Healing with the Mountain Man (Valor in the Mountains #8)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Cormac

“Pweeeeasssseee Uncle C! Please! Please! Please!” Savannah or Savvy for short, my adorable eight-year-old niece, begged, her tiny hands clasped together. Her face was impossible to say no to, her toothless grin the cutest thing I’ve seen all day.

“I’ve gotten a lot better. Mommy took me the other day, and I only fell twice!” Savvy explained animatedly, her ringlet curls bouncing.

“Twice?” I winced. “That’s two too many. How about we go catch a movie instead?”

“No!” Savvy whined while crossing her arms and stomping her feet. “That’s boring! I want to go ice skating! With my friends!”

I didn’t want to say no, but the thought of my niece falling and cracking her skull open on the ice terrified me.

Maybe I saw too much in the past, or maybe I was being a wimp, but I’d much rather do something that didn’t involve getting hurt.

“What if we go pig out on a bunch of pizza and ice cream?”

“I’m not hungry.” She puffed out her bottom lip, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I caved.

“Okay, go get your skates.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Savvy jumped up and down. She wrapped her small arms around my neck and hugged me tight. “I love you, Uncle C.”

I laughed. Oh, kids. As soon as they get their way, they love you to death.

I had a special place in my heart for Savannah.

My sister struggled through her pregnancy, with Savannah’s father leaving her high and dry, so when Savvy was born, we all pitched in and helped.

I loved her as if she were mine own. We all did. “I love you too, Savvy.”

While I waited for her to get her skates, my sister, Karen, walked into the living room and offered me a cup of coffee, which I gladly accepted. “Savvy convinced you, huh?”

“Yep. You heard?” I asked before sipping my coffee. Mmm, perfect, like she always made it.

Karen nodded, smiling over the rim of her mug. “She’s good at getting what she wants, that’s for sure.”

“Well, how can anyone say no to her adorable face?”

Karen smirked. “I can. When it’s been three cups of water, two bathroom trips, and ten goodnights, I’ve had it.”

“Savvy wouldn’t do that.” I grinned, knowing she most definitely would. She fought sleep the moment she ejected herself into the world, and bedtime would often be a disaster, never mind naps.

Karen side-eyed me, a look of irritation on her face.

“I’m proud of you, Sis. Handling your business, keeping yourself afloat, and being a good mom to Savvy, you’re doing great.”

Karen’s expression softened. “Thanks, little bro. I appreciate it. It hasn’t been easy.”

“I know.”

“You know more than anyone else. I’m proud of you too, C. I hated seeing you struggle when you got out.”

I sighed. “You and me both.”

“Are you getting out more? Not counting work.”

“I guess.” I shrugged her off. I liked being a loner. Spending my evenings relaxing was my favorite way to relax. Especially after a long day at the hospital, where I was head of security. Unruly patients were becoming more and more common, and sometimes, they were a doozy.

“I heard they were doing speed dating at the bar, The Mixer. You should check it out.”

“Speed dating?” I made a face. “No thanks.”

My sister laughed. “You never know, it could be fun.”

Savvy ran into the room holding her ice-skating bag, ultimately saving me from this conversation. “I’m ready!”

Good. I didn’t want to talk about my past. Not now. Not when I’m only now learning how to ignore it.

“Good job, love. Go get your jacket.” Karen said to Savvy before turning back to me. “Are you still in treatment?”

“Yes.” I swallowed hard.

No. I hated it.

Karen reached out and squeezed my hand. “Stay in it for as long as you need to. Anyone who saw what you did would need help. Lots of it.”

I closed my eyes, the pain seeping through the walls I’d carefully constructed. I hated lying to my sister, but it was too much to think about it all. So instead, I buried it. It was easier. I saw way more than I ever should’ve. Why would I want to relive it?

The only way to heal it is to feel it.

The words echoed in my head, ones I’d never forgotten since first seeing a therapist. But what if it was impossible to feel it? What then?

“Thanks.” I cleared my throat, forcing the impending emotions back down. I finished my cup of coffee and stood. “I’ll have her home in a few hours, okay?”

