Mountain Cure (Stone Brothers Duet, #2)

by Jadin, Bethany

  And I only love them more for it.

  Then the idea they proposed topped it all — them moving to my city to be with me. They said we could find a big place to rent together.

  I burst out with laughter when the words first left Remi’s mouth. The images that popped into my head were impossibly hilarious — picturing the three of them living in an apartment in the middle of midtown, traffic and crowds hustling by all day long.

  The guys insisted they meant it, and my laughter turned to sniffles and happy tears, seeing the seriousness in their eyes, knowing that’s how much they wanted to be with me — that they’d give all this up.

  But I could never ask them to do that. There would be no privacy, no mountains, no acres of forest to roam around on.

  It’d be like the abominable snowman moving to a thatched hut in the tropics.

  This land is part of who they are.

  It’s part of me now, too.

  And this is where I want to be.

  As much as I loved my old neighborhood in the city back home, it doesn’t hold a candle to this place. I’ve grown attached to this cabin in a way I never felt about any apartment I’ve lived in.

  Hell, I was already in the process of moving out of my apartment, anyway. My lease is up next month and there’s nothing left I even need to go back for.

  I gathered everything I wanted from Jason’s place when I went to collect my bags before flying out here. My favorite clothes and all my important documents came with me on vacation, and whatever I’m missing I can replace.

  My landlord is shipping me my laptop and the two boxes of miscellaneous, sentimental stuff I’d packed up and left sitting in the living room of my apartment.

  It’s kinda telling that I’d held onto my most personal possessions for so long without taking them to Jason’s place.

  Hindsight is a crazy thing.

  As soon as we’re up the steps of the cabin, Remi and Colt come to a full stop, neither brother moving to open the door.

  I look at the two of them. “Are we just going to stand here on the porch and freeze, or are we going in?”

  Beside me, Natalie plunks the bags she’s been carrying down on the porch. “I’m actually going to head home,” she says.

  “What? No, come in and have some hot chocolate or a glass of wine,” I insist.

  Her eyes dart to the guys, and a small smile plays across her lips. “Nah, not today.”

  I look at Remi and Colt, and they both have the same smile. “What the hell are you up to? Do I even want to know what you guys have been doing while I’ve been gone?”

  Their eyes light up, and those grins get bigger.

  “We hope so,” Colt says with a cocky grin.

  “Aaaand it’s definitely time for me to go,” Natalie says with a laugh. She touches me on the shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow for Christmas dinner, yeah?”

  I nod and give her a hug. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it.”

  She retreats down the steps and waves goodbye before getting into her car.

  Remi raps his knuckles on the cabin door and calls out in a loud voice, “Ready for us?”

  The door swings open, and Wes gestures for us to come in. “Yep.”

  I tentatively follow the guys inside, trying to see past their big forms to scan the cabin. At first, there doesn’t seem to be anything different.

  Well, not since I officially moved in, at least.

  I’ve really pimped the place out holiday style. I couldn’t help it. This log cabin was just screaming for some rustic Christmas decorations, and I practically bought out the shops in town, grabbing up all the stuff they had left.

  Lights and garlands for the little spruce tree the guys and I picked out. They carefully dug it up and wrapped the roots in burlap before placing it in the cabin.

  That got me daydreaming about how we could start a little grove of Christmas trees somewhere in these mountains, each one representing another year we’ve been together.

  I didn’t tell them that — I’m trying not to put the cart too far in front of the horse. But they sure seemed to love the idea of keeping the tree alive and replanting it later. So, maybe I wasn’t the only one with that idea?

  There’s also little wooden reindeer on the mantel, and a miniature village with shops and cottages that light up, just like I had growing up. And a hand-carved nativity scene and ceramic mugs with holly leaves etched on them, perfect for hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps.

  And maybe a few other things...

  Okay, a lot of other things.

  It looks like Santa’s Workshop in here.

