Page 20 of Claimed By The Mountain Man

“You too,” she says.

We hang up, and I chew on my bottom lip. I know what Hazel said. I know Carter isn’t going to kick me out, but I also know I can’t live in limbo forever. I don’t want to move away from Hazel or Carter, but I can’t put the burden of keeping me safe on them. I can’t live in fear or hiding forever.

I pull up the internet on my phone and go to a job site. I set the search for anywhere far away from here and apply for any job that sounds interesting or that I have experience with. Coffeeshops, restaurants, customer service, warehouses, and everything in between.

“Hey, dinner is done,” Carter says.

I look up, smiling faintly as I tuck my phone into my pocket and stand. “Sorry, I meant to come and help you.”

“No worries. How’s Hazel?”

“She’s good. She said my dad showed up at their place this morning. He was all beat up and looking for me.”

“Shit,” Carter groans.

“Yeah, she said Hudson scared him off, but I doubt that will stop my dad for long. He’s desperate now. He can’t pay Leonard back and has nothing else to offer him.”

“That’s on him,” Carter says. “That’s his mess to figure out.”

“I know,” I say as we sit down at the counter to eat.

“What else is going on with Hazel?” Carter asks, trying to lighten the mood.

“Um, I’m not sure. We mainly talked about my dad.”

“What were you doing when I came in?”

“Applying to jobs,” I mumble.

“Here in Wolf Valley?”

“Uh, no,” I admit.

Carter tenses next to me. “Where?”

I shift in my chair. “All over, really. Some in Michigan, Mississippi, Florida. Anywhere that’s not close to here.”

“Scout, you don’t have to leave⁠—”

“I can’t let you just keep paying for me to stay here.”

“I told you, it’s not a problem.”

“It is for me,” I snap.

Carter is quiet.

I take a deep breath. “I can’t keep hiding out,” I tell him softly. “I hate this living-in-limbo crap. I want a plan. I want to know I’m safe.”

“You are here.”

“I know, but I’m not really living. I’m still just surviving here.”

His face falls.

“Once my car is fixed, I’ll pick a place and start driving. Maybe I’ll have heard back from one of the jobs by then.”

He stares at his plate.