by Kara Kelley
As her fears battled with her desires, she bent to put some cleaning rags beneath the sink. The move made her feel a stretch and ache in her muscles. Her thighs, core, and bottom remembered both her daddy’s loving and his displeasure.
She peeked outside, and couldn’t see Rocky anywhere, although he’d watched her take the laundry in from the line. He’d probably gone to find Mike when she’d come back inside. The bear seemed to like the connection with humans.
Avery set about making dough for bread—from her own recipe this time—as she thought further about her mountain man daddy. Alex’s warning to heed the smooth ones made her laugh suddenly. Her mountain man daddy was not a smooth man. He was gruff, short-tempered, and demanding, but he was also caring and protective, gentle even, at least when he wasn’t smacking her butt. And damn, could he make love.
When the yeast had proofed, she poured it into the flour mixture and began blending it into a dough. She left it to rise and put a few more logs in the woodstove. It wasn’t as warm as it had been the other day. The pile was empty, so she went for more. She wondered if she could chop wood like Mike, but only laughed at herself. She’d probably chop off her leg.
She took six armfuls into the cabin and piled them neatly on the shelf. As she loaded the last pile into her arms, she saw the prints. Too small to be Mike’s and too big to be hers. She looked around. Who’d been there? Suddenly feeling exposed, she dropped the logs and went back in the cabin. She turned the lock and threw the latch, leaning her back against the door, feeling the color drain from her face.
Footsteps on the porch made her spin. The door had no peephole. Panic was rising rapidly, and acid churned up her throat.
“Mike Hunter?” a voice called out, and the door shook with the man’s pounding. “It’s the police. I know you’re here. I saw your back as the door closed.”
Avery hesitated. What would she say? She couldn’t run forever, not now that she had Mike. She took a breath. She had Mike. He would take care of her. Without further thought, Avery yanked open the door.
A uniformed officer stood there, and her heart kicked into a frenzied beat. His eyes had shown surprise, so she relaxed a little.
“Hi,” she said.
“I wasn’t aware anyone but Mr. Hunter lived here. He’s kind of a recluse.” The officer took off his hat. “I’m Officer Riley of the Bathurst Police department.” He held out his hand for hers, and she shook quickly before pulling back.
“I’m just visiting.”
The cop smiled tentatively. He was her age, clean shaven, with a baby face and green eyes. He was the kind of man she might have been attracted to, before meeting Mike. Now it was the rugged, thickly muscled, impatient, bearded kind of man that held her interest.
“How do you know Mr. Hunter, ma’am?”
“Old friends,” she said quickly. “He’s not here right now.”
She was dizzy with fear. Why was he asking how she knew Mike? That was none of his concern. Shit!
“He’s fishing.”
“Right.” She didn’t fail to notice he looked around her into the cabin before glancing behind him at the property. “Living off the land. I’d miss watching the game, seeing the latest movies, and hell, Manny’s breakfast special.” He patted his lean belly. “Have you been to Manny’s?” he asked with a quirk of his brow. She shook her head, and his eyes widened.
“If you get the chance, they make the best buttermilk pancakes on the planet.”
“I think Mike enjoys his privacy. We both do, but maybe I’ll see about convincing him to take me out for pancakes sometime.” She smiled, hoping he got the hint. He looked closely at her.
“What happened to you?” Her hand went to her forehead, and her heart began to race. She’d forgotten about the wound on her forehead.
“Had a little tumble…” She paused, searching for a plausible reason. She saw the ATV by the wood pile. “I’d never been on an ATV before, so whoop! Right off first bump.” She brushed her hands together in a slipping gesture. The officer’s eyes narrowed but quickly went back to normal.
“You a city girl?” She grinned, hopeful that it came across sincere. “How can you tell? You must be a detective?” She smiled again, this time more brightly. He smiled back, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You have a name?”
“Amanda Smith,” she answered, thankfully quick enough not to draw suspicion.
