Page 6 of Found By the Mountain Man

“Sit.”

He places it on the kitchen counter next to a bar stool and I take a seat, trying to get my composure back. I don’t even know the guy, and he’s got my hormones racing all over the place.

“Can I help with anything?”

It’s bad enough he’s rescued me in the woods and taken me in. Now he’s making me dinner.

“You need to rest. It’ll take a few days to get your strength back. You can stay here as long as you need.”

His kindness brings a sting to my eyes. I stand up so he doesn’t see and take a look around the cabin.

It’s a classic wooden cabin with an open plan kitchen and living area. Two steps lead up to the bedroom and bathroom. It’s a cabin made for one. And judging by the sparse furnishing and décor, it’s made for a single man.

“Do you live here alone?”

My chest constricts as I wait for his answer. The thought of a woman living here with Rhys makes me uneasy, and I’m glad when he shakes his head.

“Just me.”

There’s a floor to ceiling fireplace on one wall with a glass fronted gun cabinet next to it. I wander over to take a look. It’s quite the collection. Five different types of rifles are mounted in the case.

Rhys is into heavy metal and guns. Exactly the type of man you want taking you back to his cabin. Yet I’m more at ease with Rhys than I have been with any other person I’ve come across since they took me away from my mom.

Underneath the guns is a photograph of men in military uniforms. A Marine unit by the look of the colors.

“You’re in the military?”

“I was,” he calls from the kitchen.

That makes sense. It explains the guns and hunting and living out here alone. I squint at the photo until I pick out Rhys amongst the men.

“Was this your unit?”

I don’t realize he’s come up behind me until he speaks.

“Yeah. Some of the guys live here, on the mountain.” I straighten up, and he’s so close behind me his breath tickles my neck. “Knowing they’re close is the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes.”

He says it lightly, but it makes me want to know about his military life. I’m about to ask him more when he abruptly changes the subject.

“Dinner’s ready.”

There’s a small table near the kitchen, and he sets two steaming bowls down. I try to eat slowly this time, but the stew is so good and I can’t help slurping it down.

Rhys tells me how he built the cabin with the help of his former Marine buddies. He chats easily, and I’m grateful for it. It’s reassuring to know he has friends on the mountain and isn’t some weird recluse. And it keeps the conversation away from me.

He tells me about how they meet up in town every month and about Angie’s bar, run by the widow of one of their fallen comrades.

I like listening to him talk. I like the sound of his friends and the way they check in on each other and help each other out.

There’s a pang of something in my chest. It’s not quite jealousy, but a yearning to belong somewhere the way that he does. I wish I had a group of people looking out for me, or even just one person.

As we come to the end of the stew, Rhys sets his spoon down and turns his chocolate-colored eyes on me.

“Who did that to you, Indigo?”

It’s the first time he’s mentioned the black eye, and the abrupt change of subject takes me by surprise. I twirl my spoon around in my bowl, keeping my eyes downcast.

I want to tell him all about the compound, but I can’t be sure I trust him yet. He’s been kind and he seems genuine and it seems safe here, but it could all be a lie. I’ve trusted people before, and look where it got me.

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