to see him again.

She flipped open the menu and scanned down the lists and lists of delicious looking food. Her stomach was going wild, and she felt as if she could eat everything in sight, but her eyes settled on the pasta and her mouth started to water.

“Carbs,” she nodded her head. “They are clearly needed.”

She closed the menu and Jack wandered back over.

“What can I get you? A mountain mojito?” he joked.

“No chance!” she laughed. “I’m never touching one of those again.”

“Shame,” the voice cut in from behind her, and a tingle ran up her spine. She didn’t need to turn around to know who was standing there and it made her heart pound hard in her chest.

It was him.

Evan.
She smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before she demurely looked over her shoulder.

“Oh, look who is it,” she teased.

Evan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her as if he wanted to tell her off, and it made her pussy throb a little. He had such a way of staring at her that it made her melt.

He stepped forward and pulled out a stool and sat down next to her, and suddenly, she had an epic case of déjà vu.

“What a nice surprise,” he said cockily as he ran a big hand through his hair and smiled across at her.

“I think you’re following me,” she said jokingly.

He smirked and reached for his own menu and started to flip through the pages.

Monica sat there trying not to fidget or look in his direction. How had it come to be that she had run into him twice in one day? It was as if they were both looking for each other but neither would admit it.

“So?” Jack asked as he tapped the closed menu in front of her.

“Okay,” she smiled. “I’ll have a GLASS of red… Just one glass. And an arrabiata.”

“Very brave,” Evan chipped in. “I can only assume you’ve never had that from here before?”

“Obviously not,” she retorted.

“It’ll blow your face off,” he said as he closed his own menu and slid it back toward Jack. “A big juicy T-Bone,” he said. “Rare and bloody.”

Monica winced. She loved steak, but she would never be able to eat one like that. The thought was completely terrifying, but she supposed that Evan was as masculine as they came.

Jack disappeared toward the kitchen and Monica suddenly felt the silence between her and Evan. She had been completely at ease with him, and she enjoyed his company, but because she hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, and the fact they were sitting in the exact same places as they had been the night they met, suddenly she was feeling nervous.

“How do you like the cabin?” Evan broke the ice.

She looked up at him and was sure he would be able to tell how grateful she was.

“It’s cute,” she said. “Really cute actually.”

Evan nodded his head.

“I didn’t realize it was you when I sent the text,” she said, wanting to clear up any confusion, just in case there was any.

“I didn’t say you did,” he raised his eyebrows.

“I know, I know,” she bit her lip. “But I just didn’t want you to think that I was reaching. I honestly didn’t know.”

“Well, it’s not like you can just disappear and never speak to me again,” he half-laughed. “So, I’m glad we managed to catch up.”

She smiled and nodded.

She loved the way he was looking at her. For a man who was so intimidating, he really did have the most incredible eyes. His pupils were wide and dark when he looked at her, and it made her own expand as well. Her heart was racing, and she had to look away.

“Thank you for being so generous and accommodating,” she said. “I’ll pay you, though, of course, when I come to leave.”

“I said don’t worry about that,” he looked at her sternly. “I don’t want your money, I’m helping you out.”

She felt a little gush of gratefulness, but she didn’t want to show it too much. She wanted him to be on his toes and want to please her more and more with each passing moment they spent together.

“So where have you been hiding for the past few days?” he asked her.

Monica smiled and at the same time, Jack placed down her glass of wine. She took a big sip to calm her nerves, but it didn’t have the same warm and relaxing effect as it had done a few nights before. She knew she didn’t want to drink again. She was so done with alcohol and the beer fear that came with it.

“I needed to try and work,” she said. “And also recover from the hangover that never seemed to want to end.”

“Tell me about it,” Evan laughed. “I was pretty bad myself that day.” He smiled at her and she found herself looking into his deep, brown eyes again.

They really were amazing.

“Can you remember much of the night?” she finally had the nerve to ask.

Evan laughed and shrugged.

“I remember enough to know we have to consult someone legally,” he smiled. “But don’t worry, it should be pretty straight forward.”

“So, I won’t be a divorcee?” she asked, half-jokingly.

“No,” he grinned. “It’ll just be like the whole thing never even happened.”

She smiled too and somewhere in her stomach she felt a sag of disappointment.

She sipped her wine again and admitted defeat. She slid it across the bar to Jack and asked him for a lemonade instead.

“You seriously can’t face it?” Evan laughed.

“Not a chance in hell,” she winced.

Evan raised his eyebrows and then a bottle of beer to his lips and took a big, satisfying sip. She watched the way his Adam’s apple went up and down in his thick throat and it made her tingle. His hands were so big, the way they gripped the bottle made her whole body feel alert and ready. All she could think of was having them all over her.

She looked away and tried to clear her mind of dirty thoughts.

“So, what are your plans whilst you’re here in town?” Evan asked her.

