Cullen

by Anna Joung

  CULLEN

  Mountain Man, 2

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Anna Joung – All rights Reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Table Of Contents

  Description

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Epilogue

  Also By Anna Joung

  About The Author

  Description

  Cullen Price has a dark past that he can never escape. Pain and anguish follow him everywhere, even in the mountains where he maintains his distance from society. He believes he will never love again. That is until she comes crashing into his life.

  Riley Green is a single mom working as a nurse. Despite the pain of her parents kicking her out, she is supported by her sister and aims to be the best role model for her daughter. If only she could fix this gnawing feeling that she’s missing something.

  After Riley finds herself stuck in the sleepy mountain town of Chester, she is welcomed in by the fire chief, Cullen Price. Although mysterious and hardened, she soon warms to him and she finds herself in town longer than expected. When a fire breaks loose, she wonders if she’s lost everything. Cullen might be a firefighter but he’s the one who needs rescuing from his past – is Riley able to break through?

  Prologue

  Riley

  Drumming my fingers against the steering wheel, I watched as the first fat drops of rain splattered against my windshield. Sighing, I turned onto the highway and put my foot down to speed up. I watched as the world whizzed by in a blur of trees and concrete as the first strains of my favorite song floated out from the radio. I began to sing along, my eyes focused on the road.

  After another half hour I finally spotted the first sign displaying the small mountain town of Chester. The same Chester that contained the vintage shop, Beltline Fad, in which my older sister had placed an order. Despite getting in early that morning from my shift at the holiday, I had decided to take a few days of, one of which I had dedicated to picking up my sister’s order as a small token of gratitude for all the help she had given me recently.

  Looking down, I noticed I still had my bag from work stuffed into the footwell of the passenger’s side. The sleeve of my blue nurse’s scrubs peaked out from the partially unzipped bag and it still made me proud to look at it. Despite the difficult start, I had managed to battle through my degree and qualified for my dream job as a nurse. I was lucky to get a job at my local hospital, Kearney Trust Hospital, where I had already spent countless shifts. It finally seemed like my life was pulling together even after everything my mother had said to me after kicking me out the house. I felt like she would start to feel proud.

  Yet again it all came back to the support of my sister. If she hadn’t of taken me and Isabella in, I would have never managed to achieve all I had today. That’s why I didn’t mind driving hours to go collect her order, I knew Isabella was in safe hands. I just wish I could shake the feeling that something was missing. I just couldn’t quite place my finger on it.

  I was snapped from my daydreaming as the radio switched mid-song to the news. I listened as the radio host announced the oncoming storm and recommend everyone to find shelter. Staring out into the night, I started to panic, hoping that I would reach Chester in time and be able to head back before the storm hit. As I started to speed up, I noticed the rain start to come down harder, shifting into a sheet of water that I was driving through. Taking a deep breath, I pushed forward, determined to make it to my destination before closing time at Beltline Fad.

  And then I can find somewhere to hole up in until the storm blows over. Better safe than sorry, right?

  I finally found my exit off the highway, leading straight towards Chester. I had checked online earlier to determine the best route for the trip and knew that this road would lead me directly through town. It was rather a quaint town, I had looked at some photos with Isabella, and we had both found it incredibly charming. I hoped one day I would be able to move to somewhere like Chester, away from all the rabble of town and all the people looking down their nose at me.

  The storm announcement went over the radio again and I knew I wouldn’t have much choice with returning home that night. I hoped the owner of the vintage shop could point me in the direction of somewhere to stay when I picked up the order. In the meantime, I thought it best to call my sister.

  “Hey, Amy, how’s everything at home?” I asked the instant she answered.

  “It’s fine. After all these years and you still panic about leaving Isabella alone. She’s not a baby anymore. Have you made it to Chester yet?”

  “Not yet,” I paused for a moment, “I may need you to look after Isabella tonight, they’ve announced a storm over the radio and they’re recommending everyone find shelter. I’ll pick up your order and find a motel or something.”

  “Are you crazy?” she yelled down the phone, “Screw the order and find somewhere now. The clothes can wait, your safety cannot. Are you nearby anywhere?”

  “The nearest town is Chester; I’ll find somewhere straight away. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  “Don’t be silly. Be safe and I’ll speak to you soon.”

  “Bye.”

  The line went dead as she hung up. I focused back on the road just as the rain began pounding down, the sound drowning out the radio as it battered the roof. It was becoming increasingly more difficult for me to see and I felt the bile raising up in my throat as I realized how much danger I was in. The windshield wipers frantically attempted to clear the screen but it made no difference. I got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach just before I heard the crunch as the front of my car collided with the tree. The car swerved out of my control as it skidded across the sodden ground, my foot driving hard into the brakes whilst my hand tugged at the emergency brake.

  Everything went black.

