Page 5 of Mountain Man Savior

I went to school for biz management, but I also loved to cook. That’s one reason I was so excited to get this contract with the Triple R. The menu we’d worked out for them was heavy on protein and lots of green veggies to fuel their clients who needed good nutrition versus indulgent calorie heavy meals found at say a resort and spa.

The men and women they helped, deserved hearty, home cooked food, especially since they wouldn’t have a full-time chef on staff. Not that I hadn’t put in some decadent treats. I did, and I had such a fun time tweaking recipes. So, today would be all about remaking the food that had spoiled yesterday, and getting it back up to the lodge for West and Ridge to try.

If they thought that giving us the contract just because of what I went through with the storm, then they didn’t know that’s not how my mom or I wanted to win the contract. Proving that Full Plate Catering was the best option based on the taste and value of the food would be the only outcome we would accept.

With my decision made, I showered, then called mom to let her know I’d be in early. She had other clients on her schedule today, so I’d be making most of the samples today with her guidance. I hadn’t gone to school for it, but when Taya Davis was your mother, knowing how to braise meat properly or create mouthwatering sauces were taught with love and a passion for providing good food for others to enjoy.

And West and Ridge were going to enjoy the food dammit. And me and West? Well, I planned on jumping off that ledge, probably, okay, definitely maybe, and discover if what I felt yesterday was mutual.

FOUR

WEST

I’d learned long agothat one downfall to growing up in a small town and now living up on the mountain above it wasn’t what most folks thought it would be. Not spotty cell service, or having to drive long distances to larger retailers, or even road closures because of heavy snowfall. Nope. It was because at least someone you knew, knew someone you didn’t know, or were related to someone you knew but didn’t know they were related, which made the chances that your personal business wouldn’t remain personal for long way above the national average.

It was enough to give a man a migraine and heart burn all at the same time.

I’d just learned Lauren Davis was Beckett Rivera’s stepdaughter. The ranger I’d looked up to most during my second tour overseas had moved to the Pineville area after retirement, bought a cabin right here on the mountain a few miles below the lodge, and married a woman with grown daughters. Lauren and her fraternal twin, Dylan.

It didn’t matter that Beck didn’t have a hand in raising them. Family was family. And I was lusting after a member of his family. We’d seen each other from time to time when we passed on the road, or when his wife Taya had still worked at O’Malley’s Pub. I’d go in with the guys for a meal and a beer while we rehabbed the lodge I’d inherited from my late uncle.

Beck and I would shoot the shit while avoiding any in-depth talk about what we’d gone through when we’d served. He seemed to have come out of it better than most, settling down with his wife and discovering he had a half-brother he never knew about living in Pineville.

So as chill as he seemed to now be, would he care if I dated his stepdaughter? It shouldn’t matter, but it did. But I didn’t have time to track him down and have a heart to heart. I should figure out first if she returned my interest. Plus, there was an age difference there I should figure out before I made any moves.

Part of me said hell with it. Her age or mine didn’t matter. Or it shouldn’t. But it did.

“What’s got your thong all hiked up?” Lars lumbered in; his tree trunk sized legs covered in sawdust along with his ever-growing beard. It seemed as if he tracked in more dust than he created while finishing the framing of the barn/utility vehicle garage that would eventually house more than just our off-road vehicles. The plan was to have a couple of horses on site for therapy rides before fall.

“Maybe if you swept up after yourself once in a while, you wouldn’t have to hear me complaining. And when are you going to start interviewing? We need someone to run housekeeping for us before we open. Ridge found the caterer and I’m working with a local psychologist. She’s married to Ridge’s cousin, and she’s going to see if her new partner could handle therapy sessions for us.”

I knew better than to rile Lars, much. Out of the three of us, he was the most closed off. But to be fair, he’d finished the laundry room ahead of schedule. It was just his bad timing. He came the closest target for my self-induced frustration over my Lauren problem.

“Got it handled. I set up an account on one of those job seeker websites, apps, whatever they’re called. Just waiting for the right candidate to apply.” Lars stopped behind me and peered over my shoulder. “Who’s that? Didn’t you just say Ridge found a caterer?”

I’d left the Full Plate Catering website open on the laptop we’d positioned at the welcome desk set up in the foyer that led into the great room. I’d clicked on Lauren’s photo, making it larger on screen.Shit. Hadn’t expected him to take any interest in what I was doing. Slamming it shut, I instantly regretted it. Now he had more fuel to mess with me.

“No one. Uh, just something I’m working on as I finish up our website before launch next week.”

“Huh. Seemed like you were stalking someone to me. A very pretty someone. What’s her name?” Lars wasn’t going to leave until I caved with the information or punched him.

“Don’t you have another tree you need to chop down?” Why I felt I needed to hide my interest in Lauren, I didn’t know. I just met her yesterday so until I could see her again, acting like a lovesick schoolboy was keeping me from our very long punch list to finish before we opened in the next seventy-five and counting days.

Lars grunted, then flipped me the bird and left. Muttering under his breath as he stomped toward the back door that led out onto the large deck he’d finished last month. Hmm, guess he wasn’t the only one who needed to let off some steam. It’d been quite some time since any of us had been with a woman. Guesswe all figured there’d be time for that after we got the Triple R up and running.

I stopped in front of the double set of sliding doors, peering out over the forest and lake you could just make out over the treetops. The space had really come together better than planned. Not only was the view spectacular, but the deck invited anyone to stay as long as needed. We’d set up a fire pit, outdoor couches and chairs and even added a bunch of tiki torches for ambiance. My sister Kiersten suggested them, and she was right. At night, they made it even more welcoming of a space for relaxation.

Along with her husband, Jack, a doctor at Harmony Hospital, they’d been a big part of our support system. They helped whenever they could, but she hadn’t been out recently since they added a third son to their growing family. Wondering if Kiersten knew Lauren, I made a mental note to text her later.

Time to get back at it. All this wool gathering, as my grandmother called it, only made me want to drive into Pineville and track Lauren down. Turning on my heel, I went back to the laptop to answer emails from some of our major donors. I’d been putting off sending out status updates with how their money was being put to good use and now was as good as time as any to knock those out.

When Ridge, Lars, and I began conspiring about this project, we’d surveyed our former unit members first. The response had been overwhelmingly positive. The need, they assured us, was great. Plus, our contacts in the Pineville community and beyond had affirmed our low-key, no pressure, person-centered facility founded and run by veterans was just what had been missing in our area.

Those who sought us out wouldn’t care about all the minor crap that needed to be finished before we could take in the first guest. However, the state and local inspectors cared so untilwe had all our major ducks in a row, like food, safe, clean overnight accommodations, and the cornerstone of the Triple R, counseling, getting the final license for occupancy was crucial to our timeline.

After that was accomplished, we’d focus on the second phase of offering outdoor activities like horseback riding, fishing and rock climbing, which we all had either expertise in or accreditation with. Then we’d add skills training sometime during our second year.

We didn’t want to become so big we needed to hire more people since none of us would take a salary. Donations and grants would fund everything we wanted to accomplish.

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