Page 56 of Beneath the Mountain Sky (McBride Brother Lumberjacks #1)

MEMORIAL DAY FESTIVAL – NINE MONTHS LATER

WILLOW

M ain Street bustles with people moving in and out of the shops, stopping to look at the stands set up along the sidewalk from various local artists and vendors, enjoying all the festivities.

The smell of fried foods and crisp early summer mountain air permeates every breath I take, tinged with the scent of freshly cut wood that always reminds me of Killian.

For good reason.

I stand along the edge of the crowd with Niall sleeping soundly in the front carrier, watching Killian do one of the things he does best.

Put on a show that no one can tear their eyes away from.

For a man who doesn’t really “like” people, especially after the entire town has spent the last year gossiping and speculating about our lives, he still insisted on doing a demonstration at the festival.

And this year, the cute bear cub he’s almost done creating has special meaning.

As he carves away with his chisels, gouges, and knives, finishing the fine detail work, his gaze flicks up to find mine, and he raises a brow. I give him a thumbs-up, letting him know Niall’s still sleeping and handling all the excitement well.

The past nine months haven’t done anything to help calm Killian’s constant need to hover. That worry he always carries for me and for the baby just won’t go away.

Always so attentive to anything and everything either of us could need.

Anticipating before I can even ask.

He’s exactly who I always knew he was and would be—an incredible father, the perfect husband.

I glance down at the rings on my finger, his mother’s engagement ring and the matching wedding band.

My heart still aches with the memory of waking in that hospital and finding this finger empty. But now, it’s exactly where it should be.

It may have taken us longer than we had planned to get to this point.

Life, misunderstandings, and things so far out of our control that it felt like constant spiraling seemed to conspire to keep our happily ever after from happening. But we finally made it to where we should have been a year ago.

We’re finally a family, finally happy.

And as he completes work on the baby bear and steps back to examine his masterpiece, the crowd roars with approval.

He tosses me a grin, returns his equipment to the large travel case near Liam, and has a short conversation with him about something before he makes his way over to me.

Watching him approach, the sweat trickling down his corded neck and over his exposed chest, the way the muscles there bunch and flex in his arms as he runs it back through his sweaty hair…

Good God, I’m going to end up pregnant again quickly .

I clench my legs together against the dull ache there.

My body remembers every touch, every kiss, all the gloriously depraved things that man does to it.

And I still crave more of him, even after this morning.

Killian finally reaches us, and he leans in and presses a kiss to my lips, then drops one on Niall’s head before scanning around me. “Where’s Raven? I thought she was going to watch with you.”

I search the crowd, looking for her familiar mop of blond hair, and shrug. “Who knows? She disappears all the time these days.”

He raises a brow. “Really?”

I nod. “She’s working on a story. You know how she is. And this”—I spin my hand around—“is her favorite time of year. So many people to talk to, so much gossip to collect.”

He snorts incredulously. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m peopled out. You ready to go home?”

“Yeah. Are Liam and Connor coming?”

He turns back to where he left Liam reorganizing the tools. The youngest McBride closes the lid on the case and secures it before rising to his feet. Someone approaches him and says something, and he quickly falls into conversation with whoever it is.

But the usual smile that used to so easily cross his lips isn’t there.

Instead, deep lines mar the corners of his eyes, dark circles beneath them.

I don’t think he’s slept well in a year.

He certainly hasn’t been himself in that time…

My heart aches for him and for what he’s suffering because I understand it better than anyone.

Nightmares still plague me.

Waking me with violent screams, cold sweats, and a racing heart.

Though they’ve grown less frequent as time has passed, they’re still there—those memories that create the dark places. But I’m not as afraid of them anymore. I’m more in control of the darkness and shedding light in a way that makes it less scary.

Yet for Liam, it seems to have only gotten worse. And despite all our best efforts, his refusal to see Dr. Bird like I do, to get any sort of help to deal with the mental trauma he suffered, has become a source of argument and frustration on the McBride homestead.

But I’m not getting into it with him again today.

Not when I know Killian is exhausted from his hours spent in the sun doing the demonstration, and Niall would sleep so much better in his own crib at home.

