Page 10 of Claimed By The Mountain Man

She seems down and lost in her thoughts. We eat the rest of our dinner in silence, and when I stand to clear the plates, I notice how exhausted she looks. Her eyes droop, and I bet she could fall asleep right here at the counter.

“Why don’t you head up to bed? I’ve got this,” I tell her gently.

“Oh, I can help,” she protests.

I shake my head. “Go get some rest.”

She gives me a grateful smile. I wonder when was the last time someone took care of her.

Did she ever have that? It doesn’t sound like it.

It’s time for me to fix that. Maybe that’s my way to show her that we belong together.

I watch as she heads upstairs, then turn back to the kitchen. Maybe tomorrow we’ll go into town and order the part for her car. It would be better to look at getting her a newer car, one that’s safer and more reliable. I wonder if she would fight me on that. Probably.

I call Hudson as I clean up, but he doesn’t answer. I’m sure he’s busy with Hazel. We can talk tomorrow.

Turning off the lights, I move quietly up the stairs and into the bedroom. Scout is passed out on one side of the bed, her breathing deep and slow. I watch her for a moment, smiling as I study her.

Today was a good start at making her mine. Tomorrow will be even better. It has to. I can’t lose Scout. Not ever.

5

Scout

I wake up and frown when I see sunlight.

Shit! I’m so late!

I jerk up in bed, and that’s when it hits me. I’m not at home. I’m in Carter’s cabin. I remember all the details of last night and collapse back against the mattress.

Usually, I’m up before the sun, already headed to job number one at the café. I wonder if they’re worried about me. I’ve never missed a shift or not called if I wasn’t going to be in.

Will they look for me? Would anyone back home even miss me or care that I was gone? I didn’t really have any friends there, just colleagues. Would they all assume that I moved or found a better job?

That’s a depressing thought, and I push it away. I look over to Carter’s side of the bed, but it’s empty. He must already be up.

When I roll over, throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I spot my phone charging on the nightstand. Carter must have found it in my car and brought it in for me.

I love how he’s always looking out for me, thinking about me and what I might want or need. It’s foreign to me, and it’s sad that I couldn’t get that from my family, but I can from a complete stranger.

I hurry to grab my phone and tense when I see all the missed calls and messages from my father. They start out with him pretending to be worried, asking where I am and if I’m okay, but it doesn’t take long for them to become angry and desperate.

Dad: Scout, you have to come back.

Dad: Get your ass back here right now!

Dad: Do you have any idea what they’ll do to me? Get back here!

Dad: Just marry Leonard! It’s not like anyone else will ever want you!

I close out of his messages and bring up my best friend’s number. I hit dial, praying that Hazel answers.

“Hey!” Hazel greets me, sounding like sunshine. “How are you?”

I sigh. “I’m screwed.”

“What? What does that mean?”