Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
We all make good use of it, except for maybe Henry who would rather lift a donut box than a dumbbell. He’s forty-eight, married, and two years away from retirement which he constantly reminds us of.
It’s a small station, but this town doesn’t need much. The only action we get is when the boys at The Cracked Barrel Saloon start causing trouble.
We have more than enough with me, Henry, Sheriff Ryland Gray, Cara—our rookie who went full-on traitor when she started dating the chief of the firehouse, and Santino, who mostly keeps to himself.
It’s a pretty easy gig. That’s why I’m considering leaving.
“I heard there was a brawl at the Saloon on Saturday night,” Ryland says as he walks in, stretching his arms.
“There’s always a brawl at the Saloon on Saturday night,” Henry says with a chuckle.
“It was a small one,” I say with a sigh as I get up and add some weight to the bar. “They fled when we rolled up.”
Cara grins at me as she does some bicep curls with the barbells. “They took one look at Emmanuel storming out of the truck and noped the fuck out.”
“Seems you’re getting a reputation,” Ryland says with a laugh. “As long as it keeps the peace.”
I slap a twenty-five pound plate on each side of the bar. I was working with Cara as my partner and was excited for some action, but as soon as we arrived, those pussies hopped on their bikes and took off. Talk about disappointment.
Santino is doing squats on the rack with his big noise-cancelling headphones on. Once he finishes his set, Ryland throws his towel at him.
“What?” Santino says, lifting his headphones.
“We’re supposed to be training together,” Ryland says. “It’s tradition.”
“I’m here,” he says, shrugging his big sweaty shoulders. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem is we’re supposed to be team-building,” Ryland says with a sigh. “You’re ignoring us.”
“I’m not.”
Ryland scoffs. “What were we just talking about?”
Santino grins at Henry. “How Henry hasn’t lifted a weight in the past fifteen minutes.”
Henry throws his towel at him as we all laugh. Santino puts his headphones back on and continues his squats.
“I have a bad knee,” Henry mutters, rubbing it.
“Last week it was a bad elbow,” Cara says, smirking at him. “And the week before that it was a bad back.”
“When you get to my age,” Henry says, shaking his head. “Everything goes bad on you.”
“Oh, please,” she says. “The Sheriff is older than you, and look at him.”
I glance at Ryland as he works out his massive triceps. The guy is a beast. He’s definitely not your average fifty-two-year-old. Ryland is tall and jacked with tattoos running up his muscular arms. The women around town think he’s a total silver fox, although he doesn’t seem to have eyes for any of them.
“You can’t compare me to him,” Henry says, waving his phone around. I can see Candy Crush open on his screen. “He’s a freak. An outlier. Men my age can’t live up to those kind of standards.”
“You have standards?” I say, chuckling.
“Shut up,” Henry says, sticking his tongue out at me. “You’ll see when you get to my age.”
Cara laughs and he turns his ire onto her. “What are you laughing about? You’re a traitor to the force.”
She shakes her head as she puts her dumbells onto the rack and grabs a heavier pair. “Oh please, explain that.”
“Consorting with the enemy,” Henry says, shaking his head. “You’re dating the fire chief of all people.”
Henry is a master at changing the subject and getting the heat off him. Ryland comes over as Cara and Henry start bickering. He stands behind me as I start another set.
“Any news?” he asks between my grunts. “Did you get an offer yet?”
“No,” I lie.
He looks relieved as he lets out his breath. “It will come.”
It has come. I’ve been offered a job with the FBI.
The sinking feeling returns in my stomach as I raise the bar with a grunt. I’m so conflicted. On paper, it’s everything I want. More action, more responsibility, bigger impact. But I don’t know… It just doesn’t feel right.
I’ll have to move—I don’t know to where—but there’s something deep in my gut that’s telling me I’m exactly where I need to be.
I’ve never been away from these mountains for long and I don’t know if I can live without them. The beauty feeds my soul. It’s a part of me. It’s hard to put into words, but any mountain man would understand. These mountains are like another limb. I don’t know if I can survive in a concrete jungle.
But I do need something… My life doesn’t feel complete. It doesn’t feel whole. I just don’t know what that something is.
“They’d be crazy not to take someone like you,” Ryland whispers.
My arms start trembling as I push those last few reps. I go until I can’t lift another inch, and then Ryland grabs the bar and pulls it up with me.