Chapter 6 - Morning on the RidgeSix months later, the Blue Ridge mountains were blazing with the brilliant greens of early summer.
The Mercer estate no longer felt like a stone tomb. The windows were open to the mountain breeze; music drifted from the kitchen; and the staff no longer walked on eggshells, because the man who owned the house had finally learned how to live in it.
Inside the sprawling country-style kitchen, the morning sun poured through the casement windows, catching the dust motes dancing in the air.
Nathan stood by the island, wearing an apron over his button-down shirt, expertly flipping a golden-brown pancake in a heavy cast-iron skillet. His movements were confident, relaxed, and entirely at ease.
Footsteps approached from behind, and a pair of warm arms wrapped around his waist, resting gently against his chest.
Nathan smiled, pausing his work to cover her hands with his own.
"You're going to make the pancakes burn if you distract the chef," Nathan murmured, turning his head to press a soft kiss against Evie’s temple.
"The chef doesn't know what he's doing," Evie laughed softly, resting her chin against his shoulder as she watched the skillet. "Those are turning dark around the edges, Mr. Mercer."
"They're rustic," Nathan corrected with a grin. "Just like the cook."
Evie chuckled, stepping back just enough to reach for a cup of coffee. She wore a simple linen dress, her hair tied back in a loose ribbon, looking entirely at home in the massive stone estate that had once rejected everyone who entered its doors.
The silver wristwatch ticked quietly on Nathan’s left wrist.
The glass was still cracked near the number four—he had refused to replace it, because the crack was part of the story, part of the history that had shaped him. But the hands moved steadily forward, ticking off the seconds, the minutes, and the hours of a future he was no longer afraid to embrace.
From the hallway came the sound of Marcus Vance shouting an argument about a supply chain contract, followed by the rich, melodic sound of laughter echoing through the halls.
Nathan looked out the wide-open window toward Hawthorne Ridge, where the morning fog was lifting under the heat of a brilliant summer sun.
He didn't look back at the past. He didn't need to. The past was honored, the present was rich, and the future was wide open.
"Evie?" Nathan asked softly.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for breaking the windows."
May you like
Evie smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek, leaving a faint dusting of flour right beside his mouth.
"Anytime, Nathan. Any time."
