Page 10 of Lumberjack DADDY
“I know. I believe you,” I tell her. “I found some footprints out there.”
She shudders, and the fear burns bright in her eyes. I can tell she’s terrified that whoever it was will come back once I return to my cabin. And if I’m being honest, it concerns me too. Especially since I already have an idea of who was standing out there watching her.
“Come on,” I tell her.
I lead her back to her cabin, and I set the shotgun down beside the door as we step inside. I sit her down at the small table inthe dining nook, and she folds in on herself, putting her feet up and hugging her knees to her chest. She’s trembling, and her face is still unnaturally pale. I walk into the kitchen, pour a glass of water, and then return to give it to her. Emery’s hands are shaking so hard, she nearly drops the glass, so I hold it and help her take a drink.
The moment our hands touch, I feel like I just grabbed onto a live wire. Electricity crackles through my body, and my heart races like I just ran a marathon. My eyes widen, and she raises hers, looking at me over the rim of the glass. I can see she feels the same thing. Clearing my throat, I quickly pull my hand away. But I notice the tremor in her hand has begun to ebb.
“It’s all right,” I tell her. “You’re okay now.”
She takes another drink, then blows out a long breath. She seems to be settling down now.
“Want to tell me what happened?”
She takes a sip, then sets the glass down. “I was out in the woods taking pictures,” she says and motions to the bag sitting on the sofa. “Anyway, I was getting some really great shots of these deer—just beautiful shots. That’s when I heard somebody in the woods.”
“Lots of animals around here?—”
“No, I heard them, Eli. Somebody was walking around out there,” she insists. “And so, I packed up my stuff and got out of there. But they were following me. And when I started to run, they ran too. They chased me all the way back here. And I saw them out there… between those trees I pointed out.”
I don’t say anything for a moment, trying to quell the churning inside of me, as well as to make sense of what I’m feeling. I don’t know this girl. And I’ve been doing my damndest to avoid getting to know anything about her. But seeing her sitting here, so small and shaken, has sent a powerful wave of emotion washing through me. I find myself wanting to protect her. To keep her safe. And to punish the person responsible for scaring her this badly. The thought of anybody laying a hand on her fills me with a dark, abiding rage I haven’t felt in a very long time.
“There was somebody out there, Eli,” she says, her voice trembling.
“I know,” I reply. “I found some footprints between the trees. Just like you said.”
She shakes her head. “I’m scared. I should probably just go back to the city before whoever it was comes back?—”
“No,” I snap, harsher than I’d intended.
She recoils, and I grimace at the tone in my voice. But the idea of Emery leaving filled me with an inexplicable sense of dread almost as great as the thought of something happening to her. I don’t understand it. At all. All I do know is I don’t want her to go. She tucks a lock of her thick auburn hair behind her ear and levels her warm brown eyes on me, silently asking for an explanation for my outburst. I don’t have one.
“Did you get a look at the guy who was standing out there?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I didn’t. I couldn’t see much of anything. He e was in the shadows between the trees, so I couldn’t see him.”
I nod. Now that the adrenaline has stopped flowing so heavily and the excitement of the moment has passed, I can think clearly. Logically. And now that I am, I know who it is that was harassing Emery. There aren’t many people who live around here, and of those who do, none of them are the types who’d stalk her. It makes sense that it can really only be one person.
“You’re going to stay in my cabin tonight,” I tell her.
“What? Your cabin?”
“My cabin,” I tell her. “And I’ll handle this situation in the morning.”
“You know who it is?”
“Yeah. Pretty sure.”
“But—”
“Pack a bag,” I say. “We’re going.”
9
EMERY
Eli lets me into his cabin, then sets my bag down on a table beside the door. As terrified as I was by whoever was chasing me in the woods, the moment I step into his cabin, I feel myself relax. I feel calmer. I feel… safe. Something about this man, as gruff and imposing as he is, makes me feel protected. I don’t know why, given that I don’t even know him, but something about Eli makes me feel like nothing bad can happen to me.
