15. Chapter 15 Marcus
Chapter 15: Marcus
" S he's doing it again," Jake growls, ducking into my workshop.
Through the window, I watch Dr. Chloe Roberts gear up for another solo climb. She's got good form, I'll give her that, but Jake's right, these dawn attempts at Miller's Ridge are getting risky.
"You could always offer to spot her." I hide my smile as Jake grumbles.
"Not helping." He paces like a caged animal. "She's going to get herself killed."
"Maybe she needs a partner with her?”
He ignores that. "Temperature's dropping. There’s ice on the higher routes."
I set aside my tools. Jake wouldn't be here unless he was truly worried. "So go tell her."
"I tried. She's." He rakes a hand through his hair. "Stubborn."
"Sounds familiar."
Chloe's figure disappears up the trail, still a good hike to the peak.
"Brother." I catch his attention. "Go."
He hesitates. "She didn't ask for help."
"Neither did we, once upon a time."
That hits home. We all came to this mountain thinking we needed no one. We soon found out different. The town took us in and slowly the mountain healed us.
"Shit." He grabs his gear.
Daisy walks in as Jake walks out.
"Hiding from Chloe again?" Daisy asks as she enters, coffee in hand.
Jake mumbles something under his breath as he leaves, throwing me a dirty look. I hold up my hands. What could I do? Daisy would have got it out of me sooner or later.
"He likes her." She wraps around me from behind. "It scares him."
"Speaking from experience?"
She nips my ear. "Grumpy mountain men are my specialty."
I turn, pulling her into my lap.
"Grumpy?"
"Mmm." She traces my smile. "Getting softer though."
"That’s your fault."
"Guilty."
My phone buzzes. Cole checking in. Our brotherhood's gotten stronger since Daisy came. Somehow, she fills gaps we didn't know we had.
"What's wrong?" She reads my expression.
"Nothing." I stroke her hip. "Just thinking."
"About?"
About how to ask you to marry me.
"Jake." Partial truth. “He’s stubborn.”
"Chloe's pretty stubborn herself." Daisy grins. "I saw her research notes on mountain rescue protocols. It’s very thorough."
"Poor bastard doesn't stand a chance."
Just like me.
.