Page 2 of Forever with the Mountain Man

Since mountain men are semi-evolved cavemen

FELICITY

Semi-evolved cavemen? Is that how you would describe yourself?

Do you want the answer I give to impress girls or the truth?

Clearly, you’re not trying to impress me. So, the truth

I kind of like you

Talk about the understatement of the year. But I don’t want to scare her off, and I also don’t want to admit how much she’s been on my mind over the past few weeks. It would make me sound desperate. Besides, how do you quantify falling in love with photos online?

FELICITY

3 weeks of non-stop messaging me is “kind of”?

If so, I don’t want to see your idea of full-on liking

ME

So, you are ignoring me

Maybe

Why?

You don’t want to get tangled up with a girl like me. Trust me

You speak your mind, and you’re sassy

Why not?

Thank you so very much for the validation I wasn’t looking for

You didn’t answer my question.

Trust me. What don’t you understand about that?

A lot

Well, you have yet to answer my question

What question? I look back through our exchange, my pulse pounding. The letters are all out of place, my eyes straining to process her words. It doesn’t help that I’m nervous on top of everything. Never have I cared so much about keeping a text conversation going. It’s weird.

ME

Semi-evolved caveman pretty much describes me

FELICITY

Don’t go all out selling yourself

I’m no salesman

What are you then?

A sheepherder and ranch foreman…and mountain man, of course

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