Page 36 of Mountain Man Daddy

“Thanks for dinner, Annie, but I think it’s time I take this little one home before she falls asleep on the ATV.” Avery’s heart somersaulted at the word home. There was no other place she felt more at home than on his mountain.

“Thanks, Annie. I enjoyed your company so much.” She yawned and leaned into Mike as he put his arms over her shoulders.

“You come back any time he gets too grumpy unless he’s fixing to tan your backside, then stay away. If you come here I’ll only offer to help.” Annie narrowed her eyes at Mike. “And you better be sweet to her too, Yukon. I adore this girl.”

Avery didn’t fall asleep on the way back, but she could have. Rocky met them at the bottom of the mountain and ran back with them half the way before he became distracted by something and bolted off after it.

“Come on, little girl, let’s get you tucked in. Tomorrow’s a big day.” He wrapped his big arms around her and helped her off the ATV. The ground was mucky and slippery. The snow had melted faster than she’d expected.

“A big day?” she asked, looking up at him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“We’re going to figure out what’s going on and straighten it out.” He helped her out of her coat and hung it on the peg and did the same with his own. He bent to his knee and helped her get her muddy boots off. He looked up at her as he untied his boot.

“Off you go now. Get ready for bed.”

“Will you stay with me again, Daddy?”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

* * *

The next morning, she woke to an empty bed. She could hear Mike outside, chopping and piling logs. She stretched, testing her body, listening to the sound of him working. It felt good. Although she still ached in places she hadn’t before, most of the pain from the accident was gone. The places where Annie removed her stitches itched, as she said they would, but that was easily ignored too.

Her mind was on what the day would bring. How did Mike plan to get her out of the mess? Nervousness slithered in her belly. He was retired RCMP and probably had friends, but could it all go wrong? Could she end up in jail? Or worse, in the hands of her husband’s killers? Panic started to build, so she rose from the bed. She had to trust Mike. That was all she could do. Running for the rest of her life wasn’t an option.

Avery showered, dressed, and made the bed. Feeling antsy still, she dusted, swept the cabin, and cleaned the bathroom. When she finished, and saw nothing left to do, she pulled down the oats to start breakfast. As soon as her hands were still, she started gnawing on her nails.

Oatmeal bubbled in the pot on the stove, and she found some apples and sunflower seeds for the top. She watched Mike and Rocky outside in the sunshine through the kitchen window. A calm seeped in that hadn’t been abated by the busywork, and she set down the knife to watch.

They were quite the pair. Each doing their own thing but always checking on the other. The steady chop-crack and Mike’s form also soothed her anxiousness. He was a man who did what had to be done without question, or resistance, even if that meant protecting her.

Mike wore only a t-shirt. His sweatshirt and coat lay across a log, and when he stopped to push his dirty blond waves behind his ears, the hair at his temple was damp. She made a pot of coffee, fighting the heat that blossomed inside her. What if this was their last day together? What if he straightened everything out and said she could leave? Melancholy mingled with her desire for the man she called Daddy—hermountain man daddy.

The storm was gone and her body pretty much healed, so what would happen if there was no one to run from? Would he make her leave after everything they’d been through, or did he want more? She was falling for him and the thought of things ending made her anxious. After everything she’d been through, her uncertain future with Daddy terrified her. She wanted to let go, be entirely his, and she wanted to feel his hands on her again—to make love. The coffee was done, and she stopped her obsessing to make him a cup. Hot and black. No fuss like the rest of his life. And here she was nothing but a fuss.

The air was sweet and moist, and the sun shone down and heated her skin. The birds sang, and Rocky chased something off in the distance again—this time with less purpose. Tears sat just below the surface as she watched Daddy swinging his ax. He banged it into the block when he saw her coming with the mug, a smile hiding in his beard.

She could see his smile in the twinkle and spray of laugh lines around his eyes. He took the steaming cup from her hands and kissed her cheek. It was a simple gesture that both warmed and chilled her. The future was opaque, and yet her feelings for him had never been clearer.

“Mm, I could get used to this treatment, you know.” He winked at her, making her tummy both flutter and sink. It hit on her exact insecurities. Would he want her to leave after everything was over? Wasn’t that what she’d wanted—to leave, head further east, and see the places she’d always wanted to?

“I guess you could.” She looked around. “I still think it’s lonely out here. I like a little solitude, but this is a bit more than I’m used to. I don’t know how you stand it.” She grimaced. “And that shower…” Looking up at the mountains around her, she breathed in deep. “It’s is beautiful though. Nothing compares to the stunning beauty.”

“I know something that compares.” While her tone had been forlorn, his was lighthearted. She probably shouldn’t have read into it, but she did. Was he happy their time together was coming to an end? If only she had the guts to come out and ask.

She smiled but looked away before he read her mood. She looked up at a rocky outcropping near the top of Mike’s mountain. “You see that rocky part up there?” She pointed, and he lowered himself to her height and looked over her shoulder.

“Yeah, I see it. It looks like an old man with a big nose.” He chuckled.

“With tufts of hair sticking out on the sides,” she added quietly, turning to look at him. “I swear it looks just like this guy that used to visit my grandparents. He wasn’t related, but I called him Uncle Bernie anyway. He used to watch cartoons with me sometimes. My grandparents didn’t let me watch TV, but when Uncle Bernie was there, I was allowed.” She smiled. “I don’t have a lot of good childhood memories, but Uncle Bernie was one of them.” She turned to him completely. “I don’t have a lot of good memories period, but I want you to know, you and my time here are at the top of that list.”

“You deserved better than the occasional Uncle Bernie, baby.” He set his mug down and cupped her face. “You deserved to be treated like the precious little girl you were.” His hands went down her body until they found her bottom where he pulled her against him tightly. “You’re still a precious little girl to me.” He dipped down to kiss her mouth gently and then whispered against her lips. “I like the solitude of this place as much as its beauty. There are many fantastic things about living in a place where you never see anyone. I think it’s time I show you.” She narrowed her eyes at him playfully, and he pulled back to assess her.

“Like going commando in the summer?” she asked, remembering his comments about not wearing the boxers in his nightstand drawer.

“Mhmm, but not just that, honey.” She giggled as he unzipped the top part of the jacket she wore and he pulled it down, so it locked her arms to her sides. “It’s too warm for a coat today, don’tcha think? It’s fifteen degrees.” He caught her retort with his mouth and kissed it away. She moaned into his mouth instead, feeling her knees weaken.

“Well, I’m not cold anymore, but what’s fifteen in Fahrenheit?” she whispered when he released her mouth.

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