Page 2 of Ashton's Mountain Man

“I’m on it,” West slurred as I glanced at the empty shot glasses surrounding him.Fuck!! Looks like I’m the one who’s falling behind.“Doubles coming up.”

I swirled my finger in the air to Brock, and he nodded in agreement. The only other doubles West will be drinking tonight are double lemonades. He’s never been able to handle the shots. I chuckled to myself.

Who will look after him now? I sighed.

I just had to hope that I was doing the right thing for my own peace of mind.

A fresh break, a new start… What could possibly go wrong?

CHAPTER 1

Ashton

It all went to shit,to put it bluntly. I’d planned to win Gratizé Accountants, and instead I ended up working for the guy who outbid me. I just couldn’t stretch any higher, and I knew from the gleam in his eye that he’d keep bidding until I gave in.

Instead, I started working and enhancing my skills within the company and often made an excuse to avoid going on a night out with the guys after work. I would say I had to read up on some new legal stance that had confused me in a case, or a financial calculation I just couldn’t get my head around, to escape the situation of a group of guys in a bar laughing and joking—well, having fun.

It didn’t even feel that strange in the slightest on that first day when I turned up at Gratizé Accountants—bar those initial nerves and worries expected. I’d realized that I found that something I needed and been searching for away from Ashwood and, of course, Fire Mountain Ranch when I met Cole. He was the guy who’d become the breath of life I’d needed; the exact role model to inspire and influence me going forward and the polar opposite of everything West was. A guy who could offer me support but also treat me fully as an equal and friendwithout the panic of anything else flitting between us.A guy I wasn’t attracted to.Cole had the habit of offering his support in whatever task I was doing late—normally under the duress of a takeaway, but I’d shun him away, blagging my mouth off until he understood the message and that there was no point in continuing asking. I didn’t see the point in attempting to socialize unless it was essential, even if the guys here were genuinely supportive and helpful—that’s how it started with West, after all, and I couldn’t end up moving every few years because I couldn’t deal with working in close proximity with other people. I mean, how would that look on my resume? This made sure I held all the power in my decisions when moving forward and not the other person.

The other thing in all honesty, though, was it just brought back too many memories—too much pain and thoughts of my past with West.

I’d made a promise to myself that no one here in Manhattan would be aware of my previous history in Ashwood and Fire Mountain Range concerning my relationship status. I thankfully shared the absolute minimum when it came to my references and I only had to send across my details to a central company database, meaning West didn’t know where I was based. A relief for me whilst I got my head straight in the interim.

It still didn’t excuse the questions coming at me hard and fast…

It also was another reason why I held people at arm’s length when I was outside the office at first…

Cole would make excuses and find his man escaping with him for the night instead, as I ignored the twist in my gut of how he was only trying to be helpful to me. I mean, I was doing him a favor, after all, giving them both some much-needed alone time together. In the workplace, it was rare for the two of them to get quality time alone after the busy grind. Cole should bethanking me for my intuitive thought process, I joked. He was dating the owner of the place, Maxwell, and the two of them had now progressed all these years later to begin their journey into looking into adopting a child together. I couldn’t think of two more deserving guys to be able to share their love with another person.

The thing is, after being together for a few years and having worked side-by-side, day in and day out, people start to realize when you’re hiding things. Cole was one of those guys who was just ‘a nice guy’ and couldn’t let something rest, chipping at that hard exterior to reveal the true inner self of a person. Cole couldn’t be pushed away—he managed to get under your skin, whether you wanted him to or not.

The nights of being able to resist his charm and refuse to have a drink or catch up with him became fewer until the two of us actually became quite close. To be honest, I’d thrown myself so much into working at Gratizé Accountants that I’d somehow suppressed West Lawton and everything that had happened prior to the last three years of my life. I was laughing and having fun—no questioning my inner self or panicking any longer. It was why, for the first time in a long while, I was looking forward to going to the North Avenue Live. Despite the trek to get there, it was the stomping ground for the guys to catch up and where at least one of us knew someone that walked through those doors.

Tonight was a celebration. Zane, a local tattooist, was hosting a birthday celebration for his new lover, Jed, who worked behind the bar at the North Avenue Live. The perfect chance to get my favorite shots lined up and see who would fall at the first hurdle, unable to hold their weight.

I just didn’t expect my world to come crashing down around me in the next few hours.It was just meant to be a few shots and time to unwind…

“West…” I uttered in confusion. “I— What are you doing here?” The moment I turned on my heel with the tray of shot glasses in hand, I mumbled out, “I haven't seen you in, what, two years— Scrap that, three years. Want to share a drink with the birthday boy? I mean, that’s where I’m off to with these.” I tried to smooth the tension rising with every second we remained so close to each other. Those three years had disappeared within the blink of an eye, and all that existed was that very reason, that want, desire, and passion that had sparked between me and him.Well, me…

The tray of shots was instantly taken from my hands and placed down beside me as I drew in a large breath.

“You've been hiding out here! Fuck!” West shouted, running his hands through his hair and tugging hard, before reaching for a shot and downing it in one. He didn’t even flinch when the harsh liquor hit the back of his throat, just accepting it as if it was a shot of water. “I should be the one asking why you‘re here drinking with my brother,” he seethed.

“Hey, calm it,” Zane slurred. “Ashton works with Maxwell and Cole. He was a great support when it came to?—”

“It’s a pity he’s not a great support where it truly matters, isn’t it?” West blurted out, just as Zane, Cole, and Maxwell joined the three of us. “I’m not staying?—”

“Hey, whatever it is, we can sort it out.” Zane stepped in, trying to diffuse the situation. “We’re all here to celebrate Jed’s birthday, aren’t we?” He looked between the two guys.

“He’s right, you know. Don’t you think that he’s had enough to deal with?” Maxwell said, agreeing with Zane as he squeezed the top of West’s shoulder but took a step back, holding his hands up in defeat and walking away from us all.

Ashton increased his pace and was on him instantly, reaching for his shoulder and spinning him around to face him—the confusion penetrating between them as Zane, Maxwell, Cole, and Jed surrounded them for support was palpable.

“What the fuck was that meant to be, man?” I retorted. “I haven’t seen you in what seems like forever, and this is how you react?” I cocked my head to the side. “What did I ever do to you?”

“Maybe walking away from the Fire Mountain Ranch—” West shouted as he dug his finger into his chest, making my nostrils flare as he stepped back.

“From what? My training at Gratizé Accountants had begun. You told me to take it. To do what I wanted and pick a life that suited me. I wasn’t tied to Ashwood, or the ranch, for that matter—” I blurted. “Anyway, it’s none of your business what I do with my life and how I live it.”

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