“Okay, Amanda. There’s a Jeep down the valley here.” He pointed where she knew the Jeep sat in a mangled mess. You couldn’t see it from the cabin without binoculars, but she knew exactly where it was. “I noticed the broken guard rail when I was cruising by and when I followed the broken brush, I found it. You know anything about it? Seen anyone around? I ran the VIN and can’t get ahold of the owner.”
She shook her head, her heart thundering in her chest so hard she thought for sure he would hear it.
“No, we had no idea anything had happened. We haven’t seen anyone around.”
“How long have you been here?” She was starting to sweat with his inquiries and panic was welling inside her. “A few days, but Mike says there’s a cougar around here, so I’ve been staying inside mostly.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t like me out wandering around, being a city girl. He’s overprotective. And as I said nobody’s come to the cabin. Maybe they called someone for a ride.”
“Could be.” He rubbed his jaw. “How long have you known Mr. Hunter, Amanda?” The officer’s two-way radio chirped, and he held up a finger. “Go ahead. Over.”
“Jeep owner’s DOA. GSW to the head. Waiting on the coroner’s report.”
“Get forensics out here.”
Dead on arrival. Gunshot wound. Forensics.
The Jeep’s owner was dead? Dead! By gunshot! Holy shit!
They killed him because of me. Her lip trembled so she clamped it between her teeth. And now the Jeep had been reported found. They’d know where she was. She paused as the reality of everything sank in. She’d stolen the Jeep, so she’d be the one the RCMP thought killed him. They’d charge Avery with murder. And now Eddie and Moe knew where she was. Maybe Mike could protect her from Alex’s killers, but he couldn’t save her from the law. He might even go to prison for not reporting her and the accident. Oh, God!
The mountain would be crawling with cops soon. Panic blasted full force.
* * *
When Mike walked in half an hour later, he set his tackle box down by her bag that was at the door. He glanced up at her. “What’s this?” His hands went to his hips, and her stomach sank.
“I have to leave, Mike.” She attempted to keep her expression blank to hide her pain and fear. “The police were here today about the Jeep. Some cop named Riley.” She waved her hand and began pacing. “He was asking a lot of questions and seemed suspicious, and then he got a call from dispatch.” She paused, looked him straight in the eye and with a trembling lip, continued.
“The guy I stole the Jeep from is dead.” Her hand went to her mouth to cover her sob. “He was murdered. If they find out I stole it they’ll think I killed him, but that’s not the worst of it.” She wiped the tears that started spilling over her lids. “It means they know where I am. Eddie and Moe know I’m here.”
His face was stormy, but it hadn’t changed from the turbulent look he wore at seeing her bag. He walked in briskly, bringing a sack full of freshly cleaned fish with him. He dumped them into the sink and pulled out some freezer bags. His silence was irritating. She was in a frigging panic and about to leave, and he was putting away fish as if there were nothing wrong. Maybe she was crazy. Maybe Mike didn’t give a damn about her after all.
“Did you hear me?” Her voice was a screech.
“I heard.” His voice was steady, but she knew him. He was as cantankerous as when she’d first argued with him at Annie’s.
“Well, don’t you have anything to say?” Her voice was high-pitched in terror.
“Were you going to leave without telling me?” She stayed silent
, fuming over his lack of reaction. She stormed to the door where her bag lay and picked it up. He spun and pointed at her.
“Answer me, and you better damn well think twice before you lie to me, Avery.” His stern gaze pierced her gut.
“No, Mike. If I’d wanted to do that, I would’ve been gone an hour ago. I was waiting for you. For fuck’s sake, can’t you at least pretend to care?” He turned back around at that with a scoff. “I care, Avery, but I told you I was going to help you and the first thing you do when I’m gone is pack your bag again.”
“There are people after me! People who want me dead! They’re crooked cops, Mike! I will die if I don’t run!” Her voice was hysterical now.
“Avery.”
When she still didn’t acknowledge him, he slammed the bags down, washed his hands, and went to her. He clasped his hand around her upper arm and marched her to his room. He gave her three sharp swats to the seat of her jeans and then spun her to face him.
