Page 1 of Griffen the Mountain Man
CHAPTER ONE
GRIFFEN CALDWELL
Caldwell Sunday dinners are sacred.
Everyone congregates around the dining table for good food, the latest news, and plenty of sibling teasing, which is why it’s usually my favorite part of the week.
Except lately things have been changing.
“Hey, Griff, can you pass the potatoes?” Kennedy asks from her place across the dining table, and I absentmindedly hold the ceramic bowl out to her. My sister brought the first change when she fell in love with her military pen pal.
Then, our brothers, Ezra and Soren, met theirheart sparks.
And now, even our commitment-phobe brother has settled down.
It’s not that I begrudge my siblings their happiness, but with each new addition to our family tradition, I’m reminded of what I don’t have.
A partner in life.
I haven’t even had a girlfriend since a disastrous prom night over a decade ago.
Instead of women and dating, my life revolves around caring for our grandpa. A choice I don’t regret, but it was easier to accept back when my brothers and sister were also single and focused on the responsibilities of their everyday lives.
Stabbing my knife into the garlic chicken on my plate, I cut another piece free and try to shake off the unsettling feeling of upheaval that’s been my constant companion the last few months.
More and more, my mind has been drifting into pity party territory. Like the older I get, and the less I have to show for my age, the more depressed my thoughts become.
It’s fucking annoying.
Wanting more but not knowing how to get it.
Not knowing exactly what kind ofmoreI’m searching for.
Gramps clears his throat at the head of the table. “I’ve got an announcement to make…” His gaze slides over each of us, pausing on me for a second longer, and my gut tightens in anticipation. “There’s no easy way to say this, but I'm moving into Golden Living to be with Greta.”
Silence hangs in the air before Kennedy jumps from her seat to hug Gramps. “Congratulations! I'm so happy for you guys.”
A round of happy encouragement rises from my siblings while I remain quiet. Not an unusual state of being for me, but this time it’s more than just being a man of few words.
Gramps and I have lived together for years. Despite his independent nature, I've been his caretaker, and he’s been my best friend. But with this news, my role will soon change, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Who are you kidding?
You’re fucking terrified.
“Griffen, are you okay?” Diana, Soren's girlfriend, nudges my elbow, concern written in her expression at my reticence.
I'm not unhappy about Gramps’s news. He and Greta are cute together. She’s brought a spark back into his life, especially since our grandma died over a decade ago.
But as selfish as it sounds, I wish he hadn't decided to move into the town’s senior living community.
Wish he wasn’t choosing to leave me behind.
“I'm fine.” What else can I say? Begrudging my grandfather's happiness would make me an asshole. Addressing the table as a whole, I force myself to ask, “When are you moving?”
What’s the timeline before my life implodes?
“Well, we ain't getting any younger,” Gramps jokes, and everybody laughs. Even I grin at his usual good humor. “I figured we’d start packing my belongings immediately, and once that's done, pick a day we're all free to move into Golden Living. Ideally, before the holidays get into full swing in November.”
