Page 19 of Snowed-in With The Mountain Man
STELLA
"Mama, look! The sun!"
Chellie stands on tiptoes at the window, pointing excitedly at the first rays of sunshine we've seen in four days. The blizzard has finally broken, leaving behind a crystalline world of untouched white stretching to the horizon.
"It's beautiful, baby." I kneel beside her, still wearing Ridge's flannel shirt from last night. "The storm is over."
Her little face turns serious. "No more snow monsters?"
"No more snow monsters," I confirm, smoothing her wild bedhead. "They've gone back to their caves."
The creak of floorboards announces Ridge's approach. My body responds instantly to his presence, a now natural reaction after four days of stolen moments and firelit discoveries.
"Power's still out," he announces, joining us at the window. "But proper cell service is back. Called the utility company. They're saying another day, maybe two before they reach the mountain roads."
He rests his hand casually on my shoulder, thumb tracing small circles on my neck. These casual touches have become ournew language, a constant physical conversation flowing beneath our spoken words.
"Roads?" Chellie asks, eyes wide. "We can go see fish store?"
Ridge laughs, the sound warming me more than the sunshine streaming through the window. "Not quite yet, princess. There's a lot of snow to clear first."
My phone buzzes from the coffee table, the first notification in days. Three missed calls and a text message from an unknown number. I open it, stomach dropping at the words on screen.
Unknown:I know where you are. We need to talk about MY daughter.
Rick.
Ridge must feel me tense because his hand tightens on my shoulder. "Stella? What is it?"
I pass him the phone wordlessly, heart hammering against my ribs. His expression darkens as he reads the message.
"How would he know where we are?" His voice remains calm, but I see the storm brewing in his eyes.
"Small town," I manage, painfully aware of Chellie still gazing out the window, oblivious to the sudden tension. "Someone must have seen us in town before the storm and mentioned it."
Ridge sets the phone down carefully, too carefully. "He doesn't know exactly where you are. Just that you're in Whisper Vale. That's something."
"For how long?" Fear claws up my throat. "Once the roads clear, he'll come looking."
"And he won't find you." The certainty in Ridge's voice steadies me. "Not unless you want to be found."
I glance at Chellie, who has wandered to check on Sparkle swimming lazily in his bowl. "We can't keep hiding forever."
"No, we can't." Ridge turns me gently to face him. "So we don't hide. We fight."
"How?"
"We get ahead of this. File for full custody before he can make any claims." His hands frame my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks. "My brother Colt is engaged to the sheriff's daughter. I'm sure they can connect us to a family lawyer in Carson City. I'll call him once the roads clear."
The concrete plan settles my racing thoughts. "You make it sound so simple."
"It won't be simple." His honesty is both terrifying and comforting. "But nothing worth fighting for ever is."
Those words echo through my mind as the day progresses. Nothing worth fighting for is simple. And this fragile happiness we've built during the storm is absolutely worth fighting for.
By mid-afternoon, the generator finally runs out of fuel. Ridge pulls on his heavy boots and his thickest coat to retrieve more from the shed, wading through snow nearly to his waist. I watch from the window, heart in my throat as he disappears from view.
"Is Widge coming back?" Chellie asks, climbing onto my lap with Mr. Bunny clutched to her chest.
