Page 6 of Contracting with the Mountain Man
A zing sparked through me from head to toe. “You got it.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Genevieve
What are you doing,Genevieve?! What. Are. You. Doing??
The question ran through my mind on repeat, but I didn’t pay it any attention.
Obviously not when I sat here in his truck on the way to his cabin to see his sourdough starter. I chuckled to myself. Going to see the starter, my ass.
It might be unspoken, this whatever it is between us, but it was there, brimming beneath the surface, ready to strike at any moment.
Several minutes later, he pulled into a long dirt driveway and steered his truck on the winding, dark road. It felt like hours but was only mere minutes until finally his cabin came into view.
“Wow. So secluded back here. Like your own little world.”
“It has its good and its bad sides. But overall, I like it. I’ll give you my WIFI password when we get inside. Otherwise, it won’t be of any use. Too far away from a cell phone tower, so they say.”
“You’d think by now they’d be tons of cell towers.”
“At least we’re preserving something. Our mountains.”
“Good point.”
Maverick led me inside his cabin and showed me around, giving me the grand tour. “It’s better to know your way around.” He winked, and I nearly melted into a puddle of goo at his feet.
I didn’t miss any of his little flirty remarks, each one sending a spark up my spine and splintering off in two different directions. My brain and my heart. Both at battle.
This isn’t reality. It couldn’t be.
But sure enough, I pinched myself and it hurt, reminding me I was very much awake and in the present moment.
Should I go with the flow like Maverick said?
Or do I just play it cool?
The last stop was the kitchen, where he picked up his starter and held it out to me. “Here she is! My baby.”
I took the mason jar in my hands and looked inside. “Good bubble formation. She looks nice.”
“Thanks.” He smiled proudly as he took it back from me and set it on his counter. “My next loaf will be for you.”
“No, that’s okay. You work hard keeping her alive. You should be able to enjoy it.”
“I do enjoy it. I also enjoy giving to others and seeing the happiness on their face.”
“Okay, I get it. You love to give.” I rolled my eyes all in good fun. “Maybe I’ll steal a small piece to start my own little starter baby.” I liked the idea of having my own starter. “I can bake more at home and use Marlowe as my taste tester.”
“Can I be an official taste tester, too?”
“Hmm. Maybe.” I tapped my chin with one finger.
“Maybe? Why not yes?”
“You need to pass another test first.”
“Yeah? What kind of test?”
