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  Fire on the Mountain

  Wicked Mountain Tales – 3

  By Christelle Mirin

  Text Copyright © 2012 Christine Miller

  All Rights Reserved

  Book Cover copyright © 2012 Christine Miller

  All Rights Reserved

  Chapter One

  Rose Bloom stepped out on the porch of her cabin, a cool glass of water in her hand. She dropped down in her old rocking chair and gazed out into the woods that surrounded her home.

  She couldn’t see very far, thanks to the morning fog that wafted down from the mountaintop. She pulled one leg up and tucked it beneath her, sipping the water. It was quiet this morning, the only sound the cawing of the crows. Even though it was only seven in the morning, the humidity was climbing. It was going to be another warm day and she dreaded it. It was hard to work in the heat, especially when she had to keep the fire stoked.

  The screen door screeched and Johnny Gayheart stepped out onto the porch. “You’re up awfully early,” he said, stepping closer to the porch railing and raising his arms above his head in a stretch.

  Rose watched him, smiling. He was dressed only in his jeans, the chiseled muscles of his back flexing as he stretched. When she noticed the scratches on his lower back, she snickered.

  He dropped his arms and looked over his shoulder. “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, nothing.” She placed her glass on the small table beside her chair and stood. Walking up to him, she snaked her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss his delicious lips. She ruffled his thick, brown hair with her fingers and dropped back down on her feet. “I just love seeing you with your hair messed up, that’s all.”

  He grinned and tickled her ribs, sending her wriggling. “I love seeing you dressed in nothing but a t-shirt so thin I can almost see through it.” He tugged at the hem of her shirt, lifting it. “But I’d rather see you wearing nothing at all.”

  Rose giggled and jerked her shirt out of his grasp. “You’re going to be late for work if you keep this up.” She padded across the porch and dropped back down in her chair.

  Johnny raked his hands through his hair in an attempt to smooth it. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d best be getting on out of here.” He walked bare-footed toward the door, planting a kiss on the top of her head just before he went back in the house.

  She smiled and picked up her glass again, drinking it down. Her tummy growled, reminding her it needed food as well as liquid. Easing up out of the chair, she rubbed her lower back as she headed back in the house to make a quick breakfast.

  Johnny had been a little rough with her last night – not that she didn’t like it. She was going to have to do some stretching to work the kinks out after he left for the fire station and before she started her work for day. She had an order she needed to fill and she could use the money. “What do you want for breakfast?” she called out, moving into the kitchen.

  “Just some toast. I’m running late,” Johnny answered from the loft bedroom. “I’ll grab it and go.”

  “Okay.” She pulled the toaster out of the cupboard and dropped two slices of bread in. Bending over to retrieve the butter from the fridge, she was grabbed from behind. “Hey!” She turned to find him standing behind her, grinning. “You’ve got to stop doing that.” She shoved him to the side and pulled a knife to butter the toast with out of the drawer.

  As she finished preparing the toast, Johnny slid his arms around her waist and parked his chin on her shoulder. “When are we going to make this permanent?”

  Her heart quickened. “What do you mean ‘permanent’?” This was a first. He had always been content with things the way they were, both of them enjoying each other whenever they could and as often as they could.

  “You know, maybe moving in together or something. Then see what happens from there.” He leaned back and turned her toward him.

  She looked up at him, gazing into his warm, hazel eyes. He was serious, she could tell from the look on his face. “Um, Johnny, you know how I am. Are you sure you can put up with me?”

  “Listen, Rose, I know you’re a free spirit and to be honest with you, it’s one of the reasons I love you. I’m not asking you to give up your life and settle down with me.”

  “You’re not?” This was confusing. Just what was he asking then?

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I know for a fact if I try to cage you, it wouldn’t work.”

  “So, you’re saying you’re okay with me indulging myself once in a while when it comes to sex?” She had told Johnny from the beginning that one man would never be enough for her. It hadn’t fazed him a bit and that was why their relationship was so good. She could be who she really was around him.

  “I’ve known you all my life, Rose. I’m not going to try to change you when it comes to that part of our lives. I want to be with you, that’s what I’m saying.” He chucked her under the chin. “So, what do you say?”

  “Let me think about it, okay? It’s just that I’m not used to living with anyone and I really need to know you’re okay with my lifestyle before I say yes.”

  “All right.” He stepped back and grabbed his keys from the counter. “I’ll give you time.” Taking his toast from the paper plate where she had laid it after buttering it, he walked toward the door. Hesitating, he turned back to look at her. “There is one thing I wish I could change though.”

  Here it comes. She crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the counter. “And what would that be, Johnny Gayheart?”

  “I just wish you’d shut down that moonshine still before you get caught.”

  He couldn’t be serious. “You know that’s how I make my living, Johnny. I can’t just shut it down.”

  “Rose, seriously, you are going to get caught one of these days. Half of the people in Racy County know about your still.”

  “Yes, they do and half of those people come to my door to buy my ‘shine. What are you worried about? I’ve been running the still for over five years now and I’ve never had a problem.” She bunched up her t-shirt in her hands where they lay at her waist to keep from stomping her foot.

