Tempting the Mountain Man (Sweetheart Falls)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

GABE

I hammer the last nail into place, securing the freshly cut beam. Sweat trickles down my back as I straighten, admiring our handiwork. Chuck’s cabin is coming together – the new deck gleams in the afternoon sun, and the frame for the second-floor guest room looms above us.

“Looking good,” I say, wiping my brow with the back of my arm.

Chuck nods, smiling as he looks up at the cabin. “Yeah, not bad. Speaking of looking good...” He jerks his chin toward the overflowing trash can near our makeshift workstation. “You might want to ease up on those pastries, buddy. I’ve seen more coffee cups and bakery bags in there than I can count.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “With all this work? No chance. I’m burning it off faster than I can eat it. Besides, you’re the one who sent me in, to pick up that birthday cake for your sister.”

“Cynthia loved that cake, as expected,” Chuck chuckles, leaning against a support beam. His eyes narrow playfully. “But I sent you there once—you’ve been at that bakery every day for two weeks now. What’s up with that? You got a crush on Polly?”

The heat rises in my chest, and it’s not from the exertion. I pause, unsure how to voice what I’ve been feeling. My cock nearly exploded in my jeans as I drooled over her perfectly thick ass when I saw her bend over that first day I went in. Her ass is why I went back the next day and the day after that. Even with her delectable ass making me go back daily like an addict, I’m learning I’m drawn to her on a deeper level.

“Maybe,” I admit, focusing intently on coiling up an extension cord.

Chuck’s grin widens. He’s known me long enough to recognize when I’m holding back. “I knew it! Man, it’s about time. You’ve been moping around long enough.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. “I haven’t been moping.”

“Oh, come on,” Chuck says, grabbing his water bottle and taking a long swig. “Since that mess with Sarah, you built a wall around yourself. Have you looked at another woman since Sarah?”

I wince, not wanting to admit how right he is. “No, I haven’t. Sarah soured me on relationships, and I’ve never been one to want a new woman in my bed every night. Besides, with Polly, it’s only coffee and pastries, Chuck. Don’t make it into something it’s not.”

Chuck raises an eyebrow. “Every day for two weeks? That’s a dedication to baked goods I’ve never known you to have. You don’t even have a fucking sweet tooth. It’s undisputed that Polly makes the best apple turnovers I’ve ever had, but I’m also not going into Sweet Nothings daily or even weekly.”

I can’t help but chuckle. “What can I say? She makes me want things I didn’t think I wanted.”

“Does she now?” Chuck looks at me, a curiosity and surprise in his voice.

“Could be,” I hedge, wondering if I’ve said too much. It feels surprising to me to admit that I’m interested in her, but maybe Chuck’s right that it’s time for me to put everything with Sarah in the past and be open to trusting another woman. I’m not sure I’m ready to actually do it, but maybe I’m ready to consider it.

“Hey, you hear from any of the old gang lately?” Chuck asks as he picks up tools and stows them away.

I shake my head. “Me? No. I haven’t been out long enough to miss those yokels. You?”

Chuck nods, a grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, actually. Martinez got me on the horn last week. You’re not gonna believe this.”

“What? I haven’t seen him in…” I count the months. “Probably not in two years. We were on different deployments our last few times out. Martinez finally learn how to tie his own shoelaces?”

Chuck snorts. I know he’s remembering how Martinez always managed to break his shoelaces. The whole platoon had to carry extras for him because he went through so many pairs. “Better. He’s getting married.”

I drop the hammer I’m holding. “Martinez? Mr. ‘I’ll-Never-Be-Tied-Down’ Martinez? You’re shitting me.”

“Hand to God,” Chuck says, holding up his right hand. “Apparently, he met this woman while we were still serving. She was Army, too, a mechanic. They kept in touch after they both got out, and now...” He shrugs. “Love, man. It’ll get you when you least expect it.”

