Mountain Man's Little Sister: A Mountain Man Romance

by Claire Angel

  Mark was pulling up and I told Mama he was here. I went out to escape the conversation and help with their stuff, hugging my niece first as she jumped from the truck. She was tall now with darker blonde hair and I squeezed her tight before letting Mark wrap his arms around me.

  “You’re too skinny, Pen. Don’t they have food in the city?” His tone was gruff and I felt my heart warmed by his presence.

  “They have everything at all hours of the night. I needed to try to stay skinny!!” I laughed as he held me tight.

  I couldn’t tell him that I barely ate towards the end, too tied up in knots inside to have an appetite.

  He let go as Bri demanded that it was her turn, handing him two bags that smelled amazing as she grabbed me.

  “Bri. I’ve missed you,” I told her as we spun around in a silly dance. We’d hit it off immediately.

  “I am so glad you’re here!” She pulled away and looked closely at me as a frown played over her pretty face.

  “Let’s get everything inside before Mama tries to come out front,” I urged them, seeing sadness cross Mark’s face.

  Mama used to be the one running out front ahead of her granddaughter to greet her. It wasn’t that she couldn’t make it, but she was weak.

  We all headed inside and they went to greet her as I brought the food into the kitchen. Mama expressed her joy as she hugged them all, looking closely at Lindsay.

  “You are so beautiful,” She told her as Lindsay hugged her tight.

  She danced over to me when she was free and helped with the food. Mama ate hers in her chair with Mark perched next to her, talking closely with her as he picked at his food. I was with Bri and Lindsay at the table and we kept looking over.

  “He’s been so worried,” Bri spoke softly as she dipped a fry into some ketchup.

  “He took two weeks off, so we could find a house here. He wants to be closer.” She smiled at Lindsay as they shared a long look and I raised my brow at the girls.

  “I want to be here again,” Lindsay confessed to me with a sheepish expression on her face. “I love being with Dad at the cabin, but I miss, Grandma and some of the places here. I want to go to school with my other friends too.”

  “That’s okay, Lin. You lived here for a while,” I told her as I grinned at my niece. “I missed it too.”

  “Is that why you’re back? Do you want to live here again too?” My niece asked as I nibbled on my lip. I felt Bri’s gaze on me and reached for a French fry.

  “I’m just here to care of Grandma. I’ll see what happens after that.” I winked at her and Bri nodded slowly as she gave me a thoughtful look.

  We finished the meal and cleaned up before sitting in the living room together. Mark had covered what he needed and secured Brianne to his side with his arm. She looked so little beside him, but love shined in her eyes, making me jealous. That had been so temporary for me with Penn. At this point, I didn’t even think it was genuine at all.

  Lindsay sat beside me, pressed tightly to my side. She caught Mama up on school and her friends as she bounced gently in her seat. I asked her if she wanted to take a walk after some time and Bri shot me an appreciative smile. We rose and headed out of the door to the pond as I smiled into the pretty evening sky. Lindsay bounded forward and I took in her soft blonde curls as she chatted endlessly. She looked more like Mark now that she was older. I was grateful for that fact. Her mom was never a real part of her life, to begin with, and Brianne was amazing with her.

  We sat on the bench and she showed me some pictures of friends from her current school. Mark grudgingly agreed to get her a phone for her last birthday, so she could easily keep in touch with Mama and me. We loved to video chat as much as possible and this girl had no idea how much she’d gotten me through. I asked her about the boys who liked her and giggled as she discussed how they were immature. She was mature for her age and I laughed as we watched the sunset.

  I sensed someone approaching and knew instinctively that it was my brother. He took a seat beside me and tucked me under his arm as I laughed softly.

  “You know I hate you out here alone.”

  He never visited me when I lived in New York, but he’d hate it. This was paradise.

  “You have no idea how ridiculous that sounds to me,” I murmured as Lindsay smiled at us.

