Page 3 of Grump of Misty Mountain

Yeah, it was better this way. I didn’t need a complication like her in my life. And I didn’t need or want the town grapevine in my business.

But damn, watching her walk away from me with her back ramrod straight, I wish things could be different. Because her heart-shaped ass and the angry swing of those hips were destined to have a starring role in my dreams tonight.

But as I left the cafe, my fritters in one hand and adjusting my misbehaving body with the other, maybe there was a way I could make things right with Sami without giving Ms. Clara any further encouragement for her sneaky matchmaking ways.

Because the oddest thing had happened the moment she’d touched me. The word mine had screamed in my head.

TWO

SAMI

Two daysafter splattering coffee all over the hot, grumpy mountain man silver fox, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Especially my intense reaction to someone I’d just met.

Less than three months ago, I ended my engagement. Something I should have done years ago, but it took John’s cheating to finally wake me up. And the only thing I was madder about was wasting years of my life on someone who I should have known wasn’t for me from the very beginning.

The excuses I’d used while saving for a big wedding, paying off student loan debt, focusing on my corporate career, had fallen flat when I finally took a good look at our relationship.

He’d been the safe choice. He’d said he wanted the same things as I did, but what he really wanted was to have me at home while continuing his player ways with unsuspecting women. Bastard.

I’d let myself believe that an okay sex life was worth the trade-off of having someone who was the exact opposite of my father. Someone who stayed and didn't run at the first sign oftrouble. Well, jokes on me. There’d been lots of signs I’d refused to acknowledge.

After licking my wounds and taking a good look at what I really wanted, I decided I wanted to start somewhere fresh. So long, city life. And I wanted a bit of adventure. After years of working for someone else as a graphic designer, I wanted to become my own boss.

So, with the help of a healthy wedding fund, which I’d been stuffing with every extra dollar I could, I had a healthy cushion to live on while I built my business.

I then pulled out a map of the US and worked out a plan on where to move. Denver won out and as I drove west, I vowed to stop beating myself up over the lost years. I was never going to settle for a man ever again. In fact, marriage and kids were no longer part of my immediate plans. If either one happened great, but I wasn’t going to live for what ifs any longer.

The day I drove through Misty Mountain looking for a place to eat and fill up my ancient car, I became struck by the beauty of the river valley town. I marveled at the slower pace, and when I stopped at the Pine and Petal, met the owner Ms. Clara, and watched how she and her customers interacted and how they treated each other with warmth and kindness, I had an a-ha moment. I could live anywhere and run my business from home.

Clara had an opening for a part time barista, a job I’d done all through college. I figured while I set up my new business, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra money coming in, and she looked like she really needed the help.

I’d found a small rental house right off Evergreen Way, the main street running through town. It was a cute, modern cottage and had a small second bedroom, perfect for my office. And now, almost a full week since that fateful day, I felt rejuvenated from the fresh mountain air and time spent really connecting with people.

And I couldn’t wait to explore the hiking trails and the mountain itself now that the warm weather had arrived. My creativity had also received a much-needed refresh. I was almost finished setting up all my business platforms, licenses, and all that went with starting a small business.

Unfortunately, the only thing that had been a low point was my encounter with Mr. Grumpy pants. Putting the sinfully sexy man out of my head, however, had been a big, fat failure.

My mind and my body kept reminding me of the glint of interest I’d seen in his hazel eyes. Even as I made his drink, I’d felt his gaze on me, and I soaked it in.

Anytime I thought about his slim yet muscular build, his ruggedly handsome face, and let’s face it, his big hands, it set off twinges of need all over me. But getting tangled up with a local right off the bat? Wasn’t a good move. Maybe. Probably.

But then I recalled his reaction and refusal of my help was just the reminder I needed that I wasn’t looking for anything. He was a regular customer, which would complicate things further if I did something stupid like listening to my sex starved body and hooked up with him.

Nearing the end of my shift, I wiped down the tables next to the front windows. The sun was shining, and I admired the blooming annuals spilling out from the hanging pots on every lamppost along Evergreen Way. The warmer weather fed my itch to explore my new hometown once I was finished at the cafe.

But, I also had a new book that I hadn’t had time to start yet. I’d picked up the book at Evergreen Books and Trinkets the first day I was in town. Miss Lila was the silver-haired owner. She wore one of those stylish and perfect buns I’d always envied but could never quite pull off, and we’d bonded over our love of thrillers.

And the oddest thing happened as she’d handed me my purchase. She looked me dead in the eye and told me thebook would lead me to an unexpected connection. Frozen for a moment, she then just as quickly gave me a reassuring smile. It was warm and kind, but it held just enough mystery making me wonder what the connection could be.

When I’d told Clara about it, she explained Miss Lila was known for predicting random things. I took it as another sign that Misty Mountain was exactly where I needed to be.

Shaking off the memory, I finished tidying up the tables, then walked back to see if Clara had anything else for me to do before I left.

“Woo, that was a banner day. And did you notice a couple of new faces? Oh, sorry, you don’t know everyone yet. But the really tall handsome one, Mike, he hasn’t been in since you started working here. He owns a construction company. And then that cutie, Kaiden. He’s a landscaper, and hasn’t stopped in for a spell either. They’re both single, by the way. I wonder what could have drawn them both in this morning?” Clara loved sharing information about everyone who came in, but especially the men. Subtle, she wasn’t.

She’d been updating me on the townspeople and those that lived in the mountains who rarely made it into town expect for supplies. Clara also made sure I knew how uneven the ratio of men to women was and how I might want to go to the tavern one night because I’d have my pick of the crop. She’d giggled, then changed the subject.

Surprisingly, she hadn’t mentioned Finn again since the unfortunate incident. Not that it mattered. I wasn’t looking to complicate my life right now, and I had a feeling he would be a major complication.

---