Page 3 of Cider for the Mountain Man

I open my mouth to remind him that lost kids usually mean angry parents, but before I can get a word out, the radio on my hip crackles to life with a burst of static. Looks like someone else needs me.

“Caden, we need you at the main stage ASAP—the soundboard’s acting up again. Julian’s going to be pissed if he can’t give a speech.”

“Duty calls,” I tell him, tapping the plastic casing on my belt.

John gives a curt nod, pulling his hat down a fraction lower. “Try not to solve all the town’s problems in one day, Caden. Leaves nothing for tomorrow.”

I leave him to his quiet solitude and step back out into the sun.

Chapter three

Valerie

Crisp autumn air doesn't stop a line of kids determined to get their faces painted. Between whiskers, butterfly wings, and endless requests for extra glitter, the afternoon vanishes without a single pause to catch my breath.

By the time the line finally dwindles, my fingers are stiff around the sponge and my back feels locked in place—but my work is officially over as soon as the five-year-old catgirl hops off her chair, beaming with an overflowing amount of energy.

It’s a miracle I’ve kept up for this long.

“Thank you so much for helping us out.” Cersei, the woman who had more than enough patience to teach me the ropes, doesn’t hesitate to throw her arms around me. The smell of paint clings to her as closely as it does to me. “We would’ve drowned in all of those kids. Thanks to you, we were able to keep up.”

Her warm hug forces a long, overdue stretch out of my aching back. Six hours glued to a wooden stool painting tiny faces takes a toll, but seeing her genuine smile makes the cramps almost worth it.

“Are you really sure you’ll be okay?” Looking over the station, I watch another woman, Bethany, work tirelessly to keep up with the line that's beginning to grow again. At this rate, they’ll be painting until the sun meets the horizon.

Cersei nods as she pulls back, swatting her hand to encourage me to get going before the activity sucks me back in. “My daughter just got here to take over your spot. Go have fun—and don’t think I didn’t notice you staring longingly at that cider stall all afternoon.”

She’s right. Every gust of wind has carried that sweet scent our way. After tempting me this long, I’m more than ready to give in.

Giving my goodbyes to both women, I drag myself away from the stall to wait in another line. This one, all I have to do is stand patiently and wait my turn to get my hands on a paper cup radiating warmth.

While I’m waiting, I see him. Caden. He’s not looking at his clipboard for once. Rather, that piece of him is completely gone. He’s standing next to Mayor Julian Carter, talking with him about the festival, if I'm guessing right. A bodyguard of a man stands with them, paired with a woman I recognize as the mayor’s daughter.

The longer I look at Caden, the more I wonder if today is more of a bust than a win. I didn’t get to see him as much as I’d hoped, and he was busy enough that the few times I had caught a glimpse, he’d only passed by.

I want an excuse to see him up close.

“Miss?”

The vendor’s voice snaps me back to reality. I glance up to find the line in front of me gone and the vendor offering a warm, forgiving smile. Flushing hot, I fumble for enough cash for two drinks, thank him in a blur, and head toward the group before I can talk myself out of it.

My heart starts beating faster the closer I get. Once I’m a few steps away, the very man I’ve missed all day notices me.

His eyes slide to the side, lingering on me instead of the most important man in this town. He’s talking about trick-or-treating in a month, his words catching as I accidentally distract him.

Caden’s brows lift in surprise before dropping when seeing my offering in hand.

“For you,” I whisper just soft enough for him to hear.

The plan was to give him the drink and walk away to avoid suspicion. He wouldn’t know it was from me. For all he knew, someone could’ve asked me to deliver it. Everything would be simple, and I’d get my next healthy lungful of pine needles again without causing any problems. And just like that, I’d simply be on my way.

Unfortunately, my luck doesn’t go that way.

“And who is this?” Julian turns his attention toward me, the conversation between them halting to the point that I feel like I’m now standing beneath a giant spotlight. Warmth immediately crawls up my throat under so many people’s gazes.

As if remembering he was in the middle of something, Caden pauses to look at him. He takes the cup from my hand and nods subtly as he brings the rim to his lips. “This is Valerie, one of the volunteers who puts a lot of her free time into the town. She’s almost as bad as I am with how much she gives away.”

I know he doesn’t know much about me, but his introduction is very curt and simple. Straight to the point. It makes me realize I’ve focused on memorizing everything about him instead of revealing things about myself.