Page 21 of Saved By the Mountain Man

Rae had always been my weakness, but I didn’t know if I had what it took to find out exactly how far that went.

How much I was willing to give to be with her.

And how much I was willing to lose.

7

RAE

The past couple of weeks, it had become a tradition to meet Laken at Millie’s Diner for breakfast on our days off. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon filled the air, mingling with the soft chatter of the early customers.

I waved at a few locals I’d gotten to know, and we found a corner booth, sliding in and ordering our usuals.

Laken was easy to talk to, her bubbly personality making me feel more at ease than I had in a long time. I hadn’t really had friends in Chicago. She was the kind of person who could make friends with anyone, her warmth and openness a stark contrast to the guarded walls I had built around myself over the years.

“So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee. “You mentioned him before, but I don’t know much about him.”

Laken’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across her face. “His name’s Thomas. Tommy, to everyone here. He’s a lumberjack, he’ll come home soon. They can’t work too late into the season, you know? The weather is a threat.”

I nodded. The weather here was a lot different from anything I’d known before. I’d always lived in cities, sheltered and safe.

Lately, I’d started to redefine the wordsafe.

“We’ve been together for about two years now,” Laken continued, sipping her coffee after the server brought it. “Wait.” She took out her wallet and pulled out a photo of a blond guy with broad shoulders and a goofy smile. He looked young and innocent.

“Handsome, right?” Laken’s eyes sparkled.

“Very.”

I flashed on Tanner. That was my definition of handsome. Tall, dark,dangerous.

“He’s so great. Strong, steady, and the kind of guy who always has your back.” Laken blushed happily. “I can’t wait to see him again.”

I nodded, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Sounds like a good man.”

“He is,” Laken said, her voice softening. “We met when I first moved here. I was a mess, trying to escape my past, and he was… well, he was everything I needed. Someone to lean on, someone who didn’t judge me for my mistakes.”

I could see the love in her eyes, the way she talked about him with such affection. It made me wonder what it would be like to have that kind of relationship, to trust someone so completely. But trust was something I struggled with. I’d trusted Tanner.

“What about you?” Her tone was curious. “You’ve mentioned an ex, but you haven’t told me much about him. What happened?”

I hesitated, the familiar tightness in my chest making it hard to breathe. I shouldn’t have said anything about him, but saying I was running away from an ex was a legitimate reason and made people protective of me. It wasn’t even a lie. It just wasn’t the complete truth.

“His name was Jethro. We were together for a while, and we worked in the same office, but…” I twisted my fingers together, not looking at Laken, trying to find the right words. “He wasn’t good for me. You think you know someone, but then… I had to get out.” I glanced up at Laken, feeling bad for not being truthful with her. I didn’t tell her the reason I’d had to get out was my own fault, that I’d found out shit I shouldn’t have known, and I’d stolen the evidence rather than leaving well enough alone.

Laken nodded, her expression understanding; I hadn’t expected that. I’d thought she would be more curious about my past. Ask questions. Or get worked up over my ex that I’d made to sound abusive.

Instead, Laken leaned back in her seat and looked out of the window toward the view of the mountains.

“Silver Ridge has a way of attracting people who need a fresh start. It’s a safe place to hide, to rebuild.”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “That’s what I needed. A place to start a new life.” I flashed on Tanner again.

We fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of clinking dishes and murmured conversations filling the space between us. It was nice to have someone who didn’t press too hard, who seemed to understand the need for privacy. I’d kept to myself so much after leaving Seattle, and I’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone in my corner.

“What about Tanner?” Laken asked suddenly, breaking the silence. “You two seem to have some history.”

I looked at Laken, suspicious. “What makes you say that?”

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