Page 10 of Haunted Hayride with the Mountain Man

“I can’t do this. What am I doing? I can’t walk away,” I bawl, not the least bit ashamed that I’m crying over a man I just met.

Finding my shoes under the bed, I hop on one foot to get the first one on, not patient enough to sit and take my time with the nuisance task. It all comes back to bite me in the ass as I slam my foot into the edge of the bed, stubbing my toe so hard tears come to my eyes.

“Shit!” The shoe doesn’t so much fall from my hand as it does hurtle across the room, landing in a heap on the bag of snacks, only making me cry harder. “He should have taken these damn carrots for Aster and I should have gotten the chocolate.”

That’s it! I have to get out of here. I have to walk away from the pain before it becomes all-consuming. If I stay in this room a second longer, I’m going to lose all my resolve to leave. Dialing the tow truck company Skyland recommended, I reach for the door handle.

I hang up before anyone has a chance to answer.

There, standing with his head against my door, is Skyland, a bundle of mums in one hand and a Kit-Kat in the other.

The cries out of my mouth are wordless at first, forming around his name as I try to regain control of my faculties. “Sky- What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t leave it like that.”

He steps towards me and instead of moving to let him in, I find myself walking into his arms. It’s only then that I realize I’m still wearing only one shoe, as if the imbalance I was experiencing was from the loss of him and not my footwear.

“This relationship has to be your decision. As much as I want to get on my knees and beg, you need to be the one to choose this, to choose us.” His arms stay sutured to his sides, that white tee now covered with a leather jacket, a set of GMC keys dangling from the pocket.

“I was coming to find you. I don’t think I could have made it another second.” I hold up my shoe. “Clearly.”

His eyes are immediately pulled to my feet and the bruise already forming on my big toe. Without hesitation, he scoops me into his arms, pressing my luggage back into the room he’s currently carrying me out of. He hands me the flowers and candy as he whisks me to his truck like I weigh nothing.

“Where are we going?” I squeal when he sets me down in the passenger seat, hands working to buckle me in before I’ve registered that my ass has hit something solid.

“I’m taking you on a haunted hayride. If we hurry, we can catch the last one.”

I holler after him as he runs for the driver’s side. “I heard the headless horseman was the best part and he’s not going to be there. Aren’t you worried I’ll be disappointed?”

“I could never disappoint you, Nova. For as long as I live, however many good years I have left, I’m going to make the last hour up to you. I’ll never leave you again.”

He’s rumbling down the road before the laughter has finished rolling out of me, driving like only a local can, barely looking where he’s going.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll end up in a ditch,” I tease.

“You would know. Luckily, that little problem’s solved, got you towed an hour ago. Not that I’m letting you out of Ashwood that easily.”

“Do you think we could do enough weddings at the farm to make a business of it? Do you think I can finally step out of my mom’s shadow?”

He turns to look at me, a pitying look splayed across his features. “Oh, Nova, honey.” He’s laughing now, putting me at ease even as he teases me. “You could never be in anyone’s shadow. You look like you walked off the pages of a comic book. You wouldn’t have to do a damn thing to win the farm’s costume contest, if you stick around long enough.”

“You did get my car out of the ditch, I could just get in and ride off into the night.”

He tugs my leg towards him, straining both of us as far as we can go with our seat belts on. “You’re not going anywhere, Nova. I’ll make sure of it.”

We pull into the farm, now bustling with people. There were only a few cars in the lot when I was here earlier, now that number has multiplied. They’re all flooding off the haunted hayride as we make our way to Aster, waiting patiently for her rider to return. This time, Sky puts me in front and wraps a tattered black sheet around my shoulders, draping himself around me. The rugged warmth of his chest overwhelms my senses enough not to ask any questions.

“After this, I’m taking you to meet my dad. He’s never had Black Cat at his breakfast table.”

His arms hold steady around me, my back flush with his chest as we bump along the well-maintained road.

“Here.” He hands me a black headscarf. “Put that on, you can be my captive.”

An evil smile flirts with my lips. “I get to be a part of the hayride?”

“You wanted to see what it was all about.”

By now we’ve nearly caught up with the carriage full of scared spectators, cantering dramatically behind like we can’t catch up. The cackling sound Sky makes drives battery acid down my spine but it does the trick, sending everyone’s frightened eyes bugging out of their heads.