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Chapter 1

ELLIOT

“Fuck this town” I grunted as I sla rowled as I repositioned one of the split chunks to swing again “Fucking Thickwood” Another powerful swing, the th than I needed to divide up this last cord of wood

I finally lodged the axe in the chopping log, stretching and flexingblock for over an hour and h the stack of hardwood quicker than I expected

That’s what happened when I ell and pissed off about so on all cylinders

As the sheriff of our tiny mountain town, it was up to me to keep the safety of Thickwood’s citizens my top priority So, when the newly elected mayor had popped into the station five minutes before the end ofnew touristthe safety cohtly

I was born and raised in this town, and my desire to protect it was fierce I explained how, before he’d taken office, we’d always done things a certain way around Thickwood, a way that worked for the citizens But all he saas dollar signs, and all I saas red

Before I could say soret, which I had a bit of a reputation for anyway, I kicked hi with the desire to pu

And since destroying the mayor’s face wasn’t an option, I settled for second best: a cord of wood Call me simple, but I liked the life I lived in my cabin at the base of the mountain Surrounded by more trees than people, I was a happy man

The shriek of a red hawk overhead splitsky as another storrowling with the need for so hot and homemade to fill it up To be honest, I was a shit cook

“Fuck,” I o back into town tonight if I wanted soe was empty, just like most days

I swiped my sweaty undershirt from the wood pile and wiped the beadedin to change I was still in my uniform pants, which now smelled like fresh sawdust I probably s in ht

I worked damn hard at the sheriff’s depart a horid wasn’t easy, but I’d rather die than have anything easy My brain fired on all cylinders when a challenge was presented, so buildingcabin with the hardwood harvested from my property was more fun than work

I’d been up here for nearly a decade now, alone every step of the way After a while, the winters grew long and the sun set early, so I got a dog Nors that needed s went The fucker was big and bold enough to survive out in the woods on his own if he had to, and I respected that

I pulled onthe few et back home already I wasn’t really a fan of save me a wide berth and I liked it that way All I needed in life was a cup of black coffee and the silence of nature

I’d spent the first twenty years ofht or wrong I relied on the kindness of folks around town, especially the teachers at school And nowadays, everyone was about easy No one actually believed in hard work and perseverance

I decided I’d never give anyone the chance to walk away froain

One fat raindrop splattered on the windshield of my truck just as I hit Mainstreet and turned into McKenzie’s, the only place to get decent, hot food in Thickwood This tiny establishment was like home to me Hell, it’d been there before I was born

Thickwood gave me roots, especially after my dad passed, and I was left alone No fa dinners and Easter brunches, so I’d always come here

“Elliot, I ondering why you were late tonight The special is s?” Rita beamed as she approached from behind the counter “Sounds perfect, Rita, thank you” I nodded her way “I’ll be in my booth” I headed towards the darkest corner that had a perfect view of the peak of the mountain–my mountain