He was genuinely making an effort with her, and it was nice to have his attention again. She had worried when she had woken up on the bar floor with him that he would have thought she was crazy, regretted everything, and blanked her for the remainder of her time in town. But it appeared that he was being completely mature and in control with the fact they had accidentally gotten married. And it didn’t seem to phase him.

He was all man, and so much more.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll go for a hike at some point,” she said. “I haven’t really looked around yet. I haven’t even been down to Main Street.”

He slapped his hands down on the counter and looked at her with his mouth agape.

“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You haven’t seen Grey Mountain’s pièce de résistance?”

Monica couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, well, when you put it like that, clearly, I’m going to have to go this very night!”

“Damned straight you are,” he said. “I’ll take you once we’ve eaten.”

She looked over at him in surprise, but she wasn’t about to argue. She couldn’t think of a better way to spend the rest of her evening, or with anyone better, for that matter.

“Okay,” she said as she sipped her lemonade. “But don’t try to marry me again or it’ll get awkward.”

Evan let out a roaring laugh and winked at her.

“I promise nothing, town girl.”

She smiled and bit her lip.

This mountain man, he was growing on her.

 

When they had finished eating and their plates had been cleared, it felt strange to have Evan insist on paying. They hadn’t even arrived together, and had been seated together by chance, and now he was acting as if they had been on a date.

She had to keep reminding herself of the situation.

She was his wife, for crying out loud!

She may have only known him for a short amount of time, but they did have chemistry and an attraction that was obvious for anyone to see. If he wanted to treat her to dinner, why should she feel as if that was the wrong thing to do?

She pulled her jacket on over her shoulders and slipped down from the stool as Evan shook Jack’s hand and put on his own thick, padded jacket.

He looked every inch the mountain dweller, and his big, Timberland boots were scuffed and dirtied and only added to his image and how well he carried it.

“Come on then,” he said as he opened the door and they both stepped out into the night.

The sun had long set, and the air was crisp and cold. The moon was high in the sky, peeking out from behind a cloud and shining down silvery light all over the mountain. The stars were twinkling brightly and, for a moment, Monica felt as if she were on another planet.

“Wow,” she said. “Look at that.”

“Are you not used to it?” he asked her.

Monica shook her head.

“I’m from a small town, but we have so much industry, the night is never this dark.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re getting to see it,” he said. “I’ve never known it any other way.”

They continued on walking out of the street where the bars and restaurants were located. Outside was busy and bustling and Evan pointed to a group of people and whispered to Monica, “They’re tourists.”

“Really?” she asked. “I thought it was still out of ski season?”

“It is,” he said as they turned another corner. “But the walkers tend to come out in force before the majority of the snow arrives.”

“So, this place is never truly quiet?” she asked.

Evan shrugged.

“It can be,” he said. “I mean, last week the only new person to roll on into town was you. And we all noticed you straight away.”

Monica laughed.

“Yeah, I’ve certainly made quite the impression here, haven’t I?”

Evan smirked and pointed to the other side of the street. There was an intersection and Monica could tell that the road cutting across it was Main Street from the cars buzzing up and down it, and the lights coming from that way.

“Here we are,” Evan said as they approached, and Monica felt her eyes widen when she saw how beautiful it was.

Evan hadn’t been kidding when he said that Main Street was Grey Mountain’s pièce de résistance, it was truly remarkable and captivating on every level.

She held her hands up to her chin and clasped them together as she took in the sights and felt a warm buzz flood through her. She had never seen anywhere like it before. It was as if she had walked into a storybook land, or a little mountain town in Switzerland.

“This is incredible,” she whispered.

Even looked down at her and smiled, and he nodded his head.

“I know,” he said. “We’re all very proud of it. I think it’s why town is always so popular with visitors.”

On either side of the main stretch of road, there were individual and unique buildings, all with thatched roofs and brightly colored doors and windows, but none of them were the same size, and they all varied in old world style. They had painted green shutters, hanging baskets of flowers swinging from the doorways, and candles and fairy lights in the windows making them all look so cozy and idyllic it was almost hard to believe.

In the center of Main Street was a fountain, lit up by warm lighting, and next to it, a man on an accordion was sitting and playing some wonderful songs. Men and women stood with their arms wrapped around each other and clapped him when he finished one and began another.

“He’s always here,” Evan confirmed. “He’s a street artist but a good one, he has a permit and it’s all legit.”

Monica smiled and wrapped her arms around herself again. It was so lovely being in an environment like that, and it seemed even better because she was standing there with him.

“Thank you for bringing me,” she said as she looked up at him and their eyes locked in on each other’s again. “I really appreciate it. It was a lovely night.”

Evan smiled and nodded and then he held out his arm for her to link hers around it. She hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out for him too.

As they walked back along Main Street and toward Pine Avenue, Monica felt as if something special was happening. She had met someone who was wrong for her in every way, someone who drove her mad and was clearly both cocky and funny, but someone who could also be a gentleman when he needed to be.

It was a lethal mix, and she was drinking it down too fast.

But she couldn’t stop herself. She was loving every moment.