Fierce Mountain Man (Iron Peak Mountain Man #12)
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Gunner
The Broken Antler sign glowed brightly in the soft evening light. Seeing it with my own two eyes instead of only pictures turned my stomach.
Here goes nothing. The moment I waited for.
Killing the engine of my truck, I hopped out and stretched my legs. The thirty-hour drive felt more like one hundred hours. After three days of driving ten hours a day, exhaustion tugged at my limbs and nestled deep inside. I couldn’t wait to close my eyes later.
But first, there was business I needed to handle. Otherwise, sleep would never come.
With a deep breath, I strolled towards the front door. Maybe if I portrayed a calm demeanor, my insides would match my outside. One could hope.
I pulled the door open with one last inhale of courage and was met with a cozy, dimly lit bar made of reclaimed timber with hunting trophies on the walls. A wood-burning stove sat in the corner, the fire crackling against the backdrop, giving a warm, cabin type feel.
As I walked towards the bar, the floor creaked beneath my feet and I wondered how old the building was, along with the pool table in a back corner that looked as if it had seen much better days.
Sliding onto a stool, my eyes wildly scanned the room in search of the one person I came here to see- my father.
Mason Danner, owner of the Broken Antler, a bar in Iron Peak, a small mountain town tucked deep in a box canyon at the base of the Colorado Mountains. The man I grew up wondering about, why he left my mom and me, and why he chose Colorado, of all places. It was a damn far drive from Vermont.
And a very far drive away from me.
A giant of a man walked out from behind the bar. He looked to be in his early fifties, with an enormous build and a thick salt-and-pepper beard. His eyes were dark and watchful as he looked around the place. Similar eyes to the very ones reflected at me when I looked in the mirror.
It had to be him.
“Grizz, how’s it going?” An older man walked over to the bar and held out his hand for a shake.
Grizz?
“Alright, Pete, yourself? Want your usual?”
“Hanging in there. Yes, please but make it a double. I could sure use it.”
Grizz turned his back and swiftly poured a double shot from the bottle he grabbed off the back shelf. Some type of whiskey was my guess, the smell wafting over and tickling my nose hairs. shit was strong. “You got it.” He slid the glass over to him and nodded. “Enjoy.”
Well, apparently, he was a man of few words. Much like myself.
You’ll find he’s a good man, G. You have a lot in common, you’ll see….
My mother’s words washed over me, filling me with a confidence I didn’t know I possessed.
I signaled with my hand for him to come over. “Can I get a shot of whiskey, please? Your best.”
“You got it,” Grizz muttered, pouring my shot within seconds. He handed it to me, his eyes as dark as the night sky, not a flicker of recognition in them.
How could he? He hasn’t seen me in years…
“Thanks.” I held the shot glass up, tipped my head at him, and downed the amber liquid, the burn hotter than I remembered. I cleared my throat. “You’re Mason Danner, right? Owner of this bar?” I blurted the question, the whiskey giving me the courage I needed.
Grizz eyed me suspiciously. “Yeah, why? Who’s asking?”
“Me. Hi. Name’s Gunner. Your son.”
Grizz’s eyes widened, and his mouth parted. “Excuse me?”
“I’m your son. Gunner. Gunner Thorne. My mother is Greta Thorne.”
He looked away and back quickly, his eyes zeroing in, as if he didn’t believe me one bit. “I…I don’t know a Greta Thorne. And I certainly don’t have a son.”
“You do. You know you do. You didn’t leave until after I was born.”
Grizz stood there, speechless, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Am I wrong?”
Grizz looked around and then shook his head. “Come with me.”
I stood up and followed him behind the bar to a small room in the back. Boxes of papers stacked against the wall, with clutter filling the room from top to bottom. Only the desk and a few chairs were free from any part of the mess. He shut the door behind me and pointed to a seat.
“What do you want? Money? Something else? Did she send you here?”
My mouth dropped, and my heart leaped into my throat. Was this guy serious?
“No. I didn’t come here for anything besides meeting you.”
“Why?”
“I want to have a relationship with you. You’re my father.”
“Look, this isn’t a good time, okay? I’ve got a lot going on and—”
“And what? You’re going to toss me aside after I came all this way?”
“No, what I’m saying is—”
“Listen, if you want nothing to do with me, well, that’s too bad. Because I’m staying. There’s nothing left for me back home. Not since Mom died.”
“Greta…she passed?”
I nodded, the aching sadness now permanently a part of me rising to the surface. “She battled cancer for a long time.”
My father tugged at his beard until his tired eyes met mine. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“I know we aren’t going to become best friend. I’m not expecting to. Honestly, I just need a place to make some cash. I rented a cabin on the outskirts of town, so I’m good there.”
“I don’t know…we’ve only just met and…”
“I’ve never asked you for anything.”
“But you show up here out of the blue and ask for a job? You should just go back to Appleridge, Gunner. There isn’t anything for you here. Hell, there isn’t anything here for me.”
“How can you say that? You own a bar here.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t understand about me.”
“Okay, fair enough. But I’ve already missed out on so much time with you. Can’t we start somewhere?”
Grizz sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fine. I’ll give you a chance. Only because I need some extra help. But there better not be any funny business. Come back tomorrow. Noon time, sharp.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. One last question. What’s the best place to grab some dinner around here?”
“Over at The Ridge diner. Tell Ma, the owner, you’re my son and she’ll hook you up with something delicious.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” I stood without moving, unsure of my next move. Should I offer a hug? Say goodbye Dad?
Fuck, this was all so confusing.
He offered nothing, so with an awkward wave, I turned and left. I rushed forward, needing the air of the outdoors more than anything. With the sting of rejection following behind, I focused solely on the front door, when suddenly, bam!
I collided with someone, both of us jumping back with a laugh.
“Shit! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you!” A light-hearted, sunny female voice hit my ears like a gorgeous ballad.
Hands, small yet strong hands, gripped my arm.
“Almost wiped out there!” She burst into a fit of giggles.
“I have a bad habit of looking down. Need to make sure my feet are still there, ya know?” The woman grinned, and that’s the precise moment our eyes connected and my heart skipped a beat.
Whoever she was, she was drop dead gorgeous. The prettiest woman I’d ever seen, with long, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes shining through the dim atmosphere of the bar.
Her touch set my skin on fire, and I swallowed hard as my eyes traveled the length of her body.
It did nothing for my dry, parched throat.
I chuckled to break the silence I’d created and stood there looking like an idiot.
She obviously worked here from her apron to her shirt reading The Broken Antler, and the information left me reeling. My mind threw itself into overdrive.
She works here?
Uh oh…
“No problem. See you around.” I winked at her and she blinked a few times, a redness creeping across her cheeks. She titled her head to the side before backing up and turning away from, nearly colliding with my dad.
“Sorry, Grizz!” She held her hands up with a playful smile. “Just grabbing some more grenadine. It’s busy tonight.” She smiled and scampered off, leaving my father staring at me.
Why did I suddenly feel like a child about to be scolded?
“All of my servers are off limits, you hear?”
“Got it.”
Grizz stepped closer, the look on his face harsh. “I mean it, Gunner. Especially Raemina. She’s my best one.”
If looks could take someone down, I’d be kissing the ground.
I said nothing and left, my energy drained.
This would not be as easy as I thought.