Millie
āWelcome to Whisper Valley! Population: 25,000,āĀ 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.Ā Iām 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 itās 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, evenĀ IĀ 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.Ā
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 artistās block. As much as I love my hometown of Kismet Cove, the picturesque Loversā 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.Ā
I got in touch with the agent right away! Now itās mine, and my mind is simplyĀ burstingĀ with inspiration. Not only for my business, but also the cabin itself. Iām going to document this entire renovation for my followers online.
Slowing down my little trailerāmy temporary home while I renovateāI 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 absolutelyĀ gorgeousĀ 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.Ā Iāll 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 whoāll 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 Valentineās Bar & Grill, and spot the dirt road leading to my new home.Ā
As the daughter of the City Manager back in Kismet Cove, Iāve been fortunate enough to live what many would call a life of privilege. And while Iāve been camping enough times to know how to pitch a tent and start a fire on my own, Iāve 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 Iām being transported to another realm, I know this move is exactly what I need.Ā
"You have arrived at your destination," the faux-cheerful voice of my navigator announces suddenly.
āWhat?ā Confusion fills me as I hit the brakes and scrunch up my face. āWhere?ā
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 aĀ thudĀ sound as they hit dirt and create a small cloud. I already need a shower.Ā Ā
āHmm. This isĀ notĀ what I paid for,ā 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. āHow long ago were these even taken?ā
If I squint and turn my head a little, I can see that itās 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 Iād need to make a handful of repairs, undertake a bit of a cleanup, a lick of paint, and that would be that. But thisā¦.Ā
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 donāt even dare try to get inside for fear of falling through the porch. āWell.ā 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 aĀ lotĀ of TLC, but itās nothing I canāt 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. Iāll need to do aĀ lotĀ of planning and research before I make a list of all the things Iāll 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 ābeforeā 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. Thatās 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 Iām in just by being me. When Iām finished with it, this cabin is going to be my home. I canāt wait to get started.Ā
Ā
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 satisfyingĀ 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 shirtāpulled from the back pocket of my Levis, of course.
Yes, I'm a living, breathing mountain-man clichĆ©. 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 donāt 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. Iāve 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 forgetā¦
Rnnnnnnnnnngggggg!
"What theā¦" 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 evenĀ dareĀ pull that stunt with me again. My brothers and I made it more than clear their trifling ways werenāt welcome around here.Ā
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.Ā Shit. Theyāre here alreadyā¦
The last time I was in town gathering supplies, I was told the land next to mine had been sold, but Iād hoped Iād 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. āFuck.āĀ
Dragging an annoyed hand across my beard, I keep to the tree line as I try to gauge my new neighborās plans. Thereās 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 thereās a pile of lumber and tools that seem to have been dumped haphazardly on the ground.Ā Does this guy even know what heās doing?Ā
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 aĀ womanĀ wielding aĀ chainsawĀ thatās almost the same size as her,Ā trying to hack at the overgrown bushes of the property and failing, because it seems the chainsaw is controllingĀ herĀ more than sheās controllingĀ it.Ā 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. Sheās going to get herself killed!Ā
āGod, dammit!ā she grunts, trying to restart the stalled machine while itās still wedged in the ground.Ā I canāt take this anymore.
"Are youĀ crazyĀ or just incredibly naĆÆve, 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 toĀ me?"
āOf course I am. You see anyone else around here tryinā to kill themselves with a giant twenty-pound chainsaw?āĀ
Her mouth falls open. āIā¦Iām not. Iām just trying to clear away the brush so I can work on my cabin.āĀ
āWith a chainsaw thatās ten pounds too big for you?āĀ
āIā¦ā She looks to the chainsaw, then back to me before she holds her gloved hands out to the side. āWhat else am I supposed to use? This is what the guy in the shop sold me.āĀ
"For this?ā I gesture to the brush sheās been cutting. āA hedge trimmer," I start. "Or if you must use a chainsaw, get one thatās sized properly for a woman your height and find out how to use it before you go hacking shit up. Iām surprised you didnāt cut your feet off just now! Who sold this to you, anyway?"
āMarvin,ā 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. āHeās the guy at the hardware store in town. Said this was the best money could buy.ā When she swivels her forest green gaze to meet mine, her eyes seem to pierce right through meāintoĀ me. Itās 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 Iām plagued with the words āsoulā and āwinkā floating around in my mind.Ā What the hell?Ā
Closing my eyes, I shake my head, physically forcing the emotions and feelings away from me. My cousinās wife, Jade, has a theory that all the Valentine men in Whisper Valley experience a phenomenon called a āsoulwinkā. In her words, itās when you find your soulmate and your souls āwinkā at each other in recognition. Iām not sure if I believe in the story sheās 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 towardĀ myĀ side of the family. Jade even went so far as to suggest thatĀ IāmĀ next. But since Iām as ornery as they come, I pushed her suggestion to the side because really, whoād want me? Iām a total hermit. But now that Iām reacting to a gorgeous woman with eyes almost as green as mine, Iām suddenly wondering if maybe this is it. Maybe that soulwink theory is right?Ā
But as fast as the thought enters my mind, I shut it down for its foolishness. Thereās no such thing as magic. With a history like mine, Iām the first to admit that. Soulwinks arenāt real. Hell, Iād even wager that soulmates arenāt real either.Ā
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 donāt. For a man like me, a man who prefers to be alone and hidden away from the world, Iāve 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 longāno soulwinks here.