“Avery, goddamn it, are you listening to me now?” His face was still calm, but his grip was sure and his eyes intense.
“Yes,” she said with exasperation. “I’m listening, dammit, but are you?” Her snarly tone didn’t impress him.
“If you don’t want your ass spanked again, little girl, you’ll lose the goddamned attitude, got me?”
“I don’t have time for this! You don’t get it. God, I don’t know why I ever thought you could protect me. I need to take care of myself. Plain and simple. No one can do it for me.” Before she even closed her mouth, he spun her again and gave her three more hard thwacks.
“One more word and I will remove your jeans and do a proper job.” She started to open her mouth, but his serious look and his hand on his belt stopped her. She closed her mouth with a snap and looked away.
“Good girl. I needed a damn minute to think. I can’t think when you’re going off and throwing a tantrum.” He drew in a breath. “Now. If cops were here, I’ll need to talk to them, but I’m not leaving you alone. Right now, no one knows you were the one who stole the Jeep. You’re fine for now. Understand?” She crossed her arms over her chest, and he growled at her lack of response.
“Little girl, you had better damn well answer me!”
“Yes, I understand.” She rolled her tight, angry shoulders and let them fall loose. “But what about Alex’s killers?” Her lip wobbled.
“I thought you trusted me to take care of you?”
“I do, I’m just scared.” He put his big hands on her upper arms and pulled her against him. “If Eddie and Moe even know about the Jeep, they only know you were here at some point.” He smoothed her hair.
“You think they’ll assume I’ve moved on after they check the hospitals and find nothing?”
“That sounds logical, honey. Now you’re thinking smart.” He kissed her hair. “You must have been terrified.” She nodded and melted against him. “I’m sorry it happened while I was gone.”
“Me too.” She snuggled deeper into his warm chest, finally relaxing for the first time since the cop had been there. “I had been thinking about you all morning and couldn’t wait for you to get back, only to have this cop show up and then cause this fight.”
“You were thinking about me all morning, huh?” He pulled her back from his body so he could see her face. “What kind of thinking?” His beard twitched as he smiled. She cocked her head, giving him a dirty look. “Stop enjoying this. I’ve been traumatized.” He chuckled at her statement and tugged on a ropey curl. “I am enjoying this, honey. I had no idea how lonely I was before you crashed into my mountain, and knowing you were thinking about me makes my heart soar.”
“It does?” She pulled back and eyed him, gauging his seriousness. There was something behind the goofy sweetness, something like worry, but she ignored it. Of course, he’d be worried.
“Yes.”
“Well, I was excited for you to get home.” She sniffed a little indignantly. “I made bread for you.”
A slow smile grew on his face, and his eyes twinkled.
“I’m a lucky man.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Do you know I’ve been eating bread as hard as rocks for years?”
She laughed. “I’m glad you admit it! It tastes like rocks, too.” She dodged the swat he aimed at her butt. “Mine is fantastic, and it’s ready for the oven.”
“Then how about we bake it while I fry up the fish, and then when our bellies are full, you can come sit on my lap in front of the fire, and we’ll talk about our new plan.”
She practically melted at his words. She had never known this kind of care, and it made her want to bawl with happiness, throw her arms around his neck, and kiss him all over. How had she gotten so lucky?
“That moose was the best thing that ever happened to me, Mike Hunter.”
“Don’t be so sure. I might decide to finish that spanking I started earlier.” He cocked a brow at her playfully.
“Might? And for what reason?”
“Might, yes. Depends on how full I feel and if you lied about that bread.”
“Well, I hope to God you shower first. Did you roll in the fish after you caught them?”
* * *
When she had washed up dishes and was putting them away, he sat on the sofa, fresh from the shower. His eyes followed her, and she felt heat spread wherever they settled.
“Come have a seat right here, little girl.” He patted his thighs, and she bit her lip shyly as she looked at his large, cozy lap. It called to her. But it was silly for an adult woman to climb into a man’s lap, wasn’t it?
