Page 3 of Last Chance with the Mountain Man

“We don’t kiss and tell.”

Felicia pulled the blanket to her chin as she rolled over on the sofa. She hated feeling so numb and so heartbroken.

Had she not moved to Rutledge…

Matty could’ve called her and she would’ve gladly taken him home. Sure, she probably would’ve fussed and given him hell for drinking so much, but at least he would’ve still been alive.

Matty, though, was the reason why she’d moved in the first place. He’d encouraged her to follow her dreams, to explore a new life outside of Crecent Valley…and what a mess that had turned out to be. If there was one lesson she’d learned, never rent a place based on photos alone. Always check it out in person.

From the sleezy neighbor next door to the paper thin walls of a place that was in desperate need of renovation, she’d jumped at the first place she could find. She was afraid the salonwouldn’t hold the booth she’d rented from them if she took too long to relocate. If there was one positive from the whole fiasco, she gained a lot of new clients because of the long hours she put in. Because being at work definitely felt better than being at home.

Six months later, she was able to break her lease and move into a new place that was better suited for her. The townhouse was smaller, but it was cozy. All of her appliances worked, despite being a little dated, and she didn’t have any issues finding a place to park. Her neighbors were friendly, often bringing her fresh loaves of bread or homemade cookies when they could catch her at home, and she didn’t have to worry about anything being stolen from her front porch. Rutledge was different from Crecent Valley in a lot of ways, but living on her own had taught her some valuable lessons.

Things would be different going forward, not having her brother around. She was going to miss their late night phone calls and spur of the moment trips, for sure.

She hated leaving her parents to tend to Matty’s belongings, but the pain was too much for her to deal with at the moment. They were all grieving, yes, but she promised to return when she could grasp things a little better. Whenever that might be.

Being at the cabin helped. She knew some days would be better than others and she’d likely shed more tears than she knew she was capable of in the days to come. It wasn’t an overnight cure, but it was a start.

She took a deep breath and wiped the moisture from her cheeks. Listening to the rain on the cabin’s metal roof was actually comforting and she gave up trying to stay awake.

CHAPTER THREE

Titan flung his cap across the room, disgusted that’d he’d clipped a fire hydrant with the front bumper of the truck. They’d been checking and flushing the lines all week and when he went to pull away, he somehow managed to get a little too close. The damage to the hydrant was minimal, but someone was going to have to come inspect it to make sure nothing was bent underground. Thank goodness he hadn’t completely knocked it over—that would’ve been horrific, especially if the water line had burst.

As for the truck, he planned to get with the chief and make arrangements to have it fixed. It wasn’tthatbad, but it wasn’t pretty either. Since he was the one who’d caused the issue, he felt it was only right to pay for the damages out of pocket.

It’d been almost two weeks since the accident and no, he wasn’t doing okay. It was nothing less than devastating attending Matt’s funeral, saying goodbye to someone he loved,that treated him like a brother. The one person who’d been there for him through thick and thin.

Knowing that his father had been the cause of Matt’s death was completely unsettling. Yes, Willie had no business driving his old jalopy that time of the morning. And yes, Matt had no business walking home after a night of drinking and playing cards. But Titan couldn’t help feeling like he was all his fault. If he’d only answered his phone…Matt would still be with them.

The way Matt’s sister, Felicia, had treated him at the ceremony hadn’t helped, either. The way she’d turned her head and refused to even look at him. Admitting that he was sorry wasn’t going to change anything, he was well aware of that, but could she not see that he was in just as much pain as she was?

“Everything okay?” Randall Bryant, the Crecent Valley Fire Chief stepped up behind Titan causing him to jump.

“Chief, yeah, I’m fine.” Titan leaned over to retrieve the cap off the floor and dropped it onto the table. He felt his face flush, embarrassed that Randall had caught him losing his cool.

“Come on, let’s go have a talk in my office.”

Titan looked at him blankly.Talk?Talking wasn’t going to change anything. It wasn’t going to bring his best friend back.

He’d taken a few days off to attend Matt’s funeral, but he’d come right on back to work, hopeful it would help keep his mind off of things. Unfortunately, he was struggling in the worst kind of way, hence the damage to the hydrant and the truck.

As for Willie, his old man could rot in the fucking hospital. He didn’t want to see him nor did he care to know how he was doing. He hoped they carted his ass off to jail as soon as he was released and that’s where they’d keep him. The man was looking at life behind bars now and it served him right. The fact that Willie had survived and Matt didn’t would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“Need something?” Titan followed him down the hallway. He took the chair across from his chief’s desk and began to pick at a string hanging from the bottom of his Crecent Valley t-shirt.

“I know you’re hurting, Titan. I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

The man had no idea. He had no fucking clue what it was like to watch your best friend being lowered into the ground. Knowing that your own god-damned father was the one that put him there. That one phone call could’ve made all the difference.

Titan swiped his eyes. “Yeah, well, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“I want you to take some time off. Go talk to someone that can help you deal with the loss. Take a few weeks. Take a month. Take six months. I don’t care how long you’re gone, just get some help. Your job will be here when you’re ready to return.”

That was easier said than done. Where was he supposed to go? Who was he supposed to talk to? No one wanted to hear abouthisproblems.

“I—”