Page 12 of Claimed By The Mountain Man

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, Scout. I’m here for you if you need anything. Money, a place to stay, someone to help bury a body…”

“I’ll let you know.” I laugh. “I should go, but I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know if I see or hear from your dad.”

“Thanks. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

We hang up, and I take a deep breath, then stand and head out to find Carter. I don’t have to go far. He’s downstairs in the kitchen, making pancakes.

“Morning,” I greet.

He smiles as he looks over at me. “Good morning. You’re just in time.”

My stomach growls as I slide onto the same stool as last night, and he sets a plate stacked with pancakes down in front of me.

“How did you sleep?” he asks as he slides onto the stool next to me.

“Great. Your bed is so comfortable.”

“Good.”

“I, uh, I called my friend this morning. She lives nearby. Actually, I think that you know her.”

“Really? What’s her name?”

“Hazel. She said you were her boyfriend’s best friend. Hudson?”

He looks surprised. “I am. Crazy that you wound up here.”

“I know, right? I got her caught up to speed. She said I could stay with them, but I don’t think that’s safe. She’s the first place my dad will look to find me.”

Carter nods, seeming relieved that I turned down Hazel’s offer. I wonder why he wants me to stay.

“I can go if you want me out of your hair,” I offer.

Carter shakes his head instantly. “No, you’ll be safer here. You can stay forever,” he says around a mouthful of pancake. “So, what do you want to do today?”

I chew on my bottom lip, debating my options. I don’t want to leave in case my dad or Leonard’s men spot me. “Would you mind if we just stayed here today?”

“Sure, we can do whatever you want.”

I relax as I take a bite of pancake.

“It’s weird not being at work,” I say after a beat. “Usually, I would already be halfway through my shift at the café.”

“Did you like working there?”

I shrug. “It paid the bills.”

“So, no then,” Carter deduces.

I laugh. “No, not really. I don’t even drink coffee, and I hate the way it smells, so that place was kind of my nightmare.”

We relax into easy banter. Carter tells me about growing up with Hudson and the trouble they got into. We talk about my many jobs, the ones I liked and the ones I couldn’t stand. We clean up breakfast and relax on the couch, watching TV. I insist on cooking lunch, and we laugh as we eat and hang out.