Chapter 7
Scout
“Hey, are you busy?” Hazel asks when I answer her call.
“Um.” My eyes lock with Carter’s.
He nods. “Go ahead and talk with your friend. I’m going to get started on our romantic dinner.”
He gives me a cocky grin, and I laugh as I slip off the barstool and walk into the living room to talk to Hazel.
“Okay, I’m good. What’s up?” I ask as I sit down on the couch and get comfortable.
“I just wanted to check in with you and see if you were okay,” she says.
Hazel sounds… weird. She’s obviously worried and tense. Hearing her like that has me on edge instantly.
I stiffen, sitting up straight. “Yeah, I’m fine. Are you? What’s going on, Haze?”
“Your dad has been calling a lot, Scout.”
My stomach plummets. “Yeah, I’ve got a bunch of missed calls from him too. I’ve been ignoring him. He’s muted on my phone, but every time I look, I have more texts and calls and voicemails from him.”
“Same. He’s getting desperate. He’s called me a dozen times in the last few hours.”
“Fuck,” I croak.
“And he was outside my apartment this morning.”
“What? Are you okay? Did he try to—”
“I’m fine,” she rushes to assure me. “I’m okay. Hudson was there, and he scared off your dad.”
“Was he alone?”
“From what I could tell, yes. He’s in rough shape, though. His face was bruised. He had a busted lip and black eyes.”
“Shit,” I say, though I’m not surprised.
I figured they would hurt my dad when he couldn’t pay them back or offer me in exchange for clearing his debts. It still stings to know that he’s in danger, but not enough for me to go back or want to contact him ever again.
“I’m so sorry, Hazel. I hate that you’ve been dragged into this.”
“It’s not your fault,” she tells me gently.
“It feels like it. I mean, he’s my dad. I can’t stop thinking that if I’d left years ago or taken you up on your offer to move with you, none of this would have happened. We could’ve avoided all of this.”
“Scout, be for real. Your dad was going to use you whether you were living with him or not. At least this way, you got out. You met Carter, and you’re safe.”
“I’m scared he’ll find me and drag me back there,” I admit.
“Scout, no,” Hazel coos. “You’re safe with Carter. He won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know, but I can’t stay here forever. I can’t hide forever.”
“You can stay with Hudson and me anytime you want to, but from what I’ve heard from Hudson, Carter isn’t going to kick you out anytime soon.”
“Yeah, he said he likes having me here, but I can’t stay and sponge off him forever. I need a job and a place to stay and a plan.”
“You’ll get all of that in time.”
We’re both silent for a beat.
“I need to get away from here,” I whisper. “Maybe if I’m on the opposite side of the country, he’ll stop looking for me.”
“Then you’ll be on the opposite side of the country from me too,” Hazel protests.
“What other choice do I have? He won’t stop.”
“We’ll think of something. In the meantime, try to stay positive. How are things going with Carter?” she asks, her tone changing to playful.
“Good. We went out last night for dinner, and it was… perfect.” I sigh dreamily. “We just click. It’s crazy, but it feels like I’ve known him for years and not days.”
“Sounds like someone is starting to fall in love!” Hazel singsongs.
My smile freezes on my face.
Am I?
Oh my gosh, I am.
“What are you up to now?”
“Carter is making us dinner. He bought candles,” I whisper.
She cheers. “Aw! So romantic! Okay, well, I won’t keep you any longer. Go enjoy your date, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“Thanks. Stay safe.”
“You too,” she says.
We hang up, and I chew on my bottom lip. I know what Hazel said. I know Carter isn’t going to kick me out, but I also know I can’t live in limbo forever. I don’t want to move away from Hazel or Carter, but I can’t put the burden of keeping me safe on them. I can’t live in fear or hiding forever.
I pull up the internet on my phone and go to a job site. I set the search for anywhere far away from here and apply for any job that sounds interesting or that I have experience with. Coffeeshops, restaurants, customer service, warehouses, and everything in between.
“Hey, dinner is done,” Carter says.
I look up, smiling faintly as I tuck my phone into my pocket and stand. “Sorry, I meant to come and help you.”
“No worries. How’s Hazel?”
“She’s good. She said my dad showed up at their place this morning. He was all beat up and looking for me.”
“Shit,” Carter groans.
“Yeah, she said Hudson scared him off, but I doubt that will stop my dad for long. He’s desperate now. He can’t pay Leonard back and has nothing else to offer him.”
“That’s on him,” Carter says. “That’s his mess to figure out.”
“I know,” I say as we sit down at the counter to eat.
“What else is going on with Hazel?” Carter asks, trying to lighten the mood.