  “Well, that’s true, you’ve never had a problem – yet. What are you going to do when the new sheriff gets wind of it, though? He won’t be as forgiving as my Uncle Roy was when he was sheriff.” He took a bite of his toast and chewed rapidly.

  Rose could see he was getting frustrated. She didn’t care. Running the still had been what kept her paying her bills these last few years. There was no job in this county she could get that would pay her as much as selling her home-brewed ‘shine did. “I’ll deal with the sheriff when it comes to it. Don’t you worry.”

  Johnny shook his head. “Well, I can see your stubborn side rearing its head so I’d best just end this conversation before it ends in an argument I don’t have time to finish.” He pushed the screen door open and took one step through it. “Just be aware that with me being a fireman, if you get caught, it sort of puts me in a bad position.”

  He was right. The sheriff would never believe Johnny didn’t know about the still, who ran it, or its location. “I’m sorry if running with me is a bit dangerous, but didn’t you just tell me a few minutes ago that my wild side was one of the things you love about me?” She raised her chin defiantly.

  He let out a “hmph” but then he smiled. “Yes, I did.” Then he turned and walked out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.

  Rose chewed her bottom lip. She listened to the sound of his boots crossing the porch, then soon after his truck started up and he drove off. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Rose didn’t want to lose Johnny but she didn’t want to be beholding to a man to support her either. Until she
came up with some other way to earn an income, the still was going to stay stoked and bubbling.

  “Dang it, Johnny Gayheart. I wish I didn’t love you so much.” Ramming her ringers through her hair, she climbed the stairs to the loft. It was time to get dressed and get busy. She’d have to ponder on Johnny later. Right now, she had moonshine to brew.

  An hour later, Rose shoved her hair out of her eyes with the back of her wrist and filled another pint jar with the clear, potent liquid called moonshine. Boone Handshoe had ordered twelve pints for a party he was giving this weekend and she wasn’t going to let him down. Capping it off, she grinned slyly. Johnny was worried about the new sheriff, Bobby Shepherd, finding out about her home business and here the county inspector was one of her best customers. It was laughable.

  Cathy Bailey, one of her newest friends, had told Rose about the sheriff shutting down the caverns when Cathy and the Nolan twins had gotten trapped down there during a power outage. Cathy had said the sheriff was nice about it but had still shut them down until they got backup power in place. Cathy had also told her just how fine of a male specimen Sheriff Bobby Shepherd was. Rose hadn’t met him yet but Mandy, Rose’s best friend who was also Johnny’s sister, had and she said he was something to look at. If Mandy said he was a looker, Rose was going to take notice. She was in love with Johnny Gayheart, that was true, but she didn’t want to limit herself. She liked dancing on the wild side and Johnny knew it so if something came of a meeting with the new sheriff, he would deal with it. Besides, there was a reason she was the way she was. Johnny knew all about her past and it was something they didn’t talk about. It was too painful for her. Being left on her own from the time she was sixteen had affected her in a way that caused her to reach out to people, mostly men, for comfort. That comfort usually led to sex. She found being intimate with a man satisfied the cravings inside her. She enjoyed every minute of it. And so did Johnny. She loved him for it and the fact they’d known each other forever it seemed had also given him a special place in her heart. There was room for more in that big old heart of hers though and if she ever found another to join Johnny there, she thought she just might be happy.

  Humming to herself, she wondered whether Johnny would ever consider a threesome. The thought of him and maybe the sheriff, if he was inclined, rolling around on her big old bed warmed her insides. Hmm, a fireman and a sheriff. What a nice combination. Shaking her head, Rose tried to push the thoughts of steamy sex out of her head.

  She led her thoughts to about how Mandy had decided to stay here in Wicked Mountain after the Sawyer boys had managed to get her a job offer of a residency at Racy County Hospital. Rose was still in awe that Mandy had decided to become a doctor. Rose was proud of her. It was not something she could ever do, that was for sure.

  Capping the last pint of Boone’s order and slipping it into the cardboard box, Rose checked the fire under the still. Satisfied everything was in order, she lifted the box and started the walk through the woods back toward the cabin. She was hot and sweaty already but she still had things to do before grabbing a shower. She’d have to come back to the still in a few hours to tend it and Johnny wouldn’t be around until supper time so she really didn’t have to worry about smelling pretty just yet.

  Breaking out of the tree line and stepping into her postage stamp-sized back yard, she lifted her head and sniffed.

  A tingle of fear skittered up her spine. Smoke. Something was burning. And it wasn’t the fire from the still.

  Chapter Two

  Johnny Gayheart pulled into the parking lot of the fire station, brushing the crumbs from his morning toast off his shirt. Getting out of his truck, he stifled a yawn. It had been a long night but very satisfying. Spending time with his little wood sprite, Rose Bloom, was always exciting, not to mention exhausting. He slammed the truck door and started walking toward the open bay door where one of the fire trucks sat, its chrome gleaming in the morning sun.

