Page 1 of Soul of the Mountain
1
SULLIVAN
The rich smell of coffee fills the air, joined by the familiar drip-drip-dripping of the coffee maker. Every morning starts the same: a hot cup of coffee, reading the headlines of the Hope Mountain Gazette, and taking in the beauty of nature. It’s easy to do when I own a gorgeous piece of land with a giant house and a wrap-around porch.
I inherited this place from my grandparents, who turned the mansion into a rest stop of sorts. Not quite a hotel, not quite a bed-and-breakfast. More of a come-as-you-please, shared-kitchen-and-dining-room vibe.
Fifty years after it opened, Willow Tree Inn remains one of the few places for the rare out-of-towner to stay in Hope Mountain. I live and work here, and I’m thankful every day for my little place in the world. It’s not exciting to most, but it’s fulfilling.
This small mountain town is secluded up in the Colorado Rockies, and we like it that way. Unfortunately, we got on the radar of a real estate company in Denver. They’ve been harassing a lot of us local business owners to sell, even bribing and threatening a few.
I breathe in deeply and exhale my frustration. There’s nothing I can do about it right now, and besides, I have a lot of cleaning up to do around the yard. I take another deep breath and look out the kitchen window, noting the debris from the storm and flash flood yesterday. It came out of nowhere and washed out the only road down the mountain.
A door creaks open down the hall, followed by the sound of feet shuffling across the hardwood floor. It must be Gabby, the only guest currently staying at Willow Tree Inn.
Speaking of an unexpected turn of events…
I groan internally and roll my eyes. The woman works for Top Spot Realty, the very same company trying to take over the town. She came up here to collect her co-worker, Sadie, who got lost and was stranded up the mountain.
The two of them were on their way out of town when they were caught in the flood. Damn near washed the car right off the side of the mountain. If my buddy, Cutter, and I weren’t there, Sadie and Gabby might have been casualties of Mother Nature’s wrath. You’d think a heroic save like that would earn me some respect, or at the very least, gratitude, from Gabby. Especially since I offered her a room at my inn after Cutter took Sadie back to his place.
“Where’s the hairdryer?” the woman in question asks as she steps into the kitchen.
I turn to face her, trying not to notice the way her white terrycloth robe drapes over her generous breasts and wide, juicy hips. Every room has the same standard robe, and it’s objectively not sexy. On this curvy woman, however…
“Hello? Hairdryer?” She snaps her fingers at me like I’m a dog, which immediately puts me on edge. She’s just as cold and clipped as she was yesterday.
The lust clears from my mind at her sharp, annoyed tone. Gabby might be stunning with her dark hair, wide hazel eyes,and rounded cheeks that make her look like a goddamn doll, but her attitude is enough to reel in the inappropriate thoughts.
“Don’t have one,” I grunt, crossing my arms over my chest as I stare down at her. Gabby narrows her eyes at me and clenches her jaw. God, she’s wound up so tight, like she’s gearing up for a fight with every interaction.
“Every hotel has hairdryers in the rooms.”
“Willow Tree Inn isn’t a cookie-cutter hotel,” I inform her. “It’s a fixture in this community and has been since my grandparents opened it in the seventies.”
“Well… Well, that’s no excuse. Fixture or not, guests have wet hair and need a way to dry it.” She finishes her statement by crossing her arms over her chest, mirroring my stance.
“If it’s that essential, why don’t you carry one with you all the time?”
“I usually do,” she answers, surprising me. “I have three changes of clothes, casual and dress shoes, a hairbrush, hair ties, toothpaste and a toothbrush, water bottles, non-perishable snacks, and… and some other stuff. I keep everything I need in my car,” Gabby finishes. “Of course, the one time I loan my spare hairdryer to a co-worker, this happens,” she mutters under her breath.
“Can’t plan for everything, I guess.” I remember going back in the car for a bag Gabby insisted she needed. I didn’t realize it was filled with clothes; otherwise, I wouldn’t have risked it. City girl, through and through. She can’t even go a day without her high-class stuff.
“I can try.” A hint of insecurity flashes in her multi-colored eyes, but it’s gone before I’m even sure I saw it. So, she likes to be in control. That checks out.
“You know, hair dries all on its own, without the need for a fancy contraption to do it for you.”
“Fancy contraption? Is this the eighteen hundreds? It’s a hairdryer. I know this town is small and a bit outdated, but surely, you’ve seen hairdryers before.”
I stare her down, my nostrils flaring at her insult of my hometown. I know she doesn’t care about Hope Mountain, but she’s lashing out unnecessarily. I don’t dignify her insult with a response, which has its intended effect. Gabby huffs out a frustrated breath and spins on her heel, stomping down the hallway she came from.
God, that woman. She’s been nothing but a thorn in my side since I pulled her out of her flooded car. As soon as Cutter and Sadie left yesterday, Gabby scrambled out of my arms and could barely look at me. She didn’t want the dinner I offered; she just headed straight to her room and slammed the door shut.
She’ll be gone soon enough. I called the local mechanic and had her car towed once the road cleared last night. I’m expecting her to be on her way to Denver by the end of the day.
A few hours later,I’m heading back inside after spending a few hours cleaning up around the property. Luckily, there wasn’t any major damage done to the exterior, mostly superficial things that I can fix easily over the next few days.
I take off my jacket and run a hand through my short hair before checking my watch. I should get going if I want to stop by the bakery on the way to visit Mabel.
