Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Hey.” I keep my tone casual so as not to offend. “So there’s a curve up ahead that can take you by surprise if you’re not—Oh shit.” Her arm flies out as if she can keep me from flying through the windshield from this wild driving. “Yeah, that was it.”
“You good?” she asks with the innocence of a fawn.
I tug on the seat belt to take up some slack. “Yep. I’m good.”
“This road is dangerous.”
I whip my head to look behind us. Was that a skid? “I didn’t think you noticed.”
Her gaze leaves the road to look at me. “What?”
“I said that’s why I drive a truck. It’s built for this kind of terrain.”
“Right.” Her fingers tighten around the steering wheel as she reaches down to adjust the air-conditioning. “A truck is better equipped for this kind of road.”
When the tires slam into another pothole, she has me questioning if my will is up to date. “It’s probably best to keep your eyes up. This road can throw a surprise when you least—”
“It’s kind of fun, right?”
“My mom would argue otherwise. She avoids driving it at night or after a storm if she can help it.”
“I can see why.” I can’t pick up on one iota of understanding regarding the dangers of this road when she’s driving like a bat out of hell. “Does it wash out after it rains?”
“Depends on the amount of rain.”
“What happens?”
“The tires will skid off the road and land you stranded on the side of the mountain. It’s a gradually inclined road so you won’t exactly be hanging off a cliff, but you can still damage your vehicle and be left waiting for help, or worse, hurt.”
The car slows for the first time as if she just discovered she has brakes. “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“It’s not. Ask me how I know.”
“How do you know?” A smile flashes on her face before she’s focused and concentrating on the road ahead. Finally. “It’s not my house or my mountain, but if I did live there, I’d pave it.”
“I plan to pave parts of it to give a reprieve and a safe place for visitors to stop, though one of the draws of an old dirt road is uninvited guests don’t call if they can’t reach your door.” I set up a delivery box down at the entrance, and I don’t even get bothered by the postman anymore. It’s great.
“Is that why you chose to build there? Isolated from everyone?”
“I’m not isolated.” I chuckle, knowing I’m the luckiest man alive to live where I do. “I built there for the view and privacy. I run the trails at dawn and stare up at the stars from my deck at night. I’m down on the water quite a bit with a small boat I bought a few years back, but I’ve always been a mountain guy. What about you?”
“I love the water, always have.” An ache of disappointment pings in my chest. “I always dreamed of having a place to call mine. Here you are, doing it all on your own.” Slowing down, she glances at me, and adds, “It’s been really nice being at your house. I can see the appeal.”
She’s not wrong. I’m one of the few who returned home after graduation. And of those few, most live in their childhood homes. Makes sense for whatever reason suits them—saving money, taking care of family, or they enjoy generational living. I see my mom several times a week, but I don’t want to move back home. It’s nice to have the independence to spread my wings under my roof. “Where would you live if you could live anywhere?”
“Anywhere?” She grins, but it’s the hint of pink on her cheeks that captivates me. “Is it bad to say Mountain Laurel Cove?”
“No. I built my home here for a reason.”
“There’s something special about it. I just wish—” She slams on the brakes for a family of raccoons crossing in front of us. Exhaling, she says, “That’s so cute.”
With my hand pressed to the dash, I say, “If this road had been wet, you’d be on the side of it.”
“Worth it.” She’s still grinning when she begins driving again, reaching the main road. She’s a nurse. I expect nothing less than a soft heart for people and creatures, even at her own expense. “We really don’t live that far apart. Fifteen minutes on a good dirt road day.” She takes a left while her breathing regulates as she drives on solid pavement.
“No, not that far.” She and her family live just a few miles up the road. The mountain is across the street, but it’s a nice backdrop to the town and the properties along the waterfront when out on the boat. I’ve also been there, and to the house next door, many times over the past few years. It’s good to see Daniel when he’s in town, to kick back with a friend and have some laughs. “What’s the first stop?”