Wild for the Mountain Man (Men of Fire Mountain)

1. Livvy

1

LIVVY

“I hear you, Mom. But I don’t have time for this right now. I just worked a double at the cafe and I’m exhausted.”

“But what about the party, honey? It’s your nana’s sixtieth birthday. I promised her that you’d stop by.”

“You shouldn’t have done that. I talked to nana the other day and told her that I wasn’t sure I would make it. And I need to get home for Sam. He’s been with the babysitter all day.”

“Mrs. Madison is your neighbor. She’s a little more than just a babysitter, dear.”

“Right. But I haven’t seen my son since this morning and I’m tired. So I’m going home. I will see nana another day.”

“Your father is gonna have something to say about this, Livvy. I don’t know how I’m going to tell him.”

I roll my eyes and I’m lucky I don’t drive off the damn road. “I’m sure that you’ll come up with a way to tell him though.”

“Behave yourself, darling.”

“I have to go, Mom. It’s dark and I don’t want to drive off a mountain.”

“You really shouldn’t work so late, dear. It’s not safe. Who knows what you’ll run into out that late at night. I’m sure there are bears and wolves and all kinds of terrible things out…”

“ Meebrrr. I’m sorry, Mom. I think there’s interference or something. You’re breaking up.”

“Alright. Make sure and text me when you get home.”

“Right. Good-night.” Sighing, I hang up the phone. I love my mother. Love my whole family but they are a lot to take on a good night. Tonight? No…just no.

Because tonight is the four year anniversary of Jesse’s death. And I’m gonna be face to face with our son and thinking about his deadbeat father once again. Another year. Another trip around the sun to wonder why I did the things I did and how I ended up here. Up the mountain, alone and raising my seven year old son.

Not that he’d ever admit it even if he lived. Or his family. Nope. I’m just dirt to them so there’s no way their perfect son would have even made a baby with someone like me.

The lights of my little cabin pop up out of the woods and I let the familiar feeling of home wash over me. This place is all I have. Except for my son. But it’s all I need.

The front door opens and Mrs. Madison pops out on the porch, shot gun raised and locked on my car. Holding my hands up, I step out and smile. “Hey, Mrs. Madison. It’s just me. How did everything go tonight?”

She puts the gun down to her side and smiles, her toothy grin rimmed with her signature bright red lipstick. “Hi, girl. All’s been quiet tonight but you can never be too careful you know.”

Nodding, I pace up the walk, grinning back at her. She’s the first person that actually treated me like I wasn’t some piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She’s always been fair to me no matter what other people in town said.

“That’s good. I’m ready for some peace and quiet. The diner was an absolute zoo today.”

“I’m sorry, dear. Is that why you got stuck with a double shift?”

“Yeah. Theresa called off sick. Food poisoning I think. Although from what I understand she went to a concert last night. Seems to me that it might be a little jack problem not a food problem.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry to hear that.” She slips her bifocals on the chain around her neck up. “I’ve got to be heading back home. If I’m not there Jerome can’t sleep. He says I’m his perfect sleep pillow,” she giggles.

A flash of something like regret roils in my belly. I thought I was going to have that with Jesse. That we would grow old together and be totally inseparable.

“Humph!” I snort under my breath. We hadn’t even made it a couple of months before he was running out the door like his ass was on fire.

And that right there was why I no longer had any interest in any man. The bastard’s never stuck around or if they did, they just made your life more complicated and sticky.

Enter my parents’ relationship. Their love story was like something out of a horror story to me. I mean…they were stuck with each other and they seemed happy enough but both of them were such attention whores that it was a drain just being around them.

My whole family was like that. Just nothing but trouble. My older brother is currently in jail. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he didn’t mean to get in a bar fight that paralyzed the man that was fighting with him. But he couldn’t avoid the drink long enough to stay out of trouble.

And then there’s my older sister. She’s the girl most likely to succeed in our family. Got herself knocked up at sixteen and married the guy at seventeen. Had two more kids in short order and now was divorced and searching for husband number two.

At least that’s what the gossip says. True is actually going to school online to finish her nursing degree. If she actually makes it she’ll be the first Hennessy to actually go on to higher education.

