Chapter 19
Where are we going? Nia raced after Cole, following the pounding of his paws on the narrow trail. He seemed to know the way without ever questioning whether he should go left or right, yet their path zigzagged so much, she wasn’t sure she could make it back on her own.
Humor touched Cole’s voice. I told you, it’s a surprise.
A surge of excitement and impatience mixed in her blood.
When Cole had asked if they could spend some time together that evening, he’d refused to tell her what he had in mind and insisted that it didn’t matter what she wore.
Even so, she’d made sure she got back home in plenty of time to clean up after a long day at the bakery.
Getting into her lynx and racing through the mountains felt incredible, and it was so nice to stretch her muscles, but she was dying to know where they were going.
The narrow track widened into a well-used trail.
It circled a ridge and dropped into a shallow valley where it joined a gravel driveway.
A log cabin sat nicely tucked in the little vale, with the trees disappearing into grassy slopes around its stone foundation.
A wide porch extended across the front of it, and the lights were on inside.
Nia took in the wildflowers that grew in among the grass and the rocking chairs on the porch next to a large stack of seasoned firewood. She was so busy looking at the adorable place that she nearly ran into Cole as he slowed down. Who owns this?
Some cranky guy. Cole came to a stop at the end of the path and boldly stepped into the driveway. Sometimes he can be a bit of an idiot, but he’s always got good intentions.
Yeah? Nia followed him, amused. Sounds a lot like you.
He bounded up onto the porch and then let his wolf go, slipping easily from one form and into another as he stood upright and reached behind the porch light for the key. “Maybe it is me.”
Nia shook off her lynx, scratching her face where her whiskers had been a moment ago. “I don’t know. I think the police chief would be a little more concerned about security and wouldn’t just leave his key behind the light.”
“He would, but he might make a very special exception on a very special evening.” Cole unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped aside. He waved her in.
Nia took in the cabin's open floor plan.
The living room was right in the middle, and a stone fireplace took up a good chunk of the back wall.
Kindling and logs were already stacked up inside it, waiting to be lit.
The kitchen was to the right, little more than a few cabinets and a countertop, but enough for a weekend in the mountains.
Instead of a separate bedroom, there was a large bed with a nightstand and a wardrobe to the left.
She’d always thought of cabins as having a lot of animal heads and stuffed ducks hanging on the walls, but there were none. Nia spotted framed vintage maps, paintings, and even a few small tapestries. “This is fantastic! I didn’t know you had a place like this.”
“Well, I don’t take the time to come here very often,” he admitted, crossing the room and lighting the kindling in the fireplace.
Cole gave it a moment to make sure it’d taken before he straightened up and turned to her.
“Since this is our first chance to truly spend time together, I wanted it to be special. Would you like some champagne?”
“Sure,” she beamed. Nia couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had that.
“You sit right there and let me get it,” he insisted when she tried to follow him to the kitchen.
“I don’t mind helping,” she reminded him as she took a seat on the leather sofa.
“I know. As a matter of fact, I know that very well. I think the person who almost single-handedly won the battle against the dragons deserves to relax for at least a minute, though.” Cole brought in a tray with the two glasses of champagne he’d promised, along with a delightful charcuterie board of meats, cheeses, fruit, and crackers.
Her stomach rumbled, although she hadn’t been thinking about food. She picked up her glass, the outside already turning frosty. “So, that’s what we’re celebrating?”
“I think we can find more reasons to celebrate than that.” He touched his glass to hers, sending a crystalline tone through the air. “To us.”
She took a sip, noting that he watched her over his glass as he did the same. “It’s a little hard to believe.”
“That we’re together?” he asked, lifting a brow. “We were destined to be, so we shouldn’t be so surprised.”
“You know what I mean!” She gave him a playful tap on the arm as she reached for a piece of melon wrapped in prosciutto.
Nia wondered if some of the livelier side of Cole was starting to come out, and she liked it.
