Page 9 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men (Mountain Men Why Choose #3)

“ L ena, the movie’s starting,” I call out while putting Sophie’s coloring books back on the shelf.

“Just a minute!” she responds from the kitchen.

I lie back on the sofa, crossing my arms behind my head. She scurries back into the living room, a load of laundry piled in her hands before she zooms out into the hallway again.

I watch her go back and forth like this a couple of times, my patience wearing thin with every passing moment. I don’t understand what chores she has to do this late at night, since she told me she was free to watch a movie after she put Sophie to sleep.

“Lena, it’s been fifteen minutes,” I find myself whining when she comes into the living room again, her head cocked as if she’s looking for something. “What is it? Let me help you, so you can get done quicker.”

“No, no, it’s nothing,” she says. “I’m just looking for the new heavy-duty lock I ordered. It’s really heavy and big, so you can’t miss it. The box came in this morning, so I know it’s here somewhere. I’m just having trouble finding it.”

“A heavy-duty lock?” I raise a brow, getting up from the couch. “Are your bolts faulty? You want me to look at them?”

“No, no,” she insists, distracted, as she shuffles the pillows of the sofa. “Nothing’s wrong with the cabin’s bolts. They’re fine.”

As she turns her couch upside down, I go to check the locks of the main and the back doors. She’s hot on my heels, peering around me anxiously to see if they’re locked properly after I check them.

As she tugs on the bolt, I finally ask her, “What’s the problem, Lena? Why are you so anxious? Did something happen? Did a bear burst in or something?”

She looks at me, the haze of worry breaking apart slightly. “Anxious? I’m just checking the locks, Aiden.”

“For the third time tonight? These locks are new, by the way. And what are you going to use the heavy-duty lock for, anyway?”

“The main gate,” she responds, not answering any of my other questions.

My brows furrow, and I hold her hands gently. “Are you satisfied now? I’ve checked them, too, and they all seem fine. Did somebody try and break in?”

This erratic behavior of hers comes out sometimes, I’ve noticed.

There is this sense of insecurity she carries around with her, a fear that all three of us have noticed.

Even during the day, I’ve seen her fidget with the locks, her brows furrowed.

I didn’t point it out, but Tanner said that he’s noticed her doing it, too.

What in the world has her acting this way?

“No, nothing like that, Aiden. It’s just better to be safe than sorry.”

I can sense her defenses going back up, so I nod calmly and lead her back to the couch. “We’ll find the lock, all right? But I really want to watch this movie with you.”

“You want to watch Home Alone with me?” she asks, incredulity coloring her tone as she glances at the screen.

“Hey, it’s one of my favorite movies,” I defend, and she snorts, a smile finally breaking through.

We sit together, with her head cuddled on my shoulder as the movie plays.

Her knees are in my lap, and I rub soft circles into her waist. She relaxes, the cloud of worry finally dissipating.

Looking down at her, I’m captivated once again by how beautiful she is.

Lena has become the center of my thoughts now. More often than not, I find myself thinking about her, thinking of her scent, the soft hair at the crown of her head, and the way she smiles.

Her beauty is one thing, but even the way she thinks is so captivating.

She always has an opinion on any matter you bring up with her, and her most attractive quality is that she listens.

Her face is always slack when she does so, her pouty mouth slightly parted.

Whenever I see her during her morning walks, my day automatically gets better.

The birdsong these days has been sounding chirpier, and the mountains feel less intimidating and far more friendly.

Sometimes, I hear her laugh as she’s heading out to hunt with Tanner, and I feel jealous of the trees that will get to see her in the forest.

It’s quite simply insane. I have never been this involved with a woman before. I don’t know this man that I’ve become while I’m with her. I’m doing anything to make her smile, to please her, and to keep her attention on me. It makes me feel crazy, to put it lightly.

“Lena?” I murmur into her hair.

She responds with a little hum, looking up at me like a curious cat.

“What did you do in the city?”

She breathes in softly before responding, “There’s always something to do in the city.

Life isn’t this calm and nice back there.

You’re always running behind, always missing out on something.

I used to be a writer before Sophie came along.

Before I got married, there was this publisher that I worked for.

I had thought my single life was hectic, but boy did I not know what juggling a relationship and a job would do to me.

I had to quit; otherwise, I would have lost my mind. ”

I try not to interject as she mentions her marriage.

Each time the conversation shifts to her experiences as a city girl, she quickly diverts the topic.

We’ve all noticed it, so we try not to make her uncomfortable, even when our curiosity is overwhelming.

Sophie always gets quiet, too, pretending like she isn’t there whenever their past gets mentioned.

Lena falls silent now, and even when I prompt her to divulge more, she remains evasive.

“Was work that stressful?”

“It wasn’t just work, but everything put together that got to me.”

Going down the dangerous route, I finally ask her the question that’s been bugging me.

“What aren’t you telling me? There’s stuff you leave out and never explain. I’m here to listen if you wanna tell someone.”

My hand tucks back the strand of hair that dangles in front of her face. She looks at me with those clear, green eyes, the turmoil present in them again.

“It’s—I’m sure you can tell since I’m here and he’s not, but my marriage wasn’t a good one. I don’t really like to talk about it. Sophie is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and she’s the only good thing that came out of it.”

“What happened, Lena?” I question her softly, holding her tightly. She pulls her lower lip into her mouth, her body relaxing little by little as she realizes that she’s safe.

“My ex, James, was an abusive man. Is an abusive man, I guess. He used to be fine when we were dating, but he started raising his hands to me a few months into our marriage. He would apologize afterward, but soon, that became a rarity, too. I loved him, and I wanted Sophie to have a stable home, which is why I never did anything about it. I felt too weak to stand up to him because of my love for him and my love for Sophie. One day, I realized that I couldn’t stay there any longer, and that’s when I booked it to Whitefish and never looked back. ”

“Did something happen in particular?” I ask as calmly as possible, all the muscles in my body tensed like a wolf prepared to pounce.

My blood boils with each word she says about her ex.

This asshole is why she’s jumpy and scared all the time, like someone is going to burst in and hurt her.

It explains why she was so terrified of us when she first saw us.

“He was going to hit Sophie.”

I swallow, inhaling sharply, as a vein pulses in my forehead.

She looks up at me with scared eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Fear emanates from her, even though she tries to hide it. Immediately, I soften, gulping back my anger in case she senses the violence roaring in my head.

Poor, sweet, Lena.

“You have me, Lena. I promise you, I swear on my life, that I will always protect you. You never have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again. That is my promise to you.”

My words, as quietly vindictive as they are, reassure something inside her. She becomes putty in my hands, burrowing her face in my shoulder as I trace my palms down her back. She’s halfway in my lap, and I lift her slightly, so she can cuddle with me.

The movie is long forgotten as she breathes into my neck, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“Do you mean that?” she mumbles into my skin, her arms threading around my shoulders.

“Do you want to put it to the test? I have never meant anything more in my life than what I just said. I won’t let anyone harm you.”

She breathes out a watery laugh, sniffling as she pulls back to look at me. Even with tears in her beautiful eyes, and her snotty nose, she looks like the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen.

No spirit, worldly or otherwise, would be able to grant mercy to the person who hurts even a single hair on her head.