Page 5 of A Very Grumpy Mountain Man

The dust hangs in the air, so I open the large shed doors, letting in the fresh air. Sienna doesn’t even seem to notice as I move around the room. I grab the sanding pads and get to work on the kitchen table. She doesn’t seem interested in this piece, so I decide to take it on.

Sienna smiles as she looks back and forth between the dresser and the kitchen table. “Looks good!” she chirps.

I nod in agreement. “Ready for lunch?”

“Sound good.”

“What are you hungry for?” I ask as we leave the studio.

“Oh, I’m not picky.”

We head into the kitchen, and I dig through the cupboards and fridge to find something to eat. I was so focused on the supplies for the furniture that I completely forgot about getting something for us to eat.

“Want to go into town to eat?”

She shrugs. “Sure.”

“There’s a pizza place, diner, taco place, and a burger joint. Any preference?” I ask as I grab my keys and lead Sienna outside to my SUV.

“It all sounds good. I’m not picky,” she replies as I open the passenger door for her.

I decide on the diner since they have a bit of everything. I’ll be able to learn more about what she likes there.

“How are you liking Wolf Valley so far?” I ask as we make the drive into town.

“It’s been good. I love how close-knit this place is. I haven’t explored that much, but I hope to get out this weekend.”

She rambles on about a few places in town she wants to check out, and I make a mental note of all of them.

I pull into the parking lot of the Nosh Diner and hop out to open Sienna’s door.

“Thanks,” she says with a smile.

My heart thumps hard in my chest. I love being around my girl and seeing her so happy and relaxed.

Now, I need to figure out how to tell her I want to be so much more than her boss.

FOUR

Sienna

It’s beenfour days since I started working for Kye, and I love it. It’s easily the most rewarding job I’ve ever had, and Kye is the best boss I’ve ever worked for. I love the hours, the work, and the pay, but most of all, I love being around Kye. He lets me be creative and pretty much do whatever I want with the furniture.

I’m finishing up the dresser I was working on today, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll be refurbishing next week.

“This last coat needs to dry. Do you need help with the table?” I ask Kye as I step back to admire my work.

“I’ve got it. We’ll have to take pictures and start listing everything this afternoon. Are you getting hungry? Want to stop for lunch?”

I bite back a smile. “Yeah, I’m at a good place to stop.”

Our lunches are the bright spot in my day. I love getting to know Kye more. He’s so sweet, always letting me pick what we eat and doing whatever he can to make me feel at home here.

It’s addictive.

Kye nods, setting down his paintbrush and wiping his hands on an old rag. Or notthatold. Everything here seems to be new. I want to ask him about it, but I figured it’s a new business. At times, Kye doesn’t seem a hundred percent confident in what he’s doing, which only makes him more endearing.

He quirks an eyebrow. “What are you hungry for?”

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