Page 4 of A Very Grumpy Mountain Man

“Hey!” Sienna greets as she climbs out of her car and heads my way. “This place is beautiful! Have you lived here for long?”

I smile as I watch her look around my house and land. I’m glad she likes it because this will soon beourhouse if I have my way.

“A few years. I bought the land when I was eighteen and had this place built.”

“I’m jealous. That view is incredible.” She sighs wistfully as she turns to gaze at the valley below us.

“Come on, I’ll show you around.”

She nods, and I hold out my hand to her as she approaches the porch steps. She doesn’t hesitate as she slides her palm into mine, and I take that as an encouraging sign. Maybe she also feels the bond between us, the instant connection.

I lead her up the stairs and into the house. She looks around the space with wide eyes as she takes everything in.

“This is the living room, and that’s the bathroom,” I say, nodding to the door off of the living room. “Down here is the kitchen and the door to the garage and studio.”

“Studio?”

I nod. “That’s the business. I fix up old furniture.”

Or I do now, anyway.

I came home last night and started searching for Sienna online. It took a while to track down the right one—but luckily for me, she’d already listed Wolf Valley as her city. If she hadn’t, I might’ve been up all night trying to findmySienna.

Sienna McKay.

I scoured her social media and discovered she loved thrift stores and fixing up old things. So, I cleaned out the storage shed in the backyard and went to town first thing this morning to grab a few pieces of furniture from the thrift store. Now, those same pieces are waiting to be brought back to life.

“Really? Oh my gosh! I love fixing up old pieces of furniture and stuff. It’s so cool to see them revived.”

“Well, you’ll be a great fit here. Want to see what we have to work with?”

She beams at me. “Yes.”

We head out the back door, and I unlock the studio, letting Sienna enter ahead of me. She beelines for the armoire and dresser. Her delicate fingers run along the top of the worn wood, and she smiles softly.

“What are you thinking to do to it?” she asks me, glancing back at me as she heads over to the old kitchen table and chairs.

“I’m not sure yet. Do you have any ideas?”

“The wood is so nice. I think we could sand it down and stain it. Or we could paint if you wanted to go that route?”

“No, the stain sounds good.”

She smiles and pokes through the supplies I bought. Does she notice that none of it is open or used? Do I even have the right materials to do it? I just went to the hardware store and bought a bunch of gear.

“Should we get to work? Or do I have to fill out paperwork or something first?”

“We can do the paperwork after lunch. Let’s get started now.”

She smiles happily and grabs two sets of gloves, passing me a pair. I reach for the sandpaper and sander and pass it to her.

“Did you want to do it?”

I shake my head. “Go ahead.”

“Cool. Sanding has always been one of my favorite parts. It’s exciting to see what’s underneath the top layer.”

I smile. Sienna is almost giddy as she gets to work. I love seeing her so happy and in her element. The quiet is soon filled with her soft humming and the steady whir of the sander as she moves it gracefully over the top of the dresser.

---