Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“This is our place,” one said through gritted teeth.
I searched the ground to see if he’d pissed himself, considering the terror in his eyes.
“Go back where you came from,” Mitchell snapped.
“But—”
The crack was loud. Neither dropped. That was when I noticed Mitchell had aimed over their head at a wide-trunk tree. As I did, the two spun on their heels and hightailed down the mountain. The drop was sharp in some places if you didn’t know your way. Unfortunately, they did and would likely make it back to whatever hole they called home.
I went back inside after I was sure the pair weren’t doubling back. When Mitchell came in, I said, “You carry?”
He grinned. “It’s Montana. Everyone carries.”
Though that was true, he didn’t fit the cowboy mold. I busied myself placing things in the duffel I’d brought and said, “Thank you.”
I heard him approach. He tucked a finger under my chin and forced me to face him. “You’ve not gone all shy on me, have you?” I shook my head, and he narrowed his eyes. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“No.” I tried to look anywhere but at him.
“What’s wrong then?”
I sucked in air and admitted, “I’m embarrassed you saw that.” Carefully, I stepped away from him, unable to meet his gaze. I’d done my best to keep my troubles to myself. Now that he knew my parents were squatters, what would he think of me? I’d come up here to get everything before they burned the place to the ground like they’d threatened.
“Why would you be embarrassed? Honestly, I thought it was cute as hell you flying out there with that axe raised. If I didn’t think you had it under control, I would have come out there butt-ass naked. But you did, and I got my clothes on before they did anything stupid.”
He’d been watching me? For how long?
“I didn’t know this wasn’t my father’s mountain. I always assumed it was.” I dropped my gaze in shame.
“Is that what the certified letter was about?”
“Yes, and the man who came to the house.” I closed my eyes. “Mom didn’t want me living here without her. She wanted me to have a life off this mountain, but it’s home, you know?”
“Probably better than most. I didn’t come home for a long time.”
“It’s not just this,” I said, holding out my arms. I waved for him to follow me back outside. I walked to the edge of the clearing near the tree he’d shot into. Off to the side, barely cresting the snow, was the top of a large rock and a smaller one next to it. “I told you how my mom said that I shouldn’t cry at her grave because she isn’t there. But her bones are, along with my father’s. I hate the idea of those assholes disturbing them.”
He moved in and dusted off some snow. “It’s not marked.”
I shook my head. “They wanted it that way.”
He moved the snow back, making it look as natural as possible. “I think they are fine for now. If you trust me, I can look into this for you.”
For so long, I’d felt alone in the world. And for the first time, I didn’t. It was his turn to wipe the moisture from my face. “Don’t cry, Sunny. I’ll figure this out for you. I’ll even pay someone to relocate your parents if you decide that’s what you want to do.”
My lip trembled and he stopped it with a kiss. How had I found this man?
For the next hour, we worked on packing anything left of value, not monetarily, but emotionally. The tomahawk came with me this time. It was unlikely I’d be back. I stood staring at the table Dad had built my mom, hating I had to leave it.
“I’ll build you an iron door,” Mitchell promised. “Like a gate, not solid, so air can flow, but attached to the stone. No one will get in again until we get this sorted.”
The man was impossible to believe. We left and made the long hike back to the service road where Mitchell had left the truck. It was in sight when a crack sounded to the left of us.
Mitchell yanked my arm as we crouched behind a tree.
“You almost shot her,” Bill said to his brother.
I recognized the voice immediately. It was one of the two idiots, apparently refusing to be shown up. The thought of Mitchell dying because of my problems made my stomach roil.
Mitchell pressed keys into my hands. “When I say go, you run for the truck. I’ll give you cover,” he whispered, pulling the gun from where he’d stashed it at his back.
Never had I experienced a shoot-out, and I wouldn’t argue with his instructions. Life on the mountain hadn’t been all roses. We’d had our fair share of those who wanted to take what didn’t belong to them. I’d been a light sleeper, conditioned to wake at the sound of danger. So I nodded my head and accepted Mitchell knew what he was doing. He sure hadn’t seemed like a novice when he’d held that gun on them before. Not to mention, since they didn’t want me dead, their reasons for wanting me alive didn’t bear contemplation. It wasn’t good.