Page 4 of Found By the Mountain Man

The woman doesn’t say anything, and I take the silence to mean she doesn’t have a place to go. Which is what I suspected.

When we got back here, I called my buddy Symon to ask if there were any women reported missing. He’s a ranger on Wild Heart Mountain and will know about any hikers or campers that haven’t made it back. But no one on the mountain has reported a missing woman.

She wasn’t dressed for hiking with her red cloak and old-fashioned tunic. And from the way she devoured that sandwich, I bet she hasn’t eaten in a while.

But it’s the black eye that has me agitated. Someone did that to her, and when I find out who it was, they’ll be sorry. But if she’s not ready to tell me her name, then it’s not yet the time to ask about her injuries.

“I’ve got some rabbit stew that needs heating up, if you’re still hungry.”

She turns her gaze back to me. Her dark eyes are less haunted, less suspicious.

“Is that what you eat in the mountains? Rabbit?”

She’s not from around here. I store the piece of information away and give her what I hope is a reassuring smile.

“I caught and skinned it myself.”

She frowns at me again. “Gross.”

I chuckle. What’s a girl like her doing on her own up the mountain?

“It’s a good feeling, eating something you killed yourself. It’s honest.”

She tilts her head at me thoughtfully.

“I guess.”

“I’m a trapper up here on the mountain. I trap animals and sell the meat and pellets in town.” I’m not used to talking so much, but I figure if I keep rambling on it will put her at ease. “Mostly rabbits and some squirrels. Occasionally foxes during the season.”

“Do you hunt?”

The question gives me pause. I think of the deer this morning and my trembling hands. And I think of the men I hunted in Iraq.

“Not anymore.”

I don’t want to think about Iraq, or my hands might start shaking. I stand up abruptly.

“I’m going to run you a bath. Have a soak while I get the stew heating up.”

I head into the bathroom and get the tub filling, leaving my gun on the chair. If she wants to bolt, at least she’ll have a weapon. But when I come back into the room a few moments later, she’s sitting on the bed staring out the window. The faint colors of a rainbow arc in the pale grey sky over the forest.

“How long have I been out?”

“It’s been a day and a half since I brought you in.”

Her head jerks around to me. “That long?”

I nod. Apart from laundering her clothes and making inquiries, I’ve not left her side. My ass is sore from sitting in the chair so long, but I’m not complaining. I got to watch her sleep, and that makes it worthwhile.

“Anyone come looking for me?”

There’s an edge to her voice, giving away her anxiousness. She’s running from someone, but as long as she’s here, I’ll keep her safe.

“No. And I wouldn’t let them take you if they did.”

She looks at me for a long time. She must see something that makes her trust me, because her features relax.

“My name’s Indigo.”

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