Walking slowly toward the small-town general store, John “Mac” Miller muttered a quiet curse under his breath. As usual, the local gossip brigade had claimed the benches out front, acting as if their own chores had been finished hours ago. These women lived for the chance to lean in and dissect someone else’s business.
As a long-time state park ranger, Mac couldn’t stand the whispers; the constant prying made his jaw ache. Fortunately, he didn’t have to deal with them often. When the department needed someone to man the remote station deep in the hills, Mac had jumped at the chance. A bachelor with no ties, he had nothing to lose. His choice to live like a hermit was exactly what kept the local rumor mill churning.
To the town, he was a mystery—a capable, fit man who chose isolation over a comfortable life in the suburbs. But Mac hadn’t always been a recluse. Back in his younger days, everyone just called him Johnny. He was a local football star, a hard worker at the family garage, and the most eligible bachelor in the county.
Back then, his heart belonged to a girl named Annie. They were high school sweethearts, and on the night of their graduation, she promised to wait for him while he served his hitch in the Army. She kept that promise perfectly.
When his service ended, Johnny practically flew back to their small mountain town. They didn’t waste any time—they got married at the courthouse, had a modest reception at the VFW, and started building a life together. However, just eight months after the wedding, Annie went into labor unexpectedly.
The boy was small and weak, but the doctors assured them he was healthy, just early. It was in that moment that the first seeds of doubt began to take root in Johnny’s mind. At first, he tried to fight the dark thoughts.
He wanted to believe Annie was incapable of betrayal; their love had always felt solid. But, as is often the case in small towns, “well-meaning” friends were quick to offer their own versions of the truth. They were more than happy to fill him in on how Annie had supposedly spent her time while he was overseas.
And the young, naive Johnny believed them. He felt he had no reason to doubt the source. After all, this bitter pill wasn’t handed to him by a random gossip.
The secret came from his best friend, a man he trusted like a brother…
