Page 2 of Lonely in Misty Mountain

“Is everything okay, dear?”

“Yes, sorry, I read the snowstorm alert. Did you know one was coming?”

Miss Lila offered her warm smile and patted my hand. “I don’t pay any mind to those things. Snow can be quite unpredictable around here. I’ll keep you updated if I open the shop tomorrow with the storm coming.” She picked up her phone off the counter.

“Anything I can help with before I go, Miss Lila?”

She looked up at me and suddenly the twinkle in her eyes came back. “Actually, if you could run these books over to Kaiden before the snow comes in, that would help me so much. I want to make sure he has them if we’re going to be stuck inside the next few days.”

The swarm of butterflies took flight once more. “Does he live nearby? My cottage is only a few minutes away.”

“He lives about two thirds of the way up the mountain, near the top. It’ll take about a half hour or so. If it’s too far, don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’ll be by to plow once the storm finishes.”

Ignoring the warning bells in my head, I found myself picking up the stack of books on the counter. “Text me the address. I’ll get them there.”

“Oh, you are just a doll, Harper! Kaiden will appreciate this. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No, I need to get to know the area better. It’ll be a fun adventure.”

But as I walked out to my car, the sky gray and stormy, I couldn’t help but think what the hell was I doing? Agreeing to go up to a guy’s cabin I hardly knew? What if I got lost? Or worse, stuck on some dirt road, lost in the woods?

Yet I couldn’t deny the fact that a part of me wanted to meet this Kaiden. The way Miss Lila looked at me when she talked about him. The way he devoured books…

Who was this mountain man and why was the need to meet him so strong?

CHAPTER TWO

Kaiden

“Junie, ready?”I held up my dog’s favorite ball and her ears perked up, her head tilting to the side. I launched the ball across the yard and watched my dog jump into action, sprinting after it. She brought it back to me quickly and the game continued.

It was an evening ritual after dinner to come out in my backyard and burn off some energy with my wild canine companion. Junie was a beautiful husky with a mix of white, gray, and black fur, and piercing icy blue eyes. Her energy knew no bounds. I needed to tucker her out if I wanted a good night’s sleep.

“We’re getting some snow tonight. You can be my sidekick while I go plow tomorrow.” I tossed the ball to Junie again. I talked to him like a friend because that’s what he was- my best friend.

After a shitty childhood with a mom who walked out when I was only ten and a dad who cared more about the bottle than his only child, I hightailed it out of the city and into the quiet, peaceful small town of Misty Mountain.

Now I spent my days keeping to myself while running my own landscaping and plowing business, my large cabin like a fortress for my dog and me. Without any neighbors and plenty of woods, it was perfect.

“Woof! Woof!” Junie barked her head off near the gate, our game of catch forgotten.

I looked over and saw car headlights in the driveway.Who the hell was that? I didn’t get visitors. Nor did I like unexpected disruptions. I mean, who does?

“Junie, let’s go. Inside. It’s time to warm up, anyway.” After walking onto the back porch and through the sliding glass door, I put Junie in the kitchen and closed the gate.

The doorbell rang throughout the log cabin, and I hurried to the front door, Junie still barking and going crazy.

“Relax, girl. It’s alright.” I said before opening the door.

Standing on my porch in the chilly air was a woman I’d never seen before.

Correction, agorgeouswoman I’d never seen before.

She held a stack of books in her hands and when she smiled, her eyes lit up so bright, my heart jumped into overdrive.

“Hi.” Her soft voice turned my insides to mush. “Sorry to show up out of nowhere but Miss Lila wanted to make sure you got these books before the storm.”

“Miss Lila sent you?”

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