  “Grandma is probably going to bed soon. Go spend a little time with her, bug,” Mark told Lindsay as she nodded solemnly.

  She hugged me again and moved towards the house as we both watched her.

  “So, you’re looking for a house?” I teased as he rested against the worn wood of the bench.

  “We’ll keep the cabin for weekends and holidays, but yeah. I want to be closer to Mom,” He replied as I nodded.

  “What about you?”

  “I’m here for the same reason,” I replied as he tightened his arm around me.

  “Is that all?” Mark pressed knowing what buttons to push to make me open up.

  I sighed inwardly.

  “Bri and I picked something up from you. Are you happy?” He knew me well and I cuddled against him. My big brother had always been my savior and I breathed in his outdoor scent with a soft smile.

  “Things aren’t perfect, Mark. It was a good time to come back for a while.” I kept it vague, but I knew he would catch on.

  I was too close with my brother for him not to know something was up now that we were together. I also suspected that Bri had put a bug into his ear at some point.

  “You’re okay though? I can go kick his city ass once things are settled here?” Mark asked me as I sighed.

  “Not necessary, big brother. I’m here now.” I said hardly anything to him about Penn but felt so much better.

  I assumed that I would talk more as time went on. We sat together quietly for a few more minutes before going inside where Mama was headed to bed. She hugged us all with tears in her eyes and then walked down the hallway to bed.

  It had become eleven before too long and Lindsay was starting to yawn. She looked up at me from her spot in my lap and her eyes were wide.

  “Can I sleep with you, Aunt Pen?” She always asked when she was here, and I said yes, just like tonight.

  I took her back to my room and we changed for bed before slipping under the covers on the Queen bed. She was sleepy, but we talked for a few minutes before she closed her eyes and passed out. I smiled at her and tucked a strand of her hair back before curling up against my pillow and closing my eyes.

  I woke up earlier in the morning and went to fix coffee after pulling on a sweatshirt. Mama was in the living room and the rest of the house was quiet.

  “Morning,” I greeted her with a smile as I headed to the kitchen. “How did you sleep?”

  “It’s a lot more peaceful with all of you home. I went to sleep with a smile on my face,” She assured me as I looked over at her.

  I started the coffee pot and sat by her on the couch.

  “Did Lin sleep with you?”

  “Of course she did. I think she will, the entire time she’s here. Can you believe it, Mama? Mark is coming back.” I gazed at her as Mama smiled at me.

  “I am so happy.” The joy showed in her face and I stood to pour us coffee.

  I heard footsteps in the hallway and glanced up to see my brother entering the living room. He was dressed in sweats and a flannel. His hair was all over the place. I chuckled as he scrubbed at his face with one hand.

  “Is Lin still sleeping?”

  “Yep. We chatted for a bit last night,” I admitted as he rolled his eyes. “Want some breakfast?”

  “Stay there. I am cooking this morning.” Bri said in a cheerful voice as we all stared at her coming into the room.

  She was gorgeous as always with her hair in a high ponytail and wearing leggings and a sweatshirt. I didn’t miss the way my brother looked at her as she passed him, even braving a smack on her ass when she walked by. I had no i
dea how she wasn’t pregnant yet. They had chemistry from the beginning.

  “I’ll help,” I offered, standing to join her in the kitchen.

  We decided to make bacon, eggs, and waffles. We got started as Lindsay walked into the room. She went to sit with her dad and he held her tight as I watched with a sweet smile.

  Chapter 3

  Penny

  We were finishing up when the doorbell rang. Mark offered to get it as we took the dishes to the sink and I smiled my thanks. I was vaguely aware of Mama greeting someone in an excited voice but kept washing the dishes while Brianne got the food in containers. Mark managed to eat two plates and left us little to worry about. Bri made extra just for him and I assumed that she was accustomed to it.

  “Penny? Do you remember Walden?” Mark asked as I turned around slowly, drying my hands with a towel.

