Page 11 of My Mountain Man Grump
“How much sugar is in these things?”
His shoulders shake, and it dawns on me he’s angry. Like, really angry. This can’t be just about cupcakes.
“I’m sorry, I should have checked first. Olivia told me no one has allergies.”
“You asked a nine year old?” As he says it he looks down at the girls for the first time, and he freezes.
Olivia clasps her hands behind her back, but Kyra, too slow or unaware of the danger lets him take her hand. He holds it up and frowns at the nail polish.
“You put nail polish on a six year old?”
He’s saying these things like I’ve mortally wounded them, but since when did nail polish and cupcakes hurt anyone?
“They were curious. We had a little girl time.” I keep my tone light, not wanting to scare the girls, but my voice sounds tight.
Cole runs a hand through his hair. “Girls, get in the house.”
“But Dad…” Olivia starts.
“Now.” Kyra runs off immediately, but Olivia frowns at her dad and makes a show of stomping her feet.
“She was just being nice.”
“Olivia…” Cole’s voice has a warning note to it, and his daughter wisely stomps off.
I feel terrible that I’ve gotten them into trouble. “It wasn’t their fault. I was doing my nails…” I hold out my fingers and wiggle them in front of Cole. “…and they came over. I didn’t think there was any harm in it.”
He scowls at my nails, and a vein ticks in his neck.
“No harm in teaching young girls they need to preen themselves in order to have self-worth.”
I take a step back, shocked by his train of thought. “It’s just a bit of fun…”
“And feeding them cupcakes. Do you know what all that sugar does to your insides? The effect it can have over time?”
There he goes on about sugar again. I agree sugar isn’t the healthiest food source, but everyone needs a little bit of sugar in their lives, and it seems Cole does most of all. “A little sugar once in a while can’t be bad.”
“This is a sugar free home.”
My eyes widen in surprise. I’ve heard of such things but I didn’t know they really existed. How can a man with two little girls never eat any sugar? What do they have for dessert?
A terrible thought hits me. I bet those girls don’t eat dessert, not even on weekends, not even on special occasions.
That’s a terrible thing to do to a child, and I’ll bet anything this isn’t just about sugar.
“It was just a cupcake. I’m sorry. It won’t harm them, and it won’t happen again.”
“Damn straight it won’t. Isn’t your car meant to get fixed today, or are you hanging around thinking you’ll win me over?’
The words sting like a slap to the cheek, and I take another step back.
His expression immediately softens, but it’s too late. It’s not my fault I’m stranded here with the world’s grumpiest man.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Cole. I was tricked intocoming here, remember? I’m not the one who’s so up his own ass that his grandmother needs to search outside the state to find him a date.”
He lets out a surprised back of a laugh. But I’m too fired up to see the funny side.
“You don’t deserve the last cupcake.”
