Page 5 of The Wounded Mountain Man

Back then, Thickehead was a bustling small mountain town attracting a decent weekend and holiday trade. But then a few of the surrounding towns took off as tourist hotspots with their fancy lodges and farm-to-fork dining experiences, leaving Thickehead stuck in the past. Business for the diner, and all the other businesses on Main Street, took a nosedive. The private veterans rehab center where Logan works opening an on-site cafe a few years ago was the final nail in the coffin.

Despite being one of the hardest working people I know, Hattie struggles to make the diner profitable. I take my trucker hat off, and as I approach the kitchen, I'm hit by a wall of guilt. If things were already tough while Charlie was stationed at San Bernardino, how is she coping now that he's deployed on active duty? Not to mention raising two kids. And what have I been doing? Getting drunk and feeling sorry for myself for almost a whole damn year. Why the fuck didn't I come back sooner and help her out?

There's a middle-aged couple in one of the booths and Old Man Joe perched in his usual spot at the counter, diligently chipping away at his trusty crossword puzzle book. It's eight-thirty. This place ought to be packed with the morning rush. Instead, it's on life support.

"Hey, Joe." I clap the old man on the back as I walk past him. "How's everything?"

"The world is fucked," he answers, without glancing up from his puzzle book.

"It sure is," I say with a grin. Some things never change.

The kitchen door swings open, and Hattie's eyes widen in surprise when she notices me. "Holy shit. Wade! Gimme a sec." She lifts the two plates in her hands and scurries over to the couple in the booth. When she returns, she flings her arms over my shoulders. "It's so good to see you."

I wince, struggling to take the extra load. She must realize and pulls back immediately. "Sorry, sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"No. It's fine." I drop half a butt cheek onto a stool and stretch my right leg out. "How are you?"

"Fine. How areyou? And what are you doing here? Did you just get in?"

"I'm…okay. Got in yesterday."

"Yesterday? Where are you staying? Wait." A sly smile spreads across her face. "Let me guess. At Logan's?"

"Yeah." I shuffle my other cheek onto the stool. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"Oh, no reason."

There's definitely a reason, and I know full well what it is. Hattie's more like a sister than a sister-in-law, and she's the only person I've confided my feelings for Logan to.

"Um, this place." I circle my index finger in the air. "How's it going? It looks pretty dead."

"I'm very much alive, thank you very much." Joe throws some serious side-eye my way. He lifts his cup. "And some more coffee would be nice, thank you."

Hattie rolls her eyes and makes her way over to the coffee machine behind the counter. "Coming right up."

Two men and a woman walk in, all in fancy corporate wear. My guess is they're from the veterans center. It's the only place left around here where people wear tailor-made suits that costmore than most folks make in a month. They sit down in a booth, and Hattie approaches them with a smile and menus in hand.

While she's busy with them, I lean over the counter and press the Total button on the cash register, coughing loudly to cover thedingsound it makes. I glance over my shoulder. Hattie doesn't seem to have heard. Good.

I take out four of the five hundreds Dale gave me and slip the notes into the register, closing the drawer as quietly as I can. Hattie is still taking orders, but Joe is staring right at me. I bring a finger to my lips, and he shoots me a quick nod before returning to his crosswords.

Hattie runs the order into the kitchen then returns, staring at me with her almond-shaped hazel eyes, like she still can't believe I'm here. She's real pretty, slender, with freckles dusting her nose and cheeks. Her chestnut hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail with a few wisps framing her face. Most important of all, she makes my brother happy and is the best mom to Sofie and Jax.

"How are the kids?" I ask.

"They're doing well. They miss their dad." A somber look crosses her face.

"We all miss him." I reach my hand over the counter. "Hey, he's coming back."

She tries to muster a smile. "I know he will."

I look around the diner. "In the meantime, I can help fix this place up a little."

"Oh, I'd never ask?—"

"I know you wouldn't." Hattie is a proud woman—must be something in the water supply around these parts—which is why I'm sure that when she finds the money I put in the register, I'll have a hell of a fight on my hands to make her keep it. "But I'm offering."

Her eyes brighten. "Does that mean you're staying?"

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