Mountain Man's Accidental Surprise - K.C. Crowne Page 0,60

you,” he grumbled on the other end of the line. “Everything okay?”

“Sorry to wake you man. I need to head out of town for a few days,” I said. “Family emergency.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you had any family,” Grant muttered.

I didn’t talk to anyone about my family much these days. Not even Grant.

Alice may not have been my blood but I considered her family. And alongside her, I had my biological sister to call family.

“It’s fine Kellen. Take all the time you need. I’m guessing you need me to fill in for you while you’re away?”

“That would be great. I was building some cabinets for the diner,” I said. “They just need some sanding and finishing up, and then they’re ready to be delivered.”

“Got it. No problem, man. Do whatever you need to,” he agreed. “I’ll take care of everything else.”

Both Grant and I shared an unusual love for woodworking, and while we weren’t officially in business together, we’d talked about it and referred clients to each other when our plates were full.

I didn’t need the work, or the money, but it was good to stay busy. Woodworking kept my hands and mind busy on nights the nightmares got too much to handle.

“I’ll stop by and let Felicity know what’s going on before I leave,” I said.

“Sounds like a plan.”

I hung up the phone and threw some shit together in a duffel bag. I had no idea how long I’d be gone. It would depend on how things went. I didn’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby, but I could throw dinner on the grill and make sure Alice at least ate well.

I hopped in my truck and drove down the curvy, mountain road into town.

Liberty wasn’t exactly a tourist mecca, not like some of the other mountain towns in Utah, but that’s why I picked it. I wanted to get away from people - not be bothered by them.

Problem was, a town as small as Liberty meant everyone knew everyone else.

Except for me. I was new to town and kept to myself. I didn’t come to make friends. I came to be alone. Which was why I was hesitant to open up to Grant, one of the few who seemed to understand me. Being an ex-Army Ranger, he’d experienced loss too. He knew what it was like.

Not that we talked about our past, but he had the familiar look of pain in his eyes.

A look I knew all too well.

I pulled into the tiny parking lot of Smothered in Love, a little diner run by a local chef. The place was packed for breakfast, as usual. I’d have come back later in the day if I could, but the clock was ticking. With so few parking spots in the tiny lot, it was hard to get my massive truck into any of them.

When I climbed down, a Prius pulled up behind me. I noticed there were no more parking spots left, and my truck took up more than one. Scratching my beard, I thought long and hard about what I was going to do, but before I could figure out a solution, a petite brunette stepped out of the car.

Wow.

Where did she come from?

She was a sexy little thing.

No taller than five-three.

Her hands were on her curvy hips, and her full, luscious lips were pursed in annoyance as she glared at me with big, chocolate brown eyes.

Her toned legs were in a wide, challenging stance and her large, pert breasts heaved as she huffed a breath in my direction.

She had to be careful because the sheer sight of her could stop traffic.

“Excuse me but you can’t park like that,” she said, pointing to my truck.

When she moved her head, her long, brown ponytail bobbed around her head. She was shaking her head, clearly frustrated.

It was wrong, but I found it sexy as hell.

“I’m going to be a second,” I said. “Then you can have both spots.”

If she could wait just two minutes, enough time for me to talk to the owner of the diner, she’d be able to get on with her day. The parking lot didn’t accommodate large trucks, which was crazy in a mountain town, but the place didn’t have that much space to begin with.

“I don’t need both spots, I just need one,” she argued. “But your truck is taking up half the parking lot.”

“That’s a pretty gross exaggeration,” I scoffed, stifling my laughter as I continued toward the entrance of the