I shake my head, still processing this information. Martinez was the platoon’s biggest horndog, swearing he’d never in a million years settle down with one woman. The idea that he has…it gives me pause.

“You remember that time in Kandahar?” Chuck asks, a nostalgic glint in his eye. “When Martinez swore he was going to charm that CIA analyst?”

I burst out laughing at the memory. “Oh man, how could I forget? He strutted up to her like a peacock, all confident...”

“And she shut him down so hard, I think the entire base heard it,” Chuck finishes, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

“Didn’t stop him from trying again the next day,” I add, shaking my head.

“Nope,” Chuck agrees. “But you gotta admire his persistence. And now look at him. Getting married. Life sneaks up on you.”

I nod, suddenly thoughtful. If someone like Martinez can find love and settle down...maybe there’s hope for me too. Images of Polly fill my mind. What would it be like to take a chance with her? To make a serious effort to have a woman in my life again?

“So,” Chuck says, breaking into my reverie. “Polly. I know her in passing, but what’s your take on her?”

I hesitate, unsure how to put my feelings into words. “She’s...she’s something else, Chuck. Smart, funny. She’s devoted to that bakery. And the way she handles customers, even the grumpy ones. I like how I feel when I’m around her.”

Chuck’s smile is happy rather than teasing. “Sounds like she’s got you pretty good, man.”

I shrug, trying to play it cool, but I know his words hold truth. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time since...you know.”

“Since Sarah,” Chuck finishes for me. His tone is gentle but firm. “Look, Gabe. I know she did a number on you. Hell, I wanted to tell her off when I found out what happened. But you can’t let one bad experience ruin everything. Not all women are like her.”

I sigh, running a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. “I know that, logically. But...” I trail off, struggling to find the right words.

“That’s a hard kind of hurt to move past,” Chuck finishes.

I nod, trying to push down the stale emotions of Sarah’s betrayal. No matter how many times I try to tell myself I’m over her and what she did, I know I still carry traces of the hurt she caused me. I’ve come to accept it as part of my life, despite wishing those traces were forgotten history.

“I get it, man. I do,” Chuck continues. “But think about it this way. We went through some serious shit in the Army, right? Saw things, did things that could’ve broken us. But we didn’t let it stop us from coming back, from building lives here. Why should this be any different?”

His words hit me hard. He’s right, of course. We faced death and saw friends fall, yet we found a way to keep going, to find joy and purpose in civilian life. Why should matters of the heart be any different?

“You’re right,” I admit. “It’s just...it’s scary, you know? Opening up like that again.”

Chuck nods, clapping me on the shoulder. “Of course it is. But from what you’ve told me about Polly, she sounds worth the risk. And hey, if it doesn’t work out, you’ve always got me and my half-built cabin to come sulk in.”

I laugh, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. “Gee, thanks. Nothing like the promise of manual labor to soothe a broken heart.”

“Hey, it’s what I’m here for.” Chuck grins. “Now come on, let’s finish up this section. I need to head to the hardware store for more supplies soon.”

We work in companionable silence for a while, the repetitive motions of sawing and hammering giving me time to think. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, Chuck steps back, surveying our progress.

“I think we’re good for today,” he says. “We’ve got another two, maybe three weeks before this is all wrapped up.”

I nod, my stomach fluttering with anticipation. If we’re done early, I can head to the bakery sooner than usual.

“Sounds good,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. “I’ll clean up here and head out.”

Chuck’s knowing smirk tells me I’m not fooling anyone. “Tell Polly I said hi,” he calls over his shoulder as he walks to his truck. “And Gabe?”

I look up from where I’m coiling an extension cord. “Yeah?”

“Don’t overthink it, alright? Take the leap.”

I nod, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Thanks, Chuck. I’ll keep that in mind.”

As Chuck drives away, I start cleaning up, my mind drifting back to Polly. Since I met Polly, stopping by the bakery has become the highlight of my day. I tell myself it’s for the apple turnovers and the rich, dark coffee, but who am I kidding? It’s all about her.