Page 16

Tessa

Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and golden, washing everything in warmth. I blinked slowly, stretching my legs beneath the sheets before realizing I wasn’t alone.

M ax’s arm was draped over my waist, his body curled around mine like he was afraid I’d disappear in the night.

But I hadn’t.

I was still here.

And so was he.

His chest rose and fell against my back, slow and steady. That calm, strong rhythm I’d felt under my fingertips all night long. I closed my eyes and let myself soak in the feeling of safety I hadn’t realized I’d been craving.

We hadn’t spoken much after. Just lay there, tangled together in the dark, his fingers brushing through my hair, my cheek pressed to his chest. No pressure. No promises. We woke during the night and made love. We couldn’t get enough of each other.

I turned carefully to face him. He was still asleep, his mouth slightly parted, lashes dark against his cheeks. His hair was a mess, and he had the faintest crease between his brows—like even in sleep, he was still carrying more than he let on.

My heart ached a little, but not in a painful way.

In a real way.

I felt like I was finally seeing him, not as the man who confused me or the one I thought I had to guard myself against, but as someone who was just as scared as I was.

I traced my finger along his jaw, featherlight. He didn’t stir.

Last night had been more than a kiss—more than sex.

It had been something I couldn’t define, but I felt it in every part of me.

It felt like a beginning.

Still, doubt tried to creep in, whispering all the things that could go wrong, that he’d pull away again. That I’d regret letting him so close.

But I didn't feel afraid as I lay in his arms, wrapped in the warmth of everything we hadn’t said but had shown each other .

For once, I let myself believe that maybe this wasn’t a mistake. Maybe letting someone in wasn’t a weakness. Maybe being wanted this fiercely, this honestly… was the bravest thing I’d ever do.

And when Max stirred beside me, mumbling something low and rough like hey, sunshine, and pulled me tighter against his chest without even opening his eyes, I smiled.

Yeah.

Maybe this was just the start.

There was a soft knock at the door.

Then a voice.

“Is that her Jeep?” a man asked.

“Yep. And that’s her mop bucket she took a picture of and shared with me, by the porch, so unless she ran off in the night—she’s in there,” her Dad added.

My blood ran cold. I froze.

No. No, no, no.

I flung the sheet off and bolted upright. “That’s my dad,” I whispered in horror. “And my brother.”

Max blinked awake beside me. “What?”

“They’re here. Now! ” I whispered, shouted as another knock came—this one firmer.

“Tessa? You home, sweetheart?”

“Yup. That’s my dad.”

We scrambled at the same time, both of us trying to get out of bed too fast. My foot got tangled in the sheets, Max tripped over the corner of the mattress, and in the chaos of limbs and panic, we smacked heads.

“Ow!” I winced, grabbing my forehead.

“Sorry—sorry—damn, you’ve got a hard skull,” Max muttered, holding his forehead.

We burst out laughing—because what else could we do?

Another knock. “Tessa? Everything okay in there?”

“Just—uh—one second!” I called, already hopping on one leg, trying to jam it into my sweats.

Max was halfway into his t-shirt, hair wild, eyes wide like a kid caught sneaking in after curfew. We both finished dressing at warp speed, gave each other a look that said this is going to be awful, and opened the door together.

“Hey, Dad. Hey, Jake.” I tried to smile like nothing was off.

They both stood on the porch in flannel shirts, arms crossed, looking about as comfortable as two men standing outside a cabin their daughter very clearly did not spend the night alone in.

“Morning,” Dad said, his brows rising just slightly as he looked from me… to Max… then back to me again.

Jake coughed and looked off toward the trees.

I felt the heat flood my face like a tidal wave. My hair was still a mess, my cheeks were flaming, and I was pretty sure my shirt was inside out.

Max stepped up beside me and held out his hand, cool as ever. “Max Bannon,” he said. “Nice to meet you both.”

Dad took it slowly, shaking once. “I’m Ray Swindle. Tessa’s father.”

Jake gave a stiff nod. “I’m her older brother. Jake.”

Max didn’t blink. “I gathered.” Then he smiled. “We were just about to make breakfast. You guys hungry?”

I gave him a What are you doing?! look, but Dad just shrugged. “Sure. As long as it doesn’t involve me walking in on anything that’s gonna scar me for life.”

Max chuckled. “Then let’s keep the kitchen the safe zone.”

Jake still wouldn’t look me in the eye. And honestly? I didn’t blame him.

But as we stepped aside to let them in, Max leaned close to me and whispered, “Well… that was one way to meet the family.”

I elbowed him lightly. “This is not funny.”

He grinned. “It’s a little funny.”

