Page 2 of Wild for the Mountain Man

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.

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