My Mountain Man’s Vow
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Maverick
“ M av. Mav. Come in.”
I’m just finishing with the last of the logs when the radio on my belt sounds with an incoming message. I don’t have to check the time to know what my little brother wants.
With a grunt and a half growl, I answer Ryder. “I’m on my way down.”
“Just checking.” The laughter that comes across the radio in a crackle only pisses me off.
My brothers know damn well that if I say I’m going to do something, I’ll do it.
Even if that means coming down the mountain and going into town. Rock Creek is as small a town as they come, but it’s still full of far more people than I prefer, which is to say, more than one. Ever since I was a boy, I craved the solitude of being on the mountain, but it wasn’t until I became a man that I could legitimately leave town for good, making my home in the fire lookout cabin and only returning to town when it was absolutely necessary.
Like Ma’s birthday.
“I’ll be there in an hour,” I mumble into the radio before hooking it back on my belt.
It helps that there’s no end of jobs for the various Wolf family businesses to keep me busy up on the mountain. Still, my brothers take every chance they can to take the piss on my reclusive nature.
I put my fingers to my lips and whistle sharply for Luna. The giant dog bounds over a moment later from wherever she was hunting nearby. “Sorry, girl. You’re on your own tonight.”
I rescued Luna as a pup from some asshole who was going to shoot her along with her littermates. As far as he was concerned, it was bad enough his dog had unwanted puppies, but when they turned out to be half-wolf, he wanted nothing to do with them.
I was able to save Luna, who was little more than a ball of fluff at the time; her littermates weren’t so lucky. It was a fate the man would meet himself if I ever saw his face again.
Although Luna was sweet with me, her presence made people nervous. Especially in town, so I tended to leave her on the mountain when I headed down.
After a quick shower, I set extra food in Luna’s bowl, and with no other way to procrastinate, jumped in the truck and headed into town.
Madison
I didn’t really know what to expect when I got on the bus to Rock Creek, a town so tiny it was hard to even find it on the map. All I knew was that it was deep in the mountains and known to be the closest township to one of the biggest timber wolf populations in North America. If I’m ever going to be able to observe wolves close up, it’s going to be here.
I park my little car and grab my backpack, which contains everything I currently own, to go explore the little town and find some information about the best place to start hiking.
The few classmates I’d told about my trip thought I was crazy to leave everything behind to go in search of wolves, but I think they’re the crazy ones.
How could they possibly sit in a classroom day after day, listening to the terrible way that humans treated wildlife and not be moved to go do something about it?
I can’t.
Which is exactly why I’m in Rock Creek. Before I can change things for the wolves, I need to understand them better.
It turns out there isn’t much to explore in Rock Creek. Besides a general store and a service station, most of the storefronts are empty, and the few people I do encounter all tell me to take my questions to the Den, farther down the street.
“Make sure you try the chili while you’re there,” the woman at the store tells me. “And a cinnamon bun. Kimberly Wolf is famous for them.”
It has to be a good omen that the woman’s name is Wolf.
And anyway, lunch sounds like a great idea. Especially if I can get some good hiking information at the same time.
All eyes in the place turn to look at me when I push open the door. The Den is bigger inside than it looks, and the room is full of people. Most of them are giant men with arms bigger than my legs. I try not to stare, but it’s impossible not to. I’ve never seen so many huge humans in one space.
There’s got to be something in the water up here.
I make my way to an empty seat at the bar and drop my pack on the ground at my feet.
“What can I get you, miss?” A very handsome man with piercing blue eyes and the scruff of a beard appears. He flips a towel over his shoulder and crosses his arms over his chest while he waits for my answer.
“I’m told I absolutely must have a bowl of the famous chili. And maybe a cinnamon bun, too.” I can’t remember the last time I let myself have such a sweet indulgence, but if I planned to spend the next who knows how long in the woods, a little sugar wasn’t going to hurt.
“One bowl of chili coming right up.” He winks at me, and I giggle like a little girl.
I can’t remember a man ever flirting with me. It’s fun.
“No food,” a deep voice from somewhere in the kitchen barks. “Kitchen’s closed till three.”
“Oh?” As if my stomach understands, it makes a loud, embarrassing grumble.
The man who took my order glances over his shoulder toward the kitchen and back at me. “Ignore Maverick. He’s just my grumpy older brother.” He drops one elbow on the counter so he’s leaning closer to me. His blue eyes lock on mine. “It’s Ma’s birthday today, and all of us boys come and lend a hand so she doesn’t have to work. He just doesn’t want to. Let me go take care of it for you.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
He winks again. “Darlin’, you’re no trouble at all.”
Again, I giggle. The moment he disappears into the kitchen, I pull my notebook and map out and spread them out in front of me. It’s time to start planning my route.