Page 13 of Don’t Make Me Fall (Mountain Men of Cinnamon Creek #1)

Chapter Thirteen

Alanna

I skim my resignation letter one last time, my mouse hovering over the send button.

I wish I could punch it with my index finger.

That would be more satisfying than an anti-climactic click of the mouse.

But either way, I’m done working for Tyler Duncan.

And I’ve blind copied HR in case he decides to conveniently ignore my email.

There’s a knock at my door, and I call to the knocker to come in.

“What are you doing?” Erin asks, her tone light and curious.

I do a quick scan of my bestie, and I’m certain something is…

different about her. But different in a good way.

Like maybe she spent the entire weekend lost in her kindle and collected a dozen new book boyfriends who made her forget all about Chad.

But it’s the glow on her face that gives her away.

It’s more.

“You’re feeling better?” I ask her, fishing for more information about this new glow.

“Yes. Now answer my question,” Erin insists, glancing at the open suitcase on my bed.

I still have to finish packing, but I refuse to leave Cinnamon Creek without making at least one bold move.

So I click send.

I release a sigh of utter relief.

“I just quit my job.”

“You did?” Erin’s expression is a mixture of shock and glee.

“Tyler’s marrying Cindy in accounting. The asshat thought I’d be willing to help plan the wedding.”

“What a douche canoe,” Erin says, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. She pushes at the suitcase to make room. “For the record, I never liked that guy.”

“But you let me talk about him forever.”

“Because I’m your best friend. That’s what besties do.”

“Sorry I’m running a few minutes late.” I close my laptop and stuff it into its case. “I just had to do that before we left.”

“I’m not leaving.”

I nearly drop my laptop bag at her words. “What?”

“So, I know this sounds crazy, but I want to stay in Cinnamon Creek.”

“Like for an extended vacation?”

“Like…forever.”

“What did I miss?” I ask, shocked at this declaration. Does Erin plan to hide out in this mountain town and avoid reality for the rest of her life? “I mean, I wouldn’t blame you for never wanting to go home and face Chad and the aftermath of all that—”

“It’s not what you think,” she reassures me, sounding…sane. Okay, so this isn’t some overreaction to having to call off her wedding because her ex-fiancé cheated on her with her stepsister. I breathe a little easier at that knowledge.

“Please tell me Gabby didn’t talk you into actually hiding a body this weekend?”

“No, silly,” Erin laughs. “Look, I’ll tell you everything. But first, I want to know about Hudson.”

“What about Hudson?” I ask, swallowing hard.

My stomach twists in knots over the thought of never seeing him again.

Never mind the stupid, immature fight this morning.

Emotions were heightened on both sides, which I suppose can happen when love is on the line like that.

But that doesn’t mean I know what to do about it.

“Do you love him?” Erin asks.

“How do you even know who Hudson is?” I ask my best friend, studying her easy expression for clues.

“I made some connections,” she answers with a shrug. “Now spill it, Alanna. We’re running out of time.”

So I do.

I tell her about the first meeting at the back of the van the night we arrived, the hike to Sunset Point, getting stranded after a rockslide, throwing my phone off the top of the mountain, the night in the tent built for one, the job offer, all of it.

“Hudson’s not actually in charge of hiring, just so you know,” Erin points out. “Your brother is.”

“Winnie,” I say with a laugh.

“She’s like the grandma neither one of us ever had, right?”

My heart warms at the thought. “Something like that.”

“I think you should stay, Alanna.” Erin clasps my hands in hers. “But not because you’re worried about me. You should stay because there’s something between you two, and I think it’s worth exploring.”

“But wouldn’t that just be uprooting my life for a man?”

“Yes,” she says. “But there’s a big difference between putting your life on hold for a man and uprooting your life for love.

Tyler held you back for his own gain. He made you small.

You are anything but small, Alanna Gray.

I know I’ve been MIA this weekend, but I have a strong suspicion—possibly backed by a reliable little birdie—that Hudson loves you for you. That he—”

“That he wants nothing more than to see you flourish into your full, amazing, stubborn potential,” Hudson says from the doorway, leaving me to wonder how long he’s been standing out in the hallway listening.

“Hey,” I say to him, a single tear rolling down my cheek. A part of me thought I’d never see him again if I got on that plane. The relief at his presence now is almost overwhelming.

“Hey,” he says back, a ghost of a smile spreading across his lips.

Erin pats my knee as she rises from the bed. “I’ll let you two talk.”

Once the door clicks shut, I go to him. Or maybe he comes to me. All I know is that one second I’m sitting in my chair, the next my body is molded into Hudson’s. He holds me so tight I can hardly breathe. But I don’t care about oxygen. Not when I came so close to walking away from love.

“I love you,” I murmur into her neck. “In case there was any confusion about that part.”

“If there’s any confusion, it’s because I caused it,” Hudson says, pulling back just enough so we can look one another in the eyes. He rests his forehead against mine. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I know that sounds like some romance novel cliché—”

“It’s still nice to hear,” I admit.

“I love you, Alanna Grey. I love you so much I don’t even know what to do with it.

I didn’t want you to completely uproot your life for some guy you just met three days ago.

But this isn’t just some vacation fling.

Not for me. If I thought the city life would make you happy, I’d move there in a heartbeat to be with you. To see this through.”

“You would?”

“Love isn’t just some meaningless word to me. You’re my peace, my comfort, my home. And that isn’t a place. It’s us.”

“I don’t want to live in the city,” I tell him.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Besides, I don’t have a job anymore.”

“He didn’t fire you—”

“I quit.”

A smile curls Hudson’s lips. “Good. That’ll save me from kicking Tyler’s ass.”

“Stop,” I say, laughing.

“I was willing to fight a mountain lion for you. Beating up some corporate weasel is nothing.”

“The mountain lion can’t sue you,” I point out. “But I appreciate the sentiment. No one needs to be beat up. He’ll be in a world of hurt learning how to do his own job for a change.”

“You’re really staying?”

“Yes.”

“I just have one question then,” Hudson says.

“What’s that?”

“Where am I making you come next? Your bed or mine?”

“How about both?”

Hudson shoves my suitcase to the floor and tosses me onto the bed, climbing over top of me. I drag his face to mine, meeting his greedy lips with my own.

“Hey, what’s in that bag?” I ask about the paper sack with a bakery logo sitting on the desk.

“Cinnamon rolls,” he says, his words vibrating against my neck. “I’m supposed to share.”

“You weren’t going to?”

“I’m going to let you have them both.”

“I thought that bakery was supposed to be good?”

“It’s the best,” he says, pressing a kiss to my lips as his hand slides to my hip. “But I have all the sweets I need right here. And I plan to be much too busy with my mouth, tasting your sweetness, to eat anything else but you.”