Chapter 3
Chapter Three
H olly
The park is small but perfect, nestled at the edge of Devil’s Peak like someone carved it straight out of the mountain. Trees wrap the clearing in quiet shade, and there’s a faint breeze that makes the swings creak lazily.
Josie’s already taken over the play structure. Pink hoodie, pigtails, a pair of tiny boots that stomp like she owns the damn place. She giggles when she reaches the top of the slide, then hollers, “Mommy! Look how tall I am!”
I wave. “Queen of the world, baby.”
She beams, then barrels down the slide, laughing all the way.
“She’s a firecracker.”
I turn to the woman standing beside the bench. She’s tall, athletic, wrapped in a thick cardigan and wearing the kind of calm smile that tells me she doesn’t rattle easy.
“I’m Winter,” she says, holding out a hand.
Of course she is.
“Holly. That’s my chaos goblin up there.”
Winter laughs. “I’ve got one of those at home too. My boy Zane calls him a little wrecking ball with dimples.”
I grin. “Sounds familiar.”
“So, are you new to Devil’s Peak?” she asks.
I nod. “Yeah. Just moved in... sort of.”
Her brow lifts. "Sort of?"
“I answered a mail-order bride ad.”
Winter’s jaw drops. Then she lets out a loud, delighted laugh. “Oh my God. You’re her. You’re with Jack.”
I blink. “You know Jack?”
She snorts. “Everyone knows Jack. Or more accurately, everyone knows of Jack. He’s been the town’s resident recluse for the last five years. Built that cabin like a fortress. Never saw a woman come or go. Not once.”
I shrug, fighting the smile tugging at my lips. “I wouldn’t say he’s settled down. More like... putting up with the two new ladies in his life at this point.”
Winter watches Josie catapult off the end of the slide. “Well, he wouldn’t let anyone in unless he trusted them. Jack’s been living on that mountain alone for years. Hiding out. Protecting himself from things like love and happiness.”
I glance at her. “You say that like it’s a joke.”
“Because it is. No one’s immune. Not even Jack Rivers. Especially not Jack Rivers. He needs it more than anyone.”
Josie charges up the ladder again.
Winter turns to me, her voice softer. “You’ll be good for him. Both of you. A man like that needs to be opened up. Needs someone who challenges him, makes him uncomfortable with new feelings, and makes him realize life’s better when it’s shared. Now he’s got something to lose—his heart.”
My chest tightens.
I want to believe her.
God, I want to.
But belief’s never come easy for me.
Not when it comes to men.
Not when it comes to Jack.
He’s only been back in our lives for a day, and already I feel like I’m standing on a trapdoor. One wrong move and it’s all going to collapse.
Because there’s still one thing I haven’t told him.
That Josie’s not just a surprise roommate.
She’s his.
He doesn’t know.
No one does.
I swallow hard, blinking back the nerves crawling under my skin. Winter’s still talking, but her words fade under the roar of my own thoughts.
I was nineteen when I got pregnant. Fresh out of high school, terrified, alone. Jack had just shipped off to his next assignment, and I had nothing but a couple of letters and one unforgettable night.
My parents were furious. Conservative. Controlling. They put a lock on my life and tossed the key into a vault. Said I could keep the baby, but only if I did things their way. Finish college. Get a degree. Let them raise Josie as their own. Never speak of Jack Rivers again.
They held Josie over my head like a hostage.
So I played along. Got my dual major. Science and English. Now I work from home writing for a science magazine and make custom jewelry in my free time. But the cost?
Jack never got to know his daughter.
He missed her first steps. Her first word. The first time she called me Mommy.
All those moments he should’ve had... I stole them.
And now he’s back. Under our roof. Looking at Josie like she’s a mystery he hasn’t solved yet.
I have to tell him.
But the fear won’t stop whispering.
What if he hates me for it?
What if he kicks us out?
What if I lose everything?
I glance back at Josie, who’s now hanging upside down on the monkey bars like she’s auditioning for a circus.
She deserves to know her father. She deserves to be loved by him. And Jack...
He deserves the truth.
But I’ve only had him back for one day.
And already, I’m terrified of losing him again.