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Moving around in the bed, trying to get comfortable, I grumble, “Nice to see you too.”
Pierce moves a chair from the corner of the room toward the bed and plops in the seat, resting one leg on the other’s knee. “You wanna talk about it, man?”
Frowning, I ignore him.
He continues, “It’s not good to hold shit in—”
“Look who’s talking,” I interrupt.
“Fair. But if you tell me something, I’ll tell you something.”
Narrowing my eyes at Pierce, I say, “My life isn’t show and tell, Pierce. This isn’t kindergarten.”
“Sure, seems like you’re acting like a five-year-old.
I flip him the bird only to have his raise his brows. Yup, the grumpy mountain man is back. “She hasn’t come to see me.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“Have you seen her?” I’m holding out any hope I can. I’m missing her like crazy, and I want to make sure she’s okay.
Pierce shakes his head, then lifts his brow. “No, but I’ve heard about what happened between you. You stepped in front of a bullet for her?”
“What? Not exactly. Where did you hear that from?”
“You know, around. Shorty heard it from Buck Twohorns, who I think heard it from Sally Wesley, who heard it from one of the Teagarden sisters. Sounds like a really interesting night in a cave.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me and winks.
I throw my head against the pillow.
Great. Now everyone in town thinks they know every dirty detail. Those old bitties just can’t keep anything to themselves.
“Honestly, it sounds like a great night to me,” he chuckles.
Pain shocks my heart, and I’m past pissed and nearing broken. The place I never thought I’d be ever again. I protect my heart like a fortress and lay down some trust, and I get fucked over. I fell hard and fast, and it still ends in me feeling like I’ve taken a roundhouse kick to my soul.
Why the fuck is love so hard? I wish the memories would go away.
Chuckling to myself, I realize I’ve started wishing for things like a five-year-old. Maybe Pierce isn’t so far off.
What the fuck am I doing?I’m a grown-ass man. I go after what I want and not pine away in a hospital bed. She must tell me to my face if she doesn’t want me. Even then, I’ll work on making her see we’re perfect for each other.
I push the button to lower the bed so I can get off. “Help me get dressed.”
“Jake, you have to—”
“Find her. That’s what I have to do.” I close my eyes as I fight burning tears that prickle away.
Maitlyn is mine. She’s always meant to be mine. I’m hers. I’m sure of it. If I have to track her back to Missoula, go to her work, and get on my knees to beg. I’ll do it. No more running. It’s time I start living.
I’m shoving a foot into my pants when I hear, “Man, you’re dramatic. Is this what I’ll be in for, for the next fifty years?” from the doorway.
Without holding my body properly, I spin so fast to catch sight of my woman that I stumble, and Pierce catches me while he laughs.
“Maitlyn?”
Her sweet, shy smile peeks around the corner at me. “In the flesh.”
“I… I thought you’d left?”
