Page 2 of Temptation for the Mountain Man (Fall for a Mountain Man #9)

Callie

Two of the younger workers climb onto the shuttle bus after me, giggling loudly.

Their uniforms indicate they’re servers at one of the restaurants in the resort.

Their perfumes blend into a fruity-floral wave that wafts over to my seat as they sit in the side-facing seats in front of me.

They look to be eighteen or nineteen–the same age as my younger sister, Erin.

Not for the first time, I wonder what it would’ve been like to be that light and bubbly at their age.

"Oh, my god. Archer could be a model." The one with dark hair sighs dramatically, fanning herself with her hand.

"Seriously. He's so pretty." The redhead pouts and pulls out her makeup bag. "He said today's his last day."

"Maybe I can give him a proper goodbye tonight?" The dark-haired girl raises her eyebrows with a grin.

The blonde girl snorts. "Go for it. I might shoot my shot with that silver fox. Did you see the way he was staring at us?"

Silver fox. Are they talking about my mountain man? Where the hell did that come from?

"Daddy issues, much?" The dark-haired girl wrinkles her nose, and the blonde girl laughs.

I glance out the window of the bus as we near the resort, irritated on behalf of my—the—mountain man they call a silver fox. He looks to be in his late thirties and doesn't even have gray hair. Not that I've gotten close enough to tell for sure. Nor will I.

Even before my mom's third marriage and subsequent divorce, I vowed to avoid relationships like the plague.

My goals as a teenager were to be capable, self-sufficient, and above all, financially independent.

While my classmates were texting about lip gloss trends and hoping to marry a Jonas Brother, I was raising my little sister and trying to figure out how to pay bills and groceries while my mom was locking down guy number one thousand.

One message was loud and clear in my household growing up: men are nothing but trouble.

My mountain man doesn't look like trouble.

Or maybe I'm lowering my guard because I'm so horny. I squeeze my thighs together. Would my mountain man be good with his hands in all areas? I cringe as I think about how I waved at him like an idiot.

High school wasn't great for dating. When you have to take your little sister with you everywhere, it's easier to stay home.

I didn't want to leave her alone after finishing my GED, so I worked as an aide at her school to keep her schedule.

I cleaned retail stores at night. Erin did her homework to the soundtrack of vacuum cleaners.

The pay was terrible, but Mom and her rotating door of boyfriends took all my money as payment for room and board.

Still, I kept Erin out of trouble and took her away from that house the second she graduated.

An incoming text pulls me from my thoughts.

SHELLY

Hey, baby. I need u 2 send money to help out with bills this month. Grandma's not doing well.

Speak of the devil. Aw, looks like the new boyfriend doesn't like freeloaders. My grandma is in perfect health. I know this because she and I have a secret code she sends through my mom’s texts if something’s wrong—otherwise, I don’t bother replying.

Honestly, she’s the only reason I haven’t blocked my mom’s number altogether.

But anxiety caused by her message bubbles up from my belly, and I quickly fire off a text to my sister.

Heads up. Mom's asking for cash again. Lie low and don't respond to her. Grandma's fine.

Erin's response is immediate, and my stomach drops.

ERIN

Mom called the coffee shop yesterday, looking for me.

Luckily, I told my boss the situation, so he told her I didn't work there anymore.

Damn it. Shelly must be hard up if she's already this aggressive. I should’ve guessed that was the case after the last time we saw each other.

How did she know you were working there?

I told her when she called last month.

I huff an irritated breath, ready to ream her out for such a stupid mistake.

I'm sorry.

She sounded good, and I thought maybe it would be okay. I screwed up.

My heart pangs for my little sister. I hate that she has to keep anything from our mother, but it's the only way to avoid being sucked into her narcissistic orbit.

I remember all the years I wished Mom would get better.

That she'd stop being selfish and manipulative.

That she'd remember she had kids and put us first for once instead of whichever man she had locked down at the time.

But I've had eleven years longer than Erin to accept that some people will never change. And if my mom is any indication, age can sometimes make it worse. The princess routine doesn't age well. The only way to deal with a narcissist is to gray rock the shit out of them. At least that’s what I’ve learned from the free therapy podcasts I’ve managed to find.

Did you tell her you were going to school?

I hold my breath, waiting for her response as the three little dots blink back at me.

No way! She thinks I'm crashing with a friend.

I sigh in relief. If our egg donor knew how much I'm spending on my little sister's room and board, let alone tuition, she would become insufferable. As far as she knows, I can't get a good job with only my GED, and Erin has no money for college. In reality, Erin is studying to become a marine biologist, and I’m sending her every penny I make to help. Between that, a partial scholarship, and a secret college fund Grandma squirreled away, we’ve paid for the first year. And if anyone deserves it, it’s Erin.

