Millie
βWelcome to Whisper Valley! Population: 25,000,βΒ reads the sign greeting me as I drive across the town's borders and breathe in that fresh mountain air. Just being on this side of that sign makes my soul sing and a broad smile creeps across my lips.Β Iβm home.
Home. I like the sound of that. I like what the word means as it bounces around in my head and inside my heart. Because while Whisper Valley is new to me, I have great plans to make this place my forever home. I feel sure as the aim of the dart I threw at the map to find this place, that itβs where I belong. Destiny demands it!
Not that everyone in my life has been in agreement, though. When I announced to my family that I was making this move, both my mom and brother thought I was crazy. Heck, evenΒ IΒ thought I might be crazy once I started selling off my worldly possessions for a chance to start again. But in my heart, I knew I needed a change of pace as well as a change of location.Β
Being stuck in the same lakeside town I grew up in had me feeling artistically uninspired. I was a hair's breadth away from hitting my first ever artistβs block. As much as I love my hometown of Kismet Cove, the picturesque Loversβ Lake just wasn't doing it for me anymore. So, when I came across an advert about a run-down cabin in the mountains surrounding Whisper Valley for relatively cheap, I took it as a sign. Just the idea of being surrounded by picturesque forest has my creativity sparking again.Β
I got in touch with the agent right away! Now itβs mine, and my mind is simplyΒ burstingΒ with inspiration. Not only for my business, but also the cabin itself. Iβm going to document this entire renovation for my followers online.
Slowing down my little trailerβmy temporary home while I renovateβI take a deep breath of the clean air and enjoy the views around me. A quick glance at Google had already endeared this town to me, but seeing it in real life is really something else. The buildings are classic but well kept, and you can really tell how much the town planners cared about aesthetics. Little wooden benches line the pavements of the main street, and all their hedges and trees are trimmed and pruned.
"I can't believe a town like this even exists!" I exclaim in wonder as I drive past the absolutelyΒ gorgeousΒ Town Hall building. My creative brain immediately runs amok with a million and one ideas and my heart inflates at the prospects of my future here.Β Iβll never lack inspiration again!
Stopping to pick up a few things from the grocery store, I gush about how great this place is to any local whoβll listen. Then I treat myself to a delicious lemon curd cupcake at the local bakery, delightfully named, Baked With Heart, and get back on the road. Another wave of excitement flows from the top of my head down to my toes as I pass a little establishment called Valentineβs Bar & Grill, and spot the dirt road leading to my new home.Β
As the daughter of the City Manager back in Kismet Cove, Iβve been fortunate enough to live what many would call a life of privilege. And while Iβve been camping enough times to know how to pitch a tent and start a fire on my own, Iβve never really been outside my comfort zone the way I am right now. And as my trailer gets swallowed up by the forest, and I feel like Iβm being transported to another realm, I know this move is exactly what I need.Β
"You have arrived at your destination," the faux-cheerful voice of my navigator announces suddenly.
βWhat?β Confusion fills me as I hit the brakes and scrunch up my face. βWhere?β
Spotting two lines of gravel that I assume is my driveway, I turn off the dirt road and find myself in an overgrown clearing in front of what looks like the cabin that time forgot. I turn off the engine to the camper and get out, my feet making aΒ thudΒ sound as they hit dirt and create a small cloud. I already need a shower.Β Β
βHmm. This isΒ notΒ what I paid for,β I mutter to myself as I pull out my phone and take a look at the photos on the listing, comparing them to the view in front of me. βHow long ago were these even taken?β
If I squint and turn my head a little, I can see that itβs the same cabin in the photos. But this cabin is definitely a lot more overgrown and dilapidated in real life than expected. I expected that Iβd need to make a handful of repairs, undertake a bit of a cleanup, a lick of paint, and that would be that. But thisβ¦.Β
I pick my way through the brush around the cabin and create a mental list of renovations the cabin needs. Rot reigns supreme wherever wood stands or lays, and vines crawl up and penetrate wherever they can. The gardens are a mangled mess, and the grass is about the height of my knees, especially around the back of the cabin.
Coming back around to the front, I donβt even dare try to get inside for fear of falling through the porch. βWell.β I sigh as I place my hands on the curves of my hips and take one more look at the state of the place. "This place definitely needs aΒ lotΒ of TLC, but itβs nothing I canβt handle. I love a challenge, and this is going to make great content."
