Rough Deal (Coming Home to the Mountain)

“You don't even know her,” Graham says.

“I know she is my person.”

Graham stares at me, taking in my intensity. I don’t back down. I know who Prairie is to me. Before we got out of my truck and came into the urgent care, I told her I would do anything she needed, forever. I would be her rock.

“We need to make sure her story is sound,” Graham says. “Make sure nothing she's saying is—”

I growl, cutting him off. “Don't tell me she's a liar. I saw her run through the clearing. It's my duty to protect her. Do you understand?”

Graham is not having it. He shoves me back. “Don't, Rye. Don't make me do something you're going to regret. I'm the law here. You understand? There are helicopters at the cabin that she claims she came from and there are officers already at the scene. Everybody is out there. There's an FBI crew on the way. This is no small matter. This woman has been missing for four years.”

“Were people looking for her?” I ask.

Graham shakes his head. “Apparently, four years ago she aged out of the system. There's been nothing about her since. No one's been looking.”

“And now you're thinking she could be a liar. Fuck you,” I shout at my brother.

“I didn't say she's a liar. Clearly she's been through hell.” He gets a radio call from the Rough Forest. “I gotta take this.”

“Yeah, I bet you do. It's probably the fucking crew up at the cabin corroborating her story. So you should take it and then come back and tell me what you heard.”

Graham glares at me as he leaves and I pull out my phone, calling my father.

“Hey, Dad,” I say.

“How do you have reception at the cabin?” he asks.

“I'm not at the cabin. I'm here at urgent care in Home.”

“Are you okay?”

“Well, something happened.” I briefly explain what's going on.

“That why there are helicopters overhead and news reporters lining up on the streets around town?”

Damn. “I guess this story is a big one.” Already my stomach twists for Prairie. I don’t know how she will handle all of this. How would anyone? “Is Mom with you?”

“No, I've got Cash here. We are just around the corner at the office.”

“Cash?” My cousin Cash Rowdy is with my father on a workday? “What's he doing with you?”

My father clears his throat. “He's working with me, son. I figured with you gone for a few weeks, I might as well call in Cash to lend a hand.”

Why should I be surprised?

I end the phone call, trying to piece together how I feel about Cash taking my place. I love my cousin. Cash is a fuckin asshole, but then again, so am I. And he's a good enough guy. We're the same age and grew up together, just on different mountains. He's Rowdy, I'm Rough, but we're blood through and through.

Dad and Cash show up, same time as Graham makes his way back into the lobby of the urgent care.

“So was Prairie telling the truth?” I ask him, already knowing the answer but I want to make him come out and say it.

Graham nods gravely. “That girl hasn't just been through hell and back. She's been through the goddamn wringer. She wasn't lying about any of it, Rye. She's been chained to a post in a bedroom for years. I mean, officers have only been up there for an hour, but what they've seen…” He shakes his head, losing his words.

“Graham,” my father says. “Looks like you've seen a ghost.”

“Prairie is gonna need some serious help,” Graham says. “And Rye, if you care about her—”

My father looks at me. “Care about her? I thought she was just a girl you found and brought into town for help. What does he mean, care?”