Page 12 of Fall Wedding With the Mountain Man (Ozark Mountain Men Falling For Love #2)

Hudson

Being with her had been incredible.

When I’d made my bold offer, I’d expected her to laugh it off. But she’d surprised me and gone for it. It was true that there’d been a simmering tension between us since we’d first met, but that didn’t mean people always acted on it.

The only downfall to having the perfect fuck with the perfect woman was that I’d only get to do it once.

She was leaving in the morning, back to her fancy New York life. And she’d be leaving me behind.

We put Leona in the guest bedroom and set her up with the food and litter box that the animal shelter had provided. To put Lizzie’s mind at ease, I shut the door, keeping Frankie and Bandit out.

I knew those dogs wouldn’t hurt the kitten; they were already trying to mother it. But since it made Lizzie feel better, it was an easy thing to do.

Then we drove the two minutes it took to get to the Fall Festival.

And now we were there, with people all around us. And I had my arm around her waist possessively, signaling to the world that she was mine , even if only for one night.

She looked too damn good in the jeans she’d borrowed, and I was certain I’d be fighting other men off all night long.

Lizzie didn’t seem to notice the appreciative glances that came her way, though. Her eyes were everywhere, taking it all in.

I’d been to dozens of these festivals, but this was her first, and she seemed captivated with everything she saw.

A stiff wind blew, and I felt Lizzie shiver. So, I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She peered up at me with an appreciative smile on her face. Lizzie had opted to go with half-fashion and half-practicality.

She’d settled on a pair of Shelby’s jeans, and kept my sister’s hiking boots on. But on top, she’d gone with a soft cream-colored sweater that showed off her tits magnificently.

Unfortunately, the thin sweater did nothing to cut the cold bite of the autumn wind.

My jacket would help.

“What’s that?” she asked as she glanced at the entrance of the haunted maze.

“That’s the corn maze. And over there’s the line for the pumpkin carving contest. And the rides are just past that.” It was a big fall festival. In small towns, there wasn’t much to do except go to festivals and parties with your friends and neighbors.

I saw another set of appreciative eyes glancing at Lizzie and her sweater, so I clutched her tighter to me and glared in the encroacher’s direction.

We needed a neon sign over her head that said, ‘Spoken for.’

But one look at me, and the man whose eyes had followed her around darted off in another direction.

Lizzie again, was oblivious.

“What’s that stage?” she asked.

“That’s the king and queen of the Harvest Festival. Our very own Thatcher and Shelby.”

A wide smile popped out on her cherry-red lips. “Really? Can we go see them?”

“Yup. But I don’t think we’ll be able to get too close unless you want to spend half the night in line.”

We wandered in that direction to the long, winding line of people waiting to get blessed by the Autumn Royals.

“Shelby looks so beautiful.”

“Yup.”

But my eyes weren’t on Shelby. They were on Elizabeth.

My brother and his new wife had changed out of their wedding clothes. And now they were wearing costumes made of silk fall leaves from the craft store. They were both wearing leafy crowns, and they had wooden wands in their hands that they were using to grant blessings to all their well-wishers.

I saw my other brother, Buck, off in the distance, standing by himself. He’d been moody ever since he’d moved back home. We’d started calling him the Grump of Red Oak Mountain. And not even watching Thatcher get married had lifted his mood.

Normally I’d go over and jawjack with him. But I couldn’t worry about Buck tonight. Not with Elizabeth on my arm. I’d call tomorrow to check in on him.

Shelby glanced over and spotted us. “You look gorgeous, Lizzie!”

“So do you!” she called back.

“Do you want to wait in line to talk to them?” I asked.

She thought about it for a moment. “No. We’d only get a few seconds with them, anyway. I can’t believe I missed my chance to hang out with her.”

Lizzie looked downright stricken by that.

I kept my mouth shut. I knew there was a solution, but it wasn’t one that she wanted to hear. Her life was somewhere else, and that would never change.

All I’d get is this one magical night with her.

“Is that fiddle music?” she asked.

“Around here we call it folk music. It’s coming from the Autumn Harvest Dance Hall, otherwise known as the town center dressed up with hay bales. You want to go dancing with me, Lizzie?”

She grinned up at me, her entire face alive with excitement. “Yeah. That sounds like so much fun.”

Lacing my fingers through hers, I led her inside.

But just as we hit the dance floor, the song changed. It looked like we’d be having a slow dance together.

I took the opportunity to pull her into my arms. The subtle scent of her perfume lingered in my nose, and I breathed her in deep as we relaxed into each other’s embrace.

Elizabeth rested her head on my chest as we danced, and I held her tight as we slowly swayed back and forth.

The air between us crackled.

She’s not dancing with me like someone who only wants one night.

A sharp stab went through my heart as I thought about her leaving tomorrow. It was ridiculous to feel so attached to a woman who would never leave her life for me.

And even if I could make it in New York City, would she want me to follow her there?

Somehow, in the span of one day, I’d fallen deep, deep, deep for her.

I already knew that heartbreak waited at the end of this.

But that didn’t stop me from wanting to dive headfirst into this woman. Lizzie had me, heart and soul.

I clutched her tighter and ignored the pain dancing in my heart.