With a positive spin on things and a determined nod, I tie up my medium-length blonde hair and make my way back to my little trailer. Iβll need to do aΒ lotΒ of planning and research before I make a list of all the things Iβll need to buy from the hardware store in town. But as my knowledge and my list grows and grows, so does my excitement to get to work.
And as I take a few βbeforeβ shots to share with my followers, I spot a tiny patch of yellow wildflowers peeking out from beneath the crumbling porch, cheery despite their less than ideal surroundings. Thatβs when I know for sure that this is exactly the way things are meant to be. The cabin may have turned out a lot worse for wear than expected, but that's OK, I can be like those flowers, bright, sunny, and cheery as I radiate beauty and work to improve the place Iβm in just by being me. When Iβm finished with it, this cabin is going to be my home. I canβt wait to get started.Β
Β
Dylan
Sweat runs down the back of my neck as the muscles on my arms flex then release while I swing my axe, splitting the final wedge of wood with a grunt. I hit it perfectly down the middle, and the two halves fall onto the forest floor with a satisfyingΒ thud. I smirk to myself at the sound, surveying the completed pile of chopped wood as I wipe the sweat from my brow with my red, checkered shirtβpulled from the back pocket of my Levis, of course.
Yes, I'm a living, breathing mountain-man clichΓ©. I chop wood without a shirt on and stay away from civilization as much as possible. Plus, I hunt, forage, and gather almost everything I need to survive out here on my own, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Socializing is overrated. While I donβt mind spending a little time with family every now and then, the rest of the human race can go and take a long walk off a short pier. Iβve got no time for them.
Picking up the pile of wood and making my way back inside my cabin, I stumble slightly as an old wound rears its ugly head and forces me to limp for a few steps. I grunt my dissatisfaction, hating that this one event from my past likes to consistently remind me of my biggest failure whenever I stand or sit in one position too long. All I want to do is forgetβ¦
Rnnnnnnnnnngggggg!
"What theβ¦" The roar of a chainsaw starting then stalling snaps me back to the present. I dump the wood next to my stove as I cock my head to listen before the sounds of the chainsaw start again.
What the actual fuck?
Forgetting all about the pain in my leg, I go outside and grab my axe, half-jogging toward the sound while internally preparing myself for a potential confrontation. Illegal loggers haven't been around these parts for quite some time, and it pisses me off that they'd evenΒ dareΒ pull that stunt with me again. My brothers and I made it more than clear their trifling ways werenβt welcome around here.Β
Weaving my way through the brush, I slow my pace as I get closer to the sound, stopping before I step onto the adjoining property when understanding dawns.Β Shit. Theyβre here alreadyβ¦
The last time I was in town gathering supplies, I was told the land next to mine had been sold, but Iβd hoped Iβd have a little more time before my new neighbors turned up and started tearing down the old, dilapidated cabin in favor of whatever monstrosity they had planned. I could now kiss my quiet lifestyle goodbye with the crunch and whir of machinery, taking over the gentle song of numerous birds and the chirping of crickets. The idea of it has me feeling cranky already. βFuck.βΒ
Dragging an annoyed hand across my beard, I keep to the tree line as I try to gauge my new neighborβs plans. Thereβs a trailer set up to the side with a foldout chair and firepit sitting just outside it, which means whoever it is plans to stay onsite while the work is getting done. And then thereβs a pile of lumber and tools that seem to have been dumped haphazardly on the ground.Β Does this guy even know what heβs doing?Β
The grating whir of the chainsaw assaults my ears, along with the chopping mulch of tree clippings flying off all over the place, revealing my new neighbor to the side of the broken cabin. The moment I take in the sight, I stop in my tracks, my jaw nearly dropping hard to the ground.
This new neighbor of mine is no guy. This here's aΒ womanΒ wielding aΒ chainsawΒ thatβs almost the same size as her,Β trying to hack at the overgrown bushes of the property and failing, because it seems the chainsaw is controllingΒ herΒ more than sheβs controllingΒ it.Β The teeth hit against the thicker part of a bush, and suddenly the whole damn thing is ricocheting over her shoulder and carving into the dirt. Sheβs going to get herself killed!Β
βGod, dammit!β she grunts, trying to restart the stalled machine while itβs still wedged in the ground.Β I canβt take this anymore.
"Are youΒ crazyΒ or just incredibly naΓ―ve, lady?" I demand as I make my way toward her in a fit of indignation and protectiveness.
Straightening her back with a gasp, she shoves her blonde hair out of her face then turns in my direction, her hand flying to her heart as she steps back and frowns. "Are you talking toΒ me?"
