Page 40 of Grumpy on the Mountain

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"Nonsense. Anyone who gets Beau Callahan to do anything besides chop wood and scowl deserves a medal. Or at least a hot chocolate."

I surrender with a smile, settling onto a stool at the counter. Betty bustles away, and I try to ignore the fact that at least half the café is stealing glances at me.

What is it with these people?

The door chimes, and a woman with bold earrings and a leopard-print scarf enters, spotting me immediately.

"You must be Molly!" she exclaims, heading straight for me. "I'm Linda Watts, I own the General Store. It's just wonderful to finally meet you."

"Finally?" I repeat. "I've only been in town a few days."

"Oh, but we've heard so much!" Linda leans in conspiratorially. "So you and our mystery man, huh? About time someone melted that ice! Tell me, is he as intense about everything as he is about his woodworking?"

My cheeks burn. "I—we're not—"

Betty returns with what can only be described as a hot chocolate masterpiece. It's served in a massive mug topped with a cloud of homemade whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a cinnamon stick. The scent alone is intoxicating.

"Don't overwhelm the poor girl, Linda," says an older woman approaching from a corner table. She has sharp eyes and silver-streaked hair pulled back in a neat braid. "I'm Doctor Sylvia Greene," she introduces herself, and I suddenly remember Beau mentioning her last night. "Town physician. And I haven't seen Beau voluntarily speak to anyone in years, let alone take them on rescue missions."

"It wasn't exactly planned," I manage, taking a sip of my hot chocolate to buy time. The rich, sweet flavor explodes on my tongue and Betty smiles at my reaction.

"Secret ingredient," she says with a wink. "Family recipe."

"It's amazing," I say honestly.

The door chimes again, and Sheriff Cooper enters, stamping snow from his boots. His eyes find me immediately, and he nods, heading over.

"Ah!Ms. Jennings," he greets me with a big handshake. "There you are. We all heard about your adventure last night."

"Um, how does everyone know about this?" I ask, a bit desperately. "It literally happened last night."

"That family you rescued couldn't stop talking about the 'romantic mountain couple' who saved them when they came into the station this morning," Sheriff Cooper explains with a barely suppressed smile. "Came in to personally thank the entire town. Said the big guy couldn't take his eyes off you, though."

The policeman winks and I hide my face in my hot chocolate, but I can't help the warm flutter in my chest.Beau couldn't take his eyes off me?

"It's not that we're gossips," Linda says, though her tone suggests otherwise. "It's just that Beau's been... well, a bit of a lone wolf since he arrived. It's nice to see him connecting with someone."

If I could sink through the floor, I would.

But at the same time, there's something... nice about this. All of it.

Not the invasion of privacy, but the genuine happiness these people seem to feel for Beau. He's spent so long hiding away up at his cabin, but deep down, these people seem to really care for him.

I do worry about Beau. He seems intensely private, and I can't imagine he'd appreciate being the subject of town gossip, but maybe if he knew how they all felt, he would integrate a bit more.

I think that would be really good for him.

"I should probably get going," I say, finishing my hot chocolate. "Thank you for this. It was incredible."

"Any time, sweetheart," Betty says warmly. "And tell that man of yours he doesn't need to wait for emergencies to show his face in town."

That man of yours.

The phrase sends a little thrill through me that I don't bother to correct.

I step outside, feeling both flattered and overwhelmed. As I turn toward the bookstore, hoping to escape further interrogation, I spot them.