Page 1 of Seduction in the Mountains

Chapter 1

Cole

Thericharomaofcoffee permeates the air as I open the door to what appears to be the most popular morning spot in downtown Duhring Park. My first day of work nerves ease slightly as I inhale deeply. The symphony of morning rituals whirls around me in the whoosh of steamers, clanging cups, and the chatter of friends and neighbors as they get their fix.

"Cole!"

I scan the crowded coffee shop in search of the owner of the voice, my new boss, Principal Levi Harrison.

Levi walks toward me, a smile stretching across his face, and we shake hands before heading to the end of the line. "I'll call you Mr. Rose once we're at school, of course," he says, smoothing the front of his tie and looking slightly startled it's there.

Although most of my interactions with Levi have been job interview-focused, I get the impression he’s far more comfortable wearing jeans and hiking through the surrounding nature spots that bring regular visitors to town than wearing a suit and tie.

He reminds me of my friends growing up, although I think I'm a few years younger than him. My childhood friends and I worked at my uncle's construction site. Spent most of our high school years helping to build half the new homes in town. They still live there, working construction and avoiding settling down for as long as possible. All I wanted, even from a young age, was to get out of my small town. I had dollar signs in my eyes, and if that meant wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk, sign me up. Ironically, Duhring Park is even smaller than where I grew up, and it couldn't feel more like home.

"No worries." I shift my worn leather bag over my shoulder and smooth my tie. "Thanks for the coffee." I have to look up at him slightly, which is saying something with my six-three frame.

Levi smiles and hands me a gift card.The Reading Groundslogo is printed on the front, and I look at him as he says, "Enough to get you coffee for the first few weeks after today."

"Wow, thank you. I'll take the job." I grin at him, and he chuckles.

"It isn't every day we get a new teacher starting. People born here tend to stick around, and those who move here stay for the rest of their lives."

"I grew up in a similar town. I resisted as a kid," I admit, shrugging. "But there's something about small towns that never leaves your blood."

Levi nods thoughtfully. "Sometimes you have to experience something else to appreciate it."

My former life at the bottom of the corporate ladder isn't far behind me, and while there were perks, I never want to experience the frustration of being stuck on a hamster wheel again. Five years ago, I would have run for the hills at the thought of living in a small town, working as a teacher, no less, for the rest of my life. Today's me wants to retire from this job. I'm ready to put down roots.

"Hi Levi! Happy first day of school!" A young woman gives Levi a quick side squeeze as she shifts the baby on her hip to the other side.

"Cole, this is my good friend, Addy, and the cutest baby in Duhring Park."

Addy beams at Levi. "You might be biased since you are his godfather." She looks at her son, who has her dark brown hair and eyes, before grinning. "But you're not wrong. Nice to meet you, Cole."

"You too, Addy."

As Levi and Addy chat, I glance around, noticing the decor is quirky and fun. Bookcases tucked into various nooks around the shop are loaded with reading material for little kids on the bottom shelves and a variety of fiction and non-fiction for adults up high. Along one side of the shop is a shelf filled with small silver buckets of crayons and more pads of sketching paper than I've ever seen outside an art store.

The colors are, well, colorful. Muted teal, deep yellow, and burnt orange combine with floral, baroque patterns and tiny black dots on the cushions and chairs. Each wall is a different color, and the effect is so saturated it's like being in a Wes Anderson film. It's a cozy, dramatic vibe that makes me want to bring a book to read next time.

The daily specials sign boasts two drinks. One is calledFrosty the Apple Cider, which says it's "sweet and refreshing and leads to a day of dreaming," and the other is described as a "dark roast that starts a little bitter but finishes sweet with cocoa and cinnamon notes." It's calledBetter Than Your Book Boyfriend.

I chuckle. I've found my new favorite place in Duhring.

Levi grins as well, noticing my eyes on the sign. "The owner is a good friend. She loves books if you can't tell. I'll introduce you if she's at the register today. I'm sure she'd love to meet the new teacher in town. In fact, you'll have Miranda's brother in your class today."

"Miranda?" I swivel my head to look at Levi, and he nods. Momentarily jarred from hearing the name, I shake my head. The last Miranda I knew turned my life upside down, so maybe it's a sign that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Let's hope it turns out better this time.

As we get closer to the register, the line wraps toward a wall covered in art. I see a small, framed drawing of Marie Antoinette tucked out of the way. It reads, "Eat Cake, Drink Coffee, and Stop Your B*tching." I chuckle.

Then I freeze. My smile drops as the color drains from my face. Because the next painting is one I've seen before. Earth, with a lit match poised beneath it. The first line reads, "Heroes Save the World," and then closer to the matchstick, it continues, "The Villain Burns it Down Just to Save Her."

As a sophomore in college, I studied this painting for months. Strategically organized group hangouts to be near its artist.

Miranda Collins.

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