Matched to the Mountain Man (Mountain Man Mail Order Bride)

Jamie

I slam the drinks on the table with enough force that they splash over the sides onto the table. "What happened?" I demand of my sister. "Where is Ella going? What did you say? Why would?—"

"You didn't tell her!" Mia shoves my chest with both hands. "What the hell, brother? How could you not tell her that Briggs and Jaxon signed you up?"

My heart stops for a moment.

Fuck.

"I meant to... I was going to... shit!"

Without another word, I spin on my heel and take off after the love of my life. I have to fix this. I have to make things right with Ella. The alternative is unthinkable.

I burst from the door out onto the street and into the snowstorm that's starting to build in intensity. "Ella!" I scan the street in both directions.

Where the hell would she have gone? The only people she knows are inside the bar.

"Ella!" I yell again.

My eyes might be playing tricks on me, but I'm sure I see a flash of the blue jacket she borrowed down the street. Praying it's my girl, I take off running the best I can in the storm.

It's freezing, and I left my jacket inside, but I don't care. I will freeze to death out here before I let my girl walk away from me.

"Ella." I reach for her arm and spin her around. My heart breaks into a million pieces when I look into her eyes. "Shit." I move to wipe the tears off her cheek, but she pulls away. "Ella, please?—"

"No," she stops me. "You don't get to touch me right now." She pulls out of my grasp and it's all I can do not to reach for her again. "You lied to me, . You said, no lies between us. Only honesty." Her voice cracks. "And you lied. It's all a lie."

"No! None of this is a lie." The look she gives me slices through what's left of my heart. "I didn't lie," I try again. "But I didn't tell you the truth about why I was on the website in the first place. That's my fault." I speak quickly before she can stop me again. "I should have told you that Briggs and Jaxon signed me up. I should have told you right away. That's on me. I was wrong. And I'm so sorry, Ella. But once we started talking, I knew you were the one, and then..."

She sniffs and swipes her jacket sleeve across her face.

I fucking hate that I've hurt her like this. I'll spend the rest of my life making sure that nothing I do or say causes her even a second of pain. Never again.

"But just because they signed me up doesn't mean that any of this is any less real, Ella." I take a chance and grab her hands. They're ice cold. She's not wearing her gloves.

"This is so real, Ella. Everything I feel for you, it's more real than I can even tell you. I meant every single word I've ever said to you. You're mine, Ella. I'm yours. And I think you know that. No matter how it happened or came to be, we're meant to be together."

"But... it's not... we're not a match, ."

"We are." I squeeze her hands so she'll look at me. "We're a perfect match."

"But don't you see?" Tears are streaming down her beautiful face again. "We can't be because you weren't the one who answered the questions." She uses her head to gesture behind me. "They were."

I blow out a breath. "That's true. But those guys, they know me better than anyone, Ella. You get really close to guys when you put your life in their hands. And they filled out the questionnaire as me. I have no doubt that they did an excellent job." With one hand, I cup her cheek and stroke my thumb across her chilled skin, wiping the tears away. "I know they did an excellent job because you're here right now with me."

Snow is landing on my head and shoulders, but I don't care. I will turn into a snowman if that's what it takes for Ella to see that this is real. That we are real.

"I owe Jaxon and Briggs my literal life for a number of reasons over the years, but bringing you to me is the one thing that I will spend the rest of my time on earth trying to pay them back for, Ella. Because if it wasn't for them knowing what I needed more than I did, I would have missed out on the very best thing to ever happen to me."

Her eyes flutter. "That's me?"

I can't help but chuckle. "Sweetheart, without a doubt in my heart, you are the very best thing to ever happen to me. And I'm so sorry I didn't tell you this sooner. I should have. That's on me and I'm so sorry. I'll take the questionnaire myself, right now, right here, if that's what it takes to prove to you that we're absolutely perfect for each other."

"You would do that?"

"I'd do anything for you, Ella. Anything."

"I think you're right," she says after a moment. "I think those guys do know you so well that they nailed the questionnaire."

I allow myself to exhale a little bit. "So you believe that we're meant to be together?"

Her blonde head bobs up and down with a nod. "I do. I feel it. But ?"

"Yes."

"No more lies. Ever."

"Ever. No matter what, you will be the one person who knows every single thing. Always."

Her lips curl up in the sweet smile I've fallen in love with over the last few days and my heart puts itself back together again. "You forgive me?"

She nods again and I kiss her, unable to keep my lips off hers for another second. When I finally pull back, I pull my phone from my back pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking the test," I tell her. "We don't need some website to tell us so, but dammit, I'm going to prove to you right here and now that it might as well have been me answering those questions."

I pull up the site, but her hand covers my phone screen and I look up in question to her snowflake-dusted face.

"Maybe we can go inside before we freeze to death?"

Her smile is sweet, her eyes dancing with mischief as the storm swirls around us. But I don't feel the cold. All I feel is warmth in my heart for the love I've found with this woman.