My Mountain Man Recluse: A Grumpy Sunshine Age Gap Romance

1. Izzie

Ipull the soft bundle to my chest and breathe in the milky scent of sleepy baby.

“Can I keep him?”

Kaci gives a tired laugh and holds out her arms for Ben. “No chance.”

I hand the newborn back and he snuggles into his mother’s chest, his tiny mouth opening and closing looking for milk.

“Thank you for the casserole,” she says. “We’ve been living on grilled cheese for the last few weeks.”

There are milk stains on her t-shirt, her sweatpants are rolled over at the waist, and her hair’s greasy. Kaci looks like any mother with a newborn.

I make a mental note to come back in a few days with another meal. I shouldn’t have left it so long to come the first time. College broke up a week ago, and since I’ve been back on Wild Heart Mountain, I’ve been helping Dad with chores around the house.

Now I’m kicking myself for taking so long to come and visit my friend.

Hunter slides my medical bag into the backseat of my Jeep. “Thanks for coming, Izzie. We appreciate it.”

One of the classes I took last semester was infant care, and Kaci let me practice a newborn check-up on Ben.

If I’m to follow in my mother’s footsteps and be a nurse practitioner on Wild Heat Mountain, then I’ll get to know all the babies that are born here.

“I’ll come back again next week,” I promise.

Ben starts to mewl for his milk, and Kaci jiggles him in her arms. “I’d better get this one inside for his next feeding.”

I slide into the front of the Jeep, and Hunter rests his hand on the door.

“You want to get back to town before this rain starts.” He glances up at the looming dark clouds. “Storm’s supposed to close in tonight, but I reckon that cloud will burst within the hour. Get back down to Hope before it does.”

I glance out the front window at the grey clouds above the cabin. They look like something from a Grimm Brothers fairytale, a harbinger of doom.

I grab my phone from my pocket and snap a picture, then post it to my feed.

Something wicked this way comes…

As I put my phone down on the seat, there’s the satisfying ping of an incoming notification. My post is already getting noticed.

Hunter follows Kaci into their cabin, and I put my favorite playlist on before turning down their driveway to the road.

There’s one more casserole on the front seat, one more stop I need to make before heading back home to Hope. I just have to hope the storm holds off for another few hours.

At the end of their driveway, the road opens up and I catch a glimpse of the sky across the valley.

Thick, menacing clouds roll in over the jagged peaks, blotting out the sun. The air is heavy with the promise of rain, its coolness making the hairs on my arms stand at attention.

It’s a thirty minute drive back to Hope. I could turn left down the mountain and be back home with Dad in time for dinner.

But the casserole next to me is still warm, and there’s a man on his own further up the mountain who’s probably in worse shape than Kaci. Although who knows, because from what Dad says Jagger hardly comes down the mountain anymore. Not even to see his oldest friend.

My fingers tap on the steering wheel as I watch the clouds. Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” comes through the speakers and that decides it for me.

There’s someone on the mountain who needs me, even if they don’t know it yet. I spent all morning cooking hot meals for Kaci and Jagger, and I’m going to deliver them. No rain’s going to stop me on my mission.

Far off in the distance, thunder rumbles ominously, its deep, resonant growl echoing off the mountainsides.

I stop and take a quick video that I hope captures the atmosphere. My signal’s gone, but I’ll post it when I get back to Dad’s.

With a final glance at the sky, I turn right and head further up the mountain.