Present Day

Following the tragic death of his beloved Allison, Jake tried to find out if their mission had been compromised. A car getting blown up in the middle of the night was very odd to say the least. Whoever had attacked them had done so using the light from the powerful blast to pinpoint their exact locations. For months, he kept asking his superiors about it and contacted a few friends he still had in Baghdad, in case they had heard something. Despite his persistent phone calls and the numerous questions he posed to his superiors, however, he came up with nothing. His superiors said that Allison was merely another victim of war; similarly, the Iraqis were not of much help, either.

Regardless of the outcome, however, in his heart, Jake knew that he could no longer be a marine. He wasn’t afraid of death; it was a part of the job. After all, he had been through similar situations a number of times in the past. What had really devastated him was the fact that he had failed to protect Allison. Jake had lost his self-confidence. Unable to believe in himself, he thought he was incapable of leading his troops anymore. However, even if he hadn’t, his superiors’ behavior towards him had disgusted him. None of them seemed willing to provide a helping hand and Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that they were hiding something from him. With his entire belief system crashing down around him, he felt like he had no other choice but to resign.

Moreover, upon his return to Boston, he discovered that he could not stay there, either. Jake and Allison had known each other since the tender age of twelve. They had been together since high school. Living in the same place would bring back all of those special memories, which would only add to his misery, and not allow him to put the past behind him. Two days were enough to convince him that he had to leave the city, and go someplace where nothing and no one would remind him of the life he used to have with her. Therefore, Jake made the biggest decision in his life: to go and live in the mountains. More specifically, to live in the small town of Adams, up on Mount Greylock, two hours away from his birthplace.

Noticing the almost complete absence of any bars in the area, Jake took full advantage of the situation. He opened a large, spacious bar and he did what his heart told him: he named it after Allison. In spite of the locals’ objections, he allowed access to everybody, including “The Golden Saviors”, a local motorcycle club. Jake couldn’t afford to choose customers. As loud as they were, a fifteen-large group of bikers was most welcome. Just days after the opening, he learned that he and Clay Marshall, the club president had something in common: The middle-aged man used to be a marine as well. He had served in the Gulf war. Not long after, the two of them became friends, sharing stories from their days of service.

“Allison’s” bar became popular within weeks. The locals liked Jake and the music he played fit everyone’s taste. However, it wasn’t the music that drew the single women of Adams town to the bar like a moth to a flame. Jake was a 30-year old, 6’2”, very handsome man indeed; athletic, soft-spoken and more importantly, single. Most of them visited his bar and tried to flirt with him, but Jake didn’t reciprocate their flirting signals. Swamped with work and still mourning Allison’s loss, he had no time for a relationship. Nevertheless, one of them remained persistent: Deputy Sheriff Holly Hutchinson. More often than not, the 27-year old, beautiful brunette would sit at the bar and try to find out more about him. One particularly cold, mid-February night was no different.

“Okay…” She started, easing her glass down on the counter. “You really have to do something about that thing on your face.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it, Holly.” Jake said with a bit of annoyance is his baritone. “Everyone else in this town has a beard. Why shouldn’t I grow one?”

“Exactly,” Holly exclaimed. “What are you trying to do, blend in?”

“What if I am?” He smirked, pouring vodka into a glass.

“I just think you’d look a lot better without it.” She spoke her mind, her voice much softer as she swirled the straw in her glass. “It makes you look older.”

“I needed a change.” Jake declared. “Not to mention shaving bores me to death.”

“You can try all you want, city boy.” Holly’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “You’ll never become a mountain man.”

“Is that a fact?” He put a little force in his voice, folding his arms across his chest.

“Yes.” She said with a nod, picking up her glass. “Frankly? I like that. It means you’ll always be the refined gentleman you are right now. Tall, handsome…”

“You’re doing it again,” Jake interrupted, in a stiff tone, “and I’m a little too tired to have the same old conversation.”

“What’s the matter?” A cunning smile spread across her face, as she leaned forward: “Captain?” The single word that came out of her mouth had not come as a surprise. Jake had not kept his identity secret and, as a police officer, Holly could gain access to his record. “I’ve known that for a while now. Captain Jake Isaacs; United States Marine Corps.: graduated first in his class; served two tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan; a highly decorated officer, who quit, back in 2014. I’m not going to ask why you quit. I just can’t help but wonder: what in the world is a man like you doing in this godforsaken town? What are you running from, Jake?”

Her question bothered him. The painful moment of Allison’s death flashed through his mind. Jake preferred to drop his gaze from her, squeezing his lips.

“Go home, Holly.” He murmured, grabbing a small towel. “It’s late; don’t you have to be at work tomorrow morning?”

“Actually, tomorrow’s my day off.” She remarked. “Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. I respect that. You said you were tired. Anything I can do to help?”

“Well…” Jake snorted. “You can jump over the counter and help me out with all these glasses.”

“What did you just say?” Her squeaky tone forced him to return his gaze to her face.

“I was kidding.” He sighed. “I mean…”

“That’s a great idea!” She said with a toothy grin on her face as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I can work here on my days off!”

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” He raised his hand to his chest. “I didn’t mean that. It was just a joke.”

“Come on.” Holly made her voice sound sweeter. “I’ve seen how busy you are. This place is packed all the time. Are you telling me you couldn’t use a hand in here?”

“I could.” Jake admitted, unable to deny to himself that she had a point. “It will be strictly professional, though. No more flirting, no more personal questions. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir!” she shouted at him and saluted him, “When can I start?”

“I’d say ‘tonight’, but it’s pretty late already.” He remarked, glancing at the clock on the wall to the left. “When’s your next day off?”

“Friday,” her response was sharp.

“I’ll see you on Friday, then.” Jake smiled. “6pm. don’t be late. Go get some rest. Goodnight.”