Page 18 of Big Daddy Mountain Man

He led the way back to her suitcase, picked it up, and then ushered her outside. She was a bundle of nerves as she got back in his Bronco. She’d been through so much that day and exhaustion had been threatening to overtake her.

Now, however, she was wide awake.

The idea of extending her time with the handsome, kinda bossy, but super sweet man just had that effect on her.

CHAPTER TEN

“Your truck is pretty cool,” Amber said just before yawning.

As the crow flies, Sawyer’s cabin wasn’t that far. But thanks to those twisting, mountain roads, it wasn’t a straight shot in his truck. So it took them about ten minutes to reach it. He could have gone faster, but he swore nothing was darker than Southeastern Oklahoma in the dead of night. Why risk it? Especially when carrying such precious cargo as Little Amber.

The more he was around her, the more he was convinced that was true. He was the type of guy who found every life sacred, sure. Everyone had value. But Amber?

There was something special about her.

His heart was screaming that she wasthe one. Yet his brain kept countering that, reminding him that such a notion was ridiculous. They’d only known each other for a couple of hours.

There had been a time before in his life when he was convinced he’d found the one. It hadn’t worked out so well. Maybe he needed to temper himself and cool his expectations here.

That was hard when just the sound of her sweet voice caused all kinds of thoughts to swirl in his brain.

“What kind of truck is it?”

The question pulled him from his thoughts. “An ’85 Ford Bronco.”

“It’s in really good shape, Sir.”

He couldn’t suppress a grin. How cute was this little girl?

“It wasn’t when I bought it. Had to put a lot of work into her. But her best days are ahead.”

“Does she have a name?”

“Eh… no. I reckon not.”

Amber shifted in the bench seat until she was looking at Sawyer rather than straight ahead, and he could feel her gaze on him. It was difficult not turning his attention to her, but those roads, especially at night, weren’t something someone should ignore.

“I name everything. I don’t know if all Littles do that,” she continued with a giggle. “It keeps me from getting lonely. Gives me people—or things—to talk to.”

Sawyer wondered if his heart was literally being torn in two. Thinking about what that poor girl had gone through her whole life felt like someone had shoved a knife into his chest cavity and started sawing. How had she remained so positive?

He brought the Bronco to a stop in front of his place, put it in park, and turned to face Amber. “Could you think of a name for her?” He patted the dashboard.

“Really?”

“She’d love it. So would I.”

Amber giggled. “Yes, Sir! I’ll think of a really pretty name. I’m good at that.” She giggled some more.

“I can’t wait to hear what you come up with,” he said. “But right now, we best get inside so you can get ready for bed. It’s late and I expect you want to hit the ground running tomorrow.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied. “I can’t wait to get started on the cabin. I’ll have it looking great in no time!”

He didn’t doubt she would. In fact, he suspected Amber could and would do anything she set her mind to. It was a quality he greatly admired.

“Come on. Let’s get inside so you can get settled in,” he said.

Five minutes later, after getting the tour—which didn’t take that long thanks to the cabin’s modest size—he said, “Why don’t you go get ready for bed? Give me a shout when you’re ready and I’ll come in here and make sure you’re all tucked in.”

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