Her Mountain Man Recluse (Crave County: Mountain Men Love Curves)

Bonus Chapter

Lila

“Mommy, what’s this word? Purp-lexed?”

I look up from my book and peer over my daughter’s shoulder to see the sentence she’s pointing at. “Perplexed. It means confused. The wizard’s riddle confused Arthur.”

Abigail nods and continues reading, transfixed by the story. She’s a total bookworm, and there’s nothing she loves more than diving into magical worlds. We often sit and read together—a romance novel for me and a children’s fantasy book for her.

As Abigail continues reading, I look over at her brother. He’s currently lying on his stomach by the fire, trying to teach Middy a trick. She looks unimpressed as he lifts her black paw into a high-five before giving her a cat treat, which she reluctantly accepts.

The kids are nothing alike. While Abigail is quiet and studious, Jack is adventurous and full of energy. He loves the woods, like his dad, and is always covered in bruises and dirt from playing outside. They even look different. Abigail is small for her age—brown-eyed and pale—while Jacob is shooting up like a tree, with blue eyes and tanned skin. But despite their differences, Jacob and Abigail are close. They care about each other. Jacob is only eight, but he’s already very protective of his younger sister, even though there’s only a year separating them in age.

“Mom, how much longer until Dad gets back?” he asks, looking back over his shoulder at me.

“Soon, honey. He said an hour, tops.”

My heart flutters when I think about Ridge coming home. It’s our anniversary today, and we’re going to stay the night at the vacation cabin where we met all those years ago. Weston is letting us have the place for free, and the kids are going to stay with him and Audrey for a sleepover. Jacob and Abigail spend a lot of time with Audrey and Weston’s kids, and they all consider themselves cousins, despite not being blood related. The sleepover has been the only thing on Jacob’s mind for the past few days. He can’t wait, and I know Abigail is excited, too. She keeps looking at the clock on the mantel and humming to herself with a little smile on her face.

A few minutes later, the sound of my husband’s pickup truck approaches through the trees, and the kids spring up, grinning.

“Sleepover time!” Jacob says.

When Ridge walks in, the kids rush toward him and he pulls them into a bear hug, his eyes meeting mine across the room. The years have been kind to my husband. He’s sexier than ever—broader, bigger, and more rugged. His hair is more salt than pepper now, and his silver-streaked beard is insanely hot. Sometimes I still can’t believe this man is all mine. He’s a walking fantasy, and the way he looks at me still turns me to mush after all this time.

“Dad, can we go now?” Jacob asks.

“Please, please, please?” Abigail adds.

He nods, reaching down to ruffle their hair. “Yep. All the stuff is in the truck. But first, I got you all a little something.”

Ridge holds up a familiar bag with the words Midnight Tales on the front. It’s the bookstore in Cherry Hollow, and he’s always buying me romance novels from there. Abigail’s eyes light up when Ridge lifts out the first book from the bag and hands it to her.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” he says, smiling at her.

“Awesome!” She hugs it to her chest. “Thanks Dad!”

For me, he pulls out the latest Colleen Hoover book. I’ve been itching to get my hands on it, and I wrap my arms around his neck in thanks, kissing him softly. His familiar woodsy scent makes my pulse race and I melt against him.

“Okay, great books and all, but can we go now?” Jacob asks, sounding exasperated.

“Not so fast, buddy. I got you one too.”

“A book?” Jacob can’t hide his skepticism as Ridge pulls out a copy of Treasure Island.

“I told the bookstore clerk I wanted a book for an eight-year-old who doesn’t like reading. She said I couldn’t go wrong with this one. Pirates, buried treasure, sword fights, adventure…”

“Huh.” Jacob’s frown melts away, and he looks intrigued as he takes the book. “Thanks, Dad.”

Once we’re sure we have everything, we leave out plenty of cat food for Middy, then lock up the cabin and head to the truck. Ridge has bought steak for tonight, along with a bunch of sides and two cherry pies—one for us, and one for Audrey and Weston to say thanks for looking after the kids. Their cabin is just a short drive down the mountain, and we arrive in no time.

