Love at Last: Mountain Hearts, #2

By Abby Everheart

She wants to trust again. He needs a mended heart. Can they overcome the trials in front of them, for love?


Evelyn has had enough. It's time for a fresh start with her two sons in the mountains. Here, she hopes to find perspective and new life for herself, and her sons. But she holds a secret, and as the consequences of her choices begin to haunt her, the only one she can trust is her neighbor, Luke.

After a betrayal close to him, Luke wants people to leave him alone to enjoy nature in peace. When he meets two young boys and their protective mother, he knows his plans are going to be put on the back burner, because he would do anything to protect them from the secrets the beautiful and evasive Evelyn holds.

As the past comes back to haunt them both, can Evelyn and Luke let down their guard long enough to find love and safety in each other's arms?


Welcome to the Colorado mountains where every love story has a suspenseful twist and a happily ever after.

Love at Last is the second, complete standalone in the Mountain Hearts series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Platinum Feather Publishing
• Release date: Feb 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201052539

Abby Everheart

Abby Everheart is the nom de plum for a woman who believes everyone should be able to go on adventures and experience sweet romance from their favorite reading chair. Her favorite part of the day is at night after work when she can sit down and put pen to paper crafting characters and stories she hopes you will love.   You can find her at abbyeverheart.com or follow her on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/authorabby or Bookbub @abbyeverheartauthor.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Why are you throwing things, Mom?

Evelyn turned to see her youngest son standing in the doorway to his room, hands over his ears. The large glass bowl she’d thrown lay shattered in a million pieces on the other side of the kitchen, next to the tall man decked out in combat boots and camo pants. Regret instantly clutched at her chest. The news and situation were bad, but she couldn’t show the boys how bad. She couldn’t let them see the knife she had been clutching behind the counter in case her brother-in-law decided to take revenge here and now.

Her older boy, Kyle, stood next to his brother in Star Lord pj’s. His brows were furrowed in a way no child’s should ever be, and she felt like she’d been punched through her rib cage for being the cause of this. In all of the times past, the boy’s father had been the one to cause the big, scared eyes and looks of wariness.

I’m sorry, guys, she struggled to keep her voice low and calm. I got some bad news, but I shouldn’t have thrown that. I didn’t wake you, did I? She went over to them, caressing Jack, her youngest’s, face before ruffling his hair gently. Despite changing her direction, she was acutely aware of every muscle twitch of the man standing across the room.

You did. His big brown eyes looked at her accusingly and she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

Sorry, hun. Try to go back to sleep, okay? She wanted them out of there, now.

He glanced at his usually absent uncle, yawned, and wandered back into his room, apathetic to any reasons why she’d woken him or why the other man was there.

Kyle stayed standing in the doorway, his eyes, the same deep brown as his brother’s, sad as he looked between her and his uncle.

Kyle, is there anything you want to talk about? I can come in and sit with you in a few minutes. Her firstborn didn’t talk about things that bothered him like she wished he would. No one, especially that age, should hold things in like that.

What bad news made you so upset, Mom? Again, his eyes flitted to his uncle, who stood with arms crossed, feet planted in a wide, military stance.

Her sigh was internal. She couldn’t tell him; it would do no good to scare her child and leave him feeling helpless. Heck, she knew that feeling well.

My friend is really sick, and it made me very upset. But I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. I’m sorry.

Oh. I’m sorry about your friend.

Thanks, sweetie. Try and get some sleep, okay? She kissed his forehead and stood with him as he lingered in the door for a minute, before turning and going in. She pulled the door shut before stiffly turning back to the man and walking back over to her place behind the small kitchen isle. Despite knowing that it would do little to help should he decide to attack her, having the object between herself and her ex-brother-in-law helped her get her raging heart rate under control.

Now that you’ve taken it upon yourself to tell me this bad news – she held her head up, meeting his eyes despite trembling legs – I will ask you to leave.

A tick worked in his jaw and he took a step forward. Her hand instinctively went to the knife resting on the platform just below the imitation top of the kitchen isle. He couldn’t see it, but it gave her strength. Her kids needed her.

Gripping the hilt tightly, she placed her other fist on the isle and leaned forward, eyes narrowing intently.

Leave, Seth. Before I have to call the police on you, too. She regretted saying the words as he stalked forward until he was face-to-face with her, the isle seeming puny between them as he leaned over it.

Just like you did to my brother?

Droplets from the vehemently spit-out words smacked her cheeks, but she didn’t flinch or lean back.

He was a criminal, Seth. He deserves to be in jail. She kept her tone cool, and was grateful that after a long nursing career, including three years working with the forensic nurse examiner, she had learned how to mask any trembling in her voice.

