Page 3 of Lost and Found

Bear announces our presence with a bark, and the stranger’s head whips in our direction. Time stands still as my mouth gapes open. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. A fallen angel, right here on my property, with hazel eyes and flushed cheeks stained with her tears.

Despite my instant attraction, and the fact that it’s wrong to ogle her when I know she’s in pain, I can’t stop my eyes from trailing down her body and taking in her hourglass figure. I want to trace her curves with my mouth and my finger, but I force that thought away and focus on her immediate needs.

“You okay?” I ask, holding up my palms to show her I mean no harm.

I’m well over six feet, tall and broad, with muscles gained from hard labor. I don’t want her to be afraid of me, so I hunch my shoulders, attempting to appear smaller. However, there’s nothing I can do about the scar running down my right cheek, cutting a harsh line through my trimmed beard. I know it looks scary, but I hope she doesn’t flinch away from me. That’s happened far too many times since my accident, and it never stops feeling like a kick in the gut.

“W-who are you?” she asks, her voice thick from crying.

“I’m Wyatt, and this is Bear.” I tilt my head toward the white ball of fluff sitting at my feet. “I live in the cabin just up the hill.”

“Molly,” she offers tentatively.

“Nice to meet you, Molly. What happened to your ankle there?”

Her brow wrinkles, and her gaze shifts to her injured limb as she bites her lip. “I’m staying in a cabin nearby and thought a hike might be nice. I just got here yesterday and wanted to look around. Somehow, I wandered off the main path and got turned around. Then my boot caught on a stupid tree root.” Her cute little chin wobbles as she holds back tears of frustration.

Fuck, I want her.

“It happens, sweetheart. Don’t be embarrassed.” The term of endearment rolls off my tongue as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, and it catches me by surprise. I haven’t called anyonesweetheartin ages. Even when I was engaged, Alyssa preferred that I call her by her name. “You out here alone?”

Her eyes widen and it dawns on me how the question must sound to an injured woman, coming from a man who looks like a beast in a flannel shirt.

“I swear I’d never hurt you. I’m only asking if there’s someone you want me to call.”

Molly’s shoulders relax, but she still eyes me warily. “No, I… There’s no one to call.” She forces the air from her lungs. “Besides, I left my phone back at the cabin.”

I scowl, not liking her response and the potential danger she put herself in. I decide that’s a conversation we can have later, when I scold her on the importance of hiking safety. For now, I need to tend to her injury. “It’ll be dark soon. Let’s get you inside and put some ice on that.”

“I don’t think I can walk.” Her voice sounds small, and she frowns as a protective urge shoots through me. She knits her eyebrows together and glances around. “I’m not sure how to get back to my cabin either.”

“I doubt you’ve hiked too far, which means you must be staying at the Thompsons’ place. It’s about two miles from here.” I watch as her shoulders slump with defeat before adding, “I’m just up the hill, less than a quarter of a mile away. I’ll carry you back to my place.”

Her curls bounce when she shakes her head. “Oh, no. I can’t let you do that.”

“I don’t think you have a choice, honey. That ankle is swelling up pretty good. Not a chance you can make it back to your cabin.”

Again, she glances at her foot and knows I’m right.

“Come home with me where I can take care of you. Then I promise you can be on your way.”

Molly worries her plump lower lip between her teeth. “Are you sure? I might be too heavy to carry that far.”

I shoot her an offended look before flexing my bicep. “Woman, do you see these muscles? They ain’t just for show,” I tease her with a wink, earning myself a relaxed smile. Then I move toward her, not waiting for a response.

Crouching down, I lift her curvy, petite frame into my arms, and she clings to me with her hands laced behind my neck. I can feel her body heat radiating against mine, igniting a flame of desire within me. As I carry her, she lets out a tiny moan of discomfort, deepening my need to shield and protect this gorgeous creature.

Molly peers up at me with a watery smile. “Um… Thanks for rescuing me.”

Being this close, I see the different shades of green and gold in her mesmerizing eyes. I’d get lost in them forever if she’d let me.

But that’s crazy. I just met this woman and don’t know a damn thing about her. So, I look away, surveying our surroundings as I tote her back to my cabin.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Molly admits, marveling at the view. “Do you live here year-round?”

I nod, focusing on a log as I carefully step over it. For the brief moment that all of my weight is on my right leg, my knee buckles and there’s a sharp pain. I grit my teeth, tightening my grip on her, and keep going.

“Everything’s so quiet. Last night was the best sleep I’ve had in years. The combination of fresh mountain air and the lack of noise was just what I needed.”

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