  But each time I thought for sure I was going overboard, the guys would light up like — well, like it was Christmas — whenever I’d add another decoration to our home.

  Home.

  I don’t know if I’ll ever stop feeling a sense of joy wash through me every time I remind myself that this is where I live now.

  Speaking of, the kitchen, living room, and the reading nook in the corner look just like they did when I left. I squint, trying to figure out what they’re expecting me to see.

  Then I notice out of the corner of my eye that the three of them are standing a little too close to each other to be just casually watching me — they’re in a row, shoulder to shoulder, blocking my view from the other half of the cabin.

  I cross my arms. “Alright, you three. What are you hiding?”

  They step apart, and I see that Colt’s bed has been moved out of the corner and repositioned further down the wall. In the corner where his bed used to be is an empty bookshelf, a large desk, and a leather office chair.

  I raise my hands to my mouth in surprise. “What is this, guys?”

  “It’s your new office,” Wes tells me. “Well, temporarily, at least.”

  I make my way over to the corner. The bookshelf and the desk are those assemble-it-yourself types, and the desk has been designed to fit in a corner. It has tons of surface space and lots of drawers.

  “We figured you needed a place to work,” Wes says.

  I nod, still in awe. “I would’ve been happy just sitting at the dining table, but this is fantastic.”

  “Later on, we’ll build you a proper desk ourselves,” Remi promises.

  I shake my head and smile. “You don’t have to do that. This one is fine, really. It’s more than I need.”

  The guys are all watching me with what I can only describe as an optimistic nervousness. “What? Why are you staring at me?”

  Colt pulls an envelope from his back pocket and holds it out to me. “We hope you’ll accept.”

  Reaching out, I take it from him and eye the envelope with my name scrawled across it then cautiously open the flap.

  As soon as I see the little slip of paper inside, my eyes widen and my heart pounds. I pull it out and stare at it for a second before looking at the guys.

  “Guys? Why am I holding a check worth more than a new car?”

  “That’s the fee for your top tier package, right?” Remi asks.

  I stare at him in confusion. “What?”

  “For small business administration and advertising services, including brand development, outreach, and marketing,” he rattles off. “That’s what it listed on your website.”

  “Oh my God, guys, no...” I shake my head, glancing back down at the five figure check. “I put that package on there to show what I’m capable of, not because I was expecting anyone to buy it. In fact, no one’s bought it. It’s just... it’s just a marketing strategy to bring in new clients.”

  “Well, it worked,” Colt tells me. “We looked at your portfolio and made some calls — you have the chops. We’d love to hire you to help us with starting the next phase of our business.”

  “Besides,” Remi adds, “BlackFire Enterprises is a family business, and well, we don’t want to hand that stuff over to a stranger.”

  My mouth is hanging open in surprise. “Really? You really want me to help?”

  Th
e guys all nod, and Wes says, “If you have room for another client, that is.”

  I break out into an excited grin. “Yes! I mean, hell yes. Of course! I already have a million ideas, I just didn’t want to overstep my bounds. Are you really sure about this, though?” I glance at the check again, still reeling. “I mean, this... this is a lot, guys.”

  “Damn right, we’re sure. And we’re going to make you earn every penny of it, too,” Wes says with a wink.

  Colt elbows his brother in the side. “Goddamn it, this is business right now.”

  “I didn’t say how she’d be earning it,” Wes says, his tone as innocent as the day is long, but that playful smirk he’s looking at me with hasn’t faded a bit.

  “What he means is — we have the ability to step it up,” Colt explains. “It was our friend Jackson's idea, and he's been trying to convince us to do it for ages. But, well, it’s just never felt right until now. There’s a lot of locals around here who are good people, hard workers. The factories are shutting down, and the only jobs around town anymore are at the tourist traps. We’d love to be able to employ some of them.”

  Remi nods. “We figure if we scale things up, we’ll need to bring on a couple employees to help with some of the prep work, procuring the supplies, handling the shipping, all that stuff.”

