Page 3 of How to Annoy a Mountain Man

I knelt next to the first marker in the row and wiped the leaves off the plaque. The stone was rough and cold under my fingers. I slipped on a headlamp so my hands would be free and clicked it on before assembling my tools on the ground beside me. Cold seeped up from the ground and through my boots as a breeze blew fallen leaves by my feet. If I wanted to get this place in shape before the snow fell, I had an uphill battle on my hands.

“Who the hell are you?” A deep voice growled from behind me.

I jumped to my feet, a toothbrush I used for scrubbing in my hand, and whirled around to see a huge man in a thick flannel jacket glaring in my direction. My light hit him in the eyes and he took a step back.

“Ugh, turn that thing off,” he grumbled, swatting at it like a fly.

I angled the light down. “You scared the shit out of me. Who wanders around a cemetery at night?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I was about to ask you the same question. Now, name?”

“Jacob Marley,” I deadpanned. In my line of work, it was not uncommon for people to question my motives and I had no patience for it.

He stared me down.

“Casper?”

“Ghost names, hilarious. Except you’re trespassing…and why are you holding a toothbrush?”

“None of your business.” I waved the toothbrush for emphasis.

“It is my business actually, I’m in charge of this place. I’m with Equinox Protective Group.”

That made me pause. I’d researched this place and gotten approval from the county. Never had I run into Lurch or his stupid thick forearms. “I’ve got permission to be here.”

“Yeah, every trespasser says that.”

“I can prove it.” I knelt and started digging through my bag.

“Hey, slow.” I glanced over my shoulder to see he’d taken a defensive stance.

“Relax, you don’t really think the woman with the toothbrush is packing heat, do you?”

“Relax?” he made a rude sound with his mouth. “I work security, relaxing gets people killed.”

“Well, everyone here is already dead.”

He mumbled something that sounded like smartass as he read the paper I handed him. It looked tiny and unsubstantial in his big hands, but it proved the county approved my project. Which was more than Midnight Mercer could say.

Finally, he clicked a picture of it and handed it back to me.

“Briar Hart?”

“In the flesh.”

His scowl deepened. “I’m protecting this place in the lead-up to Halloween and would appreciate it if you weren’t here.”

“Well, I would like to get as much of this cleanup done as I can before winter hits, so….”

His jaw tightened until the muscle cast a shadow across his cheek.

I really did have shit to do and we seemed to be at an impasse.

“I’m going to have to insist.” He was holding himself tall, maybe trying to be intimidating, maybe it was just a part of his job. It didn’t matter either way. I was on a mission.

“Do what you have to do.” I took a few steps back toward my work. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Not if I can help it,” he grumbled but he ambled off in the direction he’d come from. I had a feeling this wasn’t over, but for now, I was here so I turned my attention back to the grave by my feet.