Page 9 of The Mountain Man’s Unexpected Bride (Mountain Man Sanctuary #5)

Brock

I woke up this morning with Savannah in my arms. It was the most amazing feeling I've ever had, knowing she was there and that she was mine. Is she mine, though? I need to re-read that contract. Can I marry her without breaking the contract? I don't know what to do.

What I do know is that I want to spend more time with my beautiful fiancé.

I have an idea for a barbecue, and I can invite my friend Fletcher and his new wife, Erika.

They are going to fall in love with her just like I have.

I freeze in my tracks. I love her? That can't be. It's just been a few days.

I go to my desk and pull the damn contract out. I might have to send it to my lawyer with my new concerns. My biggest worry is that Savannah will find out this is just temporary and leave me. I don't know if I can live without her anymore.

The papers feel like lit coals in my hands, so I open a drawer and stash them in there. I'll email him now before I call my friends over.

When I'm finished, I go looking for Savannah, who is outside, trying to chop some wood.

"Stop! You're going to hurt yourself."

She looks completely disgruntled but thoroughly sexy. She's got one of my plaid shirts on and thankfully is wearing both gloves and protective eyewear.

"I saw a movie when I was a child and the woman was chopping wood. It seemed so easy."

"I'll teach you how to do it another time. Today I've invited some friends over so that we can have a barbecue and you can meet them."

She puts her hands on her hips and looks like a damn superhero, all she needs is a cape.

"And how will I be introduced to these friends?"

"As my princess."

"Brock!"

"Fine, as my devoted fiancé."

I walk over to her and silence her complaints with a hot, scorching kiss. She grabs my shirt and pulls me closer to her than I already am. The kiss lasts for a hot minute, and when I pull back, her eyes are glazed over and her mouth is open as if begging for more.

"You look good enough to eat like this."

"Do what you need to do, doc."

So I grab her bride-style and carry her inside the cabin to ravish her before our guests arrive.

After a morning filled with fun in bed, we start to get ready for our guests.

My lawyer has already gotten back to me, easing some of my concerns, but not all.

We set up on the back deck of my house. It has an outdoor kitchen area, and Savannah keeps giving me compliments.

My chest becomes bigger and bigger with each kind word.

I worked hard on every single part of this house. The reward of having done it was supposed to be enough, but I'm loving the attention Savannah gives me because of it. Once everything is set up, I go looking for my fiancé.

My thoughts return to the contract. The truth always comes out in the end, and I should really talk to Savannah and tell her I want to keep the engagement going after the contract is over.

That conversation will be hard, though, and I put it on the back burner when I hear a truck out in front of my house.

I find Savannah on my way to the door, and I take her hand and bring her with me to receive our guests. I open the door, and there's laughter coming from the truck that just pulled up. I wave them over and watch as Fletcher opens the door for his beloved wife.

She has some sort of dish in her hands, and I wonder if she's made her wonderful brownies.

"Hey, Fletcher. Hey, Erika. Welcome. This is my fiancé, Savannah."

Savannah seems a changed woman. She's open and friendly, but most importantly, she looks like she's the woman of the house. My heart beats faster with the realization that I want her to be exactly that.

"Come on back, we're set up at the outdoor kitchen."

"The famous outdoor kitchen and the world-renowned deck I've been hearing about?" Erika says.

"You mean the one Fletcher has been envying from afar? I don't mind helping him build one for your house, you know."

"Oh, I know you're helping him. He's been fussing about the plans for weeks now."

"Does that mean we get to watch two sweaty mountain men work while we sip on refreshing lemonade?" Savannah says.

"Oh, I like you. You need to catch me up on how you two met."

As they go on before us, I worry that Savannah will feel embarrassed about her journey. She shouldn't be, and I want to support her in whether or not she wants to tell it.

"It seems like they are getting along," I say idly.

"For a mail-order bride, you seem to have gotten an amazing woman."

"You don't know the half of it. I'll man the grill and you can pour the drinks."

When we get outside, Savannah and Erika seem to be thick as thieves, whispering and giggling, while sharing secrets. I wonder if one of those secrets is how Savannah feels about me. About us. I can hear bits and pieces from where I'm standing at the grill.

"You need to write these things down, Savannah," Erika says.

"What do you mean?"

"Like a journal, for posterity, but in this case also for letting out your feelings. Talking about your amazing journey is a part of it, but you might want to look back on it all in a couple of years to see how far you've come."

"What do I need to start journaling?"

"Some paper and a pen. Later, you can get a fancy notebook to use. I have tons of them."

"There's some paper in my office you could use." I offer her, not ashamed that I'm listening in on them.

I turn back to my grilling, and Fletcher comes to stand beside me.

"You've got it bad."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only because I know you."

"She's amazing, Fletcher," I say.

"Have you told her how you feel?"

"It's been less than a week! I don't understand how I've fallen so hard so fast."

"It happens to the best of us. And for the record, hiding doesn't work. I tried that and failed."

When the food is ready, we all sit down at the table and chat and joke around. Savannah looks so happy, and I vow to keep her in this state for as long as possible. She deserves it after all her supposed family made her go through.

Erika tells us about this show she's throwing for Fletcher, where all his best pieces will be auctioned for charity.

"Can I help you with anything? It sounds like interesting work." Savannah says.

"Of course. Come down this week to the gallery and I'll show you the ropes."

After hours of sharing life tidbits and town gossip, Fletcher and Erika leave. Savannah looks energized and ready to take on life. Thoughts of talking to her run through my mind, but I don't want to upset her, so I keep quiet.

We work together in clearing out the mess in the back. I love how comfortable I feel doing things with her and wonder what married life will look like for us. How many children will we have? I find myself dreaming of something I never thought I'd have—a family.

"Brock, I'm going to take a shower and then try to write some of my story down. I really like that suggestion Erika made."

"Sure, no problem, we're almost done here."

She goes on tiptoes and pulls me down to her for a gentle kiss. I don't think she understands that even this innocent kiss makes my insides burn for her. I watch her retreat into her bedroom and start imagining what we'll do tonight in her bed.

I make myself some tea and sit down on my recliner in the living room. I've spent the past few days glued to Savannah's side, but Erika is right in that she needs to put her thoughts down. She's been through a lot since losing her parents.

My thoughts go to her beautiful creamy skin, gorgeous breasts, and delicious pussy. I'm deep in my X-rated thoughts when I hear a scream coming from my office.

"WHAT THE HELL, brOCK?"