Ready for action, he marched into the forest with his baby and started using the tracking skills he’d learned years earlier in New Mexico. It didn’t take long to find signs of the wolves’ presence, and once he found their path, he was able to close in on them quickly. A few shots over their heads would be enough to get them out of the territory. Wild wolves were incredibly secretive, and the slightest interference from a hunter would get the pack on the move.
The first wolf he saw was a beautiful, full grown female. She was on a high outcrop that overlooked the valley and Grady stood still and admired her for a full minute before lifting the rifle to his sights. He looked at Destiny and realized the shot would deafen her from that distance.
He smiled at her.
“That wouldn’t be very nice, would it?” he whispered.
She was quiet as a mouse and he undid the sling and put her down on a mossy rock a few feet away. She smiled at him, completely unaware that she was so close to wild wolves.
Grady took off his coat and wrapped it around her ears. From where she was she’d get a fright from the gunshot, but it wouldn’t do her any harm.
He took aim once again at the wolf and let the bullet fly, purposely sending it a foot or two above her head. The wolf darted off into the woods as the gunshot echoed across the mountain valley.
Destiny immediately began crying and he took her back up and tied her safely against his chest, wrapping them both in the coat.
“There, there, baby. That wasn’t so bad. Just a loud bang,” he said soothingly.
He was fairly confident that shot would send the wolves back to wherever they’d come from. This wasn’t their normal territory, the proximity to the town, and the fact he hadn’t heard them until the night before told him that much. If they were just passing through, this warning would be enough to send them on their way all the sooner.
Grady made his way back to the cabin but as he got closer to the road he saw something he didn’t recognize. There seemed to be something on the ground just below the road. Had someone fallen down the ravine at the side of the road? He hurried over to the figure.
Had someone been hit by a vehicle?
He reached the body, partially blanketed in snow, and to his horror, recognized the boots and coat he’d ordered for Autumn.
“Oh no,” he said aloud as he reached down and turned her over.
When he saw her, his vision blurred from shock. It was her!
He held his hand to the artery on her neck and felt for a pulse. There was one there, but it was fainter than he’d have liked.
“We’re taking on another passenger,” he said to Destiny as he picked Autumn up in his arms and held her against his chest, careful not to crush the baby.
The extra person in Grady’s arms just made the baby warmer and she welcomed the addition.
Grady carried her all the way back to the cabin and for the first time since moving up there, checked his phone for signal. Of course he had none. He lay Autumn on his bed and covered her in blankets. Then he lit the fire and filled his biggest pot with water and put it on to boil.
He had to get her warmed up, but he didn’t want to do it too quickly and shock her body.
He lit the fire in the bedroom too, also for the first time, and the entire cabin began to heat up nicely. For the next half hour he brought pot after pot of water to boil and before long, the bathtub was full of steaming hot water.
Autumn was still unconscious in the bed and as he looked at her, he felt an emotion that could only be described as love burn in his chest. She was so beautiful, so peaceful and pure, sleeping in his bed like she didn’t have a care in the world.
He’d wrapped her in the blankets but now he knew he had to take her clothes off. They were wet and cold and she wouldn’t regain her body heat in them.
“Autumn,” he said softly, trying to wake her, but he couldn’t.
He pulled back the blankets and examined her clothing. It wasn’t soaking wet but it was damp. The room was warm and she’d regained some of her heat in the bed, but he had to get her into the bathtub to really bring her back to life.
“Please God forgive me for this,” he said as he began taking off Autumn’s boots and coat.
She lay unconscious on the bed as he undressed her, one item at a time. He tried not to look too much as he pulled off her coat, then her dress, then her undergarments. He grew aroused at the sight of her nakedness, the whiteness of her breasts, the softness of her flesh, the pink lips of her bare pussy.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom.
She began to stir and come to life in his arms.
“What’s going on,” she mumbled.
“You were out in the snow,” he said to her softly.
“Where am I?”
“I’m going to put you in the bath. You need to warm up.”
“Grady?” she said, confused.
“Yes,” he whispered.
He lowered her slowly into the hot water, his strong arms easily able to bear her weight. She gasped as her body dipped into it.
“Is it too hot?” he said.
She shook her head and he lowered her all the way in. Then he stood up and looked at her.
“How do you feel? You’re not going to faint are you?”
“I think I’m going to be okay.”
“I’ll go get more hot water,” he said. “It’s on the fire. I’ll be right back.”
He took a deep breath as he left the bathroom. He’d never been so aroused in his life. He felt guilty for feeling that way while she was going through something so traumatic, she’d almost died out there, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t lie to himself, and more importantly, his body wouldn’t lie.
His cock was hard in his pants, firm and throbbing, and as he got the hot water he felt silly for having a boner while Autumn struggled for her life.
“Here,” he said, pouring the hot water into the bath by her feet.
She made no move to hide herself, to protect her modesty, and he knew it was only because she was so confused and traumatized by what she’d been through. He’d explain it all to her in time. For now, he was just glad that she was in the bath and the color was returning to her cheeks.
