Page 8 of Falling for my Mountain Man

“Why not?”

“I was afraid to go somewhere alone. But I’m glad I did it. I sold a lot and got new exposure. And I met you.”

“Grumpy old me. Don’t park too close to my car!” Hutch pretended to shout before we both dissolved into a fit of laughter.

“The grumpy man with the big heart.”

“Nah. It’s still pretty cold and shriveled. Just not around you.”

“I don’t believe it. Why do they say you are grumpy, anyway?”

“After my father died, I wasn’t too friendly.”

“Oh my God, Hutch, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you lost him.”

“Yeah, a year ago. Cancer. We worked on this car together for a long time. I promised him I would finish fixing it and get it in the car show. Which I did. I hope I made him proud. He taught me everything I know.”

“You made him proud, of course you did. I bet he’s watching over you, cheering you on.”

“Thanks, Rogue. That means a lot. Working on it helped me get through a lot of my grief.”

“I can’t imagine how painful it must’ve been. Cancer is awful.”

“It is. Watching him slowly waste away, turn into a shell of a person he once was. Horrible.”

Hutch pulled into the bakery parking lot and parked the Caddy. I undid my seat belt and scooted across the seat bench. I hugged him close. “I’m so sorry. You nor he deserved that. No one does.”

Hutch kissed the top of my head. I moved back and looked up at him, his sad eyes tugging on my heartstrings.

“You had every right to be a grump. I would’ve been too.”

He leaned forward, and I closed my eyes, awaiting his kiss, something I wanted so bad, something I couldn’t stop thinking about.

When his lips touched mine, the world around me drifted away, and I lost myself in him.

Down, down, down, we fell.

CHAPTER FIVE

Hutch

After kissing her, I wanted to drive the Caddy to my place, take her into my bed and have my dirty way with her. But held back like a gentleman.

We went to Appleridge Sweets and grabbed muffins and coffee and then I drove her around the mountains, top down, music blasting.

It was the most fun I’d had in a long, long time.

When we parked at the top of the mountain, we made out like two teenagers in the back seat. I doubted the Caddy had ever seen so much action.

And as the sun set, I drove her back to my place where I ordered us a pizza. We ate on my back porch while watching the stars come out.

“My Dad told me he would dance with my mom on this porch under the stars every night.” I revealed. It was something I’d told no one before. My dad didn’t tell me much about my mom, so when he did, I kept them close to my chest.

She wasn’t a bad person, son. The drugs turned her into one. Made her someone I didn’t even recognize. The year after you were born was one of the best ones of our lives. We were happy.

The memory hit me sideways, and a lump appeared in my throat.

“Really? That’s sweet. Did you know her at all?”