Page 19 of Enticed by the Mountain Man
She’s been running long enough.
When I reach the truck, I see headlights coming up the road and a car pulling into the drive. Ford’s wife, Maisie, and his sister, Bonnie, climb out before I even kill the engine.
“Go,” she says, tightening her coat. “We’ve got her.”
“Thank you.”
She nods, eyes kind but serious. “She’s safe here. Go take care of it.”
By the time I pull into town, the streets are mostly empty. The diner sits near the corner of Main, the old sign buzzing faintly. Through the window, I see Ford sitting at the counter, one hand around his coffee mug, his eyes locked on the man across from him.
Maeve’s ex.
He looks smaller than I expected. Arrogant, yes, that slick, practiced sort of confidence that comes from getting his way too many times, but not dangerous. Just a man who’s never been told no and didn’t like learning what it meant.
I step inside.
Ford doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word. He just tips his chin slightly toward the man across from him. “You’ve got five minutes,” he says. “Make it count.”
I walk over and stop beside the booth. The ex looks up, confused, then wary. I see the exact moment he realizes who I am.
“Evening,” I say, voice even. “You’re the one who’s been bothering Maeve.”
“I’m not bothering her,” he stammers. “I just wanted to talk.”
“You should’ve respected her when she told you no,” I tell him, leaning forward on the table. “But you didn’t. You showed up in my town. You left a note on my truck. You scared her.”
He swallows hard. “She didn’t tell you everything.”
“She didn’t have to.” I let the silence hang for a second, long enough that he shifts in his seat. “You don’t come near her again.You don’t call. You don’t text. You don’t drive through Pine Hollow. You so much as think about showing up, and I promise, you’ll regret it.”
He opens his mouth, maybe to argue, but I cut him off.
“She’s mine now,” I say quietly. “And she’s done being afraid.”
His eyes widen a little, the color draining from his face. He must see something in mine, because he doesn’t try to talk again. I stand up straight and nod toward the door.
“Sheriff’s waiting outside,” I tell him. “You’re going to get in your car, and you’re going to leave town. Today. You don’t stop until you’re far away from her.”
He hesitates, like he’s deciding whether to push it. Ford clears his throat behind me, a straightforward sound, and the man flinches.
Smart choice.
He stands, mutters something that’s half apology, half coward’s excuse, and heads for the door. The sheriff meets him at the curb, says a few words, then waves him toward his car. I watch him drive away until the taillights disappear down the road. Only then do I let myself breathe.
Ford finishes his coffee, sets the mug down, and looks at me. “You handled that better than I expected.”
“I’m trying not to make Dottie bail me out before breakfast.”
He grins. “She’d do it too.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “She would.”
He claps my shoulder. “Go home, Maeve needs you.”
***
When I get back to the cabin, Maeve’s sitting on the porch steps, wrapped in one of my flannels, a mug between her hands. Maisie and Bonnie sit next to her, whispering. When they look up, Maeve’s eyes go straight to mine.