āWell, the next time Iām in town, Iām gonna have a short chat with Marvin. He shouldāve known better than to sell you this.āĀ
āDid I get swindled?ā She furrows a brow and looks over her shoulder at the pile of renovation supplies.Ā
āPerhaps,ā I say, following her gaze. āDid he ask you if you were left or right-handed when he sold you that hammer?ā I point to where it rests on top of the lumber.Ā
āYeah. Did I get the wrong kind?āĀ
A low growl emanates out of my chest as I pinch at the bridge of my nose. āIām gonna kick his ass.āĀ
āOh no! Donāt do that. He was so helpful to me. I donāt wanna see him hurt.āĀ
āLady, that man wasĀ notĀ being nice. Thereās no such thing as a left or right-handed hammer. There are just hammers. He did you wrong.āĀ
āI see,ā she says with a sigh. āWell, I suppose thereās not a lot I can do about that now. And since I donāt want to waste an entire day of work arguing over pennies, I think Iāll 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. Iāll get some extra for you as a thank you for pointing out Marvinās cheeky move.āĀ
āCheeky? The man swindled you.āĀ
She shrugs. āItās to be expected. People look at me and they donāt see brains, ahā¦Iām sorry, I didnāt quite catch your name.āĀ
āDylan,ā I grunt.Ā
āWell, nice to meet you, Dylan,ā she says with a smile. āIām Millie. And as I was saying, people donāt 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 donāt think they are. Iām not dumb. Iām just trusting.āĀ
āSweet baby Jesus,ā 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? āAre you livinā here alone?āĀ
āYep!ā She grins and hefts the chainsaw up with two hands. I groan inwardly. āWhat about you?ā
āI live on the lot next door to you.āĀ
āOK. So weāre neighbors. Cool!ā Itās then that she pulls the ripcord on the chainsaw and it starts up again with a loud whir. Iām in a state of freaking out and trying to figure out how Iām 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.
āWhoa. I think you might be right about that chainsaw. Itās way too big and heavy.āĀ
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.Ā Iām more lonely than I thoughtā¦
āPromise me you wonāt try to use it again,ā I grumble, setting her down as far away from the crazy chainsaw as possible. āNot until we get you one thatās the right size.ā
āOK,ā 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. āThank you, Dylan.āĀ Ā
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 cryinā now?"
āNo,ā she forces out, her voice audibly tight as she shakes her head. āI justā¦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 comingāāĀ
āYouāre a grown-ass woman, arenāt ya?ā I rumble. She nods, and my heart threatens to melt at the pouty sight of her.Ā Why do I want to scoop her up and carry her away caveman style so badly?Ā āThen it doesnāt matter what your momma thinks.ā
āI just want to do a good job,ā she whispers, rolling her lips. āI want to make this place even better than it once was.āĀ
āOn your own?ā I look from her to the barely standing cabin to my left.Ā
āWell, yeah. Girl boss babe and all that,ā 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 littleĀ inexperiencedĀ thing like her shouldnāt be trying to take on a huge project without any help.Ā
āYou need help.āĀ
āHelp is out of my budget. But Iāll be OK. I promise.ā She flashes me another smile and I shake my head, a tight feeling in my gut screaming at me that I canāt walk away from this. From herā¦
āNo. Youāll need help.āĀ
āDylāā
āIāllĀ help you,ā I say, watching and loving the way her mouth pops open and forms an O. āGive me the rest of today to sort this shit out with Marvin, then Iāll get to work on this mess with you in the morning. Does that work?āĀ
āAhā¦sure,ā she says. āThanks, Dylan. Thatās so kind and neighborly of you.āĀ
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. āNot neighborly. I just canāt trust you not to kill yourself with this thing,ā I grunt, lifting the chainsaw Iām still holding in my hand. āIām protectinā my own conscience.ā
āOK. Well, I still appreciate it.āĀ
āSuit yourself, sunshine. Iām takinā this with me, by the way.ā I gesture with the chainsaw again. āI canāt trust turninā my back on you while itās here.āĀ
āI understand. Youāre a good man, Dylan.āĀ
I look at her with a quirked brow. āYou have no idea,ā I say before I disappear back into the tree line from where I came, muttering to myself the whole way home.Ā
I've spent God-knows how long keeping to myself and being perfectly happy that way. I sure as hell donāt need a tiny, curvy blondeāwho seems to be a pocket full of troubleāto turn that on its head. Iāll help her clear the land and do a little heavy lifting, and then thatās 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.Ā