“Ready, kids?”

They respond enthusiastically, scrambling out of the truck. Ridge and I follow them, and Jacob knocks eagerly on the front door.

Audrey opens it. My best friend looks happier than ever, her eyes sparkling as she greets us with one hand resting on her pregnant belly. Weston appears in the doorway behind her, resting a protective hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, you two,” he says, grinning at Jacob and Abigail. “The kids are waiting for you in the playroom.”

Before they can dash off, I pull them both into a hug, kissing the tops of their heads. My heart floods with love for them, and I have to force myself to let go.

“Be good, okay?” I tell them.

“We will.”

They hug Ridge, before hurrying into the cabin and out of sight.

“Thanks for taking the kids,” I say once they’re gone. “We appreciate it.”

“Our pleasure,” Weston says.

“You know we love having them around,” Audrey adds, before thanking Ridge as he hands her the cherry pie. “You shouldn’t have! But I’m happy you did because I’ve been craving cherry pie like crazy.”

“Better than craving chalk like you did last time,” I tell her.

“Definitely.” She laughs, shaking her head. “Or pickles and peanut butter.”

After we say our goodbyes, we head back to the truck, waving.

“Have fun, you two!” Audrey calls before she and Weston disappear into the cabin and close the door behind them.

As Ridge drives us to the vacation cabin, I feel him watching me. “You excited, princess?”

“I can’t wait. It’s going to be so cool to see it again after all this time.”

He lets out a hum of agreement, and as we wind through the trees, the memories come flooding back. I can remember driving up this road in the middle of the storm all those years ago, my life in tatters, desperate to get away. As we turn left and approach the tiny vacation cabin, I let out a shaky laugh. It’s exactly like I remember it—small and weathered, its roof topped with a thick layer of snow.

“When I pulled up back then, I was so confused,” I tell Ridge, grinning at him. “I couldn’t figure out why there was somebody already here.”

“You thought I was Weston, remember?”

“That’s right! I forgot. Yeah, I assumed he was here to give me extra supplies or something. But then I knocked on the door…”

“And a big grumpy beast answered,” Ridge says teasingly, his blue eyes sparkling.

I laugh. “The first thing I noticed was how tall you were, but then, when we got inside, I thought you were the hottest guy I’d ever seen.”

Ridge leans over to kiss me, his beard brushing my chin in a way that makes me shudder every time. “I thought the same thing about you, princess. You took my breath away. I couldn’t believe how damn beautiful you were.” He lets out a contented sigh, running his hand over my cheek. “And you’ve only gotten more beautiful since then.”

With one last kiss, Ridge grabs all our stuff and I get the key from the lockbox. Inside the cabin, not much has changed. Weston has refreshed the décor a little, but it’s still as cozy as ever.

“God, I forgot how small it was,” I say, marveling at the tiny shoebox living room.

“So did I.”

The memories are like a movie in my mind as we look at each room: the kitchen where Ridge cooked our meals, the bedroom where we made love for the first time. It makes me smile, filling me with a wave of nostalgia.

This is where it all began.

Once we’re finished looking around, I put the food in the fridge while Ridge starts a fire in the hearth. Then we cuddle up on the too-small couch, watching the dancing flames, both of us lost in thought.

“What’s on your mind, princess?” Ridge asks, his strong arm wrapping around me.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am.”

“What a coincidence.” He smiles at me, eyes shining with affection. “That’s what I’m thinking about, too.”

I look into the face of the man I love, my heart overflowing. We have a beautiful family, a cozy cabin, an adorable cat, and I’m so grateful for every part of it. As I think back to that cold January all those years ago, I remember how lost I felt. How miserable. I had no idea that destiny was waiting for me in the mountains.

Waiting to change my life forever.

“I love you so much,” I tell Ridge, nuzzling against him. His heartbeat thuds against my ear, and I breathe him in as he holds me close, stroking my hair.

“I love you too, Lila. More than anything in the world.”

And as my husband kisses me hard on the mouth, the world fading away around us, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.