Page 8 of Marrying the Mountain Man

“Remember,” I murmured, turning in my seat to face them, “keep an open mind. New friends, new teachers—it’s a fresh start.”

Connor nodded, swallowing. Cody gave a small half-smile. “We got this,” he said, echoing what he’d insisted on the drive to our new home.

Levi parked beside us, stepping out with calm confidence. The twins hurried ahead, and we followed them into the bright hallway. The chatter of excited children bounced off the walls. A staff member directed us toward their classrooms; Ms. Brewster and Mr. Lang greeted the boys with welcoming smiles. I felt a pang of gratitude for small-town kindness, especially after the fiasco that had brought us here.

As the twins slipped into their classes, I knelt to give them each a quick goodbye. “I’ll be here at three, okay? Text me if you need anything. You’ll do great.”

Cody whispered, “Thanks, Mom.”

Connor gave me a wobbly thumbs-up.

They disappeared into the swirl of new classmates. My heart clenched in that universal parental worry, but Levi’s soft nudge on my shoulder steadied me.

“They’ll be fine,” he assured, voice low. “It’s a good school.”

I nodded, releasing a breath. “Thanks. I know.”

Stepping outside, the cold air felt bracing. Levi paused by his pickup, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. “I’ve gotta check in at Skyline this morning—inventory, scheduling. But if you want to meet up for lunch, I can show you a few more local spots?”

My shoulders relaxed at the offer. “That’d be great. I still want to stop by the Hope Peak Visitors Bureau and give them my résumé. The director, Beth, seemed pretty open to hearing ideas.”

Levi’s mouth curved in a pleased smile. “Perfect. Your good to handle the morning on your own?”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll see you around noon, maybe? The diner on Main Street?”

He nodded. “Sounds good.”

Within a few minutes, we parted ways—he drove off toward Skyline, and I headed back to his house to tidy up and send Beth an email. My thoughts bounced between the twins’ first day, the possibility of a local job, and the surreal notion that I felt more settled here after two days than I had in any other place for years.

Around noon, I parked on Main Street, scanning the few storefronts. Levi’s pickup was already in front of the diner. I spotted him through the window, chatting with a waitress. When I stepped inside, the warm smell of grilled sandwiches greeted me.

He smiled when he saw me, standing from the small table to pull out a chair. “Hey. How’d the morning go?”

“Productive,” I said, shrugging off my coat. “I sent Beth my résumé, tidied your place. Hopefully you don’t mind me reorganizing the pantry?”

He chuckled. “If you can figure out a better system for my random cereal boxes, go for it.”

We ordered sandwiches and coffee, the conversation flowing easily. Levi mentioned rearranging Skyline’s staffing schedule to ensure he’d have time off the rest of the week, and his assistant manager, Rachel, teased him about his efforts to make sure the “pretty new lady and her kids settle in all right.” My cheeks warmed at that, but Levi just brushed it off good-naturedly.

“You are certainly stepping in more than you had to,” I pointed out, half-apologetic.

He lifted a brow. “Don’t sweat it. I’m just…helping. Unless you want me to back off?”

My heart squeezed at his earnest tone. “No, I appreciate it. This is a big change, and having someone local on our side helps.”

He exhaled, looking faintly relieved. “Then we’re good.”

The waitress soon arrived with our sandwiches, and we dug in, shifting topics to the spring carnival Connor and Cody had heard about. Levi explained it was a small event but fun—a ferris wheel, fun house, and games, plus typical fair food and local crafts. I tried to imagine my city kids fully embracing the small-town tradition. To my surprise, it sounded kind of wonderful.

After lunch, Levi insisted on walking me down the street to the Visitors Bureau so I could hand off a physical copy of my résumé. Beth, an older woman with a silver bob, greeted us with a smile, rummaging in a filing cabinet. She beamed when I handed her the folder.

“Thanks, Mindy! I’ll review this tonight. Our next board meeting is Wednesday, so if you’re free, we could discuss your ideas for marketing.”

My pulse jumped. “Definitely free. Let me know when.”

With that, we parted. Levi led me back outside, where a light flurry had begun drifting from the gray sky. I shivered, pulling my coat tighter. “Think we should pick up the kids soon? School lets out at three, right?”

He checked his watch. “We have about half an hour. You want to swing by the library or grocery store first?”

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