Page 39 of Haunted By the Mountain Man

I stood and slipped the ring on her finger, then kissed her with all the possession and promise I felt. My brothers whooped and hollered like idiots.

"Now?" the foreman asked, amused.

"Now," I confirmed.

Raven and I put our hands on the remote together.

"For Walt," she said.

"For Rebecca and Jimmy," I added and we pushed the button.

The initial charges weakened key supports, then the excavators moved in. For three hours, we watched the Wildfire Ridge Ski Lodge come down. Every beam that fell was a ghost being laid to rest. Every wall that collapsed was a secret being buried forever.

When it was over, nothing remained but rubble that would be hauled away tomorrow.

"What now?" Sam asked, looking at the cleared land.

"Now we plant maple trees," I said. "Build something new. Something living instead of haunted."

Kevin clapped my shoulder. "Need help clearing the land?"

"Always."

That night at Kevin's house, surrounded by my brothers and their wives, I watched Raven fit seamlessly into our chaotic family. Tonya was already planning our wedding, Kim wanted to document the history of the land, and Jess was offering to handle all the legal paperwork.

"Thanksgiving wedding," Raven announced. "Six weeks. Small, family only."

"Six weeks?" Tonya protested. "That's not enough time to plan."

"We're not planning. We're just doing it. Justice of the peace, you guys as witnesses, simple dinner after." Raven looked at me. "Right?"

"Whatever you want. Long as you're legally mine at the end of it."

"Possessive caveman."

"Your possessive caveman."