Page 34 of Mountain Man

I felt Beau’s eyes on me and knew he was building up to say something. It didn’t take long.

“Did you make a date to see her again?”

I shook my head.

“Why the hell not?”

“What would be the point?” I said.

“You slept with her again?” Beau asked.

“That’s none of your damned business.”

“You slept with her again,” he said, this time it wasn’t a question. “Brother, you’ve had opportunity to be with women before, and you chose not to. Birdie was different, though. I could see it the minute I walked into your cabin. You wanted her, no doubt, but it was more. You feel something for her.”

“Leave it, Beau. I’m not talking about this.”

“Mom hurt you, she hurt all of us, when she left and never looked back. Don’t let her do it again, Hank. Don’t give her that power. Don’t assume every woman you meet is like her.”

“Please, Mom, don’t leave.” I ran after her.

She stopped when I grabbed her hand, and looked down at me. “I have to, Hank. Being here...it’s killing me,” she said then pulled away from me, climbed in the truck, and drove away.

I turned to my dad. How could he let her leave us? How could he let her leave me? My dad turned and walked away, but I didn’t miss the tears in his eyes.

I realized in that moment there was nothing he could have done to make her stay.

She just didn’t want us anymore.

I shoved the memory to the back of my mind where it belonged. “I said I’m not talking about this.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Beau said.

Was I? All I knew was having Birdie for close to two weeks and walking away was like tearing out my heart and leaving it at her feet. I wouldn’t survive if she gave me more, made me hope for more, then left.

Neither one of us spoke for the rest of the drive. I dropped Beau at his place and carried on to mine.

Once I got home, everything would be okay. Everything would go back to normal, to life before Birdie.

But when I walked inside and looked around, I saw her everywhere. In my living room, sitting by the fire, walking up the stairs. She’d only been there for one night, but the mark she’d left behind was profound.

When I climbed into bed that night, I could smell her on my sheets, could remember the way she’d felt pressed against me…the way she looked straddling me this morning, riding me.

The way she looked when she came apart for me.

I stared at the ceiling.

What the hell was I going to do?

10

Hank

I heard Beau’s truck before I saw it. It was as old as dirt, and after he finished building his house, he planned on buying a new one. None of these things were happening fast enough as far as Beau was concerned, so I did everything I could to help him.

I finished nailing down the sheet of roof iron that had come loose, slid my hammer in my belt, and climbed down the ladder.

Beau climbed out of his truck and tossed something my way.