Page 2 of Seduction in the Mountains

Madly in love with her and desperate to figure out how to become her villain, I would have burned the world down to have her by my side. Ironically, after the one night we spent alone together, she disappeared like a puff of smoke.

Levi nudges me as the line moves forward, and I turn to stare at him. He gives a double-take, looking slightly alarmed. "Cole? You okay?"

It has to be her. I could describe that painting in detail. Especially the color. Nail polish. She loved using it on her pieces. This one is a deep pink with glitter. The same color on her toes the last time I saw her.

I try to ask Levi what Miranda's last name is, but the line moves again, and we're suddenly at the front register.

My heart races, my ears ring, and my skin is clammy and cold. I can't look.

I can't bear for it to be her.

I can't bear for itnotto be her.

Levi turns to ask what I want, so I force myself to look up and stare into the eyes of the woman behind the register.

"Miranda?" I choke out.

But the woman in her fifties who stares back at me with the wrong color eyes is clearly not Miranda.

I've lost the plot.

"Uh, no, hon." She looks at Levi and he gives us both a confused smile. "She had to run to the back for a bit."

"Ellen, this is our new sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Cole Rose." Levi makes the introduction.

I continue to stare at Not-Miranda and say nothing as she smiles pleasantly at me.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Rose. What can I get you to drink?"

"Uh...uh...coffee."

She furrows her brow. "Just black, then?"

I nod. I hate black coffee.

As Levi and I move to the end of the counter to wait for our orders, I keep my eyes trained on the curtain to the back that Not-Miranda gestured toward, desperately hoping for a glimpse of the sexiest ghost I've ever known.

With a jolt, it occurs to me that seeing Miranda right now is the worst possible timing.

For one, I'm starting a new job today. It's a job I want to keep, so I can't deal with the emotional crisis that might be triggered by seeing her face. Second, I don't even know if this Miranda ismyMiranda. Maybe the two Mirandas met in some kind of cosmic situation, and coffee-shop-owning Miranda thought it was cool to buy a painting by artist Miranda with her same name.

I look around the shop again and sigh. This place has Miranda written all over it.

"Levi, Cole!" The barista calls our names and we grab our to-go cups, heading for the door.

"Hey, Levi," I start, trying to sound calm and capable of running a classroom full of middle schoolers, even though I could barely remember how to saycoffeemoments ago. "What’s the name of the brother? Of, um, M-miranda's brother? I'll tell him I visited this morning."

Levi smiles at me. "His name is Jeremy."

I nod. There can't be too many Jeremys atDuhring Park School. I'll get to my classroom, check my roster, and see if they have the same last name.

"Jeremy Collins," Levi adds, holding the door for me.

I nod again, desperately trying to maintain my composure. "JeremyCollins. MirandaCollins' brother."

Okay, new plan.

Get through work, get my girl, live happily ever after.

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