She's brilliant, kind, and nothing like our mother. I won’t let my mom derail her if I can help it.

Good. Focus on school. She won’t hop on a bus to Florida if she thinks you're couch surfing. I'll call you later. LY

Okay, I can't wait to tell you about the internship program!

Right, the super-expensive opportunity of a lifetime. I send a heart back.

Can't wait!

When we arrive at the resort, I drop my phone into my purse and book it to the housekeeping locker rooms to change into my uniform.

Once I'm ready, I tap on our executive housekeeper's office door.

Millie looks up with a smile. "Hiya, Callie."

"Hi. Any overtime today?" Housekeeping hours are 8 am to 4 pm, but I usually pick up additional hours cleaning the main spaces or covering for anybody who’s called in sick.

My job at The Palmer Resort & Spa is like a dream come true.

Not only do they stick to the scheduled hours, but they also provide lodging and a huge employee discount in the cafeteria for all meals.

Right now, I'm in a shared cabin, but if I stay for six months, I can apply for a tiny house on the back of the property—the ones my mountain man is working on.

My heart drops when Millie grimaces and plants her palms on the desk.

"I can't give you any more overtime for a while, I'm afraid.

In fact, I have to send you home at noon today.

" She holds up a hand when she sees my face.

"Callie, you worked seventy hours last week. You’re the hardest worker I've ever had, and I want you to stay here for as long as possible.

I can give you five to ten hours extra a week, but that will be the cap going forward. "

"Okay." I nod, grateful to still have my job and some overtime. "Thank you. I appreciate anything you can do."

Millie eyes me with a kindness that has me swallowing a lump in my throat. "You should check with Celeste Blazewood. Have you met her yet?"

I nod. "Yeah, briefly. She's the assistant manager of the resort?"

Millie nods. "But don't let the title intimidate you. She's a doll. The Blazewood family is the backbone of Festival Valley, so she might have some leads on extra work for you outside of the resort."

Relief washes over me. "Okay, thank you." I smile in gratitude at Millie and turn to head out of her office.

"But Callie." Millie's soft voice stops me, and I pause. "You need to give yourself time to rest too. All work and no play..." She trails off.

...means Erin gets to do the internship, I finish silently.

But my financial responsibilities are not Millie's concern, so I simply nod and smile. "Right. Thank you, Millie."

After my shift is over at noon, I find Celeste at the front desk.

"Hi, Callie!" she greets me brightly. "Millie said you might stop by."

I clear my throat awkwardly, feeling extremely underdressed wearing my t-shirt and jeans in the elegant lobby. "Yes, um, I'm looking for extra work."

"I have just the job for you, and today would be perfect, if you have the time?"

"Yes, great!" I say enthusiastically.

"My Uncle Blaze's birthday is tomorrow, and I have him this year.

" She laughs when I furrow my brow in confusion.

"We have a huge family, so on New Year's Eve, everybody puts their names in a pot and we all get one person to buy for that year.

It's the Birthday Draw. Kind of like Secret Santa, but for birthdays. "

"That's great," I say sincerely. What a fun family that must be. Erin and I have never spent birthdays or holidays apart, but we'll see how this year goes. Hopefully, she'll be too busy saving turtles in a tropical location, assuming I can save enough money.

"Anyway, I've been racking my brain about what to get him, so when Millie said you've been picking up extra cleaning gigs, voila! Win-win." Celeste smiles brightly. "Is thirty-five dollars an hour acceptable?" She eyes me expectantly, so I nod quickly. That's almost double what I make here.

"All right, Carl has to run up to the storage facility, and Blaze's place is on the way, so he can drop you off.

Uncle Blaze won't be home until at least 5 pm, maybe later if he stops by Randy's Bar with the guys.

" Celeste talks a mile a minute, but my brain is still trying to process the money she just offered me.

Maybe I should consider doing this as a second job.

I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off each week, and I could take on afternoon and evening jobs too.

"How long do you think a two-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin will take?" Celeste asks, cutting into my preoccupied thoughts.

"Um, it depends. I'd say two to three hours, depending on square footage. Up to six or seven if you want a deep clean, since it's just me. Does he have cleaning supplies?"

Celeste nods. "Yes, in the front closet by the door. Let's do a regular cleaning for this one. And here's my cell. Call me thirty minutes before you finish, and I'll find a ride back for you. There is always someone I know passing through that way."

"Okay, I'm ready when Carl is."

"Perfect, and if you want more side-hustle work, let me know. I can put the word out." She grins at me like she's a regular person and not my fairy godmother put on this earth to make life better for me.

My heart soars with hope for the first time in a long time.

Hand me the feather duster. I'm ready to make some money.