⛰️ Shifter Mountain: Hearts of Stone, Book 1, Chapter 5
Lena looked around the sparsely decorated living room. The cabin was beautiful, but it felt so lonely, she thought, and a pang of sadness constricted her heart. There were no photographs or paintings, no color to break up the monotony of browns and tans.
Her gaze kept returning to the raging storm beyond the enormous floor to ceiling windows that faced the covered porch and the grassy field beyond. She heard Keeton moving about the kitchen. Quiet and self-assured, she couldn’t imagine the mountain man needing anything at all, but still. She seemed to sense his loneliness, and it hurt her.
Silly, she knew, but she wanted to help somehow. Whatever had caused him to run away and hide from the world couldn’t be that bad, she mused.
But what if it was?
Truthfully, she knew nothing about him. And yet, she had never felt so safe in her life. She must be really desperate for attention. Lena cursed herself for that thought. It was her mother’s voice, not hers, that crept into her thoughts. Worming its way in whenever she was feeling peaceful or at ease.
“I hope you like stew.” Keeton’s voice penetrated the stark silence, and she jumped. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, no, please, you are fine. That was my fault, I got lost in my head.” She shrugged and sat up, breathing in the aromatic stew he set on a bed tray over her legs.
“This smells wonderful!”
“Thanks.” He shrugged, clearly embarrassed by her praise. “Nothing to it.”
“I smell fresh rosemary and is that cinnamon?”
“Yeah, just a pinch.”
He was really blushing now, but Lena was in her glory when discussing food. The first bite was heavenly. She could not stop herself from moaning aloud. The meat was tender.
“Is this rabbit?”
“Um, yeah. Is that okay?”
“Yes.” She grinned. “I like rabbit. I imagine you do a lot of hunting up here.”
“I do,” he replied, and she smiled at him, hoping to ease some of his tension.
“It’s delicious. So, is this like a weekend getaway?”
“The cabin? No, I live here.”
“Like year round?”
“Yes,” he said, placing his fork down beside his large bowl. “I built this place about two years ago and have been living here ever since.”
“You never go into town?”
Keeton shook his head, and Lena’s heart squeezed once more. Whatever ghosts filled his past and sent him running for the hills, she sure as hell hoped they would let up and leave him be. He was a good man. She could tell. Lena was sort of an expert after wasting so much of her time with the wrong kind of man.
“What’s so funny?”
He seemed genuinely curious, and she realized then she’d snorted aloud at her own self-critique. There was something so open and honest about him, although she could tell he was keeping something to himself. It wasn’t her business, she knew, even so, she was curious.
“I was just thinking that I wasted a lot of time on the wrong man, and for the first time in a long time I feel, well, un-anxious, if that’s even a word.”
Thunder crashed outside, the storm turning violent as she ate her dinner with the mysterious mountain man whose dark green eyes held such secrets she could hardly even imagine. Maybe she was wrong to trust him so blindly.
But what choice did Lena really have?
“I think it’s good that you feel at ease, Marilena,” he said after a brief pause.
She could tell she’d pleased him with her statement, though she had no actual idea why. What should he care for her comfort, or discomfort for that matter? And yet, this stranger had showed her more kindness since she’d met him than Cary had in all of their months of living together and being engaged to be married.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt that. My mother is always telling me how foolish I am and constantly correcting me. She doesn’t necessarily approve of my life choices.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, for one thing, I’m overweight and had to be unforgivably obvious about it by going into the food industry. You see, I run a catering business, and I am not sure what she finds worse, that her fat daughter likes food or that she’s made it her life’s work.”
“Apologies to your mother, but she doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about,” he replied in a firm tone that made her heart skip a beat.
“Well, you hardly know me.” She shrugged.
“I know we don’t really know each other, Marilena, but it doesn’t take a lifetime for me to look at you to see you’re beautiful.”
“Ha, now you’re being nice,” she said, embarrassed now that she brought up her looks.
“Even if I was, it’s true,” he returned earnestly. “From what I can see, you look exactly how a woman should. The fact you are passionate about your work only makes you more genuine, and damn lucky too. Few people can say that.”
“I guess that’s true. I mean, my mother has never worked a day in her life, so I don’t expect her to understand how I feel when I am on a job. I mean the feeling I get when I am catering a wedding or anniversary party, something that brings people together to celebrate, is simply unparalleled. My food helps those families enjoy themselves. Food brings people together, and I am proud of my work.”
“See, right there.” He pointed with his fork. “I’m looking at you, watching you talk about your work, and you are radiant.”
“Oh, um, thanks.” She licked her lips, a bit shy of his praise.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped,” he blurted. Again, she’d swear he sounded sincere. “I think anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable or like doubting yourself isn’t worth your time. You shouldn’t even consider them.”
“You know, you are really easy to talk to for a giant mountain man.”
“Um. Are you finished?” he asked abruptly.
Lena nodded. Cheeks flushed, she wiped her mouth on the napkin and replaced it on the tray. Watching him walk away, tray and empty bowls in hand proved more interesting than the storm, despite the brilliant flashes of lightning that illuminated the sky.
OMG, I can’t believe I said that.
She scolded herself silently. Lena really had a way of sticking her foot in her mouth time and again.
Brilliant.
Truly.
Full and no longer in pain, she lay back and sighed. It was foolish, silly, and a little naïve on her part. Totally unreal that she felt so perfectly peaceful with the enormous stranger, and yet, as her eyelids grew heavy, she realized quite unsurprisingly that she trusted Keeton Grey.
Trusted him to keep her safe and dry from the storm outside, but, a little nagging voice whispered inside her sleepy head, who would keep her safe from the storm of emotions threatening to burst free inside her?
If you would like to keep reading…upgrade for the rest of the book PLUS a coupon code for book 2!
