We get ready side by side. I borrow another of his flannel shirts because it’s soft and smells like him. He makes coffee while I brush my teeth. We eat quick bowls of oatmeal at the counter, our knees brushing every few seconds. The small domestic moments feel bigger than they should. Comforting. Dangerous in the best way.
The walk to the lodge is crisp and bright. Snow crunches under our boots. Eli keeps his arm around my waist the whole way, supporting my ankle even though it hardly hurts anymore. When we reach the porch the door flies open and Harper waves us inside with a bright smile.
The main room buzzes with life. Poppi toddles across the rug chasing a ball while Aidan laughs from Kayley’s lap. The women cluster near the big windows with mugs in hand. The men gather around the long table with maps and laptops open. Eli guides me toward the women first.
“I’ll be right over there if you need me,” he murmurs against my ear. His hand lingers on my lower back before he joins the men.
Harper pulls me into a hug immediately. “You look so much better today. Come sit with us.”
I settle on the wide couch between Harper and Hannah. Kayley passes me a mug of tea. Emma slides a plate of fresh blueberry muffins my way. Fiona leans forward with a grin. “We saved you the biggest one.”
The warmth in the room wraps around me like a blanket. These women do not treat me like a stranger or a problem. They treat me like I already belong. Poppi climbs into my lap and offers me a soggy cracker. I accept it with a laugh and let her pat my cheek with sticky fingers.
“How are you feeling?” Hannah asks gently. Her eyes are kind, full of understanding I recognize from my own sleepless nights.
“Better every day. Eli takes good care of me.” I glance toward the table where Eli sits listening to Rafe. He catches my eye and gives me the smallest nod. My stomach flips.
Harper smiles knowingly. “He’s good at that. All the men here are. They’re protectors through and through.”
We fall into easy conversation. Kayley tells me about the first time she came to Haven 7, how scared she was and how quickly the mountain started to feel like home. Emma shares stories about her early days with Rhett, laughing when she describes how stubborn he was at first. Fiona talks about learning to cook for the whole crew and how Chase still steals bites from her plate when he thinks she isn’t looking. Hannah leans in closer and tells me about the night Silas helped her land a plane. The fear, the relief, the way everything changed in a single moment.
“I can’t imagine my life any other way now,” Hannah says softly. “I thought I was running toward safety. Turns out I was running straight into the place I was always meant to be.”
Her words settle deep in my chest. I look around at the women, at the children playing, at the men discussing strategy with serious faces but easy affection. This place feels like family. Real family. The kind I never had growing up under my father’s cold rules.
“I really like it here,” I admit quietly. “I didn’t expect to feel so… at home so fast.”
Harper squeezes my knee. “That’s how it works. The mountain has a way of claiming you. And once it does, you’re stuck in the best possible way.”
We talk for a long time. I tell them about the library job I left behind, about the medical books I used to hide under my mattress, about how I always wanted to help people but never got the chance. They listen without pity. They ask questions. They laugh with me when I describe the terrible coffee at the Reno hospital where I volunteered once. By the time the men finish their meeting I feel lighter than I have in months.
Rafe stands and announces lunch will be ready soon, but Fiona and Emma have other plans. They disappear into the kitchen and return with platters of food that make my mouth water. Roasted chicken with herbs, creamy mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables glistening with butter, fresh bread still warm from the oven, and two kinds of pie for dessert. The table groans under the weight of it all.
We eat together, the whole group squeezed around the long table. Poppi sits in Harper’s lap stealing bites of potato. Aidan feeds crumbs to the dog someone brought in. Conversations overlap in the best way. Boyd teases Wyatt about his latest failed attempt at fixing the old truck. Silas and Hannah share quiet smiles across the table. Eli sits beside me, his thigh pressed to mine, occasionally brushing his knuckles against my hand under the table.
I don’t remember ever feeling this safe. This happy. The fear of Dominic still lingers at the edges of my mind, but right now it feels distant. Manageable. Here, surrounded by laughter andgood food and people who have decided I matter, I let myself breathe.
After dinner we help clear the table. The women hug me goodbye like we’ve known each other for years. Harper makes me promise to come back tomorrow for coffee. Hannah squeezes my hand and whispers, “You belong here. Don’t forget that.”
Eli and I walk back to the cabin as the sun dips behind the mountains. The sky turns soft pink and gold. Snow sparkles under our boots. He keeps his arm around me the whole way, pace slow to match my steps even though my ankle hardly bothers me anymore.
The cabin is warm when we step inside. Eli locks the door and turns to me. The tension from last night still simmers between us. I can see it in the way his eyes linger on my mouth.
“Thank you for today,” I say. “For bringing me. For letting me be part of it.”
He steps closer. “You are part of it now. Whether you like it or not.”
I smile up at him. “I like it. A lot.”
His hand comes up to cup my cheek. His thumb brushes my lower lip. The air thickens. For a moment I think he might kiss me again. Instead he rests his forehead against mine and exhales slowly.
“Get some rest,” he murmurs. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”
I nod, but I don’t move away right away. I let myself enjoy the solid warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart under my palm. This place. These people. This man.
For the first time since I ran, the future doesn’t feel like something I have to survive alone.
It feels like something I might actually get to live.