Well, sweetie, he’s getting out now. The man leaned back, a smile breaking over his pockmarked face. And I imagine you’ll be one of the first people he’ll want to see.

She wasn’t able to come back with a good response and he laughed, a short, jarring sound, before striding to the door and out, letting it slam hard enough behind him that a picture on the wall rattled alarmingly.

Evelyn rushed forward and locked the door. Realizing she still clutched the knife, she went back to the kitchen isle. With a heavy breath she let go of the hilt of the knife, flexing her fingers to release the tension after the death grip she’d had on it. She braced her hands on the isle in front of her and let her head droop. To her right was the shattered dish. She’d let the weakness of her frustration take hold and had thrown it when finding out her ex was getting out of prison.

The dish had broken into a million little pieces on her kitchen floor, but she couldn’t find the strength to sweep it up. Instead, she slid to the floor, placed her back against the isle, and buried her head in her arms so the boys wouldn’t hear her crying.

If he found her, he would kill her and take the boys. He’d promised as much right before her testimony sent him to jail, and she’d seen the crazy conviction in his eyes. He would go through with it. And now he was getting out. God help her.

The tears didn’t abate but she pushed herself to her feet anyway, trying to keep her sniffles quiet. She strode to her laptop, flipping it open. Time to find a new place to call home. Time to make a new life. Somewhere far from here.

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Luke glowered at the massive logs in front of him. They had been delivered while he was preoccupied with the plans for his cabin, and now he couldn’t yell at the drivers that this crap wasn’t what he’d ordered.

Like it or not, he wasn’t going to send the wood back at this point. Way too much work. He’d make do, but heck, these were massive compared to what he’d ordered. Did those diddly brains at the lumberyard think he was building a log mansion? All he wanted was his eight-hundred-square-foot rustic cabin away from everyone to live in peace. The house he’d built for his wife wasn’t a place he wanted to live in anymore. It sat down the hill, cold and bare since he’d cleaned out everything from it, selling as much as he could. The addition he’d started because Rebekah had wanted it was unfinished, plastic still hanging to separate the construction space from the already finished living space. As far as he was concerned, it could stay that way until ghosts took up residence and haunted anyone trying to make it a livable place.

He made a disgusted noise in his throat and threw his hammer at the wood. He’d figure out the dimensions he needed to cut for his plans and deal with this mess later. Time to get lost in the woods for a while. His favorite thing to do. The only thing he really wanted to do lately, and he’d come to terms with that. Some would say he’d gotten even more sullen and withdrawn since the whole Rebekah incident, but he disagreed. He just liked the solitude. His cousins, Robin and May, visited him, and he went to have beers once every few months with an old army buddy. He used to be outgoing, but the past had taken its toll. He shook his head…if only he could leave the past there. But bitterness and an unwillingness to let go made hurts cling to him like flies to a rotting animal in summer.

He flung his truck door open harder than necessary and it bounced against the hinges, smacking into his back and causing a string of curses from him as he pushed it away and again leaned into the truck. Grabbing a pouch full of survival equipment – after Afghanistan, he didn’t even drive to town to get groceries without it – and his rifle, he stepped back and slammed the door shut.

Rifle strapped to his back – he always carried one in case of bears or cougars – he headed up the hill behind his new building site. The weight on his back brought comfort. An ironic sensation, since the days that he’d learned to use a sniper rifle in the Army Rangers were ones that presently caused him to break out into sweats and sleep less and less during the night.

The wild brought him peace. Animals didn’t kill each other for the complex and sometimes downright insane reasons humans did. They did it to eat, to survive, and to continue their species.

A forty-five-minute hike from his cabin would land him at a stunning lake where he could enjoy his favorite activity of fishing for hours on end, the soothing presence of nature and the sound of wind ruffling the water the only thing around him. Fortunately for him, the area was rarely visited by anyone else as none of the popular ATV and dirt bike trails took people through the national forest to that area.

It wasn’t fifteen minutes into his ascent behind his place up the gradual mountain incline when he stilled, listening. Noises that were decidedly not of nature – well, not of the forest at least – came to him. The crunch of foliage and dead branches under shoes, and a child’s voice.

Kyle, I think we’re lost.

It sounded like a young child, and while Luke was tempted to continue on his way and leave whatever camper’s kids that had wandered away from their parents to find their own way back, he couldn’t bring himself to leave kids alone in unfamiliar territory. He turned and headed toward the voices.

No, I’m pretty sure the house is this way. Another child’s voice, this one seeming a bit older, came to him.

We’re lost! This time it was shouted.

