Page 5 of Mountain Man’s Bonfire Beauty (Wildwood Valley Harvest #5)

AYDEN

W alking through the harvest market with Parker the next morning felt different than it had two days ago. Then, I’d been a guy with a crush, stealing glances at a woman I barely knew.

But after last night, everything had changed. She was mine, and I was hers, and I couldn’t stop the ridiculous grin that kept threatening to take over my face.

“Ayden,” Ashe called out from his booth as we passed. “How’d the cleanup go last night?”

“Fine,” I said, my hand finding the small of Parker’s back. “Everything’s handled.”

“I’m sure it is,” he said with a knowing grin that made Parker’s cheeks flush pink.

We reached her booth, and I watched as she transformed into the confident businesswoman I’d first noticed. She moved efficiently, arranging her supplies and testing her equipment—the new electric burner she’d picked up to replace the camping stove.

“Safe and authentic,” she said, catching me watching. “Best of both worlds.”

“Smart compromise.” I leaned against her table, not ready to leave her yet. “What time do you close up today?”

“Around five. Why?”

“Dinner. My place. I’ll cook for you this time.”

Her smile was radiant. “I’d like that.”

I was about to steal a quick kiss when a commotion erupted from the booth next to hers. A display of carved wooden bowls had toppled over, scattering across the walkway, and people were scrambling to avoid stepping on them.

“Dammit,” the vendor—an older guy I’d seen around but never spoken to—shouted as he surveyed the damage. “Who the hell moved my table?”

Without thinking, I stepped forward. “Hey, let me help?—”

“I don’t need help,” he snapped. “I need people to stop messing with my setup.”

His voice was getting louder, drawing attention from other vendors and early customers. I could see the situation escalating and moved closer, my instincts kicking in.

“Sir, I think maybe?—”

“I said I don’t need help.” He wheeled around to face me, his face red with frustration. “Why don’t you mind your own damn business?”

The guy was clearly having a rough morning, but he was making a scene that could affect the whole market. I drew myself up to my full height, using the commanding voice that had served me well in the military.

“That’s enough,” I said firmly. “You’re yelling at customers and vendors. Either calm down or?—”

A sharp gasp from behind me made me turn. Parker stood frozen by her booth, her face completely white, eyes wide with something that looked like terror. She was staring at me like I’d just transformed into a monster.

“Parker?” I stepped toward her, confused by her reaction.

She flinched—actually flinched—and my heart dropped into my stomach.

“I…I need to…” she stammered, then turned and practically ran toward the parking area.

I stared after her for a split second, then looked back at the wooden bowl vendor, who was now picking up his merchandise with considerably less drama. The crisis was over, but something much more important had just gone very wrong.

I caught up with Parker halfway to the parking lot. She was walking fast, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold it together.

“Parker, wait.”

She stopped but didn’t turn around. I could see her shoulders shaking.

“Hey.” I moved around to face her, careful to keep my distance. “What just happened back there?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m being ridiculous. I know you were trying to help, but when you raised your voice like that…” She shook her head. “Men yelling…well, it’s a trigger for me, I guess.”

“I wasn’t yelling at you?—”

“I know.” The words came out in a rush. “I know you weren’t. But your voice, the way you stood there looking so commanding. For a second, you sounded just like…”

She trailed off, but understanding was starting to dawn. “Just like who, sweetheart?”

Parker was quiet for so long, I thought she wasn’t going to answer. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible.

“My stepdad. He used to…when he got angry, his voice would get like that. Cold and controlled and dangerous. And then…” She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. “I know you’re not him. I know you’d never hurt me. But my body doesn’t know that yet.”

Jesus. I felt like someone had punched me in the chest. No wonder she’d been so defensive that first day, so quick to bristle when I’d criticized her safety protocols. She’d been bracing for something much worse than a lecture about fire extinguishers.

“Parker.” I kept my voice gentle, soft. “Look at me.”

She raised her eyes to mine, and I could see the shame there, the embarrassment at her reaction.

“First of all,” I said, “you’re not being ridiculous. You’re being human. If someone hurt you, it makes perfect sense that you’d be wary.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to be like this with you. Last night was so perfect, and now I’m ruining everything by being broken?—”

“Stop.” I stepped closer, slowly, giving her time to move away if she needed to. When she didn’t, I reached out and gently cupped her face in my hands. “You are not broken. You survived something that left scars, and that makes you strong, not damaged.”

A tear spilled over, and I brushed it away with my thumb.

“And you’re not ruining anything,” I continued. “You’re helping me understand what you need from me. Which is apparently for me to remember that my voice carries when I’m trying to manage a situation.”

“You were just doing what comes naturally to you. Taking charge, keeping people safe. I can’t ask you to change who you are.”

“You’re not asking me to change who I am. You’re asking me to be mindful of how I affect you.” I leaned my forehead against hers. “That’s what people do when they care about each other. They pay attention.”

“I care about you too,” she whispered. “So much it scares me.”

“Good scared or bad scared?”

That earned me a smile. “Good scared. I think.”

I pulled her into my arms then, holding her close while she melted against me. Over her head, I could see a few people glancing our way, but I didn’t care. Let them look. This woman was mine, and if she needed reassurance in the middle of a farmer’s market, she was going to get it.

“I have an idea,” I said after a moment.

“What’s that?”

“We’re going to come up with a signal. Something you can do or say if I’m getting too intense, and I’ll dial it back immediately. No questions asked, no explanations needed.”

She pulled back to look at me. “You’d do that?”

“Parker, I’d do anything to make sure you feel safe with me. Anything.” I meant every word. “The last thing I ever want is for you to be afraid when I’m around.”

“What if I’m just being oversensitive? What if?—?”

“Then you’re being oversensitive, and I’ll adjust accordingly. This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about what works for us.”

She stared at me for a long moment, and I could see her processing this, maybe realizing for the first time that she could have needs and boundaries and someone would actually respect them instead of telling her she was being too much.

“Okay,” she finally said. “What kind of signal?”

I thought about it. “Something subtle that you can use even if we’re around other people. How about…” I took her hand and showed her how to tap her index finger against my palm three times. “Like that. I’ll feel it even if I’m not looking at you.”

She practiced the motion, her finger tapping lightly against my palm. “Three taps.”

“Three taps, and I immediately switch to indoor voice and step back if I need to. Deal?”

“Deal.” She looked up at me with wonder in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re real.”

“I’m real. And I’m not going anywhere.” I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Now, what do you say we head back and show everyone that we’re okay? I have a feeling Ashe is probably organizing a search party by now.”

She laughed, the sound lighter than it had been all morning. “He does seem like the type.”

As we walked back toward the market, her hand in mine, I found myself thinking about how much I wanted to find her stepdad and introduce him to my fists.

But that wasn’t what Parker needed from me.

What she needed was patience, understanding, and the knowledge that I’d never use my strength or my voice to intimidate her.

She needed to know she was safe with me, in every possible way. And I was going to spend the rest of my life making sure she never doubted it.