Page 2 of Crazy for the Mountain Man

Why does she make my heart race?

A rush of annoyance washed over me, hating the way my body and mind were betraying me.

I didn’t let people in. Especially not beautiful women. And especially notthisbeautiful woman. Because I knew in my gut, there was something about her. Something causing my heart to remember it was alive.

Something that was going to change my life forever.

The next fewhours passed by in a daze, all my energy gone, from losing blood to passing out, my body had enough. Yet every time my eyes peeked open, the same beautiful woman was by my side.

Who is she?

“Are you waking up sleepyhead?”

I turned my head towards her, her beaming smile warming me from the inside out.No. I don’t get warm. I don’t get the fuzzies. I don’t feel anything.

“Who are you?” I snapped, cringing inside at my grumpiness.

“I’m Brielle. I work at the pharmacy in Appleridge. I helped you when you ran in the store with your bloody hand and passed out. A couple of times.” She told the story like it was the best thing that happened to her all day.

Her happiness annoyed me. And then I became annoyed that I was annoyed at her happy demeanor. Fuck, I annoyed myself.

“Oh…uh…well, thanks, I guess? Name’s Rhodes. You don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine.” I tried to sit up higher in bed, but my head pounded and my hand throbbed. I looked down to find it well bandaged and wondered if it was time for more pain meds yet.

“I don’t mind. Better than going back to work, am I right?” Brielle joked and her eyes sparkled. Was she always so happy go lucky?

“I’ve always passed out at the sight of blood. It’s no big deal.”

“You cut your hand pretty bad. You needed a couple of stitches.”

I scrubbed my uninjured hand down my face and sighed. “A couple of stitches? Shit.”

“Yeah. How did you cut yourself, anyway?”

“Do you always ask people you don’t know a lot of questions?”

Brielle chuckled. “Guilty as charged. I can’t help being curious.”

A bubble of laughter threatened to escape my throat, but I tamped it down quickly. “It happened while chopping veggies.”

“Ah, the classic veggie chopping accident. I think it’s safe to say most people have been where you are.”

I studied her for a moment, an unexplainable pull between us, her sunshine to my nightfall, and the idea of kissing her popped into my head. I pushed it away as fast as I could.

“They plan to discharge you soon after you finish your bag of fluids. I followed the ambulance here, wanting to make sure you were okay, and in case you needed a ride back to your truck.”

“You didn’t have to do all of that.” I grumbled.

“I know. I wanted to.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As Brielle had promised, she waited until I was discharged and drove me to my truck.

And as I laid in bed later that night, sleep didn’t come.

The only thing on my mind was her.

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