Shush, you big baby. I know where we’re going.

Luke followed the voices, circling so when they came into view, he was above them on the hill. Two young boys wandered in the general direction of west. He didn’t recognize them, and their clothing indicated whoever had dressed them had no notion of quality over fashion. Boys should be in sturdy jeans, not those cheap-materialled fancy jeans that now seemed to bear more than a couple of holes. Luke guessed the tears came from their little impromptu adventure. He wondered what moron city-slicker campers they belonged to. The little one stumbled on an aboveground root and Luke felt a protective tug in his chest. He needed to help these kids out; he’d want the same done for his kids if he’d been able to have the boys he wanted.

Hey. The boys both whirled, the smaller one flailing his arms and then falling on his butt. Luke felt bad he had barked it the way he had when he saw the instant fear in their eyes. Lips trembling, the boy who was still on the ground scooted backward and closer to his brother before scrambling to his feet.

I didn’t mean to startle you. But I can help you find where you’re camped. He eased his voice down a notch in an attempt to come off as friendlier. He was aware of his deep baritone but hadn’t thought it would intimidate them so much. The round eyes and frightened expressions informed him his success rate was nil at this point. He tried again. Lots of tourists and campers get lost up here, no worries. Where did you start off from?

Neither spoke, staring at him as if he was suddenly going to turn into a bear. Fine. He crossed his arms. He’d been a sniper, he could easily wait until these two came around and provided information so he could steer them back to their parents. And away from his place, which is where they’d have ended up at if they’d kept moving in the same direction they’d been heading. He didn’t need kids wandering around his stuff and probably getting hurt, and then he’d get sued by inattentive parents because their kids trespassed in their exploring.

We’re not campers, the little one finally said.

Ah, so you do speak English. Do you live around here then? He frowned. They would have had to have wandered quite a way to get here if they lived in the area. No one besides himself lived on this country road.

Of course we speak English. The younger retorted, puffing out his tiny chest and crossing his arms in front. Luke’s lips twitched at the false bravado. He kept the smile to himself.

You can point us the way home? The older boy still regarded him cautiously.

I can do better than that. I’ll take you that way, if you’ll tell me where it is you live.

It’s a cabin over, um, I think the road is Pine? Or something.

Luke frowned again. Sure, there was a cabin over there. Jessie and Dan Moot had owned it for ages. But they had gotten too old to keep coming up to this elevation without feeling the effects, so they hadn’t been there for at least three years. Had they sold it? Either way, he knew the boys wouldn’t know, so he nodded in the right direction and started out.

Follow me or stay lost.

They scrambled after him.

A few minutes later he glanced back to ensure they were keeping up with his long strides and met the eyes of the older boy. An odd sensation nestled in his chest, and as he returned his gaze forward, he internally shook off the feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time he helped these young boys.

Chapter 2

Evelyn’s back ached. It wasn’t as if they had a ton of stuff they’d brought with them, but hauling in a bookcase, dressers, and three beds – a bunk bed, which she counted as two, and a full – by herself hadn’t been the most pleasant exercise she’d ever undertaken. Nevertheless, the house was in order.

Hands on hips, she surveyed her work. They had only some camping chairs in the living room but for now it would have to make do. She hadn’t had time to make a lot of arrangements, and it had been expensive enough just purchasing this little place.

But worth it, she stated, nodding to herself. This place gave her peace. Away from the drama, a place for the boys to explore the outdoors. It had occurred to her that she could have picked some dirt-cheap place in Oklahoma or some other state like that to go to, but she had some familiarity with these beautiful Colorado mountains, thanks to many a summer trip here when she was growing up, and it made her feel safe to know the area somewhat. Most importantly, she’d quickly gotten a job at the hospital here. As a veteran surgical nurse, she had the skills and experience they had been looking for and was hired on the spot.

Stretching for a moment, she let out a long breath, eyes closed. It had been just under a month since she’d received the news that her ex was getting out of jail – seventeen years early. His promises of violence had rung in her mind every day. Until now. Finally, with her new home in a new town far from him, she felt that tension ease. He wouldn’t find them here. Her babies were safe.

I refuse to raise my boys in fear. Her mom had been a fearful and reactional parent, and while she loved her mom, she refused to be like her or raise her boys the way she had.

Her decisions were solid, not fear-based. She’d looked at the schools, the environment, all of it, before making the decision. The schools here were pretty good, and her boys had loved the outdoors when they’d had the opportunity to get out and enjoy them. It hadn’t been often, and the memory of Kyle as an eight-year-old exclaiming that the park near their house was sad compared to the forest they’d visited before, may have spurred her into looking for a