Page 7 of My Mountain Man Grump
No makeup till she’s sixteen, that’s going to be the rule. Or maybe it should be eighteen. No makeup till she’s eighteen. And she won’t date till that age either.
The thought of my little girl dating makes my chest constrict, and I take a deep breath and put the photo down.
I’ll never admit this to Gran, but parenting on your own ishard.Not just the day to day caring for your children, but the decisions you have to make on your own.
I look at Mel’s smiling face, hoping for an answer.
For a long time, I couldn’t even look at this photo, I was so torn up with grief over the way Mel left us, her vibrant life cut short too soon. But now it’s like looking at an old friend. A friend I wish could cut through time and space to give me advice.
But Mel stays smiling and silent.
I rub the dust off the frame with my t-shirt and put the photo to the side. It’s a nice reminder for the girls of their mom, and it shouldn’t be hidden away in here. I’ll put it out in the family room where they can see it. And where I run a duster around every once in a while. Or Gran does, is more accurate.
My old laptop whines to life, and I open my email likeI do every night to check if there’s anything from the school or dance school or one of the numerous sports clubs Kyra belongs to.
But aside from someone trying to sell me New Carpets at a Discount Price! there’s only one email.
It’s from Sam, an old military buddy of mine who I haven’t heard from in a while. He lives on Maple Mountain in Oregon and runs a veterans retreat in the mountains. He asks if I’ll come speak to the guests about transitioning to the civilian workforce and using my military skills as a helicopter pilot.
He also wants me to give a talk about parenting after loss, which he reckons might help some of the men and women at the center.
There’s a lot of help from the VA, but not all veterans like to ask. What he’s got going on is another way to offer a place for recovery and adjusting to civilian life. It’s a great cause, and it’s an easy yes for me.
I send a quick message back saying I’d love to, but I’ll need to check the dates and arrange childcare.
I’m annoyed with Gran for the latest stunt she pulled, but I’d be lost without her help with the girls, although she’s not getting any younger. I don’t want to leave them for more than two nights, so it’ll have to be a quick visit to Sam’s center.
I’m emailing him back when the sounds of Taylor Swift’s latest hit reaches my ears. I glance up, and from my office window I look straight out across the yard to the Sunrise Cabin, as Gran so grandly named the tiny guest cabin.
The lights are blazing in the kitchen window, and Carrie stands in front of where the kitchen sink is. Her hair is swept back into a ponytail, and I can’t see the details from here but I’m sure her mouth is moving, singing along to Taylor.
Which any dad of a nine-year old knows very well.
I like to keep my office dark with an orange table lamp and the glow from the laptop screen the only light, so even if she looked up, she wouldn’t see me.
I watch her for a while. Her shoulders bop up and down and her torso moves. I imagine her with her hands in the sink, shuffling along to the music. She smiles as she sings, and I wonder what she’s got to be so damn happy about.
She came here on a fool’s errand hoping to meet a man and instead meet a seventy-four year old meddling granny. Her car’s broken down and she’s stranded on the side of the mountain with a self-confessed grump and an old woman who’s got too much time on her hands.
If that were me, I’d be drowning my sorrows slumped in front of the TV, waiting to get the hell out of here.
But this woman who’s been deceived, had her time wasted and no doubt her money, ishappy.
I watch her put the last bowl in the dish rack and do a twirl as she spins to wipe her hands on a dish cloth. Her hips sway with the music in a hypnotic way.
My dick twitches, reminding me just how long it’s been since I’ve been with a woman. It’s difficult to get out for some fun when you’ve got two little girls to look after. And with Gran throwing every woman in town inmy path, I’ve been reluctant to start up anything casual with a local girl in case they think it’s going to lead to something more serious.
Which means me and my hand are well acquainted. And the way Carrie’s swinging her hips and smiling like there’s nothing wrong in the world has my fingers twitching to find a release.
But I’ve got a stack of admin to get done before I can have my date with my right palm.
I stand up and shut the window abruptly, cutting off the strains of Taylor. The silence of my office sends a cool shiver down my back despite the warm night.
The kids love listening to music, but I forget to put it on when it’s just me. I can’t remember the last time I listened to something of my own choosing. Seeing Carrie in a Guns n’ Roses t-shirt reminded me of when I saw them back in the early 2000s. Carrie probably was a baby then; I mean, how old is she even? Gran said she was a nurse, but she can’t have been on the job long.
I reach for the blinds and am about to pull them closed when something makes me hesitate. I stare out at Carrie. She’s in full swing now, twirling a dishcloth above her head. Her mouth moves, and even thought I can’t hear her, I know she’s belting out the lyrics.
I take my hand off the blinds without lowering them.
