11. Celeste
11
CELESTE
I wake up to something brushing my face, rough and gentle all at once. The familiar scent of pine and spices fills my nostrils, and I moan sleepily as my eyes flutter open. It takes me a second to process what I’m seeing.
Dane is in my bed.
All at once, I’m wide awake, my heart fluttering wildly as I look at him. He’s lying beside me, pressing kisses on my face, pulling back when he sees I’m awake.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I sit up, blinking at him in surprise. “Dane?” My gaze slides to the clock on the wall, and I gasp when I see it’s nearly eleven-thirty. “Shoot! I’m so sorry. I set an alarm, but I must have slept through it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who tired you out yesterday.” His amber eyes glisten as he flashes his crooked smile, running a hand over my cheek. “I missed you, sugar.”
I nuzzle against his palm, relaxing. Then a surge of anxiety hits me all at once, and I sit bolt upright.
“Does Brody know you’re here?” I ask. “Crap. He didn’t try to fight you, did he?”
“He knows I’m here.” Dane pulls me back against him. “We talked it out, and I think he’s coming around.”
I gawk at him. “Are you serious?”
“You bet. He wants you to be happy, sugar.”
My head spins, and I feel a rush of pure relief as I realize what this means. I can be with Dane without making my brother hate me. I don’t have to choose…
With a laugh of delight, I throw my arms around Dane, and he pulls me on top of him, kissing me hard. He tastes like whiskey and home, and I lose myself in him, the pressure of his lips, the glide of his tongue. It feels like I’ve woken up straight into a dream, and when we finally pull apart, I’m smiling from ear to ear.
“I have something for you,” Dane says, reaching into his pocket. “I made it this morning.”
He pulls out a beautiful wooden ornament, carved into the shape of a tree. Every detail is so lifelike, from the shape of the leaves to the gnarled texture of the bark, and my heart jolts when I see the heart carved into the trunk, our initials etched inside.
“It’s a bookmark,” he explains, watching as I turn it over in my hands. “There’s a little wooden tab on the back so you can slot it over the top of your page.”
“It’s so beautiful. I can’t believe you made this…and it only took you one morning?” Affection floods through me as I look up at Dane. “Thank you so much. Nobody has ever made anything for me before.”
“Glad you like it, princess.”
“It’s perfect. I love it.”
Beaming at him, I reach over to grab The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from the nightstand. I remove the folded-up piece of paper I’ve been using to mark the page, replacing it with the bookmark. When I look back at Dane, he’s not smiling anymore. His face is serious, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.
“There’s something I want to ask you,” he murmurs. “Something I’ve been meaning to say.”
My pulse quickens at the intensity in his eyes, and I nod. “Yes?”
Dane sits up on the bed, taking my hands in his. His gaze is fixed on mine as he says, “Stay here, Celeste. Move in with me. Don’t go back to Denver.”
My breath hitches. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about staying. Ever since I arrived on Cherry Mountain, the idea has been in the back of my mind, tempting me. The forest feels like home, and the two people I care about most in the world live right here.
“Or at least let me come with you,” Dane continues, misinterpreting my silence. “Hell, I don’t care where I live, as long as you’re there.”
I squeeze his hands tight. “I don’t want to go back. Staying here would be a dream come true, but I’m just scared I won’t be able to find a job. It’s so remote…”
Dane shakes his head. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll take care of you, sugar. Living out here doesn’t cost much, and the rental cabins bring in plenty of money. But if you want to work, then we’ll find you a job in Cherry Hollow. It isn’t far.”
I think of the quaint mountain town I visited with Brody when I first arrived here, and the thought of it makes me smile. Denver was my fresh start after leaving Vermont…but maybe it’s time for something different. A new chapter out here in the mountains with the man who has stolen my heart.
“I’d love to stay,” I tell him. “I’d love it more than anything.”
He lets out a groan of relief, peppering my face with kisses, making me giggle with delight. Happiness rushes through me, light and golden in my veins, and I feel like I could float through the ceiling as Dane kisses me hard. We stay like that for a long time, basking in our joy as the future stretches before us.
“How about we head back home?” Dane asks. “I’ll make us some lunch.”
The word ‘home’ makes me shiver with delight.
“Home sounds perfect. I’ll join you in a few minutes, okay? There’s just one thing I need to do first…”
* * *
As Dane disappears through the trees, I turn the other way, following the thud of my brother’s axe. It doesn’t take long to find him, and I watch from a safe distance as the tree he’s felling creaks and topples to the ground, making it shudder. Slowly, I approach him, unable to suppress a smile. He’s turning into a real mountain man, and he looks right at home.
“Brody?” I say.
He turns around. “Hey.”
I take a step toward him, the atmosphere a little raw after our fight last night. “Dane says you talked…”
“Yeah, we did.” He sets his axe down and looks at me. “I owe you an apology, Cee. You were right. I’ve been treating you like a kid for way too long, and I’m done holding you back.” He sighs deeply, running a hand over his beard. “You’re a grown woman now, and it’s about time I accepted it. You don’t need me anymore.”
“Oh, Brody.” I close the space between us and throw my arms around him. “I will always need you. Always. Just not in the same way as when I was a kid.”
“I get it.” He pats me on the back. “Sorry I was such a jerk. I guess it’s good you don’t need me that way anymore. Means you’re strong enough to stand on your own two feet. Not letting all that shit from the past keep you down. Hell, that’s all I can ask for.” He pulls back, resting his hands on my shoulders. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” I smile at him, emotion welling in my eyes. “That means a lot.”
“Don’t cry. You’ll set me off. Won’t be a pretty sight.”
I chuckle despite myself. “Okay, no crying.” I wipe away my tears, taking a deep breath. “I actually came out here to tell you something.”
He cocks his head. “Yeah?”
“I’m not going back to Denver. I’m staying here with Dane on Cherry Mountain.”
“Wow.” Brody’s thick brows lift for a second, then he smiles beneath his beard. “Guess that means we’re neighbors.”
“Guess it does.” I grin back at him.
“That’s great news, Cee.” He wraps an arm around me, giving me a quick squeeze. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
Eventually, it’s time for me to head back to Dane’s cabin for lunch. Before I go, I give my brother another hug, my voice wobbling slightly as I say, “Thank you, Brody.”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
With one last smile at him, I set off through the trees toward Dane’s cabin. The forest is alive with birdsong, sunlight dappling the leaves, turning everything golden. It reminds me of my first day here, lugging my suitcase behind me and cursing myself for bringing so many books. I had no idea my life was about to change forever…all thanks to a naked mountain man.
As I approach the cabin, I smile when I see Dane is waiting for me, his body filling the doorframe. I race toward him, leaping into his arms.
“Welcome home,” he says, pulling me tight against him. “How’d it go?”
“Great.” I rest my head against his chest, listening to the thump of his heartbeat. “I think he’s genuinely happy for us.”
Dane grunts his approval. “How about you, sugar? Are you happy?”
“Happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” I tell him.
“Good.” He leans back to look at me, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “I love you, Celeste. More than anything.”
For a second, I forget how to breathe. The words dance around me, and the forest seems to glitter like magic.
I love you, Celeste.
And as his golden eyes burn into mine, I know this man is the one. I feel it with a certainty that runs deep, blossoming from somewhere inside me. Dane is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, and this is where our story begins.
“I love you too,” I tell him softly. “So, so much.”
His handsome face splits into a crooked smile, then he kisses me so passionately that it feels like we might never come up for air. When we finally do, Dane carries me over the threshold, into the cabin that is now my home. And as the door closes behind us, I know I’m finally where I belong.