The Mountain Man’s Chance (Mountain Men of Appleridge #6)
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Camille
“Did you hear Zach Kahan is returning home tomorrow?”
“Of course. Who hasn’t?”
“Apparently, a group of them is arriving tomorrow. Zach and all of his military buddies.” Margaret winked at her friend Barbara over the rim of her coffee cup.
“Ooh la la. Some fresh meat is coming to town!” Barbara clapped her hands, and the two older ladies laughed like teen girls in high school.
“You must be excited to see him, dear!” Margaret’s eyes twinkled as I placed her slice of pie and Barbara’s piece of cake in front of them.
I mustered a big smile from somewhere and forced it on my face. “Oh yeah.”
That definitely came out sounding the exact opposite of how I wanted it to, and the ladies laughed again.
I would’ve laughed along with them if they weren’t talking about Zach Kahan.
Zach Kahan.
Destroyer of hearts.
And souls.
And…well, shit…everything.
As I brewed another pot of coffee and wiped down the counter at my family’s diner where I worked, I checked the clock for the millionth time. It’s been a long day of listening to the townsfolk talk about tomorrow’s big arrival.
That was the last thing I wanted to think about. Yet everywhere I turned, it was smack dab in my face.
I couldn’t care less if Zach was coming home yet I’ve dreaded this day for four years. Four long years. In fact, what I really hoped was that he’d find another town to corrupt and stay away from Appleridge.
But considering the town gossip mill has been working overtime lately, I, like the rest of the town, knew he’d be here.
I tried so hard to pretend he never existed. But everywhere I turned, there was a memory or someone asking me if I’d heard from him.
In a town full of memories, there was nowhere to hide.
These memories…the ones with him especially…they never faded as much as I pushed them away, as much as I ignored them and didn’t accept them to be true. The harder I tried, the more vivid they became.
When Zach Kahan left for the military, he shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces. Not only did he break up with me before he left with no good explanation but he also disconnected his phone. I never heard from him again.
Not one call, text, or letter.
Nothing but silence.
My parents, Zach’s parents, heck, the entire town thought we ended on a good note. A breakup, but an amicable one. No one knew the real truth about how things ended. Lying to everyone made it easier to lie to myself. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up the facade, especially if, or more like when, we ran into each other. It was bound to happen in our little town. Simply only a matter of time.
“He’s so brave. I can’t imagine the things he’s seen. Our hometown hero will finally be home again!” Barbara gushed once again, and I busied myself with mindless work to keep from saying anything. Never have I wanted to leave the diner as much as I did right then.
The diner phone rang and I answered it, hoping it wasn’t a long, complicated order I wasn’t in the mood for. But as soon as I heard the voice and the order, I froze. My stomach danced and my heart galloped, nearly bursting through my chest.
It was Zach.
He was back in town early.
I needed to leave before he got here.
I squeezed my hands together and tried to think of any excuse. My mom, Vivian, walked out of the kitchen and smiled in my direction. “Hey, sweetie, why don’t you get going? I’ll head home with Dad later.”
My shoulders instantly relaxed. She could always read me so well. I hugged her close. No longer did I need an excuse to leave. “Thanks. It’s been a long week.”
Ever since I could remember, this diner was a second home to me. It’d been in the family for years, and my parents took it over from my maternal grandparents and renamed it Camille’s Place after their newborn daughter, little old me. The diner had a classic fifties feel, and while my parents upgraded a lot over the years, they never strayed from the original decor, keeping the diner feel alive.
One day, the diner would be mine, and while some people might run from a small town they’d lived in their whole life, I embraced it.
Appleridge was my home, and that would never change.
My mom rubbed my shoulder like she always did when she comforted me. “I know you’re worried about tomorrow, but don’t be. He’s still just Zach. The brown-eyed boy from next door with the dirt smudges and bare feet.”
If only it were that simple, Ma.
A big part of me wished she knew the truth. But I refused to ruin her and my father’s image of him. I couldn’t do that. We grew up together, my parents knew Zach very well as he was like a son to them. It wouldn’t be fair.
A long sigh escaped my lips. “A lot has changed in four years. I don’t know what man is showing up tomorrow. A version of Zach I’ve never met, I imagine.”
“Oh, my sweet girl,” my mother said as she brushed a stray hair of mine behind my ear. “Deep down, he’ll still always be the Zach you know and love. He may just have a few more layers now.”
“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, see you later.” I gave her one last hug before disappearing into the back office to say goodbye to my father and grab my things.
On my way out the back door, I checked my phone for any missed calls or messages, hoping maybe Lena or Sloane, the only other two ladies in our friend group who aren’t pregnant, wanted to grab a drink but nothing.
Ah well, I could use a self-care night anyway. A long bath, a movie, and a… bam!
It was as if I hit a steel wall.
A steel wall with a familiar scent…a very familiar scent.
An almost woodsy…wait…Zach!
Zach!
ZACH!
Blank.
My mind went blank.
At moments like this, people usually did one of three things—fight, flight, or freeze.
I did what I do best.
I froze.
But Zach?
He didn’t do any of the three.
Nope. Never the easy way with him.
Instead, he took me in his arms and kissed me.
The jerk fucking kissed me.