It was exactly what Karen had said, and just like her, he turned and stormed off, shoulders stiff, boots splashing through puddles as he made a beeline for the silver truck. He yanked the door open, slammed it shut, revved the engine loud enough to rattle the leaves, and skidded backward down the driveway.
The moment he was gone, the mountain exhaled. It wasn't peace—not yet—but the immediate storm had passed.
I lowered my phone and hit stop on the recording.
Randall gave a low whistle. "Someone ought to teach that boy how to pick his battles."
"I'm guessing he learned from his sister," I said.
Randall chuckled. "And she learned from someone even worse."
I raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"That family's been causing problems up and down this ridge for years," Randall said. "Entitlement runs in their blood the way sap runs in a pine tree."
I sighed, wiping the rain from my brow. "This is getting out of hand."
"It's been out of hand," Randall corrected. "But now, now you've got evidence and a whole lot of people willing to back you." He put a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't comforting in a sentimental way, but in a steady, grounding way. "You're not alone up here," he said. "Not anymore."
I nodded, letting that sink in. For the first time since this nightmare began, I felt something new settle inside me—not fear, not anger, but strength. Because now I knew the mountain had my back.
The rain eased into a misty drizzle as Randall and I stood there watching the last echoes of Joey's truck fade down the mountain. The tension didn't disappear; it clung to the air like humidity, but the immediate threat had passed. For now.
Randall gave my porch a long look, then the breaker box, then the damp trail where Joey had emerged. He wasn't a man who liked drama, you could tell. He was the type who preferred fishing rods and quiet mornings—the kind of neighbor every mountain community needed more of.
"You should check inside," he finally said, shifting his weight on his cane. "People like him... sometimes they do stupid things when they're angry."
I didn't argue. We walked inside together.