  Chapter 1

  Cullen

  My back was aching as I finished checking the equipment. The day shift had left it in a complete mess and I’d buckled in for the night to clean up. As the fire chief, I knew it wasn’t really my job but I hated to be the person stuck behind a desk all day. I’d rather be out there helping people like I’d always done. Not far from me was Liam, my assistant chief, who was covering the nightshift and helping me sift through the chaos.

  “Boss, we really have got to get these guys in line. If neither of us are on a shift, then it’s complete chaos. Have you talked to the captains?”

  “I’ll have another word with them,” I grunted in response, “Can you go check the back whilst I finish up here?”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  I watched as he quickly walked from the room. He was good at his job and that’s why he had made it up the ladder so quickly. Some of the other guys didn’t agree with my decision but then again, I didn’t see eye-to-eye with many people nowadays.

  Ever since…

  I heard the loud crunch of metal over the sound of th
e rain hurtling against the ground. Not stopping to think, I threw my clipboard to the ground and ran out the open doors of the apparatus bay into the street. My clothes were instantly soaked as I tried to shield my eyes and I ran towards the direction of the noise. It took a few minutes of blindly running about until I found the vehicle. A small sedan lay nestled in the side of a tree. The car didn’t look too bad other than the hood being crumpled from impact. Still, I sprinted towards the car and threw open the driver’s door. Inside was a woman, moaning and clutching her head.

  “Ma’am, are you okay? Are you injured?” I asked.

  “I’m fine. I just hit my head and I think I blacked out for a second but it was just the shock,” she mumbled.

  “That might be the adrenaline talking. Are you able to walk?”

  I watched as she unclipped her seatbelt before rolling from her seat. Her feet touched the ground and she sat for a moment. Offering my hand, she accepted my help as she rose to her feet. The rain pelted us as we ran for the cover of the station. Ducking into the shelter, I slicked my hair back and wiped the excess water from my face to get a better look at the woman I had rescued from the car.

  I felt my body tighten as I looked into the face of the woman standing before me. Her skin was a gorgeous tan which combined with her silky black tresses led me to believe she came from a Hispanic background. Dark brown eyes peeped out from underneath long sodden lashes as we stared at each other. It was then she gave me a sparkly smile, her perfectly formed pink lips making way for her white teeth. Everything about her attracted me, it was as though I had been placed under her spell from the moment I saw her.

  “Thank you for saving me. I didn’t know where I was,” she clutched a hand to her head.

  I quickly ushered her to a nearby seat whilst I grabbed the first aid kit. I knelt down in front of her and pulled out a flashlight. She squinted as I shone the light into her eyes before sitting still as I checked to see she was focusing on the light and her pupils were constricting.

  “How are you feeling now?” I asked gently.

  “I think I’m okay, don’t worry, I won’t be falling asleep anytime soon. Although I’m getting rather cold. I don’t mean to be a pest but…”

  “No, of course,” I quickly jumped up, “I’ll get you a towel and some spare clothes. You can use my office at the back to get changed.”

  Running off, I found an oversized shirt and a couple of towels. Slinging them over my arm, I rushed back to find Liam crouching near to her and speaking.

  “Here you go ma’am,” I gave her the shirt and towel, “Unfortunately, I don’t think I can find any pants in your size. Will you be okay in this shirt for now? I can look for something else but it should come down pretty low.”

  She laughed, “I think my modesty is the last of my problems right now. My sister is going to kill me when she sees what I’ve done to the car.”

  “Don’t worry, we have a top-notch car mechanic in town. Liam, could you give Cillian a call and ask him to make his way down to the station as a matter of urgency? Remind him to be careful on the roads and to bring his tow truck, his bike won’t hack it in these conditions.”

  “I’m on it, boss,” Liam disappeared from the room.

  “I’ll show you to my office where you can change.”

  The woman followed close behind me as I directed her to my office. I switched the light on for her, grabbed my bag from the side and closed the door behind me so she could change in privacy. I made my way to the locker room and quickly got out of my wet clothes, drying myself, before changing into my dry civvies. Once done, I dashed back to the office just in time as she opened the door and stepped out. She had kept on her sneakers and the large shirt hung loosely down to her lower thighs. Even so, I couldn’t help but admire the long curve of her tanned legs, so smooth and toned.

  “I apologize, I haven’t even introduced myself,” I held out my hand, “My name is Cullen Price. I’m the fire chief here at Chester fire department. I’m sorry we had to meet in these conditions but it is a pleasure to meet you nonetheless.”

  Her dainty hand shook mine as she replied, “Pleasure to meet you too, Cullen. My name is Riley Green and I’m a nurse at one of the hospitals across state. I really can’t thank you enough, I’ve never crashed before.”

  “That bend is dangerous on the best of days, let alone in a storm like this. May I ask what you were doing out in this weather?”

