Page 4 of My Mountain Man Grump
I turn to Carrie and she’s looking as horrified as I am, which means her perfect mouth is popped open and her cheeks have a flush to them that gives them a youthful glow. That stray hair is caught on her lip again, and I almost reach over and pull it away before stopping myself.
“I’m sorry you wasted your time coming all this way. But there’s nothing for you here.”
Carrie’s eyes harden, and that moment is probably when she starts to hate me. Great, make me the bad guy here when it’s Gran’s meddling that got her into this mess. I feel sorry for the woman, but it’s not my fault Gran is determined to set me up with someone.
Carrie grabs her keys from her pocket and grasps them in her hand. “Don’t worry, Cole. I’m not going to stick around where I’m not wanted.”
She spins around and Gran puts her hands up, trying to placate us both. “Let’s not be hasty…”
Carrie’s already storming off to her rental. “It was a mean trick,” she says to Gran as she stomps past. “Pretending to be someone you’re not.”
Gran watches her with her arms folded. It’s not often someone sasses Gran. Most of Sweetheart Falls is scared of her. But this time she deserves it.
“You should know better at your age than to mess with people’s hearts.” Carrie stalks around the side of the cabin, and a moment later a car door slams.
The rental’s down by the side of the small cabin that we use as a spare when relatives come to stay. I can’t see her but I imagine her yanking her seatbelt on and shoving the key in the ignition. The engine splutters, but it doesn’t turn over.
I look over to Gran, and she’s staring intently at the back of the Jeep. The engine splutters again and again and again but doesn’t start.
From inside the Jeep comes a string of angry curse words and the thumping of a fist against the steering wheel.
Gran’s expression is unreadable, but I bet she’s loving this new turn of events. It looks like Carrie is sticking around whether I like it or not.
3
CARRIE
Acup of hot chocolate with marshmallows is not going to make this any better. Still, I take the mug Joyce holds out to me and sink into the plush two seater of the open plan living area in Sunrise Cabin.
“I’m sorry, dear. Gus can’t come out until tomorrow.”
To make up for her sins, Joyce called the local Sweetheart Falls mechanic and said she’d cover the repairs. She should be paying for all the money I wasted on the rental, not to mention the precious week of vacation I took from my meager amount of PTO.
Besides, the rental company will pay for the repairs. When I called them and demanded they send me a new car, one that works, they said they don’t have anything this remote, and either I can wait until next Tuesday or get the repairs done and they’ll reimburse me.
So I’m stuck until someone called Gus can come out here tomorrow, fix whatever’s wrong with the Jeep, and get me away from this shitty situation.
Joyce has been flittering around me like a lost bird, and, not wanting to be rude to an elderly woman, I’ve kept my mouth firmly shut. Better to keep quiet than to say something hurtful, or whatever that saying is. I’m channeling it now as I stare out the window, straight into the front yard of the real Cole’s cabin while the virtual Cole flutters around me fluffing pillows and making me hot chocolate and trying to make amends for the worst case of catfishing in the history of catfishing.
How could I be so stupid? To think I was talking to a rugged mountain man only to discover I was chatting with his granny. I sent her a picture of my boobs! My cheeks flush thinking about it, and I’m finding it hard to look Joyce in the eye. At least I kept my bra on.
She takes a seat in the armchair across from me and leans forward so I’m forced to look at her.
“He’s never been good at asking for help.”
I take it she means Cole, and if he’s had to battle a melding granny his entire life I can understand why you’d end up a little withdrawn. I wonder where the missing generation is. Joyce already told me he lives in the big cabin with the girls, but I don’t know where Cole’s parents are.
Not that I care, I tell myself. I’ll be out of this place tomorrow, and I can put the entire experience behind me.
“I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss,” says Joyce. “But I had to do something extreme. Those girls need a mother and Cole needs a woman. It’s not good for a man to bealone.” She sits back in her chair. “It’s not good for anyone to be alone.”
She sips her coffee, and for a moment I catch a glimpse of a vulnerable woman, worried about her grandson and great grandkids. Then I remember the emails, the texts, and the damn boob photo.
“That doesn’t give you the right to meddle in other people’s business.” I’m not letting her get off that easily. “I really thought I was here to meet someone I’d struck up a friendship with.”
More than that. The rugged mountain man had captured my imagination and my heart. While the emails were stiff at times, they painted a picture of a strong man, maybe a bit lonely, and two wild girls whose antics made me fall for them as much as for their dad.
If I’m honest, it was the pull of those girls as much as Cole that got me on that plane. I’m a sucker for anyone who needs help. Always have been. I wanted this adventure to do something for myself, but if I’m honest, it was the thought that I would help here that was half the attraction. Maybe Joyce is as astute as she claims.
