Page 2 of Lost with the Mountain Man

Thankfully, no creatures came to eat me, but my luck might not hold out if I don't get out of these woods before dark.

I look at my phone again. No signal, and the battery is less than thirty percent. Fantastic.

I try to brush off the leaves and twigs clinging to my clothes, but it's a losing battle. I'm a hot mess of sweat, dirt, and plant matter. I hobble forward, limping on my injured knee. I can do this. I have to do this.

I'm not a damsel in distress. I'm a baker, for crying out loud. I deal with meltdowns, burnt batches, and temperamental dough every day. I can handle a little lost time in the woods.

Something tall and dark shifts between the trees.

My breath freezes in my chest.

A wolf? A bear?

The shadow looms forward, easily six and a half feet tall, wide and hairy, and … wearing a plaid shirt?

It's not a bear.It's a man.

two

Rust

Something'soff.Icanfeel it in my bones.

When you live in the wilderness alone for as long as I have, you learn to sense a shift in the harmony of the forest.

I stop mid-swing, setting my axe down beside the firewood.

The sound of a whimpering scream echoed through the trees again. It was a human sound. A woman. I haven't forgotten what a woman sounds like.

I follow the sounds through the trees, south from my cabin, until I see her.

A woman, dressed in pink, lying crumpled at the base of a tree. She's clutching her knee, her face contorted in pain. She slowly struggles to her feet before noticing me. She freezes like a deer.

"You alright there, girl?" I ask, my voice gruffer than intended. I don't like people in my woods. People bring trouble.

She looks up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. They're a sparkling green, like the first leaves of spring. She offers a small, apologetic smile as I step into the light.

"I think I twisted my knee," she says, her voice soft and sweet, like fresh honey. "Thank goodness you came along. I thought I was dead meat for sure."

I feel a sudden urge to protect this woman. Every muscle in my body wants to move to her, hold her, and never let her go. I stomp down the feelings, keeping my expression neutral.

"Night's coming. What the hell are you doing out here alone, girl?"

Her smile falters. "I was trying to find some wild blueberries. I got turned around and...yeah." She gestures to her knee. "This happened."

I raise an eyebrow. "Blueberries?"

She nods. "For a very important order at the bakery I work at. I'm Charlie, by the way." She extends a hand towards me.

I ignore it, instead looking down at her knee. It's already starting to swell. She's in no shape to be walking back alone. I grumble under my breath, "Stupid town folk."

The woman, Charlie, glares at me. "You don't have to be such a grump."

But I am a grump. I like my solitude, and I don't like people. I'd rather spend my time chopping wood and fishing than having meaningless small talk with people.

"Your knee," I say, gesturing towards her. "Looks like you might have sprained it or something. No way you're walking back to town like that. Especially in the dark." I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.

It looks like I'm going to have to help her. There goes my plans for the evening.

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