Page 5 of Overtime with Orion (Mountain Men Fall Harder #1)

LARKIN

Iwas glowing. I could feel it radiating from my skin as I pushed my cart through the aisles of the Maple Ridge General Store, and I was certain everyone else could see it too.

The wooden floors creaked under my feet as I navigated past shelves stocked with everything from canned soup to handmade quilts, my body still humming with the memory of last night.

Every step reminded me of the sweet ache between my thighs, the delicious soreness that came from being thoroughly loved by a man who knew exactly what he was doing.

My lips felt swollen from his kisses, and I kept catching myself touching them absentmindedly.

I needed basics—milk, bread, coffee—simple things since my brain seemed incapable of focusing on anything but Orion’s hands on my body, his voice whispering my name in the darkness. Between the festival and everything else happening, I’d been living on coffee and whatever was easiest.

But underneath the glow was a knot of anxiety that had been growing since I’d woken up alone in my own bed this morning. Not because he’d left—we’d agreed it was smarter for him to go home before dawn to avoid questions from Cassie. But because of what I’d done.

I’d slept with my friend’s brother.

The magnitude of that hit me fresh as I reached for a carton of milk, my reflection staring back at me from the refrigerated case.

What had I been thinking? Cassie talked about Orion constantly—how worried she was about him, how much she loved him, how protective she felt.

And I’d gone and complicated everything by falling into bed with him.

Well, technically, it had been a dock, but still.

“Larkin! There you are!”

I spun around so fast, I nearly knocked over a display of Joy Munson’s famous cider donuts. Cassie was standing by the bulletin board near the register, her arms full of flyers for her book signing, looking radiant in a way that made my guilt multiply tenfold.

“Hey, Cassie.” I tried to smile normally, but my voice came out higher than usual. “Getting fuel for your writing sessions?”

“Always.” She walked over, and I felt like she could see right through me. Like my secret was written across my forehead in permanent marker. “You look…different today. Good different. You’re practically glowing.”

My cheeks burned. “Just a good night’s sleep.”

“Mmm.” She studied my face with the same intensity she used when plotting her mysteries. “Speaking of good nights, Orion came home in the best mood I’ve seen him in since he got here. Almost like his old self again.”

My pulse stuttered. “Really?”

“Really. He was whistling this morning. Whistling, Larkin. My grumpy, brooding brother who’s been moping around for months.” She grinned. “I think coming back to Maple Ridge was exactly what he needed.”

The guilt was eating me alive. I had to tell her. I couldn’t keep this from my friend, couldn’t lie to her face while she stood there talking about how happy her brother seemed.

“Cassie, I need to tell you something—“

The bell above the door chimed, and my heart stopped completely. Orion walked in, his eyes scanning the store until they found mine. The smile that spread across his face was warm and intimate and completely unapologetic.

He walked straight toward us with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and when he reached me, he didn’t hesitate. His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me against his side in a gesture that was unmistakably possessive.

I froze, waiting for Cassie’s reaction, my stomach dropping to my feet. For a moment, Cassie just stared. Then her face lit up like the Fourth of July.

“Oh my God,” she breathed, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my God, you two—“ She broke off, looking between us with pure delight. “They say when the leaves fall in Maple Ridge, the mountain men fall too.”

“Cassie—“ I started, but she was already moving, pulling us both into a fierce hug.

“I can’t believe this,” she said against our shoulders. “I mean, I was hoping, but I didn’t dare—how long has this been happening?”

“Since yesterday,” Orion said simply, his arm tightening around me. “Since the first time I laid eyes on her.”

Cassie pulled back, tears actually shining in her eyes.

“This is perfect. You’re perfect together.

I knew it the second I saw you both at my booth yesterday—the way you looked at each other.

” She turned to me, grabbing my hands. “And you! No wonder you were reorganizing my books like your life depended on it. You were nervous!”

“This morning, I was terrified,” I admitted.

“Of me?” Cassie looked genuinely hurt.

“Of ruining our friendship. Of you thinking I was taking advantage or—“

“Larkin.” Cassie’s voice was firm. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to my brother in years. Maybe ever. Look at him.”

I glanced up at Orion, who was watching me with an expression so tender, it made my chest ache.

“I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you,” Cassie continued. “Like you hung the moon and all the stars too.”

“Cassie,” Orion warned, but there was no heat in it.

“Don’t you ‘Cassie’ me. I’m your sister, and I get to be happy about this.” She stepped back, grinning. “Besides, now I don’t have to worry about either of you being lonely anymore.”

The relief flooding through me was so intense, I felt lightheaded. “So you’re okay with this?”

“Okay with it? Larkin, I’m planning your wedding in my head.” She laughed at my expression. “I’m kidding. Mostly. But seriously, this is wonderful.”

Orion’s hand found mine, our fingers interlacing. “We wanted you to know.”

“Well, now I do, and I’m thrilled.” Cassie gathered her flyers. “I should let you two have some privacy. I’ll see you both at the festival tomorrow?”

“We’ll be there,” Orion said.

“Good. And Larkin?” Cassie paused at the door. “Thank you. For making him smile again.”

Then she was gone, leaving us standing in the middle of the general store, surrounded by the scent of cider donuts and the quiet hum of afternoon shoppers.

“That went better than expected,” I said.

Orion turned to face me fully, his hands coming up to frame my face. “Were you really worried about her reaction?”

“Terrified,” I admitted. “She’s my friend, and you’re her brother, and I thought—“

“You thought wrong.” He kissed me softly, right there in the middle of the store, and I didn’t care who saw. “She loves us both. Of course she wants us to be happy.”

“Together?”

“Together.” His thumb traced my cheekbone. “Speaking of which, I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

“About not leaving Maple Ridge.”

My heart stuttered. “What?”

“I came here to lick my wounds, to figure out what comes next after football.” His eyes were serious, intense. “But being with you…it’s made me realize there’s more to life than the game. More to me than just being a quarterback.”

“Orion…”

“I’m not saying forever,” he said quickly. “Not yet. But I’m saying maybe I don’t need to run away to find myself. Maybe I just needed to find the right reason to stay.”

The words hung between us, heavy with possibility and promise.

“And what would that reason be?” I whispered.

He smiled, that devastating smile that had turned my world upside down in less than twenty-four hours. “A curvy brunette librarian who reorganizes books and doesn’t know the first thing about football.”

My heart swelled so big, I thought it might burst. “She sounds like trouble.”

“The best kind of trouble.” He kissed me again, deeper this time. “The kind worth changing your whole life for.”