  “Shipping?” I ask, my eyebrows raised. “As in you want to sell... outside of Meadowbrook?”

  “Yeah, we've been thinking about it and... why not?” Colt shrugs. “Jackson's always been the face of our business here in Meadowbrook, and no one really knows BlackFire is us, but, eh... fuck ‘em. I don't care who knows anymore.”

  That makes me smile so hard, and a swell of pride and happiness bubbles up inside me.

  “If they don't want to buy from us, surely there's some other companies that will,” Wes adds. “There are plenty of people outside of Meadowbrook who don't give a shit about our family history.”

  I open my mouth to tell them how proud I am, but Remi sees the look in my eye and squints at me.

  “Don't go getting all fucking mushy on us,” he snorts in his grumpy tone. “This is a business negotiation.”

  “I’ll get as mushy as I damn well please,” I tell him. “Y’all wanted the whole package, so you'll just have to deal with my feelings on the matter, too. I love this. And I'm so proud of you guys—your furniture is too good to keep hidden away from the world. You guys should be the face of BlackFire, not Jackson. Take credit where credit is due.”

  Remi purses his lips disapprovingly, saying nothing, but his chest puffs up a little and I see the twinkle in his eye at my words.

  My hands flutter with excitement as I talk. “I’ll draw up a plan. Maybe start small this year so we can keep up and grow from there. I have so many questions. For starters, what are your current projections...”

  I trail off as I realize all three of them are looking at me intensely, wide grins breaking out on their face. Even Remi has a smile now. “What? You’re staring at me again.”

  Wes is the first to speak, his eyes lit up. “You said ‘we’ — so we can keep up.”

  My face flushes as I realize my slip of the tongue. “Oh. Shit. I didn’t even realize. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  “No, don’t apologize. I fucking love the sound of that,” Wes cuts me off. “And we have plenty of time to sort out all the details, sweetheart.”

  “Speaking of, we’re talking about turning the workshop into an office,” Colt informs me. “So we’re going to want your input on that, too.”

  “If you’re going to help us run this circus, you’ll need a whole setup,” Remi explains. He points at the new desk in the corner. “This is just until we can break ground for a new workshop in the spring.”

  “Seriously?” I can barely believe my ears. “How long are you thinking this expansion project is going to take? How long will you need my help?”

  Colt shrugs and looks at his brothers. “What do you think, guys?”

  Wes and Remi don’t say a word, but they both nod like they’re in silent agreement.

  Colt turns back to me. “We’re hoping it takes a lifetime.”

  “You guys...” My throat is burning as tears well up in my eyes.

  I can’t resist anymore, and I rush forward to fling my arms around his neck and kiss him, then Wes and Remi next. They’ve already given me the best present I’ve ever received—the gift of belonging, the gift of being part of their world—and it’s not even Christmas day yet.

  18

  I’M TOO FUCKING EXCITED to stay in bed any longer.

  Hell, I’ve barely slept all night, between being excited for Christmas and my mind racing through all the amazing possibilities of life with Addie. Today feels like a fresh beginning for all of us, and I can't wait to get started.

  I slip out of my bed and quietly shuffle over for a peek at Remi’s bed, and damn, if my chest doesn't seize up a little as I look at the three people who are my entire life.

  There was a bit of tussle last night over where Addie was going to sleep, and it looks like even though Remi won, Colt gave no shits and snuck in on the other side of her at some point in the night.

  The three of them are squished together, limbs everywhere, with Addie sandwiched between my brothers.

  Lucky assholes.

  The covers are half off them, and I can see Addie is gloriously naked, her breasts pushed up against Remi’s chest as she splays over him. I’m sure she’s far from cold, even though the temperature in our drafty cabin has seriously dropped overnight, because Colt is right there, not a hair’s width between them as he spoons her from behind, his arm draped over her protectively.

