Page 5 of Last Chance with the Mountain Man

“What the—"

CHAPTER FOUR

“Titan! What are you doing here?” Felicia scrambled to her feet and tugged the t-shirt she was wearing down over her hips.

With his mouth hanging open, he seemed almost as shocked as she was. “I…I—”

“I don’t appreciate you following me.” She hated using such a gruff tone with him, she’d always thought the world of Titan, but things were different now. As silly as it sounded, they couldn’t be “friends” anymore. For lack of a better word, he was now the enemy.

Titan looked rough, but she was almost positive she didn’t look much better. She couldn’t recall brushing her hair that morning, or yesterday, either. What had been the point? She hadn’t ventured any further than the porch these last few days, so taking a shower hadn’t been a priority either. She was embarrassed to admit she’d resorted to junk food since the funeral instead of healthier alternatives, so the only thing she felt comfortable wearing was big, baggy clothes. Finding a stashof Matt’s shirts in one of the closets was almost comforting and she hadn’t hesitated to put on one of the tees. She didn’t care that the hem was unraveling on one of the sleeves—having it on made her feel close to her brother and that’s all that mattered.

“I had no idea you were here,” Titan was finally able to find his words before looking down at his soaked clothes and muddy boots. “The last thing I want is to intrude.”

“The least you could’ve done was checked to see if anyone was here.” Felicia knew she was in the wrong for saying that—she hadn’t bothered to let anyone know either. Maybe hehadchecked in with her parents and they’d given him the okay.

“You’re right. I should’ve said something but I didn’t think anyone would mind. I’m sorry.”

She was on the verge of telling him he needed to go when she stopped. Not only was it still raining but demanding that he leave almost felt…wrong. It literally made her sick expressing so much anger towards him. In reality, Titan hadn’t been the one driving the vehicle that killed her brother.

“Look, I…it’s storming and…perhaps…” A wave of emotion suddenly washed over her and she brought her hands up to her face as she choked back the sobs.

Titan immediately stepped forward and embraced her. Rather than push him away or pound her fists into his chest, she slid her arms underneath his and sobbed against his chest. She didn’t care that he was dripping wet or that he had mud on his jeans and boots. All that mattered was that she didn’t feel so alone.

Seeing him at the funeral, standing away from everyone else was gut-wrenching. He was hurting just like she was, just like everyone else in that room had been. If anyone was owed an apology, she needed to make things right with him.

After a few moments, Titan lowered his arms. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just…” He dabbed his eyeswith the end of his shirt sleeve, all the while refusing to meet her gaze.

“Don’t apologize,” she managed to say.

Titan went on to explain about the mudslide, the flat tire, and his trek to the cabin, hence the reason for him being drenched. “I could’ve stayed in the truck, but who knows when the rain is going to let up. It’s not like I can call roadside assistance, either. I’m going to need something to wedge underneath the tire so I can change it, and then—”

“There’s plenty of room here so we won’t be in each other’s way. I’ve been sleeping in the back…” Felicia paused as she thought about what she was saying. There was no reason to lie about it. If he glanced behind her, he could plainly see the pillow and blankets she’d left strewn. “On the sofa. It’s really the only place I’ve been able to relax. So both bedrooms are available.”

“Hopefully by morning the rain will have moved out of here and I’ll see what I can do as far as getting the tire changed. If you’re still asleep, I’ll try not to wake you.”

“Don’t feel like you need to leave on my account. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Could I help you with your stuff?” Looking down at his bag, she couldn’t help noticing the pool of water that had collected around it on the floor.

“I didn’t mean to make a mess,” he admitted, kicking the side of the bag with his dirty boot. “I thought it was water resistant but from the looks of it, everything inside is probably soaked.”

“Why don’t I get a towel and get it cleaned up while you sort through everything. There’s a few extra hangers in the closet and you can hang up whatever needs to dry. Let me grab them.” As she hurried down the hallway, she realized that Matt’s t-shirt hardly covered her bottom at all. When they were kids, Titanhad stayed the night with her family more times than she could count, so seeing her half-dressed shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Now that they were adults, it felt different. If she was feeling awkward, chances were he was too. So she pulled out a pair of leggings and slid them on. At least they’d cover the parts she was concerned about.

When she returned to the living room, a handful of hangers clenched her hand, she found Titan sitting on the edge of the couch sorting through his things. Not only had he removed his shoes and placed them by the door, but he’d also taken off his cap.

Titan’s hair was a rich, chocolate color and for a second, she pictured him sitting in her salon chair, the cape draped over his chest. It was much longer than she was accustomed to seeing him with and wondered if he was trying to let it grow out. Or, he simply hadn’t taken the time to have it cut. Before the funeral, she’d been on the go non-stop and it was probably the same for him, too.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

She couldn’t believe he’d caught her staring at him. She felt her face redden and she quickly tried to come up with something to say. “It’s been really quiet these last few days. I’m used be staying by myself, but it’ll be nice to have someone to talk to.”

“I can probably hang a few things, but the other stuff is going to need washing. Luckily, I found a pair of sweats that somehow managed to stay dry. If you don’t mind, I’m going to change and get out of these wet clothes.”

“Want me get the washer started? It’s not a very big one, it’s one of those combo units with the dryer on top, but you should get most of your stuff into one load.”

“Sure, if you don’t mind. I’ll meet you in the laundry room as soon as I finish.”

In the meantime, Felicia turned on the washer and dropped in a detergent pod. While she waited for him to bring his clothes, she scurried around the kitchen picking up some things she hadn’t bothered to put away. At home, she always like having nothing on her counters but she’d gotten lazy since she’d been at the cabin. She’d yet to actually cook anything, but the food wrappers and microwave plates lying around was proof she’d slipped.