Page 1 of A Very Grumpy Mountain Man

ONE

Kye

Camden is toobusy smiling at his phone to notice me glaring at him. My big brother has been glued to the screen since his girlfriend, Lymric, left town this morning. She’s away on a week-long work trip, and I have a feeling he’ll stay that way until she returns in a few days.

Lovesick fool.

I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that my brother is in love. He was as much of a grumpy loner as I was a few weeks ago. Then, one day, he went on a hike and saw Lymric. Just like that, he was head over heels for her. He’s obsessed with her, has been from the first moment.

It’s wild.

I can’t say I get it. I always thought people had to be together for a while to fall the way he has, but he’s known Lymric for two weeks, and I know it’s the real deal. When Camden makes up his mind about something, that’s it. He won’t change it.

I’m the same way. Stubborn. Focused. Grumpy.

Still, I can’t imagine falling so hard for someone the way Camden has. Not that I wouldn’t want to, but I don’t see it ever happening to me. I like sticking to myself. I rarely leave my cabin, and when I do, it’s for supplies from here in town or to see my brother.

Camden is still smiling at his phone as the bill arrives, so I grab it and pull out my wallet. It’s not like I’m hurting for money. I used the inheritance left to me by my grandparents and started investing when I was eighteen. I've always had a knack for numbers and money. What began as a modest investment grew tenfold, then twenty, and eventually a hundred times over.

I’m set for life now, which should be great, but it makes things pretty boring. I don’t have a job to get to every day. I just manage my investments and putter around my cabin.

I’ve had a million different hobbies over the years, but none have stuck. I’ve tried hunting and fishing, but they weren’t for me. Golf was mind-numbingly dull. Wood whittling was monotonous. So was painting, online gaming, and puzzles.

I need to find what Camden has.

If only it were as simple as going for a hike like Camden did.

I pay the bill and clear my throat.

Camden blinks and finally looks up at me, giving me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. We’re in different time zones now, so I have to talk to Lymric when I can.”

“It’s okay. I get it. I’m happy for you,” I tell him honestly.

And I mean it.

Camden deserves peace. After everything he went through—getting shot, leaving the Marines, trying to find his footing again—he’s finally found something amazing. Lymric grounds him in a way nothing else has. I haven’t seen him this content in years. Maybe ever.

“Tell Lymric I said hi. I’ll talk to you later. We can grab lunch again in a few days,” I say as I stand.

Camden nods. “Sounds good. I’ll call you.”

We head for the door, and I watch him walk to his Jeep before I make my way to my SUV. I unlock the door and am about to climb inside when a flash of dark hair catches my eye.

I turn to look across the street. “Fuck.”

I stop and stare, my hand suspended in mid-air by the car door.

She’s coming out of the bookstore, and my mouth waters as I take her in. That dark purple blouse, those dark-wash jeans hugging every curve just right—she’s a walking temptation. Her dark hair spills over her shoulders, loose and soft like she doesn't even realize how good she looks. She’s clutching a handful of papers. I’m dying to know what they are and why she seems so sad as she looks down at them.

She’s an angel.

She’s perfection.

She’s mine.

I move across the street, car horns honking as I step off the curb and walk out into traffic. I don’t spare them any attention. My eyes are locked on my girl. She’s all I can see, all I can focus on.

She glances around the street, and for a second, she looks almost discouraged.

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