"Can I ask you somethin'?" I say as we move higher and higher up the slope in a slow circular trail.
"Anything, Dee, hope you know that."
I pull off one of my gloves and hold my hand up in the air toward him. His brows furrow but as if reading my mind, he does the same, touching his bare palm to mine. The moment he does, I feel an undeniable tingling wherever we touch. The catch of Toby's breath confirms my suspicions.
"All those times I thought I was sick or it was just static electricity. It was the Call, wasn't it?
He nods, his lips curving up on one side. "Oh yeah."
"You missin' me when you were away and me feelin' off-kilter when I was in Montana without you?" I continue.
"Yep." He laces his fingers with mine and slides the pad of his thumb down over the pulse point in my wrist. "And that right there, that's our hearts knowin' they've found their mate."
"This is so surreal."
"You still don't believe it?" he asks cautiously.
"I want to be with you because you'reyou, Toby. The reason that brought us together doesn't change that. It's just proof that my heart got it right."
"You're amazin', you know that?" His voice is full of warm wonder.
I bounce a shoulder. "As long as you think that, I'm happy."
"So honest, and beautiful. All of it makes me the luckiest man in the world right now because you're mine."
"Not yet you're not," I whisper, searching for and getting that little growl of his that vibrates at the back of his throat.
He chuckles as he looks out at the view. "And now I'm needin' somethin' to distract me from christenin' this train cabin with you right here, right now."
"Good call," I snicker. "Not that I'd be complainin'."
"Definitely made for me," he says before narrowing his eyes. “Also, not helpin', Skippy."
"Not tryin' to, Tobes."
Just as we turn around a bend, Toby points out a majestic waterfall cascading down the mountainside, its crystalline waters shimmering in the sunlight. I let out a gasp at the sheer beauty of it all. His hand squeezes mine gently but neither one of us talks. We don’t need to. The world outside is doing it for us.
We continue to ride along the mountain's top edge before the track starts its slow descent, cutting back through the snowy landscape. The air is colder up here, the chill nipping at my nose and turning both of our breaths into frosty puffs. But despite the cold, I feel a warmth spreading within me, a sense of contentment that I only feel when I'm with this man.
The track turns back toward the town revealing an unreal panoramic view of Timber Falls below, and not for the first time since arriving in Alaska, I wonder how anyone could ever think of leaving this place.
"This is where Leah grew up, did you know that?" Toby informs me.
I jerk back. "Really? Why did she leave?"
That makes him snicker. "Somethin' to do with Nora meetin' Randy Barnes and the mountain spirit bringin' them together. That meant Leah met Colt at Eagle Mountain Ranch. And you know their history."
"It's all connected,” she says
"Oh yeah."
"Kinda crazy when you think about it,” I reply.
"Another crazy mountain story. You mentioned those on our trip to Bull that first time.”
My cheeks heat despite the cold temperature. “Yeah, bet you found that a little funny.”
"Kinda worried me, actually. That's when I knew that I had to listen to what the others were tellin' me and take it slow. If I'd told you that first day that you were my soulmate and that a mountain spirit had sent you to me as my reward, you'd have caught the first plane back to Montana."
