8. Paige
SIX WEEKS LATER
I can’t stop smiling as I head to Hawk’s workshop, Courtney’s words still ringing in my ears. Inside, I find him exactly where I knew he’d be, hunched over his workbench with total focus. Warmth spreads through my chest at the sight of him—my husband, so perfectly in his element. I take a breath, steadying the excitement in my voice. “Guess who just had their baby.”
Hawk’s hands still on his latest piece, a red fox emerging from maple. The corners of his mouth lift as he sets down his chisel and turns to me. “I’m guessing from your smile that everyone’s doing well?”
“They’re all perfect.” I cross to him, and he pulls me onto his lap sideways so I can see his face, his strong arm settling around my waist. “Seven pounds, eight ounces. Courtney says Jordana did amazing, and Griffin only passed out once.” I grin. “He’s trying to claim it was because he skipped breakfast, but we all know better.”
Hawk’s quiet laugh warms me through. “Good for them. Little boy or girl?”
“A girl. They’re naming her Gwendolyn.” I lean against him, breathing in his familiar scent of sawdust. “Apparently she has Griffin’s eyes but otherwise looks just like Jordana.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
His words surprise me. He catches my expression and shrugs, saying, “What? I’m not a monster. I can say hello to a baby.”
“Hawk…” I press a kiss to his jaw, his stubble rough against my lips. “You’re full of surprises.”
“Only for you,” he says softly.
“Well, I’m a lucky girl.” I run my fingers along his forearm, tracing a path through the sawdust coating his skin. “Can you break for lunch? I made that potato soup you like.”
“Absolutely.” He helps me up, then follows me out of the workshop. A gentle breeze carries the scent of wildflowers, and I breathe it in deep. Six weeks of marriage have only made me fall more in love with this mountain, with the quiet rhythms of our life here.
Inside our cabin—and it truly feels like our cabin now—I ladle out two bowls of soup while Hawk washes up. The last six weeks have also continued to transform our cabin. It’s no longer just Hawk’s space softened by my decorative touches, but a true reflection of our life together—our coffee mugs from this morning still sitting side by side on the end table, our boots muddy from forest walks together, throw pillows permanently dented from where we curl up in our favorite spots on the couch each evening. Every corner holds evidence of our shared life, messy and perfect and ours.
“Smells good.” Hawk’s arms circle my waist from behind, and he presses a kiss to my neck that makes me shiver with delight.
I lean back against his chest. “This morning, while you were working, I reorganized the pantry. Found three different open bags of coffee. How do you even do that?”
“Poor organizational skills?” He reaches past me to grab his bowl, and I swat his hand away.
“Sit. I’ll bring it.” I gesture toward the table with the soup ladle. “And yes, your organizational skills are terrible. But I love you anyway.”
Hawk smiles. “Say that again.”
I turn around and meet his eyes. “I love you. Even when you leave your boots in the middle of the floor for me to trip over. Even when you get so caught up in your work that I have to drag you inside to eat.”
Pleasure warms his eyes. “I love you too, Paige.”
I bite my lip. “Say that again.”
“I love you.” He leans down to kiss me. “I love you, Paige. I love you. I love?—”
“Okay!” I say, laughing. “That’s enough.”
“Nope,” he says, pulling me closer. “It’s never enough.”
The following afternoon, Hawk and I drive down to Jordana and Griffin’s house. Inside, diapers and wipes cover every surface, and tiny onesies hang drying over the backs of kitchen chairs. A stack of parenting books teeters on the coffee table, bookmarked with sticky notes.
Jordana looks exhausted but radiant, propped up on the couch with tiny Gwendolyn in her arms. Griffin hovers nearby, dark circles under his eyes matching his wife’s, but his face glows with pride as he introduces us to his daughter.
“She’s perfect,” I whisper, accepting the precious bundle when Jordana offers her to me. Gwendolyn’s impossibly small fingers curl against my chest, and my heart melts. “I can’t wait until we have one of our own.”
“Wait.” Jordana’s eyes light up. “Paige, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
Heat rises in my cheeks. “Oh! No, not yet. I mean, it’s possible, but…” I glance up at Hawk, who’s watching me with such tenderness it makes my breath catch. “We don’t know anything for sure.”
The front door opens then, bringing a rush of fresh air and excited voices as Courtney arrives with Ryder and their girls. Both girls rush over, their faces bright with excitement to meet the new baby.
“Would you girls like to hold her?” I ask. “Here, sit next to me on the couch.”
While the girls take their turns carefully cradling Gwendolyn, Courtney settles beside Jordana. “How are you holding up?”
“I love her so much it hurts.” Jordana laughs, shaking her head. “But she barely slept at all last night.”
“Those first few weeks are brutal.” Courtney squeezes her hand. “I can come over in the mornings after I drop the girls at school. Help you catch up on sleep, maybe do some laundry.”
“I’d love to help too,” I offer. “I don’t know much about babies, but I can cook meals or clean or whatever you need.”
“You’re both so sweet. Thank you.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Courtney says with a smile. “Oh! Speaking of our little community—I noticed a For Sale sign on that empty property down the hill. You know, the one with the big maple trees?”
“Really?” Jordana adjusts her robe. “I wonder what kind of people will move in.”
“Hopefully someone with kids,” Courtney says. “The girls would love more playmates up here.”
“Or maybe a sweet retired couple,” I suggest. “The kind that brings fresh-baked cookies to all their neighbors.”
We laugh softly, mindful of Gwendolyn dozing nearby. I glance over at Hawk, who’s in conversation with Griffin and Ryder. The two other men look relaxed, but I can see the tension in Hawk’s shoulders. It’s clear he’s reached his limit with socialization.
“We should head out,” I say, easing myself up off the couch. “Thank you for letting us meet Gwendolyn. She’s absolutely perfect.”
The goodbye takes several minutes, with hugs and promises to visit again soon. Outside, the afternoon sun warms my face as we walk to Hawk’s truck.
“Sorry we couldn’t stay longer,” he says, reaching for my hand.
“Don’t apologize. I love you exactly as you are.”
He looks over at me, his eyes searching mine. “Do you really mean that?”
“I know this kind of stuff isn’t easy for you.” I smile gently, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “It means a lot to me that you came at all.”
He opens the truck door for me, then walks around to the driver’s side. As he climbs in, I mention what Courtney told me about the property for sale.
“This mountain’s getting crowded,” he grumbles, starting the engine.
I laugh and lean over to kiss his cheek. “You’re such a hermit.”
“ Your hermit,” he corrects, taking my hand again as he guides the truck out of the winding driveway.
I look down at our joined hands, at the beautiful wooden ring he carved for me. It gleams in the afternoon light, somehow even more beautiful now than the day he gave it to me. What will it look like fifty years from now, I wonder? What will our life together will look like?
It’s impossible to know, of course. But something tells me I’ll still be very happily married to the man sitting next to me, that no matter how many more people join us on this mountain, we’ll still be the most remote, and that whatever size our family ends up being, it will be perfect for us.
And with that thought warming my chest, I give Hawk’s hand a squeeze and enjoy the drive up the mountain, back toward our little piece of heaven. Back home.
Who’s moving to the mountain next?
Find out in How to Love a Mountain Man