Page 9 of Her Mountain Man Neighbor
Most people probably wouldn’t think “cute” when looking at Lucian. He’s big and broody, built like a bear, with a scowl that never seems to leave his face. He also grunts more than he talks. Intimidating is the word most people would use to describe him. But not me. There’s just something about him, something soft and gentle hiding beneath his rough exterior. I can feel it. There’s more to Lucian than meets the eye…although what meets the eye is already hot as heck. He’s so huge, so rugged…
Nope.
Getting distracted again.
I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been scrolling and applying, scrolling and applying, scrolling and applying. But it’s been atleast two hours since Holden and Mila left, so they’ll probably be back soon. It suddenly occurs to me that it’s still raining. I tuned out the hammering sound before, but it’s still going hours after the forecast said it would stop, and I feel a flicker of unease in my belly.
I hope they get back okay.
Suddenly, the room is plunged into darkness. I gasp. Everything is black except for the eerie glow of my computer screen. Then my phone buzzes in my pocket, making me jump. Mila’s name flashes up on the screen.
“Hello?” I say.
“Hi, Gracie.” My sister sounds stressed, a note of panic in her voice. “So listen, we’re stuck in Cherry Hollow. The mountain road is flooded, and there’s no way for us to get home.”
My mouth goes dry. I never entirely got over my childhood fear of the dark, and it feels like the cabin is closing in around me.
“That sucks,” I say. “I was just about to call you to say the power went out.”
“Crap, and it hasn’t come back on?”
“Nope.”
Mila groans. “Shoot. That means the backup generator isn’t working.”
I hear her say something to Holden, but it’s too muffled for me to hear.
“I’ll be okay,” I tell her, trying to sound upbeat. “If I light a fire and stay close to it…”
“We’re out of matches,” Mila says fretfully. “We stopped at the store to buy more on the way to the restaurant. I’m so sorry, Gracie. I wasn’t thinking.”
I bite my lip, trying not to let anxiety get the better of me. Staying in Holden’s cabin with no heating and no fire isn’t an option. The temperatures up here are no joke, and I can alreadyfeel the warmth seeping out of the room. I hear Holden’s voice in the background of the call before Mila seems to agree with him, then she says, “You’re going to have to head to Lucian’s cabin. He’s the closest neighbor. Hopefully his generator is working, and if not, at least he’ll have a fire going.”
Lucian’s name makes my heart stutter, but I can’t help looking apprehensively at the rain drumming against the darkened windows. The trees will give me some cover, but it still won’t be a pleasant walk.
Mila is still apologizing. She sounds stricken. My poor sister has always blamed herself for everything, even when we were kids. She has always taken it upon herself to look after me, and beats herself up every time she feels like she’s failed.
“It’s okay, Mila, honestly. How were you supposed to know the road would flood? The rain was meant to stop hours ago.”
She doesn’t seem to hear me. “We should never have left you without matches. That’s basic safety out here. I’m sorry, Gracie. So is Holden, he feels awful?—”
“Mila, I promise I’ll be fine.” I’m already standing up. “I’m going to pack a bag and head to Lucian’s place, okay? I know where it is.”
She makes me promise to wrap up in several layers and take an umbrella. I assure her I’ll call her when I get to Lucian’s, then I pocket my phone and take a deep breath. I’m not sure how Lucian will feel when I turn up on his doorstep for the second time today. But I don’t have a choice, and the thought of seeing him again makes me feel warm, despite the chill in the air.
I use my phone to light the way as I fill a backpack with some overnight things, zipping it up. Then I pull on my coat and grab an umbrella from the closet in Holden and Mila’s bedroom. My stomach is fluttering with nerves.
What if Lucian doesn’t want me there?
But there’s no time to dwell on it. I need to get out of this freezing cabin, so I open the front door, grimacing as a thousand fat raindrops slap my face. The wind roars, the trees shaking so violently that I’m scared to put the umbrella up in case it’s instantly ripped from my hands. I take a reluctant step out from under the porch, already shivering, when I spot the glare of headlights in the distance. Relief washes over me. Mila and Holden must have made it up the mountain after all.
I wonder how they got here so fast…
Scurrying back beneath the porch, I watch as the pickup truck pulls up in front of me. With a relieved smile, I wave. Then the door opens, and my heart leaps to my throat.
Lucian.
The headlights illuminate his hulking frame as he strides toward me in the pouring rain. He barely seems to notice it. His eyes are fixed on me, and when he stops a few feet away, all I can do is gawk at him.
