Page 5 of Mountain Gift

I frown as I look around. I was hoping to get things situated on my own, but now I'm starting to think I might need some help.

"Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea," I sigh. "I could use an extra set of hands around here."

"No problem. See you in about an hour."

And with that, he hangs up the phone.

I let out a low groan as I stretch out my back, sitting up to check the time on the alarm clock radio. It's almost two in the afternoon.

Shit.

I only meant to be up here a couple of hours. Now, the day's halfway gone.

I walk downstairs to my new shop and take another look at it.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by my dad's job as a mechanic. He could look at a car and know what was wrong with it before even using any tools.

Whenever he had time, he would let me help him work on the cars in our backyard. We built an old Chevy, replaced an engine, and changed tires altogether. I loved the smell of the oil and the feeling of accomplishment after we finished each project. So, when I got out of the Marines, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for a living.

When Callum told me about the abandoned auto body shop in Cooper Hills, Wyoming, I jumped at the chance to make it my own.

Although opening my own auto body shop meant facing a lot of unknowns and starting from scratch, that same feeling of excitement I had when working with my dad on projects as a kid came flooding back to me.

Cody and Callum arrive at the auto body shop an hour later, their boots crunching on broken glass and rusty metal scraps that litter the floor.

Callum stops in front of the old furnace and frowns. "No wonder it's so damn cold in here. This furnace hasn't been used in years."

Cody shakes his head and mutters under his breath. "That's an understatement."

I shake my head again and look around the room one last time before turning back to Callum. "I guess I'm going to have to find somewhere to stay for a while until I can get this place fixed up."

"Yeah, that’s probably for the best. I would invite you to stay at the Fit Mountain Lodge. But it’s all booked up," he says.

"It's fine," I say. "I can find another place. Don't worry about it."

That's when Callum perks up. "Our sister Caroline might have room. Lucy is visiting her grandparents in Boston for Christmas."

At the mention of Caroline's name, I nearly choke. "Nah, that's okay. I wouldn't want to impose. Especially around the holidays."

But Callum shrugs me off. "Caroline's cool. You remember her from the wedding, right?"

You have no idea.

I clear my throat. "Yeah, vaguely."

I've never told anyone, but I've been in love with Caroline since the day I met her at Callum and Penny's wedding three years ago.

I'll never forget the first time I saw her. As I walked into the grand ballroom of Callum's wedding reception, my eyes were instantly drawn to her.

She was standing on the far side of the room, chatting with one of Callum's old college buddies. She had on this gorgeous purple dress that complimented her brown hair beautifully. Her infectious laughter filled the room, and I felt like I could stay and listen to it forever.

It was then that I knew she was the one for me.

Even from across the room, I could feel a spark radiating between us. We spent the rest of the night together, laughingand dancing. The way she moved, the way she spoke, and even just being in her presence made me feel something that I had never felt before. She captivated me in a way nobody else ever had, and from then on, my life would never be the same again.

At the end of the night, I kissed her. And to this day, it was still the hottest kiss I’ve ever had. We talked until late into the night, planning our first date later that week.

But at the last second, she got cold feet and didn’t show up.

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