Killian motions to Liam, catching his attention and pointing toward the mountain to let him know we’re headed home.

Liam inclines his head but waves us off.

There isn’t any sign of Connor.

I scan the crowd again. “Where did Connor go?”

Killian runs his hand through his sweat-dampened hair again, keeping it out of his face as the summer breeze tries to whip it in all directions.

“Who knows? He’s been crabbier than usual lately.

Maybe he went to work off some steam. God knows he hates being surrounded by this many people almost as much as I do. ”

He tries to sound annoyed, but I know him too well.

Killian loves McBride Mountain and the people in it because he cares about things like this.

I step into him, not caring that he’s still slick with sweat.

He glances down, his eyes heating.

Resting my hand over his bare chest, I trail a finger across McBride Mountain. “Yet…you still do it.” I push up on my tiptoes and lean in to kiss him the best I can with Niall between us. “You take care of this town and these people, even if most of them are afraid of you.”

He snorts and kisses me deeply, his tongue twisting along mine until my body heats not just from the early summer sun. Then he pulls back, issuing a low growl. “I can’t wait to get you home. I have something for you.”

“You do?”

He nods. “Let’s go.”

I’m not about to argue with that look in his eye, the promise that underlies it.

He pulls my hand into his and tugs me along Main Street, weaving between the tourists. People stop to clap him on the back and tell him how great the carving looks. Something that even a year ago, they might not have done for fear of how he would react.

Because what happened on the mountain between us, finding our son, has changed him, allowed him to open up more and accept the possibility that he can stop being a grump and still command the respect due to him as the patriarch of McBride Mountain.

We move past the old newspaper building, but instead of the usual empty glass, tan paper covers the windows.

“Oh.” I pull Killian to a stop. “It looks like something might be going into the newspaper building.”

He raises a brow. “Maybe?”

“I’ll have to ask Raven. If anyone knows, it would be her.”

Killian nods and continues to lead me through the throngs of people until we reach his truck. He unlocks the door, then turns back to me, carefully unstrapping Niall, who shifts restlessly at the change of position, but immediately settles into his father’s arms.

His favorite place to be.

Mine, too.

The massive man, who intimidates so many, snuggles his son and kisses his cheek before he settles him in the car seat and secures him.

He turns back to me and closes the door gently.

Killian tugs me up against him, now nothing between us, and kisses me long and deep again. “Let’s go home, Mrs. McBride.”

* * *

KILLIAN

I grip the steering wheel to keep my trembling hands from being visible to Willow.

As we complete the drive and turn onto the property, she glances over at me for what must be the hundredth time during the long trek up the mountain, her lips twisting slightly. “Why do you look so nervous?”

Shit .

Apparently, I did a pretty crappy job of hiding it.

And I don’t even know why I am nervous.

Maybe because I’ve spent months on this gift for her, ensuring it was absolutely perfect. Maybe because I’m terrified that the surprise won’t be what she wants and that I’ll have to see disappointment on her face.

That’s one thing I can never stand—disappointing this woman.

I’ve done it far too much during my life, and now that we have our second chance, I won’t do anything to blow it.

Instead of saying any of that, I just force a smile. “I’m not nervous.”

She snort-laughs. “Yeah, okay.”

I can’t help but grin.

When you know each other as well as the two of us do, it’s hard to keep secrets. Hiding this from her over the last several months has been nearly impossible.

Only the help of Connor, Liam, and Raven has ensured she hasn’t stumbled upon my plans or the thing I’ve managed to keep hidden in my workshop, despite the fact that she comes out there almost every day.

I park the truck between the house and the barn and climb out, walking around to get her door and help her before I move to get Niall from his car seat.

He’s sound asleep.

His head cocked sideways, breaths floating from his tiny, perfect face.

And God, my heart beats faster just looking at him.

Even now, after all this time, I could stare at him forever, spend hours examining everything about him and memorizing every eyelash, every tiny line around his eyes and mouth, every freckle and hair on his head.

Willow wraps her arms around my waist and presses her face into the middle of my back. “Are you just going to stand there, staring at him?”

I grin as I unbuckle him and slowly lift him from the car seat, settling him against my chest.