  But Addie’s warm body isn’t pressed up against me, and I’m shivering in the chilly air. I pull on some jeans and a t-shirt and head over to the fireplace. As quiet as I can, I shovel last night’s ash into the metal bucket beside the fireplace and heap new kindling and wood on top of the grate.

  I pause in the middle of my task to turn on the lights for the Christmas tree and the little village Addie set up on the mantle. It’s a goddamn Christmas wonderland in here, and I kinda love it.

  Just as I’m arranging the last of the logs and grabbing some matches, I hear the quiet clang of a couple pans behind me.

  Man, Colt can be seriously stealthy for a guy his size.

  I wave at him from across the cabin and mouth a silent Merry Christmas. He salutes me from the kitchen, a couple pounds of bacon in one hand and the coffee pot in the other.

  We’ve never had a Christmas like this, not even close. Not filled with the kind of magic and happiness I’m feeling today.

  I set an old newspaper ablaze and jab at it with a poker to spread the flames. By the time the dry kindling has taken, the smell of freshly brewed coffee is already wafting over.

  I catch some rustling from the direction of our beds, and I look up, my heart racing, hoping to see Addie getting out of bed. God, I can’t wait to share this day with her.

  But it’s just Remi. He climbs out of bed, ass-naked, and crosses directly to the tree where he checks the presents, as though someone might have broken in here and stolen them all.

  “Dude,” I whisper, “cover that shit up, will ya?”

  Remi gives me the finger and a hushed “Merry Christmas to you, too, asshole,” but he grabs a pair of sweatpants from his dresser and slips them on before heading into the kitchen.

  Colt comes over in the ho-ho-ho pajama bottoms Addie got him, two coffee cups in hand. “She’s barely stirred. Maybe she’s not feeling well.”

  I take a coffee mug and hold it up to my nose, inhaling the aroma before replying. “I think maybe she’s just happy and relaxed for once. Content, you know?”

  Colt and I share a smile, because ever since Addie agreed to stay, that’s exactly how we’ve been feeling.

  There’s more sounds of rustling behind us, and we both turn to look just as Addie rolls over and those gorgeous eyes open up.

  He
r voice has a husky, dreamy tone. “Mmm, do I smell coffee?”

  Remi joins us in the living room, with two mugs of coffee as well. “I have yours right here, sweetheart. Come on over.”

  Addie tosses the rest of the covers off and sits up then immediately curls into a ball. “Oh, brrr. Shit, it’s so cold.” Her eyes scan the room. “Where did you guys throw my clothes last night?”

  “You don’t need them,” I tell her.

  “The hell I don’t,” she snorts, her teeth damn near chattering.

  I sit down on the hearth and pat the spot next to me. “Come on over here. Fire’s getting warm. We have the perfect present for that beautiful, naked ass.”

  Addie smiles and wraps her arms around herself tightly while she sprints over to me.

  The fire is going strong now, and she sits down right in front of it, her back to the flames.

  “Good morning,” she says, smiling at each of us as she sips the steaming cup of coffee Remi hands her. “So, where are my clothes? Or do you guys just plan on keeping me naked all day?”

  “That's not a bad idea. New rule—no clothes inside the cabin,” I tell her with a wicked smile.

  She swings her foot and kicks me playfully in the shin. “Give me my damn clothes, or I’ll pour water in your boots and set them outside to freeze.”

  Colt and Remi dig under the tree and pick out a present each — one big, one smaller — and place them in her lap. She grins like a little kid and squishes the big one. It gives readily under the pressure.

  “A blanket?” she guesses a second before tearing right into it. A big, extra fluffy, red robe unfurls from the wrapping paper. “Ahh! Yes!”

  I help her slip into the oversized, plush fabric. She wraps it around herself and smooths her hands across the soft fleece. “I love it!”

  Addie barely has the belt tied around her waist before she picks up the smaller package and demolishes it. She squeals with delight when she sees the fluffy matching slippers.

  She tosses the wrapping paper to the side and drops the slippers to the floor, immediately shoving her feet inside them.