“I think I’m okay right here,” she said, still looking longingly at it.
“Suit yourself.” He leaned back, putting his arm over the back of the couch. “It’s easier for me to pull you over it if you’re not on it anyway.”
“Stop teasing me. I’m actually thinking I might prefer a spanking to our discussion. At least the spanking would quiet my mind and fears.” He assessed her then, searching her eyes for truth. “Quit stalling, little girl.” His hands slapped together, startling her. “Let’s talk, and after, if you still need a spanking, I’ll give you one.” She swallowed hard, hearing the desire in his voice and feeling her body come alive instantly for him. She moved closer, setting the dish towel down on the table as she passed it to go to him.
“Come on,” he encouraged, reaching out to take her hand. “You’re okay. Completely safe.” She climbed onto his lap, and he pulled her close. “See? Now you’re just where I want you. Safe in Daddy’s lap.”
“No one has ever treated me like you, M…” He stopped her word with a firm look. “Daddy.” His reply was a pat on her hip. “I’ve never had this…” She gathered a breath, her eyes stinging. “This kind of care.” His big hand found her head and brought it to his shoulder.
“Well, get used to it, baby. It’s not stopping anytime soon.”
She saw that he meant it, but she couldn’t shake the underlying fear that one day, he’d come to the same conclusion as her grandparents and Alex. Her brain knew Mike was right about them—they were the useless ones, but her scarred heart was harder to convince. And then there was the other way things could end. Eddie and Moe.
She shivered, looking wide-eyed at her mountain man daddy. “Unless they get you or me.”
“No one’s getting anyone. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to snuggle and then we’re going to take the ATV to Annie’s. She’s got a phone. I’m going to call that cop Riley and ask him to come back here. You can stay at Annie’s until I can convince him to help us.”
“Okay.” She climbed off his lap and put another log in the stove. She needed to move, to do something productive, and when she came back, he held his arms open for her. Again, she noticed some unease on his face. Something was bothering him. She climbed into his embrace and leaned back to watch the fire flicker through the little window in the woodstove. She couldn’t help but fidget though. What if Riley wouldn’t assist them? What if he arrested
her instead? She started gnawing on her thumbnail.
“Honey?” He looked down, removing her hand from her mouth and cupping her chin in his palm. He tilted her head so she looked at him. “Get up.” She wrinkled her brow a moment, but he just helped her. He shifted to the middle of the sofa and opened his legs, guiding her between them. He reached forward and unbuttoned her jeans. Lowering them and her panties, he leaned back to pat his thigh. Tears slid down her cheeks. Avery knew she needed this more than she wanted it, so she was nervous, but she went over his knee. He rubbed her cheeks, smoothing them with his warm palm.
“Let’s help you get all the nastiness out.” His palm cracked down across both her cheeks and she jolted a little. She hadn’t been expecting the sting.
“That hurts.”
“It’s supposed to. It’s a spanking. But don’t worry, little girl. It’ll get better in a few minutes.”
His palm landed a second time, and then again in a steady rhythm until her whole bottom was glowing with a nice buzzy warmth. Each spank brought her closer to some sort of mental peace.
“Help me cry, Daddy. I want to bawl and get it all out.” It took bravery to ask him to spank her harder because mostly she didn’t want the hurt that came with something harsher but she knew she needed it. There was something so cleansing about it. “Spank me good and make love to me before we go?” Just in case it’s the last time.
He didn’t answer just started landing harder and faster spanks until she was squirming and her hand flew back.
“Okay! Okay, Daddy. No more.”
“Oh, no, you don’t get a decision on when this spanking ends, Avery. You asked me to give you the spanking you need, and I’m doing that. You aren’t done yet, whether you think you are or not.” She sniffled at his words. “But Daddy, I am!” She was angry at herself for needing more. It hurt! And as much as she loved that he could read through her words and see the difference between what she wanted and needed, it pissed her off. She wanted to lash out.
