Page 24 of Mountain Man Daddy

Avery slumped in relief and slid down the embankment, feeling icy wet snow ride up her back. She dropped the bag to put her face into her hands and began to shake.

“What the hell were you doing out here?” His voice wasn’t the sweet ‘daddy’ voice from the night before or even the gentle but gruff one she remembered from her rescue. He sounded angry—seriously pissed.

“I-I was looking for my purse.” He clomped his boots toward her and reached a hand down, pulling her to her feet by the scruff of his coat.

“Your purse, eh?” He looked down at his backpack with the purse strap hanging out, and she swallowed hard.

“Yeah, I found it.” And then she was suddenly angry. “In your damn root cellar!” She yanked herself out of his grasp and saw his stern expression falter.

“What the hell were you doing in my cellar?”

“Why the hell were you hiding my purse?”

“Because you had a gun. And a lot more cash than any reasonable person should be carrying.”

“So have you contacted the authorities?” she asked defiantly, dusting the snow off her pants. His fists went to his hips.

“No, I hadn’t quite decided what to do with you yet.” He looked away, his jaw set and blew out a breath. There was snow in his beard and on his clothes, too. He’d stumbled in the snow as well. Had he rushed to find her? For the third time, this mountain man had saved her.God, isn’t it time he gives up on me?

“Well, now you don’t have to. I’m leaving!” She picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“The hell you are.” He grabbed the bag and yanked, the zipper ripping open. The contents started to spill and his pictures and cash scattered to the snow. She watched as the big hulk of a man slumped to his knees and collected each picture carefully. His face was twisted in anguish. Avery looked down at the photos clasped in his gloved hands. A blonde woman, breathtakingly beautiful, and another young woman, mousy-haired and too thin were frozen in time.

“Who are they?” Avery fell to her knees next to him to help. His eyes shot to hers, and the cold in them chilled her more than the snow against her jeans-clad legs. She picked up the rest of the pictures and money, handed them to him, and then picked his badge up.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what was in the box. I thought it was money.” His jaw tightened, and he took the badge and shoved it in his pocket. “I found that, too.” He only grunted and his lips drew back in a snarl. “Come on.” He looked around. “Before the damn cat comes back for a second attempt at breakfast.” He grabbed her arm, but she dug her feet in the snow.

“I’m not going with you.” She pulled her purse out of the pack and slung the bag at him. “I can’t stay here.” He let her go to catch the pack she tossed at him, and she started climbing back up toward the road.

“Get your ass back here!” His hand grabbed the back of her jeans and yanked. She slid back easily, the thawing snow crumbling to balls of ice beneath her feet.

“Let me go!”

“I’ve caught you red-handed stealing, and I’m pretty damn sure I’m not the only one you’ve stolen from. I saw the list of names and amounts next to them, including the owner of this Jeep, so you’ll damn well be doing as you told or you’ll have more than the heat of my hand on your ass, you’ll have the RCMP on it. Got me?”

She cursed and struggled but he was too strong, and when he let go of her she fell flat on her face in the slush. She’d spent too much time on the ground in the snow around him. She turned onto her butt to face him.

“You’ll call them anyway, and then I’m as good as dead.” She looked down and stared into the unzipped purse at the gun, her fingers itching to reach for it. She was desperate and she needed him to let her go. She didn’t want to die, but she didn’t want him to die either, so how could she pull a gun on him?

He drew in a breath and held it, putting both his hands on his hips calmly. He looked at his feet before raising his face to hers. His glare turned from hard and angry to dead calm as he released his breath.

“Honey, if you pull that gun on me everything changes.” He adjusted his stance, legs shoulder width apart and his knees slightly bent, as though he was ready for whatever she decided. “I can’t help you once you cross that line, and you’ll have to kill me because I won’t let you go.” He shook his head. “You can’t reimburse dead,” he added, and time stilled for her. He knew she’d kept a record of who she owed. And he seemed to know her well to enough to understand she needed to pay them back.Mike knows me.She closed her eyes. Tears pressed against her lids and her nose tingled with emotion. Like with the moose, she felt the urge to give up. What was the point of fighting? He could have tackled her and taken her down while her eyes were closed, but he didn’t, he let her make her own choice.

“I don’t know your story, but I promise I won’t make any decisions until I do.” His voice was gentle and supportive, and she believed him. She released the gun, pulled her hand out, and raised it along with her other.

“I can’t do it anymore. I can’t.” She wanted to tell him she wished he’d let her die the night of the crash again, but the memory of crying across his lap hit. She didn’t want to die; she just didn’t want to live like this.

“Good,” he said gruffly. Avery opened her eyes and met his, and for a brief second neither of them spoke.

“Mike.” She didn’t finish her thought when his brow furrowed.

“Don’t.” He pointed a finger at her. “We’re going to fix this—allof this. I’m not quitting on you.” He reached down, took her hands, and pulled until she was on her feet. “And it’sDaddy,dammit!”

He waited to release her until she was steady. “You’ll tell me everything right after I tan your ass for running off into danger again, got me? And if you don’t care to share that story, I’ll spank you again and again until you do. And this time it won’t be with my hand.” He turned around and started walking away. “Now get your ass moving.” Gone was the gentle man who had just talked her into trusting him.

“M… Daddy?” She hadn’t moved, and with his back to her she could easily run, but this man, her mountain man daddy, was going help her—even though she had a gun, a list of criminal offenses, and a bag full of stolen cash, most of which was his.

“What?”

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