  Walden was a lighter version of my brother with dark blonde hair and light green eyes. He’d always been an outdoorsy type of guy but now his look screamed mountain man.

  “I do. How are you?” I asked with a smile.

  He was Mark’s age and they knew each other. I was familiar with him.

  “I’m good. It must be nice for Nancy to have all of you back here,” He replied with an easy smile as I remembered that I was wearing sleep pants and a sweatshirt.

  My hair was a mess. It didn’t matter. I was too used to worrying about how I looked for Penn.

  “I love being back here. Having Mark and his family visiting is the icing on the cake,” I responded as Brianne leaned on the counter beside me.

  “Hello, Walden. It’s great to see you again,” She told him, smiling brightly as I glanced at her.

  They must know one another. That’s just….Awesome.

  Judging from the smile on her face, she was all for this visit. I looked forward again as Mark asked Brianne for some coffee for Walden.

  She offered him breakfast, but he declined before taking a seat at the table. It was comfortable for everyone else, but I shifted on my feet, not knowing him as well.

  I was sure that he’d always lived on the edge of town but had no real family to speak of. An older couple took him in and raised him like their own. I was so into college once I graduated that I forgot about the people here, making me sad. After that, I moved to New York.

  “So, you’re back from the east coast?” Walden asked me as I blinked, coming back to the present.

  “New York City,” I said softly with a slow nod.

  He looked into my face and I smiled softly.

  “I’ll bet that’s like night and day compared to here.” His tone wasn’t as critical as Mark’s and even sounded curious.

  “It’s vastly different. All the buildings and lights offer little scenery apart from Central Park. I walked there a lot just to get a bit of nature, but being back here feels good.” I heard the truth in my words and glanced at Mark to see his bright blue eyes.

  Mama was smiling and Bri looked like she had a lot of questions for me later.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m not cut out for the city life.” I winked.

  Everyone laughed as Walden grinned at me.

  “I’m content staying here. The cafe is doing well. I help out at the auto shop sometimes when they get backed up. My cousin owns that and another one owns the lumberyard.” He was another man that worked all of the time.

  “I hope you’re single,” I murmured as Bri cocked an eyebrow at me. “Oh. I mean since you work a lot. That’s hard on a relationship.” I backpedaled and went to pour more coffee to distract myself.

  “I’m not in one,” Walden told me.

  I stared at the counter for a moment. I was still married.

  The conversation moved along and they started talking about the upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving was in four weeks and Mama told Walden that he should join us, given that his adoptive parents were gone now. I knew that he mentioned cousins but assumed that it was just members of the family. Wouldn’t he spend it with them?

  Walden explained that most of the small family was traveling for both of the holidays and thanked Mama for the invitation. Brianne had already pointed out that they were planning to move here and the house would be full. There would be plenty of food and the more the merrier, according to her and Mama.

  I tried not to read too much into it, but Mama was obviously fond of him. I was here without my husband and nobody mentioned Penn at all.

  He left after a couple of hours to go to a job and I walked back to my bedroom. I showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater before dropping down on my bed. I turned on my computer and let it warm up before pulling up my social media profile. I didn’t know why Penn was on my mind apart from my own family trying to set me up with someone days after I came back here.

  I had the chance to leave and I had.

  I pulled up Penn’s account, gazing at the profile picture of the gorgeous man I’d met. His chiseled face and crooked smile were perfect, and I narrowed my eyes at the image. I scrolled down his page and saw posts about New York parties and events tagging him with several pictures. Penn didn’t look like he was missing me as he posed with friends and women.

  He looked happy.

  I looked at my ring finger that was bare since I’d dropped it into my drawer. The pretty diamond band was just a slap to my face after how things had turned out.

  I scanned his page seeing fun and success. I also knew that Penn knew how to fake it well. He might look happy there and even have convinced himself he was. I didn’t know the truth, but I was certain that he wasn’t thinking about our marriage.

