Page 22 of Rugged Mountain Man
Went to the grocery store for breakfast supplies with Raff. Will be back soon.
Kisses, KitKat
A breath of relief rushed out of me. Mika hadn’t run away. She was just at the grocery store. I leaned back against the counter, pressing a hand to my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart.
Then I grabbed my boots and keys, heading for my car. Waiting around here for Mika to return would only make me antsy.
Besides, if my woman wanted to go to the grocery store, I wouldn’t let Raff take the opportunity away from me. That was my job.
Juniper Creek was a small town, so there weren’t that many options for grocery stores. And Raff’s giant red truck with theMountain Men Do It Betterbumper stick was impossible to miss, parked outside Sprout & Spice.
Just as I emerged from my car, I spotted Mika hurrying out of the store. Her eyebrows were pinched together in distress and her lips were pressed into a tight, white line.
“Mika, honey, are you okay?” I called.
She glanced my way and immediately headed straight for me, flinging her arms around my neck.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on?” I said, holding her tight. She was shivering, but it didn't seem to be from the cold.
“I want to go home,” she mumbled.
My heart squeezed. She could have simply said that she didn't want to be here. But she had specifically used that word.Home.
“Mika—” I pulled back to look at her. Tears glistened in her eyes and her face was puffy from crying. Damn it, I couldn't stand seeing her upset like this without knowing the reason why. “Tell me what happened.”
She gulped and looked away, shaking her head.
“I should have known she crawled into another man’s bed,” came a grating voice.
Mika whimpered and curled her hands around my forearm. I pushed her behind me, squaring my shoulders as a man approached. His ice-blue eyes were cold, and the smug smirk on his face reeked of arrogance.
“Please, Cormac, can we just go?” Mika begged, staring up at me with misty brown eyes.
I glanced between her and the stranger watching us.
“That’s him, isn’t it?” I replied. “Your ex?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“You must be the new dick she’s riding to get attention,” her ex said.
I curled my fingers into a fist.
Don’t hit him, don’t hit him.
I clasped Mika’s hand and cupped her chin, pulling her close to kiss her forehead.
“Go wait in the car, sweetheart,” I said.
“Not without you,” she replied softly.
The grocery store’s entrance opened and Raff stepped into the parking lot, scanning the area for Mika. When his gaze fell on me, I gestured for him to stay back. He frowned, confused.
My brother wouldn’t stop me from defending the woman I loved. Hell, he’d cheer me on.
But I needed him here to prevent me from going to jail for manslaughter.
I stepped forward and extended my hand.