Karen nodded and stood up as well. She held her hand out for my mug and I passed it to her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s just—”

“It’s fine, Sis. Don’t worry about it.” I cut her off. The less we talked about my fucked-up past, the better.

Karen placed her hand on my arm. “I’m always here if you need anything.”

“Likewise.” I said before heading for the door, Savannah joining me. I smiled down at my adorable niece. The one person I could never close myself off to. “You ready?”

“Yes!”

We said our goodbyes and left for the skating rink.

I watched my niece skate around the ice, a group of girls around her, all of them giggling and having fun. It warmed my heart and I was glad I took her. Savvy deserved to have lots of fun and giving it to her helped soothe my battered heart.

As Savvy skated past me, I called, “Good job, Savvy!”

She smiled and waved at me.

I walked over to the bleachers and sat down, still in view of my niece and her friends.

Around and around she went, never once tiring out or slowing down. A group of boys skated up behind them and soon they were all giggling together. Oh, to be young and have crushes again.

I remembered my first crush, back in first grade, a pretty girl named Sophie. She always wore her hair in pigtails with ribbons in them and smiled at my during recess. But then she moved and my crush was over. Until the next one.

Now, Savannah and her friends were doing tricks, the boys no longer near them but still very much watching. The girls were showing off, no doubt, but the jumps and spins were alarming. Savvy didn’t know how to skate that well, did she?

And then it happened in a split second.

I couldn’t have stopped it even if I saw it coming.

Savannah spun around and around with her friend, holding hands, as they skated faster and faster, until the friend let go and both girls went flying.

Savannah lost control of her skates and fell, slamming down hard on the ice on her left side.

Out came a howl of pain and I jumped into action, scaling the ice rink wall and sliding over to Savannah as fast as I could.

“It hurts! It hurts so bad,” Savannah cried as she rolled onto her back and clutched her arm, tears streaming down her face.

Shit!

“Okay, I’m going to lift you into my arms, gently, okay?”

Savannah nodded. I leaned down and scooped her into my arms, making sure her hurt arm was facing outwards.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Her face paled. “The hospital? I want Mommy!” Savannah’s face crumpled, and the tears came harder.

“I know, sweetie. We’ll call her.” I said as I rushed off the ice. I grabbed her bag from where I had sat and hurried through the lobby and outside.

“Sir, wait!” A voice called from behind me, but I didn’t stop. My niece needed the hospital, not for me to stand around and chat.

“I’m taking her to the hospital,” I yelled over my shoulder.

“We need to file a report!”

“Too bad!” I unlocked my truck and placed my niece in the front seat gently.

I buckled her in, tossed her bag on the floorboard, and closed the door before heading around to my side.

I started the engine and pulled out my phone, pulling up my sister’s name.

I pressed the call button, put it on speaker, and handed it to Savannah. “Tell Mom what happened.”

Karen answered on the second ring. “What’s up?”

“Mommy! I got hurt. Uncle C is taking me to the hospital right now!”

“Oh my God, what happened?”

“I fell.”

“I think she broke her arm.” I said.

“Oh my God! Savvy, baby, okay Mommy is on her way.”

I drove like a bat out of hell to the hospital, parking directly in front of the emergency room. I didn’t care, I’d move the truck later. Savvy was more important.

I ran inside with her in my arms and less than ten minutes later, we had a room. Being head of security came with some serious perks, as most of the employees knew who I was.

A nurse came in and took all of our information while requesting some ibuprofen for Savannah to keep her more comfortable. “I’ll send the doctor in, but my guess is an X-ray.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Where’s Mommy?” Savannah cried.

“She’s coming, sweetie.” I squeezed her hand. “Hang in there. You’re doing great.”

A knock on the door sounded.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a smiling face popped out. “Savannah? It’s Dr. Hunt. I’ve got a special present for you.”

And in walked the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen.

I blinked once.

Then twice.

But nope, I wasn’t imagining things.

She was absolutely gorgeous. She held out a pink elephant stuffed animal to my niece with a big, friendly smile on her face. “I thought you might need a pick me up.”

Savvy took the elephant and said thanks while I tried to figure out how I’d never seen this woman before.

She was a doctor? Here? At this very hospital where I worked?

Impossible.

I would never, ever forget a face like hers.