  A blush spread up to her cheeks as she replied, “Well, I had to come into Chester to pick up an order for my sister at a vintage shop. I didn’t bother to look at the weather report and it wasn’t until the storm was announced on the radio that I knew anything about it. I had hoped to make it to town in time to find shelter but instead I skidded into that tree.”

  Before I could respond, Liam came striding into the room, “Cillian Carter is here, boss. It doesn’t look like good news.”

  I followed my assistant chief back to the apparatus bay, Riley close behind. There I found the man brooding, his eyes hidden beneath his furrowed brow. Upon seeing me, he gave me a nod before we shook hands.

  “This is Mrs. Green…” I began.

  “Miss,” she interjected.

  I looked down at her and something flickered between us. I was about to analyze the moment when Liam cleared his throat next to me and I was brought back to the conversation at hand.

  “Uh, yes, Miss Green. She spun out and hit the tree. The damage doesn’t look too bad from what I saw but I was focused on getting her out. Any chance of her sedan being up and running tonight?”

  “No chance,” Cillian was direct, “It looks like she might have damaged the engine slightly and I can’t examine it properly from outside. I’ll have to take it back to the shop and get a proper look under the hood. You can try swinging by tomorrow morning and I’ll let you know if I can get her fixed up. In the meantime, I don’t think anyone is going anywhere tonight.”

  “Oh, gosh. I hope I haven’t completely wrecked my car. Okay, I’ll leave it in your care. Thank you so much,” Riley smiled graciously at the mechanic.

  He nodded before turning and heading out. He had never had a way with words, and it had taken a long time for his roots to start spreading in the community. I knew the man was a wizard of all vehicle mechanics and the car was in capable hands. Now it was just a matter of finding Riley a place to stay.

  ***

  Riley

  I’m pretty sure I hadn’t imagined that moment between me and the fire chief. There was something in the way he looked at me. I’m sure of it.

  “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll make us all some coffee to warm us up. All the other guys are out in the breakroom so we shouldn’t be disturbed,” Cullen spoke.

  Following his instructions, I sat down in the chair I had been in when I first entered the fire department and the chief had checked my eyes. I could feel the eyes of the other man firmly planted on my back as I walked over.

  “Liam Foster,” he strolled over, “I didn’t tell you my name earlier. I’m the assistant chief here in Chester. I’m glad the chief found you, I know he can come across as quite brutish but he has a knack for saving people. That’s where he got to where he is today.”

  I listened to him drone on. He had the typically pretty boy look going on with the blonde hair neatly gelled to the side and baby blue eyes that were undressing me as I sat. Uncomfortable under his scrutiny, I tugged at the ends of the shirt down to ensure they were covering my dignity. I realized my mistake as this only drew his eyes to my thighs and I watched with mild disgust as he ran his tongue along his lower lip.

  “So, you’re going to need to hole down for the night, huh? I’m guessing you don’t know anyone in town. I can offer you a stay at mine, if you like? The bed is exquisite, I can guarantee a good sleep. Not to mention I have a bar at home, anything you like, I can serve up. I’m sure after the trauma you’ve been through you could do with a drink or two.”

  My skin began to prickle a
t thought of spending the night at Liam’s house. I knew exactly what his intentions were, and I had no inclination to fulfil them. I was trying to fathom an excuse when Cullen came striding in, three coffees balanced on a tray.

  “There’s no need for that, Liam, she can stay at mine. I have a spare bedroom she can use and I’m pretty sure Miss Green wants nothing more than a good night sleep right now as opposed to the drinking fest I’m sure you have planned out,” his voice held a tint of agitation behind it.

  “But you don’t let anyone in that room, not after…” Liam began.

  I watched as Cullen stared daggers at him, raising his hand to silence him. No words were spoken as he distributed the coffees and he had taken a long sip.

  “Would you be okay with those arrangements, Miss Green?” he asked.

  I thought about being in this man’s house. This dominant, demanding man, bristling with mystery. Even under his loose t-shirt, I could see him muscles bulging, his hair messily pushed back and his dark green eyes analyzing me.

  “Please, call me Riley,” I replied, “And that would be great. I don’t want to be a bother though; I can always find somewhere to stay.”

  “It’s fine,” he grunted, “I can take you over to Cillian’s shop tomorrow to check out the state of your car.”

  I nodded, sipping my coffee as I thought about a night at the fire chief’s home.

  Chapter 2

  Cullen

  I had left Riley in the apparatus bay as I went back to my office to grab my bag and ensure everything was locked up. I checked the filing cabinets and tidied away the loose papers on my desk before I slung the bag over my shoulder and turned the lights off. I was just about to leave when Liam nudged me back into the office.

  “What are you doing? Riley is waiting for me,” I questioned.

  “I wanted to check you knew what you were doing,” he replied.

  “What are you on about?”