  Raking his fingers through his hair and then straightening his shirt so he looked at least like some sort of presentable, he remembered just how she looked this morning when he found her on the porch of her cabin. Dressed in that thin t-shirt, with her blonde hair all mussed up from sleep, she looked entirely sexy. Not only that, his love for her deepened every time he looked into those big blue eyes of hers. She was tiny, barely coming to his chin, but she was feisty and he loved that about her, too. He would do anything—absolutely anything—to make that woman happy.

  Just before he reached the open bay door, the siren went off. Johnny raised his hands to his ears, then stopped himself. The siren was loud and screaming but he should be used to it by now. Instead of covering his ears and cowering at the sound that was assaulting his ear drums, he jogged into the station and headed directly for his gear.

  Two of his coworkers, Brady and Ben, trotted out of the office. “Get a move on, Gayheart,” Ben said, grabbing his own gear from his locker. “The call came from someone who said they saw a lot of smoke up on the north side of Rich Mountain. Isn’t that where your woman lives?”

  Johnny’s heart lurched. “The north side?”

  “Yeah, they said it looked like more smoke than usual.” Brady shrugged on his fireman coat. “Everybody knows there’s always a bit of smoke up there. Someone always has a fire going but I guess it’s not like normal.”

  “I’ve gotta go.” Johnny grabbed his “turn out”, his protective coat that was kept turned inside out so he could easily slip into it, and ran back toward his truck. He had to get to Rose.

  “Hey! We’re going there! Come on, Johnny, jump on the truck!” Ben yelled after him, the siren almost drowning him out.

  Johnny ignored him. It would take the truck too long to maneuver around the treacherous roads that led up to Rose’s place. He could get there faster and he already had some gear in the bed of the truck to fight a small fire.

  The tires smoked when he tore out of the station, squealing and leaving rubber. Rich Mountain was only a couple of miles out of town but the twisting, winding roads that led around the town of Wicked Mountain took much longer to navigate than normal roads. The town sat in the hollow between the two mountains, and the roads flowed through the center, snaking up each mountain wherever there was room to cut them in.

  Johnny’s heart was thumping wildly. He cranked the steering wheel to the right, almost sliding completely sideways as he rounded the curve just outside of town. Turning onto Rough Road, named for its condition, the truck rattled and complained. The pavement gave way to gravel, dust flying in a cloud behind him. That was when he heard a different sort of siren—the kind issued from a cop car. Johnny slapped the steering wheel. “Damn it!” He hit the brakes, sliding to a stop.

  Dust settled behind him. He glanced in his side-view mirror and saw a man in uniform getting out of a sheriff’s cruiser. Shit, I don’t have time for this.

  The officer placed his hat on his head and walked toward the truck. “You were going pretty fast there, buddy. Almost spun out around that curve. You going to a fire or something?” the officer asked, stopping beside Johnny’s open window.

  “As a matter of fact, I am. I’m Johnny Gayheart, a member of the Fire Department, and we’ve had a report there’s a fire up on the north side of Rich Mountain.” Johnny tried to keep the anger at being stopped out of his voice. “I’m in a hurry here. Can you let this one slide?”

  The officer looked up the road, frowning. “A fire, you say?”

  “Yeah, um, I really need to get going.” He wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel, frustration making his stomach roil.

  “Well, I’m sorry this is the way we had to meet, Johnny.” He tipped his hat back. “Hope you don’t mind me calling you by your given name?”

  Johnny shook his head, his lips pressed together. This was not the time for introductions and pleasant conversations.

  “I’m Sheriff Bobby Shepherd. You may have heard of me.” The sheriff smiled and held out his hand.

  John
ny reached out of the window and gave his hand a quick shake. “It’s nice to meet you and all, but I really have to go.” He could hear the sound of the fire truck sirens coming through the hollow below them. “I have to check on someone and I have to do it quickly before this gets out of control.”

  “Someone lives up there, huh? All right, let’s go.” The sheriff started to walk back to his car.

  “You coming with me?” Johnny called out the window.

  “Yep. You might need some assistance.” The sheriff took his hat off his head and opened the door of the cruiser. “Lead the way. I’ll follow.”

  With an exasperated sigh, Johnny didn’t argue. He may need some help. He threw the truck into drive and took off, kicking up dust. He just hoped the sheriff didn’t get too nosey. After all, Rose did have a moonshine still hidden in the woods.

  *

  Sheriff Bobby Shepherd felt the blood moving through his veins but he kept his calm exterior in place while talking to Johnny Gayheart. He was the sheriff and people expected him to stay calm in any situation. A fire though, that was something that made it hard to stay unruffled.

  Following the billowing cloud of road dust kicked up by Gayheart’s truck, Bobby didn’t have a problem keeping up with him. He’d lived over in the next county since he was a child and had recently moved to Racy County. It had amazed him when he had run for sheriff and actually won. Sure, a lot of folks in Racy County knew him, since he had been a deputy over in Croak County but having them all vote for him was a feather in his cap. It might have something to do with the old sheriff, being just that—old. They were tired of the consistent way the old sheriff shoved things under the rug and were ready for some new blood. That had to be it.

  The pickup truck cut into a what looked like a driveway that was nothing more than a break in the tree line and disappeared. Bobby sniffed, catching a whiff of wood burning. Turning behind the truck, he scanned the woods around him. He didn’t see any fire but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.