Page 3 of Infatuated with the Mountain Man

“Yes!”

I made a note to ask my sister why Aster, Cash’s and my good friend, got ice cream with them. Now wasn’t the time with Sammy’s little ears around. “That’s awesome! I wish I were there.”

“Me too, Unciee C.”

When we reached the cabin, we met Leighton and Cash on the porch. I set Sammy down gently, and he ran right into Cash’s lap. He hugged and kissed his dad before moving on to Leighton. Damn, the kid was cute. It made me want one of my own.

Okay, maybe not, but he was still so cute.

“Were you a good boy for Auntie Jolene?” Leighton asked before kissing his cheeks.

“He was perfect,” Jolene beamed and sat down at the large outdoor table. “A sweet, little angel.”

“We saw Unciee A!” Sammy announced, and Leighton and Jolene laughed it off while Cash shot me a dirty look. I shrugged and sat next to Jolene.

It had been a long day in the orchard, and my body was exhausted. I still needed to head over to the doggie daycare and pick up my mutt before I went home, but the only thing on my agenda tonight was a soak in my hot tub. My achy joints needed some relief.

“We met the event planner for Sammy’s party today,” Leighton said to Jolene, quickly changing the subject. “Her name is Veda, and she’s really nice. I hope she can bring my vision to life. I told her you’d be doing the photography, so I’d love for you two to meet.”

At the sound of that woman’s name, my heart picked up speed and an image of her popped into my head. Her curves,her deep brown eyes, and the way she carried herself. A part of me craved to get to know her better, find out what’s inside that pretty head of hers, and see what’s underneath her sexy slacks and tight blouse.

The other part of me wanted to forget she even existed. I was a one-night-stand type of guy for a reason. In my opinion, relationships were a waste of time. They always came to a fiery end.

Jolene cleared her throat, and her eyes lit up the way they always did when she talked about her passion for photography. “That would be great! Maybe I could do some networking with her. Lord knows I need the work.”

“That’s what I had in mind,” Leighton said.

“But she’s not from around here, is she?” I asked.

Leighton shook her head. “She’s staying in a cottage for the week. But that doesn’t mean they still can’t network together.”

“True,” I said while shrugging and avoiding eye contact. Having that woman around all the time would not be good. Not good at all.

We sat around and chatted more about the upcoming party, the weather, and the orchard. A half hour later, I said my goodbyes and picked up my dog, Sir Barksalot, before arriving home. Most days, Sir Barksalot came to the orchard with me, but some days, he needed to socialize with other dogs and get more energy out.

My cabin was only just down the road from Cash and the orchard, a place I bought all on my own after saving. Jolene lived with me for a while before renting her own place a couple of streets over, as our parents were train wrecks who were God knows where at this point. I pretty much raised Jolene through most of her childhood, and if there was one thing in the world I was most protective of, it was my sister.

It wasn’t easy growing up with parents who couldn’t care less if you ate, went to school, or even saw a doctor, for that matter, but meeting Cash and his family in middle school was a godsend. Truly. They treated us like one of their own, inviting us over for meals and offering to help with laundry. Cash’s mom helped Jolene when she began dealing with womanly stuff. Getting to work on the family’s orchard and seeing Jolene’s love for photography blossom made it worth all the struggles and hard times.

After a quick dinner of hamburgers on the grill and dog kibble for my main furry friend, I showered, changed into my swim trunks, and filled the hot tub.

I sank into the blissful water, letting the warmth soothe my aches and pains.

It worked well on my body but not my mind.

Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about the gorgeous event planner.

The following morning,I arrived at the orchard with Sir Barksalot. I set him loose from the car like I always did, and a second later, a piercing scream penetrated the air.

I whipped my head around and saw my dog jumping all over Veda, no matter how many times Jolene tried to get him to stop.Shit!

“Sir Barksalot! Get down! Now!” I shouted as I ran over. My dog looked at me and took off, running zoomies through the orchard.

Sammy ran off after him, and next went Cash following his son. Chaos erupted around us, and I hurried over to Veda and Jolene. “Are you okay?”

Veda laughed while brushing off her pants. “Yes, sorry, I didn’t mean to scream. He just surprised me.”

“Don’t be sorry. My brother’s dog can be a little crazy,” Jolene said.

---