Chapter 12 (Jasper)

Mandy stayed with me for a few days as we waited for the snow to thaw. A part of me wanted to stay snowbound with her forever but I knew, sooner or later, she’d want to leave.

I was cooking breakfast on the third day of her stay when she walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Making breakfast,” I answered. “Home fries and grits. I hope you like it.”

“Southern food. Are you originally from the south?” She asked, moving to the side and hoisting herself onto the counter, looking at me with a curious expression on her face. “You know, I’ve been staying here for a couple days now and I really don’t know much about you.”

“What would you like to know?” I raised an eyebrow in her direction. 

“Anything. What’s your favorite food?”

“Filet Mignon.”

“Fancy.” She swung her legs, leaning forward ever so slightly. “I can’t imagine that you find much of that out here in the mountains.”

“No, unfortunately not.”

“ you only live out here temporarily then?”

I shook my head. “No, this is my home, now.”

She frowned. “Don’t you get lonely out here?”

Before I could answer her, Wolf came bounding into the kitchen, barking at me. Excitedly, he jumped onto his hind legs, placing his paws on my shoulders, covering my face with sloppy kisses.

“Down,” I ordered but he ignored my command.

He continued to kiss my face, tail wagging a mile a minute.

Mandy giggled.

Wolf’s ears perked at the sound. He turned his head in her direction before changing targets. He placed his paws on her thighs and drenched her face in his slobber.

“Yuck!” Mandy exclaimed, trying to push the massive dog away from her. “Wolf definitely needs a breath mint or something. God… that stinks!”

I grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to the ground. “Manners.” I chided.

Wolf just looked at me as if he had done nothing wrong. A second later, he sauntered off to his bed, plopping down on the plush surface, hiding his snout under a tattered blanket he was exceptionally fond of.

“Why do you think I put up with that mutt?” I said, pointing my thumb in his direction.

“Okay, but don’t you ever wish you could interact with other people. I mean, a dog is nice, but Wolf isn’t a human. You can’t have a conversation with him.”

I was quiet for a moment. She had a point. Loneliness was a crippling feeling, but it beat the deadliness of the corporate world. If I had stayed there a minute longer, I would have suffocated underneath the weight of it. At least in the heart of the mountains, a man was at peace with himself.

“ what’s your favorite food?” I asked, hoping to move the conversation away from my decision to live in the mountains. Mandy had yet to know about my wealth and I intended to keep it that way. Right now, whatever was developing between us felt organic – like it was meant to happen. When she looked at me, it felt like she was looking at me and not the billionaire persona I had hidden behind for so many years.

“Hmm, mac and cheese. I have a soft spot for any cheesy pasta, to be honest.”

“Oh? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have made some.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to sound ungrateful. After all, you saved me from dying. I didn’t really think I had the option to be picky about what I ate.”

“I still want you to enjoy your meals.”

“And, I have. You’re actually a pretty decent cook. I’m impressed.”

A sense of pride swelled in my chest. Back when I was a billionaire, I didn’t dare step foot in a kitchen. I thought it was beneath me. I had personal chefs cook all of my meals but all that changed when I made the decision to live on my own. At first, all I ate was charred meat but over the years, I’ve gotten better, learning to follow cookbook recipes and even becoming confident enough to come up with a few of my own.

“ is there anything else you want to know about me?” I asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.

She sat down across from me, already digging into her plate of food. “Yeah, where did you get some good looks and is there any left for the rest of us?”

I chuckled. “I think you’re the one that took the lion’s share.”

“Are you kidding me? If we were a couple, you’d be out of my league.”

“Absolutely not, Mandy. You’re a stunning young woman. Any man would be extremely lucky to have you.”

She blushed, looking down in shyness. Her long eyelashes fluttered. A pink hue traveled along her cheeks, making her look even more adorable than she already was.

I reached across the table, placing my fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head so she’d be forced to look at me. “Trust me, Mandy, you’re a beautiful woman. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.”

Her blush became deeper in color. She held my gaze for a moment before looking away. “I…” She started to say something but then her lips pressed into a tight line and she fell silent. “Never mind.”

“Do you not think you’re beautiful?” I asked.

“It’s not that…”

“Then, what is it?”

“Nothing. Can we stop talking about this? Our food is going to get cold.”

I frowned. “Mandy…”

“Jasper. Seriously, drop it.” With that, she shoved a forkful of home fries into her mouth.

Well, if she didn’t think she was beautiful, then I just wasn’t doing my job right. Tonight, I would make her aware of just how beautiful I thought she was.