βOf course I am. You see anyone else around here tryinβ to kill themselves with a giant twenty-pound chainsaw?βΒ
Her mouth falls open. βIβ¦Iβm not. Iβm just trying to clear away the brush so I can work on my cabin.βΒ
βWith a chainsaw thatβs ten pounds too big for you?βΒ
βIβ¦β She looks to the chainsaw, then back to me before she holds her gloved hands out to the side. βWhat else am I supposed to use? This is what the guy in the shop sold me.βΒ
"For this?β I gesture to the brush sheβs been cutting. βA hedge trimmer," I start. "Or if you must use a chainsaw, get one thatβs sized properly for a woman your height and find out how to use it before you go hacking shit up. Iβm surprised you didnβt cut your feet off just now! Who sold this to you, anyway?"
βMarvin,β she replies, her tongue sweeping out to lick her lips as she pulls up her sunglasses and sits them on top of her blonde head. βHeβs the guy at the hardware store in town. Said this was the best money could buy.β When she swivels her forest green gaze to meet mine, her eyes seem to pierce right through meβintoΒ me. Itβs the strangest feeling. My body reacts instantly, and my dick stiffens in my jeans, my mouth suddenly starting to water from wanting her.
A hunger bubbles up within my core, and Iβm plagued with the words βsoulβ and βwinkβ floating around in my mind.Β What the hell?Β
Closing my eyes, I shake my head, physically forcing the emotions and feelings away from me. My cousinβs wife, Jade, has a theory that all the Valentine men in Whisper Valley experience a phenomenon called a βsoulwinkβ. In her words, itβs when you find your soulmate and your souls βwinkβ at each other in recognition. Iβm not sure if I believe in the story sheβs peddling, but once she arrived in town talking about soulwinks and soulmates, all four of my cousins fell in love and got married one after the other like a set of dominoes. Now that the last of my four cousins is coupled up, all eyes have turned towardΒ myΒ side of the family. Jade even went so far as to suggest thatΒ IβmΒ next. But since Iβm as ornery as they come, I pushed her suggestion to the side because really, whoβd want me? Iβm a total hermit. But now that Iβm reacting to a gorgeous woman with eyes almost as green as mine, Iβm suddenly wondering if maybe this is it. Maybe that soulwink theory is right?Β
But as fast as the thought enters my mind, I shut it down for its foolishness. Thereβs no such thing as magic. With a history like mine, Iβm the first to admit that. Soulwinks arenβt real. Hell, Iβd even wager that soulmates arenβt real either.Β
Back when I was a rookie cop, I was called out to enough domestic disturbances to know that love can turn sour in the blink of an eye. People get together and they make it work, or they donβt. For a man like me, a man who prefers to be alone and hidden away from the world, Iβve entirely given up on the idea of having a relationship that works. And because of that, I think my intense reaction to this curvy blonde is due to my being on my own for so longβno soulwinks here.
βWell, the next time Iβm in town, Iβm gonna have a short chat with Marvin. He shouldβve known better than to sell you this.βΒ
βDid I get swindled?β She furrows a brow and looks over her shoulder at the pile of renovation supplies.Β
βPerhaps,β I say, following her gaze. βDid he ask you if you were left or right-handed when he sold you that hammer?β I point to where it rests on top of the lumber.Β
βYeah. Did I get the wrong kind?βΒ
A low growl emanates out of my chest as I pinch at the bridge of my nose. βIβm gonna kick his ass.βΒ
βOh no! Donβt do that. He was so helpful to me. I donβt wanna see him hurt.βΒ
βLady, that man wasΒ notΒ being nice. Thereβs no such thing as a left or right-handed hammer. There are just hammers. He did you wrong.βΒ
βI see,β she says with a sigh. βWell, I suppose thereβs not a lot I can do about that now. And since I donβt want to waste an entire day of work arguing over pennies, I think Iβll just keep going and sort this out with Marvin in the morning. Have you tried the cupcakes from the bakery in town? They are divine. Iβll get some extra for you as a thank you for pointing out Marvinβs cheeky move.βΒ
βCheeky? The man swindled you.βΒ
She shrugs. βItβs to be expected. People look at me and they donβt see brains, ahβ¦Iβm sorry, I didnβt quite catch your name.βΒ
βDylan,β I grunt.Β
βWell, nice to meet you, Dylan,β she says with a smile. βIβm Millie. And as I was saying, people donβt see brains, they see my smile and mistake my happiness for a lack of intelligence. So, this actually happens a lot. Which I guess means that they might be right. But I donβt think they are. Iβm not dumb. Iβm just trusting.βΒ
βSweet baby Jesus,β I mutter, envisioning every shady character in Whisper Valley and its surroundings coming to line up and take advantage of this trusting personality of hers. Hell, why is she even standing here talking to me when I literally stepped out of the forest to chastise her? βAre you livinβ here alone?βΒ
βYep!β She grins and hefts the chainsaw up with two hands. I groan inwardly. βWhat about you?β
βI live on the lot next door to you.βΒ
βOK. So weβre neighbors. Cool!β Itβs then that she pulls the ripcord on the chainsaw and it starts up again with a loud whir. Iβm in a state of freaking out and trying to figure out how Iβm going to take it from her without hurting either one of us when her eyes widen in surprise and she falls backward, flat on her ass, while fortunately the chainsaw drops in front of her. It immediately starts to spin out of control.
