Chapter6
Four days later...
Vana feet are heavy as the three of them find their way down the mountain toward the general store. After everything that happened with Rich she couldn't bear to leave Brandon right away, but she knows if she doesn't leave now she never will.
She needs to find a way to learn how to live on her own before she falls deep in with Brandon. If she stays any longer she's not going to have a choice.
"There's an officer at the station down the ways that you can talk to if you want. Or if you just want to start over you could use this." Brandon pulls out a small envelope with at least ten thousand dollars inside and she tries to push the money back in his hands.
"No! I can't take this. You've given me more than anyone already. This is too much."
"Vana, I've no use for it and I have plenty. Think of it as a parting gift." He shrugs, and Vana nearly cries again. Instead, she settles for throwing herself into his arms. He catches her and holds her tightly.
She looks up into those deep, intense eyes and softly presses a kiss to his lips.
Just one more kiss.
That's all she can have before she gives up her dream of finding herself. Lucky whines at her feet as if he knew that this was going to be goodbye, and he was about to lose his new friend.
"What happens if I find myself stranded on your mountain again?" She asks on a whisper.
"Just come knock on the door, leave my truck alone." He smirks at her, which pulls her mouth into a wide grin.
"Count on it, Brandon." She wanted him to know that there was no way she wasn't coming back to find him.
She let him go and slowly on a heel turn she walks off with the older man, Waylan and Lucky. Brandon stood watch as she got into the truck and drove away, leaving him on Jagged Peaks mountain to find her own life.