AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Alright, Becca,” I said to myself, trying to keep calm. “Think.”
My thoughts raced a mile a minute. I lifted my phone toward the sky trying to get a signal, but it was fruitless. I was on my own. The deer didn’t fight me to release it, maybe I could coax it into the car?
Slowly I crept closer. “Okay, little one,” I murmured and reached toward her. “I don't know what I'm doing, but we're in this together now. We'll figure it out.”
She shifted but allowed me to gently scoop her into my arms. “Uffda, you’re a healthy girl aren’t you.” She was heavier than I expected but still manageable. I cradled the shivering creature against my chest. I had no idea if she was a girl, but she felt like it.
“We've got this, Rosie.” She seemed like a Rosie. I tightened my grip on the fawn, and she nestled closer to my body.
Striding back to my rental SUV, I carefully opened the door, set the baby deer on the floorboard, and covered it with the jacket I had left back there. I wiggled the phone out of my pocket. Damn, still no signal. I switched to the map app, and there was a ranger station marked on the map. I closed the screen carefully. If it refreshed, I’d be even more lost.
Although I was probably supposed to leave the baby deer alone from a legal perspective,, something deep within me knew that had been her mother on the side of the road. How much trouble would I be in if anyone found out I was harboring a wild animal?
“Ok, sweet girl,” I said very softly. “Let’s go get you some help.” I closed the back passenger door and ran to the driver’s side door as sprinkles fell from the sky.
The car refused to start. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I groaned, hitting my forehead against the steering wheel in frustration. “This is just perfect. Really.”
I glanced at the injured fawn, who let out a soft whine in response to my outburst. “Sorry, little one. Didn't mean to scare you,” I whispered. “We'll figure this out together, okay?”
With no other option, I hoisted the fawn into my arms once more and began walking toward the ranger station. The rain started to pour, and my shoes started sinking into the muddy ground.
“See, this is why I never leave the city,” I muttered to myself as we trudged along. “Nature's great and all, but it's also a pain in the ass.” Here I was, an accountant from Phoenix, carrying a wounded baby deer through the wilderness like some kind of deranged Disney princess. It was almost comical—if it weren't for the very real possibility that we might both be lost forever.
Larger raindrops pelted my face, the sky turning dark and vindictive as if it were conspiring against me. “Oh, come on!” I yelled, half-laughing in disbelief at my terrible luck.
“Can't catch a break, can we?” I asked the fawn, who seemed to shiver a little in my arms. My clothes clung to my body, the mud squelching under my shoes with every step. It was a miserable combination that made me question every life decision that had led me to this point.
“Seriously, what's next? A flash flood? A tornado?” I muttered sarcastically—but secretly hoping I wouldn't jinx myself any further. My back screamed for me to put the baby down, but I suppressed it and continued trudging through the deathly downpour, my focus solely on reaching the ranger station. I couldn’t look at my phone and carry the fawn, so I trusted my instincts and walked in the general direction from the map I’d checked earlier.
After what felt like an eternity, the distant outline of a building finally came into view, and I sighed in relief. With renewed energy, I picked up my pace, the weight of the soaked earth dragging at my feet.
“Almost there,” I encouraged myself, picturing a warm fire and a hot cup of tea waiting for me inside. It was a lovely fantasy, one that kept me going until I reached the front door.
“Hello?” I banged on the front door and called out, my voice desperate and hoarse. I was chilled to the bone, shivering. “Is anyone here?”
The door slowly opened. Oh, thank God.
A tall, muscular man answered the door. He was just a silhouette against the backlit room. “Scooter? Is that you?” A familiar voice boomed, and I froze.
“Connor Wilson?” No fucking way. “God, I hate that nickname.” Of all the places to end up, I found the one place my childhood nemesis lived. He’d spent our childhood teasing me and treating me like an annoyance. Then he grew up to be a hottie in high school, and I’d had an unbearable crush on him. He was the textbook reason it was called a crush—or unrequited love, depending on how epic I was feeling.
“What the hell are you doing here? You look like a drowned rat?” He ushered me inside. Yep, same old Connor, but more handsome than I remembered.
“Nice to see you too, asshole. I could ask you the same thing.” I shot back, my defensiveness kicking in almost immediately but the warmth of the station was more than welcomed.
“Umm. . .I work here now.” He gestured around the room, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Seriously?” I asked, my mind racing to process this unexpected reunion. “I mean, I knew you were gallavanting around the wilderness, but I didn’t think you were getting paid for it.” Especially looking that hot. His uniform hugged him in all the right places, and his package looked well-endowed. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked away. I hadn’t had sex in a few months. Is that what I was reduced to now? Glancing at men’s packages? Fuck, I hadn’t even been discreet about it. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked away.
“Yep,” he confirmed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “So, what are you holding on to?”
I shifted the shivering fawn in my arms. “I found this little one injured and alone. I couldn't leave her out there. I named her Rosie.”
Connor’s expression softened as he inspected the fawn. “Well, I can help you with that. We've got a wildlife rehab center on-site.” He held out his hands and scooped her out of my arms, his massive muscles flexing around her.
“Thanks,” I muttered, grateful for his assistance but unsure how to navigate this awkward encounter.
“Dan,” he said to a tall ranger standing to the side. “Can you take her to see the vet?” Connor handed off my sweet deer to him, who quickly left behind one of the doors.
