Page 2 of The Awakening
“You related to Hank Bowers?” Leaning forward, I waited for her reply. I’d heard things about that family over the years. They were notorious recluses who, despite keeping to themselves, had a reputation that preceded them, and not for the right reasons.
“Yes, he’s my father …” She hesitated. “Do you work with Matt?” she asked, changing the topic.
“More like he works for me.”
Her eyes lit up in silent recognition. They were still wide, but not as full of fear as they had been. “You must be one of the Morton brothers, then. Mr. Morton, I—I can’t go back home.” Her cheeks flushed, turning the tip of her nose red, and with a quiver of her chin, tears welled in her eyes. “Please, don’t make me go back. Please don’t.” Her words were a pleading whisper.
The poor girl looked like she would collapse at any moment. I stepped to the table and pulled out a chair for her, indicating that she should take a seat. She shook her head, shuffling over to lean against the counter instead. So much fear existed in her. Even when I’d done my best to make it obvious that I posed no threat. But why? What kind of hell was she running from?
“You’re the daughter who was supposed to get married, aren’t you?” Leaning my elbows on the table, I waited for the answer I already knew.
Talk had filtered through the mountain that things weren’t good between her and the fiancé, but I needed to know how bad they were. If I was going to get myself into trouble, which I had a tendency of, I wanted to know more about what I was up against first.
“I assure you, Mr. Morton—”
“Gavin,” I cut her off.
“Oh, Gavin, I promise you I won’t be any trouble. Nobody knows where I am. I’ve been gone for days, but I ran out of money for a hotel. They have probably given up even looking for me by now.” She picked up a dish towel, wringing it in her hands, before bringing it to her chest, her knuckles white as if she were hanging on to it for dear life.
“I won’t send you back. But what’s your plan after you wear out your welcome here?” I was only joking, but she couldn’t stay forever.
The blank expression on her face made it clear that she hadn’t thought much about what to do next. She’d probably been more concerned with finding somewhere to hide out of the cold.
“I need to get out of the state, and then I don’t care where I go.” She crossed her arms as a tear fell down her cheek.
There was no denying her determination. What she was up against must have been bad if she was willing to start over somewhere new to escape. I needed to know more. I still wasn’t sure if I should be getting mixed up in what she had going on.
The entire mountain was curious about her father and the community he had started years ago, but idle gossip in these small towns was often inaccurate. Although from what I’d heard, I wouldn’t want to stick around any more than she did. I had a job to do here, keeping the ranch in order, but I found my needto help solidifying as I regarded the young woman who was little more than a stranger—a beautiful one, and one in need.
Chapter Two
Ellie
Icould see it in his eyes, the hesitation. He was going to make me go home, and I bet he would take me there tonight. Of course he would. I was asking a lot of a man I’d just met. My heart raced in my chest, no longer out of fear of him, but because my return was inevitable. No one local was willing to help me. My father had made sure of that. Gavin was my only chance. A chance I hadn’t even known I had until he’d startled me half to death. But from the look on his face, that slight chance was, in reality, no chance at all.
There had to be another option.
It was nobody’s business but mine why I wanted to escape my wedding. But if I was going to convince him to help me, I might have to make it his business. Although I wanted to avoid doing that for as long as I could. I’d narrowly escaped marrying a monster, but as I took in Gavin’s dark hair, his tall, broad frame, and his muscular body, I thought—no, I knew—that if anyone could protect me, it would be him.
But he had no duty to do so.
I had to remember that.
Still, along with the hesitation in his eyes, there was an undeniable kindness. A warmth emanated from him that heated me to the core. Never mind that he was devilishly handsome in his plaid shirt and blue jeans. I couldn’t help but stare as he sat at his kitchen table, studying me. Surely wondering how on earth he’d been stuck with me. As I watched him, he rolled up his sleeves, careful to avoid the sauce, and revealed his tan, sinewy forearms.
I’d done enough gawking. I needed to state my case. I shook my head to clear the thoughts of him and spoke. “Mr. Morton. Gavin. I have nowhere to go. Let’s leave it at that. If you’ll let me stay the tonight, I’ll have Matt pick me up in the morning.” My voice shook. I would have to figure out a new plan to evade my father.
“You can stay.” He paused, his expression thoughtful. “As long as you need to.” The kind words were evidence of what I already knew from his gaze, but hearing them spoken aloud made my heart soar. If I knew him better, nothing could have stopped me from lunging at him and wrapping him in the tightest hug ever.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded with a slight grin on his face.
“Thank you.” I turned back to the stove in an attempt to conceal my growing smile before his all-too-handsome gaze threatened to overheat me where I stood. As I stirred the meat sauce, which I was sure was on the verge of burning, I could see him watching me out of the corner of my eye. I lifted the spoon to my mouth for a taste to see if I’d saved it in time. I had.
“Do you happen to be making enough for two people to eat?” His voice had changed from concerned to teasing.
That was it.