"Shit. Get back!" I curse under my breath and jump forward, scooping her up before it gets too close and swiftly get us both out of the way.
βWhoa. I think you might be right about that chainsaw. Itβs way too big and heavy.βΒ
My nose picks up her scent from her close proximity. Something floral and heady. It takes every ounce of control to stop my body from reacting to her and the jolt of electricity that sparked as soon as I felt her in my arms.Β Iβm more lonely than I thoughtβ¦
βPromise me you wonβt try to use it again,β I grumble, setting her down as far away from the crazy chainsaw as possible. βNot until we get you one thatβs the right size.β
βOK,β she whispers, her hands slowly sliding away from my shoulders as her feet touch the ground and I step away, needing as much distance between us as possible. βThank you, Dylan.βΒ Β
I grunt in response, grabbing a piece of lumber and using that to safely turn the blasted chainsaw off.
As I pick it up with one hand and turn back to her, I immediately spot her bottom lip trembling, her eyes teary. "You cryinβ now?"
βNo,β she forces out, her voice audibly tight as she shakes her head. βI justβ¦I thought I could do this. And the very first chance I had, I messed it all up. My mom is gonna have a field day when she finds out. She was so against me comingββΒ
βYouβre a grown-ass woman, arenβt ya?β I rumble. She nods, and my heart threatens to melt at the pouty sight of her.Β Why do I want to scoop her up and carry her away caveman style so badly?Β βThen it doesnβt matter what your momma thinks.β
βI just want to do a good job,β she whispers, rolling her lips. βI want to make this place even better than it once was.βΒ
βOn your own?β I look from her to the barely standing cabin to my left.Β
βWell, yeah. Girl boss babe and all that,β she says with a sniffle and a chuckle. I have no idea what a girl boss babe is, but I do know that a curvy littleΒ inexperiencedΒ thing like her shouldnβt be trying to take on a huge project without any help.Β
βYou need help.βΒ
βHelp is out of my budget. But Iβll be OK. I promise.β She flashes me another smile and I shake my head, a tight feeling in my gut screaming at me that I canβt walk away from this. From herβ¦
βNo. Youβll need help.βΒ
βDylββ
βIβllΒ help you,β I say, watching and loving the way her mouth pops open and forms an O. βGive me the rest of today to sort this shit out with Marvin, then Iβll get to work on this mess with you in the morning. Does that work?βΒ
βAhβ¦sure,β she says. βThanks, Dylan. Thatβs so kind and neighborly of you.βΒ
She smiles brightly, and dammit, but it makes my body light up. To quell the longing ache I seem to have around her, I pull my face into a scowl. βNot neighborly. I just canβt trust you not to kill yourself with this thing,β I grunt, lifting the chainsaw Iβm still holding in my hand. βIβm protectinβ my own conscience.β
βOK. Well, I still appreciate it.βΒ
βSuit yourself, sunshine. Iβm takinβ this with me, by the way.β I gesture with the chainsaw again. βI canβt trust turninβ my back on you while itβs here.βΒ
βI understand. Youβre a good man, Dylan.βΒ
I look at her with a quirked brow. βYou have no idea,β I say before I disappear back into the tree line from where I came, muttering to myself the whole way home.Β
I've spent God-knows how long keeping to myself and being perfectly happy that way. I sure as hell donβt need a tiny, curvy blondeβwho seems to be a pocket full of troubleβto turn that on its head. Iβll help her clear the land and do a little heavy lifting, and then thatβs it. She can live her bubbly, sunshiny life, and I can go back to my quiet one. Alone. In solitude. Just the way I like it.Β