“Um, I’m not sure. We mainly talked about my dad.”
“What were you doing when I came in?”
“Applying to jobs,” I mumble.
“Here in Wolf Valley?”
“Uh, no,” I admit.
Carter tenses next to me. “Where?”
I shift in my chair. “All over, really. Some in Michigan, Mississippi, Florida. Anywhere that’s not close to here.”
“Scout, you don’t have to leave—”
“I can’t let you just keep paying for me to stay here.”
“I told you, it’s not a problem.”
“It is for me,” I snap.
Carter is quiet.
I take a deep breath. “I can’t keep hiding out,” I tell him softly. “I hate this living-in-limbo crap. I want a plan. I want to know I’m safe.”
“You are here.”
“I know, but I’m not really living. I’m still just surviving here.”
His face falls.
“Once my car is fixed, I’ll pick a place and start driving. Maybe I’ll have heard back from one of the jobs by then.”
He stares at his plate.
“I don’t want to leave,” I admit.
“I don’t want you to either.”
We eat in silence for a minute. I hate that I’ve ruined our romantic dinner.
I clear my throat, trying to think of something to say to lighten the mood. “Thanks for making dinner. It’s delicious as always.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”
“Got any plans for this weekend?”
“I don’t. Not yet, anyway. Is there something you want to do? We could go to see Hudson and Hazel or go for a hike or something here? Did you need anything else? Like clothes or whatever?”
“No, I’m good. If my dad is up in Maple Creek, I don’t want to go up there.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. We can hang out here or go to a different town if you want.”
“We can hang out here. Maybe go for a hike or something. Or do you need any help around the cabin? I can clean or cut the grass.”
“We’ll see.”
We finish eating, the mood lightening as we talk about plans for the next few days. It starts to rain outside, and I stand at the kitchen sink, staring out at the falling raindrops.
“We might have to postpone our hike if this storm continues for long,” Carter muses.
I smile. “I’ve always loved the rain. It was calming when I was a kid.”
“Me too. I hated it when I was deployed. Sleeping in a tent in the rain isn’t always a great time.”
I laugh. “I bet.”
“Though it did make things a little cooler for a bit.”
“Did it rain a lot when you were deployed?”
“No, not really. I was always in the desert, so it was hot and sunny.”
“Sounds miserable.”
“It could be. It was the people who made that place fun.”
“It usually is.”
I go back to the counter to gather the dishes. Carter grabs the rest and joins me at the sink. I rinse the dishes and pass them to Carter to load into the dishwasher. We work together like an old married couple.
The thought makes me smile. I can picture Carter and me happily married and cleaning up like this. The image is so clear in my head. I pause when I realize how badly I want that. I don’t want to leave Carter or this place. I love this small town, this cabin, this man.
If I have to leave, I want at least one night with him. I want to have something to look back on when I’m living alone in some other city.
“Are you okay?” Carter asks, his hands landing on the counter on either side of me, caging me in. He crowds me against the kitchen sink, and I take a shaky breath as I stare up at him. My nipples pebble in my bra, and my body heats. I want this man. Badly.
I step toward him until our chests brush.
Carter’s eyes darken as he gazes down at me as our bodies connect. “Scout,” he murmurs.
I tilt my chin up, offering him my mouth.
He greedily accepts.
Carter’s lips crash down on mine, and I melt against him. My hands land on his chest, and I can feel his heart racing beneath my palms as I kiss him back. Our tongues brush, tangling as we press impossibly closer.
Carter’s erection presses firmly against my stomach, telling me how much he needs me. I grind against him, and my core clenches when he groans. I’m burning alive with need. My body is on fire.
I pull back, sucking in a deep breath. “Take me to bed.”
His eyebrows rise. “Scout, we don’t have to. We can take it slow.”
“I know, but I don’t want to. I’m ready. I want to be with you,” I tell him.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Carter stoops down until we’re eye to eye, his eyes dark and intense. Wrapping his hands around my thighs, he lifts me into his arms.
“I can walk!” I protest.
He shakes his head as he carries me up the stairs like I weigh no more than a feather. As soon as we step into the bedroom, his mouth crashes down onto mine. He kisses me like he’s starving for me. I kiss him back just as desperately.
Carter stops next to the bed, and I slide down his body, moaning as his cock rubs against me.
He grips my hips, holding me in place. His gaze holds mine as he reaches for my shirt and slowly tugs it up.
I raise my arms, helping him pull the garment over my head.
My arms drop, and I try to cover myself self-consciously.
Then I see the look on Carter’s face, like I’m his fantasy come to life before him. His mouth is open in awe, his eyes dark with lust as his gaze skims my body.
“God, Scout. Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?”