I take her hand and give it a firm shake. She slides a QR code my way, and I pull out my phone, scan it, and donate the max amount allowed before smiling at her.
"It was nice meeting you, Dawn. Have a good day."
Turning on my heel, I begin walking back to my sister's booth when I hear Dawn gasp behind me and call out, "Thank you so much, Mister Sterling!"
Stopping, I turn, and grin at her. She stares at me with flushed cheeks and wide eyes, clutching her phone.
"Of course. I'm adding you to my annual giving list. Thank you for everything you do." I pause, then add, "But please, call me Garen."
"Wow, thank you again!" she chokes out. A cowboy with floppy hair walks over, and a small toddler breaks away from him, running up to her.
"Mama! Mama!"
I watch them for a moment, feeling an unfamiliar tug in my chest. Envy, maybe. I shake it off and walk back to my sister's booth, my mood much lighter than it was at lunchtime.
4
Bellamy
I sell out of my jeweled eggs more than an hour before the festival ends, so I take my time packing up the booth while people-watching. As I organize my pens and cash box, my eyes land on the tall mountain man I made yelp earlier when I shifted. I throw a dirty look his way until I notice he is talking to the woman running the Corvid Valley Single Parent Foundation booth.
I can't help but notice his broad back and shoulders underneath his plaid button-down. When he turns, I quickly look away, feeling my cheeks heat. The woman calls out to annoyingly hot eye candy, and when I glance back over, she is beaming at him, thanking him loudly for a donation. He turns around with a genuine smile on his ruggedly handsome face and walks away.
I watch him until he disappears into the crowd.
The hot shower spray beats against my neck as I stand under it, completely rinsed off but not ready to leave the warmth. Today was beyond a success. I expected to sell a few jeweled eggs, not everything I brought. Next time, I need to be better prepared with inventory.
When I was packing up my car, I saw the mountain man one more time. He and the two women with him were loading up a van. He had a grumpy exterior, but smiled and laughed easily as he interacted with them. Maybe I jumped to the wrong conclusion about the dude. Guilt for assuming the worst tickles my gut, but it fades quickly when I picture his broad shoulders again.
Taking the shower head off its hook, I slip it between my legs and switch the massage to the highest level that never fails me. As the water beats against my clit, I slide my hand across my wet breast, lightly playing with the hardening nipple. Closing my eyes, I picture the mountain man dressed in his jeans and plaid shirt from today. He scoops my wet body into his arms and carries me to the bed, tossing me down dripping wet onto the covers. Then, he spreads my legs open with his rough hands and kisses up my inner thighs, licking drops of water from them until his desperate tongue reaches my pussy.
My body tenses as I picture him sucking my clit, twirling his tongue around it, eating me out with a hunger I haven't experienced in years. His rough hands slide up my body, reaching my tits and squeezing them hard as his tongue becomes more frantic. The shower massager hits me just so, and I tip my head back with a loud moan that echoes through the bathroom. My climax shatters inside me, turning me into a pile of mush.
Hanging the shower head back on its hook, I remain under the water, raggedly breathing as my heart slowly returns to normal. I chuckle to myself, shaking my head.
Well, I guess that guy left an impression.
I've been working hard to rebuild my inventory after selling out of almost everything. Nineties alternative plays in the cramped workspace, and when the DJ pops on, he grabs my attention with an announcement. A three-day rainstorm is arriving tomorrow.
Shit. That's sooner than what was originally predicted.
I add the final touches to the jeweled egg and leave it out to set. Grabbing my phone, I check the weather app to confirm the forecast. I had wanted to go on my first Ravenhart Mountain hike this weekend, but that's now out the window.
I check the time on my phone and realize I can fit in one of the shorter hikes if I drive to the parking lot up the mountain instead of starting from below. I quickly clean up my area and rush into the house to get changed.
Standing on a small ridge, I look out at Corvid Valley below. Storm clouds gather in the far distance. This was a perfect decision. Parking where I did allowed me to hike long enough to feel like I accomplished something, but it's close enough that I'll make it back to the car before nightfall.
Turning, I head back into the woods and locate the trail along the ridge. I walk down it, humming to myself, until I reach the part with a steep drop-off into a ditch in the mountain. Slowingdown, I take my time, but suddenly my foot slips. I skid down the side slightly but manage to catch myself. Swallowing a nervous laugh, I try to push myself back onto the trail when the dirt below my other foot crumbles. I slide down several feet and land on a small ledge with roots and rocks jutting out of it.
Shit.
Looking around, I try to find a way to climb back up to the trail, but everything I touch crumbles underneath my hand. I turn back around, staring out at the sloping hill that I definitely cannot climb down safely.
Fuck.
Digging my phone out of my backpack, I lift it above my head, trying to get at least one bar, but I have zero service.
Shit, fuck.
