Page 17 of My Wild Mountain Man (Summer in the Pines #15)

bash

. . .

Our hike to the spot where she had found me had been great. Our conversation had been both heavy and lighthearted. We’d laughed and shared. And when we reached the waterfall, we had gone skinny dipping.

The image of my shy, sweet, innocent, pretty girl in the nude with the sun shining and breeze in her hair would be ingrained in my memory for a lifetime.

We’d returned to my place, where I made dinner, and we’d sat outside in my backyard and made s’mores over the little firepit I had. The night had been perfect. I didn’t take her again. I knew she was sore, and I wanted to let her body rest. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

I lay there for a moment. Staring at the ceiling fan as it whirred around and around. How many times since I’d seen her back from school had I lain there thinking about that very situation? Now, my daydreams were reality and so much better than I could have ever imagined.

But there was one thing hanging over me.

Onyx.

He needed to know what was going on, and he needed to hear it from me.

I glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand.

Carefully, I slipped out of bed and left Raven a note in case she woke up.

I texted Austin to see if they were both at the brewery, and he responded they were.

Dressed in gym shorts and a shirt, I drove out to them.

It was already closed to the public, but they were cleaning up.

“Hey, Bash!” “Night, Bash!” a couple of employees said as they walked out, and I waved goodbye to them.

Both Austin and Onyx were sitting at a table when they spotted me. Onyx started to chuckle.

“Jesus. Not even two days off, and you came back? Worried we’d set the place on fire or something?”

“Something like that,” I muttered, taking a seat in front of Onyx. Austin was weirdly quiet, probably sensing why I was there.

“What’s up?” he asked. His eyes bounced from me to Austin, then back to me. Automatically, he could tell something was off as he sat up straighter. “What’s the matter?

“Nothing’s the matter.”

“I think I should get—“ Austin started to say, but I shook my head and pointed at him.

“Stay.” We’d always discussed things as a group, and if me being with Onyx’ sister was going to change things, Austin would need to be here. “I need to talk to you.”

“To me or us?” Onyx asked. I could see him putting a mask over his face, making him unreadable. It was a quality that served us well when we were negotiating with the ski resort but one I really didn’t like in that moment. He’d never given me that look.

“You. But Austin should hear this, too.” Austin cursed under his breath, and Onyx crossed his arms over his chest. Tension mounted for a moment, and I sat up, linking my fingers on the table.

“We’ve been friends for a long?—“

“Cut the bullshit and say whatever it is,” Onyx cut me off, his voice clipped and deep. My eyes bounced to Austin for a second, and I breathed in deep. My dark gaze locked with Onyx’. “I want to talk to you about Raven.”

“Raven? he repeated. “Raven. My baby sister, Raven?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay…” he said slowly. “What about Rave?”

“I want you to know that I’m in love with her,” I stated. My body immediately braced, completely expecting Onyx to toss his body across the table and deck me.

But he didn’t.

He simply stared at me with that unreadable gaze.

“And?”

“And I’m going to start seeing her.”

“You are?” he asked. “Just like that? You don’t give a shit that she’s my sister?” His tone grew harsher by the syllable.

“I do. That’s why I’m talking to you before it goes any further. You’re like a brother to me, Onyx. Closer to you than my own family. I respect you.”

“But not enough to let her go?” I cleared my throat.

“No. I can’t do anything that means letting her go.”

“What if I say I don’t wanna do this with you anymore? The business or being friends or both?”

“Well, you two can buy me out, and I’ll figure something out and hope with time, you can figure out a way to at least be amicable since you’re going to see me at family events and one day be the uncle to the kids we bring into the world.”

“Kids?” Austin coughed, but neither of us looked at him.

“You’d put it all on the line for my sister?” I nodded. Without blinking an eye or hesitating, I responded honestly. When he stood. Austin and I automatically joined him.

Me waiting for the punch or shove I knew was coming my way and Austin probably ready in case he needed to pull us apart. He stepped closer, then suddenly, his expression changed.

“Good,” he muttered with a shit-eating grin. For a moment, my brain couldn’t process what was happening.

“Good?” I repeated. He laughed, leaning in capturing me in a hug.

“Fucking finally.” He patted me on the back. “It took you a moment to fucking make a move, dumbass. But glad you did.” He pulled away, and both Austin and I looked at him like he had just grown three heads.

“What?”

“You two think I don’t pay attention?”

“What the fuck?” Austin whispered under his breath.

”The way this one“—he pointed at me—“gets all googly eyed whenever Rave comes in? How she’s been trying to avoid talking to you, but anytime she doesn’t think any one is paying attention, she’s looking at you like…”

“Like what?” I frowned.

“Like you’re all she needs for the world to makes sense.

I won’t bullshit you. When she came back, and I noticed you two talking before the New Year’s party, it kinda ticked me off.

She’s young and has always had a little crush on you, even when she was a kid.

Part of me thought she’d get over it. But when she started to look at you like that? I worried for a whole other reason.”

“What?” Austin took the word out of my mouth.

“That this dumbass wouldn’t take a chance. Why do you think I suggested you get a hair cut from her or you take her hiking?” Suddenly, my shoulders sagged, and I chuckled.

Hell, the three of us did.

But then Onyx turned serious, his attention solely set on me. “If you hurt her—“ he started to say, but I cut him off.

“I’d kick myself in the balls. You know I wouldn’t risk our friendship if she didn’t mean something to me. She’s it for me, Onyx.”

“Good.” He hugged me, and when I pulled away, Austin was already walking towards the bar.

“You guys stress me the fuck out.”

“He knew, didn’t he?”

“Yup,” I admitted, surprised to hear Onyx laugh.

“You really love her?” Onyx asked as we took a barstool in front of Austin, who poured each of us a drink.

“With all my heart, man.”

“How did you know?” he asked, his gaze sincere, and that made my eyes widen.

“I mean…” Austin and I glanced at one another, and I was surprised to hear Austin clear his throat, his voice deeper than usual.

“I think it’s when the idea of never being around them, of seeing them with someone else makes you burn from the inside out.

” He shrugged and chugged the whiskey he’d poured.

“I can’t imagine my life without her. I want to… make her happy. I want to make her life easier. See her smile. Love her for the rest of my life,” I admitted, and Onyx nodded.

“Even with the age difference?” he asked, and I felt Austin’s attention.

These two had something going on, and I had obviously been too caught up with Raven to notice.

“No matter what, I wanna be with her. In any way she will let me,” I admitted before hopping off the barstool before I turned to Onyx. “We’re good?” He nodded.

“Always, brother.”

“I gotta get going.”

“To my sister?” he asked then winced. “That’s going to take a moment to get used to.” I laughed and hurried back to my place because I was more than ready to slip back into bed with my pretty girl.

Without anything hanging over my head, I knew this was exactly where life was supposed to take me. I’d always heard people say everything happened for a reason but had never believed it, until I’d noticed Raven all grown up.

Suddenly, all the highs and lows of my life made sense. I’d do each and every thing all over again if it meant finding Raven and spending the rest of it with her.