Page 3 of The Mountain Man's Chance

I knewit was a dumb idea to sneak in through the back door of the diner.

But fuck, I was home a night early, I was starving, and I needed a glance.

Just one fucking glance.

I had already called ahead and placed an order, her voice on the phone sending my heart into overdrive. She sounded the same, yet…different.

God, four years felt like a lifetime.

But it was finally over, and I was back home.

Ready to claim the girl I left all those years ago. Back then, I didn’t want her wasting her life waiting for me, so I let her go. I set her free. But after some of my friends, like Callum and Kai, told me Camille was still single, I wasn’t going to let a second chance with her pass me by.

She deserved the world; she deserved me begging on my knees, fighting for her, and convincing her that my decisions long ago were stupid, immature mistakes. But my girl was tough. Fierce. Stubborn.

It wasn’t going to be easy. I had my work cut out for me. But I was all in.

Now, if only she was…

As I opened the back door, she happened to be walking out, and we slammed into each other.

Panic mode activated. My nerves misfired, and my brain screamed at me to kiss her, which was the worst advice ever, but it was as if I had lost control of myself. The next thing I knew, my lips were on hers, my hands were in her hair, and I was transported back in time to us in love and making out for hours under the warm sun.

It didn’t last long.

The warm tingles were instantly stamped out when Camille broke the kiss and pushed me backward out the door. She slammed the diner door behind her. “Zach? What the fuck?”

I smirked. She hadn’t gotten any less fierce. It made my dick throb. “Well, hello to you too, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that.” Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

Alright, maybe this would be a tad harder than I expected.

I scrubbed a hand down the side of my face and blinked a couple of times. Dammit, no matter how much I squeezed my eyes open and shut, it didn’t make her any less beautiful. “I’m sorry, Camille.” Her name coming out in a growl didn’t help ease any tension between us. It only made it more palpable. “Listen, I?—”

“Enjoy your night. Your order should be ready.” Camille spun on her heel and took off.

I watched her walk away and thought about following her, but my stomach won this time. Only because I knew it was a better choice. She obviously didn’t want to see me. I needed to do things right this time. Not piss her off more.

But I could only wait for so long. My heart was tired of waiting.

As I headed back inside the diner, I realized something. Camille must’ve known it was me ordering on the phone, considering she just said my order should be ready.

So she knew it was me on the phone but said nothing?

Well, shit. Camille hadn’t gotten any less stubborn. If anything, she was more. I figured she might’ve had a hunch it was me based on the fact I ordered the same burger and onion rings I always did, with spicy dressing and extra coleslaw. Along with a Coke.

I chuckled to myself.That woman…

After a quick hi to Camille’s parents, I hightailed it out of the diner before anyone else could see me.

Honestly, I dreaded the attention. I knew it was coming, with hometown celebrations planned the entire weekend, but I purposely arrived early to have some time before the wild townspeople came for me.

When I pulled into the driveway of the house I was renting, a pang of nostalgia hit me. I was only a couple of streets over from my childhood home, and while my parents no longer lived in Appleridge, I couldn’t bear the thought of living elsewhere.

They were tired of the small-town life and moved to the city, which was a better career choice for my father as a journalist. When they asked me to join them, it was hard to decline their generous offer, but I couldn’t see myself as a city guy.

Appleridge was a part of me.

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