  I heard a knock at the door and closed the page out, pretending that I was doing some shopping.

  “Come in.”

  The knob turned and Bri poked her head in. “Hey. Are you okay?” She sounded sheepish and concerned.

  “I’m fine. I just needed a shower,” I replied as she sat on the bed and looked at the screen.

  “Cameras?” Bri asked as I blinked at the page.

  I didn’t even know what I pulled up and sure enough, it was a site that sold all types of cameras. I must have been looking at it at some point in the past. “Are you going to get back into that?”

  “Fran is traveling all over the place. I do miss it, but I need to focus on Mama.” I hadn’t thought seriously about photography in a few years now. “Maybe I’ll find something to shoot around here.”

  “I remember how good your stuff was. Mark showed me when we first met,” Bri said as I smiled at her.

  “You’re not going back to New York, are you?” Her voice was soft, and I sensed that she wanted to hear the truth. “Penny?” She whispered with her hand touching my shoulder.

  “I don’t know. We haven’t been getting along and Mama got sick. I just left,” I replied as she wrapped an arm around me. “That was no reason to blindside me with Walden.”

  “That was your mom. She’s gotten to know Walden over the years and Mark says good things about him. I guess they were in school together?”

  I nodded in understanding their motives.

  “She just wants you to be happy. Part of that is seeing you with a good man. I don’t think she was that crazy about Penn.”

  “I get that, but I don’t think I’m ready for something else. I just want to think about Mom,” I argued

  Brianne chuckled.

  “She is always thinking about you and Mark. It’s her way,” Brianne said as I nodded.

  “Don’t worry. She’d asked me when Lindsay is getting a sibling, a ton of times. She said the same thing about you when you moved to New York, at least for a while.” She trailed off.

  I wrinkled my nose at those words.

  I was certain that Penn and I would have kids in the beginning, but it became obvious that he was married to his work and his friends more than to me.

  “I doubt that’s going to happen, at least in my case. I’m surprised you don’t ha
ve a few babies by now.” I looked at my sister-in-law to see her blushing.

  “I wanted to wait until Lindsay was settled,” Bri said.

  I shrugged. “It never felt right with Penn or anyone else for that matter.”

  “I think he’s pretty hot,” Brianne teased me ogling his picture.

  “That’s because you like the brawny man look.”

  That made her laugh and we were still giggling when Lindsay came into the room to look for us. She asked if we wanted to take a walk with her to the park and Bri agreed, jumping up to change for the trip.

  We walked to the park and then to get some ice cream. Mark stayed behind with Mama and the girl time was fun. Lindsay beamed with joy at being with both of us and I smiled at the idea of them living here. They were going to look at some rentals the following day to get their search started. Mark intended to buy down the line, but he thought it would be easier to rent. Brianne talked about it with stars in her eyes, clearly happy to be coming here.

  “Do you miss Chester?” I asked her as something crossed her face too quickly to recognize.

  “Of course, I do. My family is there and Hallie, my best friend. But it is also true that I’m just complete being here with these two.” She smiled at Lindsay playing on her phone across the table. “I visit as much as I can. I never thought I’d leave but I found the greatest thing life can offer you. I found love.”

  We headed back to the house and walked in to find Mama sleeping and Mark working on his laptop. Bri plopped down on the couch beside him as he kissed her hair.

  I had flashbacks of New York. It was great in the beginning when he was setting his trap for me. There were romantic nights on the beach and various restaurants, followed by incredible sex in his private cottage. I thought I found everything that I wanted in Penn and agreed to a whirlwind relationship even if it was temporarily long distance. He made the effort and gave me a beautiful wedding in a meadow nearby for my family.

  I should have wondered more why his own parents weren’t there. He explained that they were traveling but upon meeting them, I realized that they were fully committed to their lives. He was a CEO of a banking firm and she was his trophy wife. They were even cold to their own son and I sensed they looked down on me.