Page 7 of Trick or Treat with the Mountain Man
Ava laughed lightly. “You’re funny, Tyler. Did you know that?”
No one had called me funny in at least a decade, maybe longer. Not that I’d been a regular comedian before that.
Then she added, “My favorite color is cerulean blue, because of the name. I first heard about the color in a book I read as a child about a girl who stole a department store mannequin because she wanted a better doll than her friend had. The mannequin had cerulean blue eyes.”
A husky rumble of a laugh escaped past my lips. “You remember all that from a book you read when you were a kid?”
“Of course I do. Although I might have some of the details confused, I know I remember the cerulean blue eyes. What a word!”
“What was the book?” I asked without being able to help myself. She was drawing me in against my will.
“Oh, uh. What was the title? I can’tremember. Maybe it will come to me. So why’d you move here? You’re not originally from Red Oak Mountain. We don’t get too many imports, except for the logging crew and the tourists.”
“How do you know I’m not from around here?”
“Because I know everyone on the mountain. And I don’t know you. Not yet.”
The damn cookies were tempting me. I just wantedonemore while there was still a hint of warmth in it. I pulled another out of the bag and started munching.
It was the best thing I’d ever had in my entire life. I’d once tried microwaving store-bought cookies to simulate the effect ofone coming hot out of the oven, but it hadn’t worked right. It had turned hard and crunchy like a stale biscuit.
After a moment, I realized she was staring at me like I were a science project.
“Are you watching me eat?” I asked as I wolfed down the treat.
“It is rather fascinating. Youreallylike cookies, don’t you? How many is that? Three or four?”
I held the package out to her. “Do you want another?”
Her eyes sparkled as she patted her round belly. “No. I get plenty of cookies all on my own. One was enough. Thanks, though.”
Somehow she was making me warm up to her. I hadn’t realized that was still possible for me.
“I didn’t know about this property being attached to the other one in the past. I’ve thought about putting it on the market and trying to buy something else… but I sunk everything I had into this place. I’m going to lose a lot on real estate commissions if I sell. And that will bite into how many acres I can afford somewhere else. I’m in a bind.”
Her lips quirked to the side. “How much did you pay for it?”
“That’s invasive.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to be nosy. I’ve got a friend in real estate, Rose Harrison. She’s married to Nash. Do you know him? Everyone knows him. She tracks every property for sale on the mountain. If you want something more remote, she could help.”
I was surprised that Ava was trying to help me. I’d half-expected her to come in and keep trying to drag me off to that party… which wasnevergoing to happen.
Instead, she was trying to help me problem-solve. And she came up with better answers than the whiskey did.
Which reminded me I wasn’t being a very good host. “Do you want anything to drink? Whiskey? Water? Those are the only two options, really.”
“Oh, uh, water? Thanks! My place is pretty remote. Much farther out in the woods. I’m not even in Red Oak Mountain proper, really. I’m halfway down the north end of the mountain. You’re sitting on top of the mountain. There aren’t too many houses up here. Abby and Silas. Then, Kat and Jake. But even so, this place looks like Grand Central compared to my end of the mountain.”
Chapter 4
Ava
I studied him as he got up to get me a glass of water.
It was odd. He looked really fit… which I had been able to examine inexquisite detailsince he’d never put on a shirt. But at the same time he had a limp and used a cane.
It wasn’t the polite thing to do, so I swallowed all my questions about how he got hurt and what was wrong with him. Instead, I focused on the sight of his ass as he stood at the kitchen sink drawing me a glass of water.