“How is it?” he said.
“I feel numb,” she said weakly.
“The feeling will come back quickly now. It might hurt. You were out in the freezing wind overnight. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Thanks to you,” she said.
“Well, you’re obviously a strong person. Not everyone would have pulled through like this.”
“I’m lucky you found me.”
He nodded and went to get her some towels. He still had some he’d bought in town and hadn’t used yet. They weren’t stained with mud and dirt like the one’s he’d been taking out to the stream.
He brought them back to her and forced himself to look only at her face. It wasn’t hard because her face was so pretty, but it took all his will not to steal a glance at her perfect little breasts, white and soft, or her long legs that led to the v of her pussy. Even through the bathwater he could see everything.
“Take your time,” he said. “Stay in the water until your body feels normal. Then we’ll wrap you in towels and sit you by the fire. I’ll start making some hot coffee, and something to eat. I’ll bet you’re famished.”
She smiled up at him and nodded.
“Grady,” she said.
He stopped and looked down at her, hoping the bulge in his pants wasn’t too obvious.
“Thank you for finding me.”
CHAPTER 21
AUTUMN
Autumn felt dizzy as she lay in the bathtub.
What happened?
What was she doing there?
How had Grady found her?
On the one hand, she was mortified. Not only had she nearly killed herself running through the wintery forest in the middle of the night, but even more importantly, Grady had stripped her
and carried her, naked, to the bath. She’d been naked in his arms! He’d seen every inch of her!
No man had ever seen her before.
She was almost more overwhelmed by the thought of being in Grady’s strong, muscular arms, naked as the day she was born, than the fact that she’d almost been killed by wolves in the middle of a dark forest.
And mixed in with all that overwhelming emotion was an undercurrent of excitement. She’d been rescued, and not just by anyone, by the one person she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind since leaving home. The one man she’d ever felt sexual attraction to. She’d been rescued by Grady.
She shuddered as the memories of the night before flooded back to her. The darkness, the cold, the pain in her ankle.
And worst of all, the howling of the wolves.
She’d been lying there in the hot water for almost an hour. Every few minutes, there would be a light knock on the door and Grady would come in with another pot of hot water. As she gradually came more and more to her senses, she grew shyer and shyer. At first, she’d been so out of it that she’d just been grateful Grady was there, taking care of her, and that the water was heating her body.
Now that she felt more herself, she was embarrassed by her nakedness.
“No more water,” she called out to him when he knocked again.
“You sure? You feeling yourself again?”
“Yes,” she called out, embarrassed to be even talking to him through the door.
“Okay, well there are towels in there. Take your time. I’ll try to find something for you to wear.”
“Thank you,” she said.
She felt surprisingly relaxed as she lay there. The room was made of beautiful, rich wood and as far as she could see, the only thing separating it from a luxury cabin or resort in the mountains was the fact that it didn’t have hot water. There was electricity, she was pretty sure, because there was an electric bulb in a fine brass fixture above her. It wasn’t turned on, the sun was pouring in through the window, but she felt confident it would work if she flicked the switch.
She stood up and was immediately reminded of the pain in her ankle. She put a little weight on it but it was still tender. She grabbed a rich, soft, white towel and wrapped it around her waist. The cabin might be rustic but Grady’s taste wasn’t. She climbed out of the bathtub and saw for the first time how ornate it was. She’d seen tubs like that in catalogues and knew they weren’t cheap. It had an authentic, antique feel to it, and went well with the rest of the fixtures in the room. She hopped over to the sink and looked in the little cupboard behind the mirror. Grady’s toiletries, his razors, shaving cream, soap and scented lotions, were all from the same expensive department store her gifts had been ordered from.
She smiled to herself. She could have guessed he’d enjoy the little luxuries like that, even if he’d decided to renounce civilization and make his home in a remote cabin.
“You okay in there?”
“I’m good, Grady. I’m coming out now.”
She opened the door and stepped out to the main room of the cabin. She took it all in with a single glance. The huge fire roaring in the hearth, the fine quality wood, the rich rug and comfortable furniture, the iron cooking things above the fire.
“Here,” Grady said, handing her his man-sized housecoat. It was as rich and expensive as the towel and she pulled it around herself tightly.
“This is beautiful,” she said, motioning to the cabin.
“Sit,” Grady said, pulling a leather chair closer to the fire. “I’ve got some coffee ready and there’ll be venison stew in a little while.”
Autumn smiled and sat on the comfortable chair. She was snug and cozy and would have happily sat there for hours.
“You feeling okay?” he said.
“Yeah, much better, thanks to you.”
“I noticed you limp.”
“I twisted my ankle when I was escaping the hotel.”
“They tried to keep you there.”
“They locked me in a room when they realized I wanted to leave.”
“What pushed you over the edge?” Grady said.
“Well, I called home and found out they hadn’t been sending my paychecks to my mother like they promised. I confronted them about it and they got mad. Locked me up.”
