Page 22
Story: Saved By the Mountain Man
Hope flickers in his eyes. "So you could stay in Darkmore? For a while?"
"For as long as you'll have me," I say, my heart pounding with the implied commitment.
Then, after a beat, Alex says the words that change everything. "I love you."
Three simple words that I've written countless times for my characters but have never heard directed at me with such quiet certainty.
"I love you too," I reply. "I think I have since you carried me out of that burning cabin." I pause, kissing him as I feel a spark of inspiration hit me again. “I just found the perfect ending to my story."
"Which is?"
I smile, heart full and certain in a way I've never experienced before. "The rescued becomes the rescuer. The protector learnsto be vulnerable. And they both discover that the safest place to be is in each other's arms."
He pulls me closer, his expression a mixture of wonder and contentment. "That sounds like a happy ending."
"The best kind," I agree, settling back against him. "Though personally, I prefer to think of it as a beginning."
My beginning. My mountain man and me, writing our own love story one day at a time. And unlike the novels I create, this story has no final page, no predetermined conclusion. It simply continues, evolving and deepening with each chapter we add.
I couldn't imagine a more perfect plot.
Sheryl
One Year Later...
"You'resureyoudon'tmind?" I ask, watching Alex adjust his tie in the mirror. "These publishing events can be painfully boring."
He catches my eye in the reflection, giving me a half-smile that makes my heart skip. "Sheryl, I've rappelled down mountain cliffs in blizzards. I think I can handle a book launch party."
"Yes, but there were no literary agents in those blizzards," I counter, stepping behind him to smooth the collar of his dark blue shirt. "Or reviewers asking what it feels like to be the inspiration for the 'sexiest mountain man in contemporary romance.'"
He turns, catching me by the waist and pulling me against him. "Is that what they're calling me?"
"That's the tame version." I straighten his tie, enjoying the warmth of him beneath the crisp fabric. "You should see my TikTok. Women across America are falling in love with Ranger Brenner."
He grimaces slightly. "Remind me why I agreed to let you use me as inspiration?"
"Because you love me," I say simply. "And because I promised to change enough details that only we would know the truth."
"The truth being that I'm far less charming and heroic than your fictional creation," he teases.
"Actually, the truth is that reality is better than fiction." I rise on tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "Ranger Brenner might be dreamy, but he can't hold a candle to Alex Brennan."
His arms tighten around me briefly before he releases me with obvious reluctance. "We should get going. Wouldn't want to be late to your big night."
I step back to take him in. He’s tall and imposing in his charcoal suit, silver threading his dark hair at the temples, clean-shaven for the occasion. He looks every bit the successful search and rescue coordinator he is, though I know he's far more comfortable in climbing gear than formal wear.
It has been a year of transformations. The cabin has slowly become our home rather than just his—my books mingling with his on the shelves, my laptop permanently stationed by the window with the best view, photos of us together joining the ones of his past. Now they’re on the walls, not hidden away in his bedroom.
The biggest change, though, is in Alex himself. The man who once built his life around barriers and safety protocols has gradually learned to lower his defenses. And me? The inexperienced romance novelist who once crafted love stories based purely on theory is now writing from a place of understanding. My latest book, "My Rugged Savior," hit the New York Times bestseller list three weeks ago and hasn't budged since.
"Come on," Alex says, checking his watch. "Your adoring public awaits."
The Darkmore Community Center has been transformed for the book launch party. String lights hang from the rafters, tables are decorated with miniature pine trees and tiny fire-rescue equipment, and a massive backdrop featuring the book cover—a broad-shouldered man in a search and rescue jacket standing against a mountain backdrop—dominates the far wall.
"This is..." Alex pauses, searching for the right word.
"Too much?" I suggest, suddenly nervous about how he'll react to the fuss.