I know my limits. I’m not that girl. But I love my art. If I’ve got a spare second, I’m out taking pictures of the mountains and its denizens. I love my home.

Even if I don’t love what people say about me or my family. We’ll never live down our reputations no matter what we do.

My sister could graduate at the top of her class and get a job at the most prestigious hospital around and I’d still hear the old fogeys on the mountain yammering about the Hennessy traditions.

Namely drinking, brawling and sleeping around.

How great is that? No matter what we do we’ll always live up to the family reputation. Innocent or not.

But for now? I just want to see my little man.

I pass Mrs. Madison as she comes out of the living room and I hand her a twenty dollar bill but she waves it off and keeps going. “No, dear. Your little man keeps me company while Jesse’s off taking care of his traps out there. He does just as much for me as I do for you.

I’d fight her on this because I know she could use the money but I can see the hurt in her eyes and I don’t want to push her memories to the fore.

Mrs. Madison and Jerome lost their only son overseas in a fight that had little to do with our mountain home. He died before he could find the girl of his dreams and settle down so they’ll never have a grandchild of their own. When she looks at my boy, Sam, I swear she’s picturing what she could have had if fate hadn’t taken it away from her.

I see it now, in her eyes. Loss and heartache that’s bone deep and going nowhere. It will always be a part of her and it makes my heart ache for her and Jerome. They don’t deserve that. But then again, who does?

Instead of pushing the money issue, I reach out and hug her, her motherly hug much more satisfying than my mom’s ever was or will be. Especially since half the time she’s hugging me, she’s fighting with dad.

They can’t help it. As they say, they’re fiery people. Passionate.

I have another word for it. Crazy.

“I’ve got two days off from work unless I get called in so you and Jerome can have some alone time this week.”

She waves her hands at me and smirks. “Trust me. We get plenty of alone time, girl. But I’ll make sure that he gets a little extra attention, don’t you worry.” Her sly wink makes my cheeks flush dark red.

The two octogenarians are embarrassing as hell sometimes and I’ve walked in on them canoodling in their yard and a million other places around.

It’s embarrassing that two people old enough to be my grandparents are so sexually active and I can’t even get a decent date.

I guess love is really for the elderly.

I watch her walk out the front door and close it tightly behind her, locking it up tight. Some people around town say that our little town is so sweet that nobody locks their doors.

Yeah. I’m not sweet and you better believe that I lock all my doors and windows every night.

I don’t have any illusions about love or safety. And I’d never risk Sam’s safety just to prove a point.

That I belong here and so does he.

We’re on the fringes and that’s where I think we’ll always be.

“Mom?” Sam’s piping little voice pulls me out of all my thoughts. With a smile, I wrap my arms around my little boy’s sturdy, warm little body and coax him back to bed.

“Come on, if you head back to bed, I’ll read you the next chapter if you’re ready for it.”

He nods his golden-brown head, his eyes wide, yawning hugely and covering his mouth. I ask her every time not to give him sugar before bed but it’s like talking into the wind. I spot the sucker wrappers on the end table as soon as I walk in his room. She’s gonna do what she wants and there’s nothing I can do about it. And I’d never tell her she couldn’t watch him for me. She’s an angel to do everything she does. So if she wants to break a little rule? Well, I’ll deal with the consequences.

“Alright, little man. Let’s go find out what happens to the Salazar bunch today.”

His head is nodding already and I know I’l barely be a few paragraphs in before he’s dozing off. But this time is so important to the both of us. We’re all the family that we need.

I couldn’t ask for more. Our life, minus my family, is pretty damn perfect.

After ten minutes, Sam’s little body is curled in on itself and his soft, even breaths make me smile. This right here is what keeps me going even on days like today.

I stand and gently tuck his race-car sheets around him, leaning down to kiss his soft cheek.

Then I make sure his night-light is on, close his door and lean against it, exhausted.

Tonight I’m gonna do something I haven’t done in a long time and do something crazy.

Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting on my couch in my favorite sleep tank and shorts, the ones that are so worn they’re about to fall apart, eating ice cream out of a pint container and binge-watching my favorite dateline series. I always manage to guess the killer before it goes to court and someone is prosecuted.

I should be in bed but tonight is a night for something different. Something fun.

And nothing beats a good murder mystery. Better than any romance out there.