I tried not to laugh.

Tried really hard.

But as he headed to the kitchen, already reaching for a skillet like he’d lived here forever, I let the smile creep across my lips.

Because maybe it was a disaster. Maybe it was embarrassing and awkward, and that's not how I imagined this morning going.

But it was also real .

And real—with Max?

Was starting to feel pretty perfect.

I don’t know what surprised me more—that my dad and brother actually came inside without making a big deal, or that Max looked completely unbothered by the fact that he’d just been caught in my bed.

He was at the stove now, sleeves pushed up, cracking eggs like a pro while chatting with my dad like they were old hunting buddies.

I hovered awkwardly by the coffee pot, very aware that I still hadn’t brushed my hair and that my brother was absolutely pretending not to make eye contact with me.

“So, Navy SEAL, huh?” Dad said as he pulled out a chair. “That means you’re the kind of guy who can kill a man with a spoon?”

Max smiled. “Only if the situation really calls for it.”

Dad didn’t blink. “Let’s keep it to spatulas this morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jake choked on his coffee.

I shot Max a look as I mouthed Stop helping.

He just winked.

I busied myself with slicing fruit, trying not to burst into flames from secondhand embarrassment.

“So,” Dad said, leaning back. “How long have you two been… uh… friendly?”

I dropped a strawberry.

Max didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been friendly since the moment I found her lost on the side of the mountain.”

“That true?” Dad asked, eyes flicking to me.

I nodded, cheeks still hot. “I took a wrong turn. Or six.”

Jake finally found his voice. “And somehow ended up living in his house?”

Max grinned as he plated the eggs. “Best accidental roommate I’ve ever had.”

“That makes it sound so casual,” I muttered under my breath.

Max leaned over, placing a plate in front of me. “It stopped being casual the second you smiled at me.”

Jake groaned audibly. “I’m leaving. I can’t listen to this.”

Dad raised an eyebrow, but I caught the twitch of a smile hiding behind his coffee cup.

We all sat down, the table suddenly feeling just a little less like a war zone and a little more like home.

“Alright,” Dad said after a bite. “I’ll admit it. These are the best damn eggs I’ve had in years.”

“Military secret,” Max said with a shrug.

“Guess I’m gonna have to get used to seeing your truck in the driveway, when I visit huh?” Jake muttered.

Max met his eyes evenly. “That’s the plan. Until we move into the B&B.”

The table went quiet.

Then Dad cleared his throat. “If Tessa is happy. That’s all I care about.”

Max didn’t flinch. “I intend to keep her happy.”

I swallowed hard, something warm blooming in my chest that had nothing to do with the coffee.

Because in that moment, I realized something…

I wasn’t embarrassed anymore.

I was his.

And maybe, just maybe, he was mine too.

Maybe this was just the start.

We decided to stay at the B&B since my cabin had only one bedroom.

“It's beautiful up here. I bet you get some big snowstorms in the winter,” Dad said as he walked back to the outdoor kitchen, where Max cooked steaks. “How old is this Inn? It’s beautiful.”

“It’s over one hundred years. I bought it because I knew when my family comes to visit, we needed lots of rooms. It comes in handy when someone visits my buddies, and they can stay here. I enjoy having people stay here. It was too quiet when Tessa moved to the cabin.”

“Tessa, how do you like living on the mountain?” Jake asked.

“I love it here. I enjoy teaching the fourth graders. I love teaching them and watching them learn.”

“But you are a surgeon,” Jake said. “Don’t you want to get back to saving lives?”

“I’m considering only emergency surgeries in the future. For now I’ll keep teaching children. I like being around the children, they make my heart feel warm. I know that sounds crazy but that’s how I feel.”

I don’t think it sounds crazy, you make my heart feel warm,” Max said.

I smiled and walked over and kissed him. This is why I love you. You make all of me warm.”

“You love me?”

“Whoops! Did I say that out loud?”

“Yep, and you can’t take it back.”

“I don’t want to take it back,” I said, kissing him.

My Dad looked like he would cry, and Jake turned his head, was he crying. They can stop worrying about me I feel like my mind has shifted back to normal.

Later that night, as Dad and Jake sat at the table playing cards and acting like they weren’t watching us, I overheard something I wasn’t meant to hear.

“She’s not as scattered as she used to be,” Jake said quietly.

Dad nodded. “She’s grounded. Calmer. Like she’s finally breathing again.”

Then he added, “That boy’s good for her.”

Max didn’t hear it.

But I did.

And I couldn’t stop the smile that curled on my lips.

Because maybe, for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t trying to prove anything.

I was just living.

And I was happy.