Page 5 of Trick or Treat with the Mountain Man
This was a serious, serious man. I could tell already.
I wonder if he ever laughs.
Around that time I realized he actually did want me to listen.
I looked away from his chiseled face and shut my eyes.
The air was crisp and cool. I could almost smell it. Along with a hint of his cologne. It was onlymildlyintoxicating.
But then I remembered to listen, not just try to breathe him in.
And I heard the muffled pops of fireworks in the distance. And people laughing. Someone shrieked, and then everyone started talking at once.
“Oh. Sound carries pretty far, doesn’t it? I had no idea you could hear us talking over here.”
“I listen to that every time they throw a party. The man blasts loud music all the time, even at odd hours of the night. And the woman is quiet, but sheregularlyhas friends with loud mouths.”
He narrowed his eyes and glared at me, like I was the one he was talking about.
That stopped me short. “And I suppose you think I’m one of the loud-mouths you’ve heard over there?”
He raised an eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder.
That was annoying. Especially because I’d been told many times that I was too loud. People were always shushing me. I just got so excited I was overly animated at times.
“It’s not as loud as being in an apartment,” I justified. “Or even a regular neighborhood. All the sound is pretty muffled out here,” I told him, refusing to feel ashamed for disrupting his peace and quiet.
“If I wanted a regular neighborhood, I would have bought a house in one. But I boughtthisplace on twenty acres out in the middle of fucking nowhere so I wouldn’t have to deal with welcome committees like you. And the real estate agent never told me there was a house on the other side of the hill. I just looked around and felt like I was going to be completely and totally alone out here. I mean, twenty acres! Why thehelldid they build so close to another house?” He frowned and muttered, “Ineverwould have bought this place if I’d known there were neighbors this close.”
Sorting through everything he just said, I finally asked, “Why do you want to be so alone?”
The expression he gave me was almost like he couldn’t fathom my lack of understanding.
“To get away from people, of course,” he rumbled.
“What’s so wrong with people? It seems like it would get lonely. And what exactly do you mean by that? Would you be happy going a full year without contact? Or is it more like your weekly visit to the grocery store fulfills your social quota?”
His lips parted in the most enticing way, even as his brow furrowed deeper. “Why are you so curious about it?”
Might as well lay it all out on the line. “I like to get to know people. And… I like to help them feel better. It’s just something I do. And my friend Abby said you could use some cheering up. She mentioned that you tend to seem a little… grumpy. No judgment, of course. Men are allowed to be as grumpy as theywant. But sometimes it’s nice to try on another emotion for size. Eat one of the cookies. Ipromiseit will cheer you up.”
He glanced at the package in his hands.
Then he pulled one of the cookies out and took a bite.
His eyes widened as he swallowed it down.
Then he took another bite.
And another.
Until the cookie was just crumbs on his fingertips.
He licked his lips in satisfaction, getting a little dab of chocolate off one corner.
“They’re still warm,” he rumbled.
“Yeah. I don’t live very far away. Just down the road, give or take a few miles. I baked those cookies and brought them straight over. Looks like they’re doing their job. Now that I’ve fed you warm chocolate chip cookies, can I get a name out of you?”