“From the moment I realized who you were, I knew how difficult it would be for us. Impossible, even. Things have changed so quickly, and I still feel like I’m going to wake up from this dream and find myself on the road back to Salem. ”
“Not if I have a say in the matter.” He put his hand on her leg, his fingers curling gently around her thigh. “Nia, I should apologize to you.”
“Aren’t we past all of that?” she asked. “I already know why you couldn’t make it to the grand opening.”
The first official day of The Cozy Crumb had been hectic.
Nia and Brianna had barely even taken the time to feed themselves as they took orders, kept up with stock, and chatted with all their customers.
They’d stayed busy enough that Nia almost didn’t have time to think about Cole.
Almost. In between coffee orders, she’d rehearse how to tell him she was staying in Red Lodge.
While sweeping the floors, she created countless futures for the two of them to enjoy together.
It wasn’t until they’d finally turned off the lights and locked the doors, though, that she’d realized he hadn’t come by. A major car accident on the edge of town had kept him far too busy to come by for a cup of coffee and a scone.
“If only it were that simple.” He picked up a sesame cracker, a piece of cheddar, and a slice of sausage, stacking them together but not eating them yet.
“I want to apologize for not handling our bond differently. When you showed up, I was caught completely by surprise. I care about the people around me, but I’m usually more concerned with making sure they’re healthy and safe than with any kind of gossip.
Even with Brianna, I should have just taken what we have at its face value and run with it.
I never should’ve let there be any kind of barrier between us. ”
Nia slipped his hand into his. “That day when we were taking care of Eve’s babies, you told me not to blame myself because there was no real blame to be had. I think you might want to turn that idea back on yourself.”
He laughed softly. “Do you think so?”
“Yeah, I do! I was having just as hard a time with it. Every decision felt wrong, and that makes it impossible to see what’s right, even if it’s in front of your face.
We did our best to navigate a difficult situation.
And in a way, I’m glad we ran into a bit of trouble.
” Nia plucked a slice of strawberry from the tray and put it in her mouth along with a sip of champagne.
The brightness of the strawberry and the bubbles from the wine felt luxurious against her tongue.
“Why?” he asked before biting into the sausage-and-cheese-topped cracker.
She shrugged a little, trying to decide how to explain.
“The idea of fated mates sounds really simple. Two people meet, and they just know they’re supposed to be together, so that’s what they do.
But that’s not real life. It doesn’t happen that way for regular humans, and most of the time, for us, either.
Most of the relationships within my covenstead started a little rocky while all the details were being sorted out.
Getting through the stormy seas together let them know they could survive anything. ”
“We got all our problems out of the way right at the beginning?” Cole teased. “No other issues will ever come up?”
Nia laughed. She thought the champagne was going to her head, but then she realized just how little of it she’d had.
It wasn’t the alcohol. It was being with Cole.
It was knowing that they were alone together in this little cabin, for once not worrying about anything but each other.
“I’m sure there will be a few, but now we’ve got the experience to be able to handle them. ”
Cole was silent for the briefest moment, but it was just long enough for Nia to notice that his jovial attitude had slipped a bit.
“I’m glad you think so, because that brings up something I wanted to ask you.
” His dark eyes burned intently into hers as he took her hands in his, his thick fingers holding hers firmly.
Her heart and stomach jumped, and her lynx bounced around inside her. He looked so serious and intense, and Nia felt he could see right into her soul. “What is it?” she breathed.
“We know now that we can be together. It’s what I want, and it’s wonderful, but I want even more than that.”
The sound of his voice entranced her, the deep rumble in his chest contrasting with the crispness of his consonants. Nia could close her eyes and listen to it forever.
“You’re my mate, but I want you to be by my side in every way possible.” He ran the side of his finger back and forth along her palm, sending electrical tingles up her arm. “I want you to be my legal wife, as well as the pack’s Luna. What do you say?”
All the breath rushed out of her lungs. It was a huge responsibility. It would mean taking care of everyone in the Montclair pack. She would be the person everyone went to whenever Cole wasn’t available. They’d look to her for guidance, support, and advice. That was a huge weight to bear.