“God,” Grady said, furious. “I should go over there and give them a piece of my mind. If the man wasn’t so old I’d kick his ass.”
Autumn laughed. “That’s okay, Grady. Just as long as you don’t send me back there, I’ll be satisfied.”
“I’d never send you back,” he said.
He got up from his seat next to hers and bent down in front of her. Shyly, she shut her legs and tried to hide more of herself under the housecoat.
“Don’t be afraid. I just want to look at your ankle.”
Timidly, she let her leg peek out and he took it gently in his and examined it.
“It’s not broken,” he said. “Just a sprain. It will get better in a few days if you stay off it.”
He caressed the ankle in his hand and she felt a thrill rush through her. Then he let go and went to the fire. He poured them each a cup of strong, black coffee and handed her one. Then he went to the bedroom and returned with a thick, patchwork blanket that seemed to compliment perfectly the forest and cabin.
“Thank you,” she said, sipping the coffee.
It was stronger than she was used to but she liked it. It reminded her of dark chocolate.
“You just rest up, Autumn. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time and then I’ll help you get wherever you want to go. No one’s going to take you back to the Hildegards.”
She smiled and nodded. She wouldn’t have minded staying right there with him and Destiny. She looked behind her at the baby. She was lying asleep in a handmade crib close to the window, basking in sunlight like a cat.
“That’s beautiful,” she said, motioning to the crib. “Did you make it?”
Grady nodded.
“I’ve been fixing up this place, trying to make it more comfortable. I mean, I’m a guy, but ladies like a few more comforts than a cabin usually offers.”
“Ladies?” Autumn said, before realizing how nosy that sounded.
“You know. Destiny. I don’t want her bugging me to move into town as soon as she’s old enough to realize the difference.”
Autumn nodded, relieved that the baby still seemed to be the only lady in Grady’s life.
“She’ll love it here, Grady. It’s really beautiful.”
“It still needs a bit of work, but we’ll get there.”
Autumn sipped her coffee and suddenly all the emotion of what had happened in the past twelve hours started to catch up to her. Being safe and warm, having a chance to breathe and collect her thoughts, was too much. She took a deep breath and felt like she was going to burst into tears. She tried to hold them back but couldn’t.
“Autumn,” Grady said, “everything’s going to be okay.”
She laughed at herself, feeling silly, and wiped her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You’re allowed to cry.”
“Really?”
He laughed, and she burst into a mixture of laughter and sobs.
“This is all so nice,” she said. “You’ve done so much for me.”
“I’d do a lot more,” he said, and then stopped himself from saying more.
She felt a rush of emotion, wondering what he meant by that, but she had too much on her mind to let thoughts of romance or adventure get very far.
She cried again and Grady went to the bedroom and came back with a box of tissues.
“You’re so kind,” she said, before blowing her nose in the napkin, mortified that her nose was running and that she was sobbing in front of him.
“We’ll sort everything out, Autumn. It’s all going to be okay.”
She nodded, but she couldn’t fool herself so easily. Her mother was in a desperate situation and she k
new it. She wanted to stop crying and enjoy her coffee with Grady, but she couldn’t ignore reality.
“How can we sort it out?” she said to him.
He smiled, as if he’d been hoping she’d ask him that.
“Just tell me what’s the matter,” he said.
“What’s the matter? The real question is what isn’t the matter.”
“Start at the beginning, Autumn. Trust me. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you talk through your worries with someone else.”
She felt silly, immature, turning to him for help, but she also felt such a strong need, a need for help, and she couldn’t resist it. She knew enough about the world to know everyone felt overwhelmed at times. Everyone needed a friend to lean on. Everyone needed help. She helped people whenever she could, and she owed it to herself to allow Grady to help her through her issues now.
“I’m worried about my mother,” she said hesitantly. “The Hildegards never sent her my pay, and now she probably thinks I forgot all about her. She’s been kicked out of the good hospital she was in and now she’s in a free clinic. They can’t give her the help she needs at the clinic though.”
“The Hildegards never sent the checks? Even though they knew it was for your mother’s medical bills?”
Autumn nodded and began crying again. “And the worst part is, my aunt thought I was holding back the money on purpose.”
“Your mother won’t think that, Autumn.”
She shook her head. “What if she does?”
“Do you love your mother?”
“Yes,” she conceded.
“And does your mother know that?”
“I think she does.”
“Believe me, Autumn, she knows it. How could she not? You’re such a good, warm, intelligent, kindhearted girl.”
Autumn laughed in embarrassment.
“Come on, we’ll take care of this right away.”
“Take care of it? How?”
Grady took his phone from his pocket and checked for signal. “I rigged up an antenna,” he said. “My cell works. Do you want to talk to your mother?”
“More than anything,” Autumn gasped.
“Here,” Grady said, handing her the phone. “Call her and tell her you sorted everything out. You thought she was getting the money and now you’ve fixed it.”
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