Page 14 of Mountain Man’s Mystic Touch

“Change can smell like apples.”

“It can also smell like fire.”

“That is the woodsmoke.”

He examines the wick. “These won’t be lit?”

“Not during the festival. The display candles remain unlit, and the lanterns use batteries.”

“What about the oil diffuser?”

“Water-based ultrasonic diffusion. No heat.”

“The string lights?”

“Low-voltage LEDs.”

“Extension cords?”

“One commercial outdoor-rated cord, secured beneath a cable ramp. I read the vendor packet.”

“You blocked the emergency lane.”

“I read it. I didn’t say I obeyed every portion immediately.”

Rocco sets down the candle. “Keep all fabric at least three feet from the electrical connections. Do not drape anything across the rear exit. The privacy screens need weighted bases, and nothing can hang from the trees.”

“I wasn’t planning to hang anything from the trees.”

“You brought approximately fifty feet of fabric.”

“Fabric creates atmosphere.”

“Fabric creates a fire load.”

I glance toward the phone recording us. “My followers are going to find you very reassuring.”

He follows my gaze. “You’re recording?”

“Yes.”

Rocco reaches for it. I laugh and arrive first, ending the video before he can delete anything. “You were wonderful.”

“I was conducting a safety inspection.”

“With authority and useful visual contrast.”

“Do not post that.”

“I won’t post anything that shows you clearly without permission.”

The answer stops him. He expected another joke, but consent matters in more places than the ones people find obvious.

I play back part of the recording. Most of Rocco remains outside the frame. His arm appears occasionally as he fastens the fabric or moves a lantern. His voice is audible, deep and dry, particularly when he informs me that change smells like fire.

“I can edit you out entirely,” I offer.

He watches the screen over my shoulder. Standing this close, his body creates a wall of warmth along my back. He smells faintly of coffee, cold air, and something clean with a hint of cedar. My awareness of him gathers low in my body, stronger than it was during unloading.