Page 10 of Baby For The Mountain Man

“It’s not your responsibility to marry that guy. Or to date, for that matter.”

“Tell that to my father,” I said, snickering.

“Okay. Hand me your phone.”

I turned around and looked at Travis leaning against the kitchen counter. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were stern against mine. He was frowning underneath the thick beard that covered his face and his flannel shirt was riddled with oil. But he stood tall and strong. Proud and confident.

I felt my ears warming as my eyes raked up and down his body.

“It took a lot of guts to do what you did,” Travis said. “Packing all your stuff and running away. You don’t have the tools necessary to figure out what you’re doing, but you’re determined to do it anyway.”

“I most certainly am capable of creating a life for myself,” I said.

“That’s not what I said. You don’t have the tools to create your own business. I never said anything about a life of your own. That you can do. But you have to face your family head-on to do it.”

“Wonderful observation, Sherlock. Got anything else for me?” I asked.

“If you don’t want their life, don’t go back,” he said.

“Easier said than done.”

“And you’ve already done the hardest part. Just get in your car and keep going towards California. That was your goal, right?”

“You don’t understand my father. The last time he came and got me, he dragged me out of my friend’s house by my arm, publicly chastised me for her entire neighborhood to hear, then relegated me to the sitting room for the rest of the month. It’s an adult version of being grounded, for fuck’s sake,” I said.

“He only has the power over you that you give him,” he said.

“Thank you, Ghandi.”

I watched Travis shake his head as he turned back towards the sink. I sank down into the couch, closing my eyes so I could calm my heart. I had no other choice. Whatever choice I thought I had was ripped from me the moment my father called on the phone. In my mind, my plan worked if they didn’t exist.

But in my reality, my plan would never work. Because no matter

where I ran, my father would always find me.

Six

Travis

I wasn’t going to stand there and act like I knew what she was going through, but it was bullshit. Her family sounded like something out of some old English textbook. Marrying her off for practical purposes? Not allowing her to live her life? Keeping her uneducated? It was practically primal, in this day and age, to treat someone like that. And she had spunk. A spark that would take her far if her family simply allowed her to unleash it. Ava could turn that fucking spark into a forest fire, scorching everything in her path in order to create room for new life. All she needed was someone to give her the tools to work with. Someone to believe in her and root her on in her dreams.

But instead, her family was hellbent on holding her back.

I don’t know why it made me sick to watch her get off the couch, but it did. She grabbed a plastic bag that had her clothes from yesterday in it and made her way for the door. I threw my rag in the kitchen sink as I watched her open the door, then she turned towards me with her hazel eyes and nodded her head.

“Thanks for saving me,” she said. “I would’ve died in that car had it not been for you.”

“Stay out of thunderstorms,” I said. “And try to keep your head above water.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” she said with a snicker.

I knew my advice was pathetic and filled with nothing but hot air. Try to keep her head above water? Was that really the best I could do? My family had leaned on me for every major business decision over the last five fucking years, and all I could give this young woman was ‘keep floating along’?

“If you want, you could stay here.”

Ava stopped in her tracks and whipped her head over towards me.

“What?” she asked.

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