Page 1 of Connecting with the Mountain Man

Chapter 1

From:SugarDust

To:RuggedRoots

Subject:Okay, but WHY though?

Hey RuggedRoots,

Glad I finally made a match.

Alright, I gotta know. What made a guy like you sign up for Mountain Mates? I mean... I’m over here imagining some burly mountain man chopping wood with his bare hands and scaring off bears with a glare. Seems like you wouldn’t need much help in the romance department.

Meanwhile, I had to talk myself out of deleting my profile three times. But here I am. Clearly, curiosity won.

So, what’s your story? Mid-life crisis? Lost a bet? Sudden craving for home-cooked meals? No judgment. Just trying to figure you out.

I promise I’m not a catfish. But if I was, I’d definitely pretend to bake way better than I actually do.

BTW I’m glad we are getting to know each other before we send pics.

Looking forward to your reply,

SugarDust

From:RuggedRoots

To:SugarDust

Subject:Re: Okay, but WHY though?

Hey, SugarDust.

First off, you got the bear part right. One wandered too close last week, and I swear it looked at me like I owed it money.

Second… I wish I had some wild story to impress you, but the truth is, I’m just tired of eating dinner alone and talking to my truck like it’s a person. Don’t judge me—my truck has great conversation skills.

I’m not great at this whole online thing, but your message made me laugh, so I’ll take that as a good sign. Maybe I signed up because I was hoping to meet someone who doesn’t take life too seriously. Someone who won’t run for the hills when I forget to shave or track mud inside.

So yeah, maybe it’s not all that exciting, but here I am. And I’m glad you didn’t delete your profile because you seem... fun.

I’m not saying I expect you to bake, but if you do, I won’t say no to cookies. Just putting it out there.

—RuggedRoots

PS Since we’re not sending photos yet, send me a pic of something you are most proud of?

Chapter 2

Silas

The first thing I notice when I walk into Eden’s bakery and coffee shop is the smell.

Burnt.

Like someone tried to set a loaf of bread on fire and then decided to douse it with coffee for good measure. Her shop is one of the most popular in Silvertown Hollow but let’s just say Eden loves experimenting and sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

The second thing I notice?

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