Chapter Twelve
Rhett
Every time I close my eyes for the rest of eternity, I’m going to be picturing my baby girl bent over that shower seat, ass up, pussy gripping me tight.
It’s all I dreamt about during the four-hour nap we took.
Truthfully, we probably could’ve laid there for a lifetime. I know I could’ve without hesitation.
When she’s here next to me, everything inside of me settles. Every project I have to finish, all this shit with Nathan, the missing ring, it all disappears, and I turn into this primitive creature that’s content knowing my girl is safe and warm against my chest.
That’s the reason it’s after four in the afternoon by the time we get on the road to her mom’s house. I’m a disciplined man, I pride myself on that, but there’s something about the way that girl fits against me that shuts down every responsible thought in my head.
She slides up against me, and I wrap my arm around her as I shift the old truck into gear. It’s not a move I’m skilled at yet, driving stick with only one hand, but from here on out, I won’t have it any other way. My baby girl belongs right here beside her daddy.
“Which way is your farmhouse?”
“It’s up on the west side of the mountain. I can take you there tonight if you want. I should probably go check everything, anyway. It’s nice of the neighbors to stop by, but you form a bond with the animals, and they get stressed when they don’t see you.”
“Like when you leave town and your dog won’t eat until you get back?”
“Something like that.” I nod and squeeze her thigh. “You ever ridden horses?”
She turns her head toward me and shakes it as I pull into the ice cream shop on Route Three.
It’s a cute place set next to the mouth of the river with big willows lined against the banks.
“Not once. Weird, right? I live up here in horse country, and I’ve never ridden one.
I’ve ridden a pig, though. Does that count? ”
I grin as I hop down out of the truck and hold my arms out for her to slide out my side. “A pig?”
“A pig!”
“And why were you riding a pig?”
“County fair,” she says, as I lift her down from the truck. “I was three. For some reason, my parents put me on a pig.” She shrugs. “It was like a race or something.”
“A pig race, when you were three?” I narrow my brows and tap her arm playfully.
“I’m going to have to have a talk with your parents about that one, though…
the real trouble comes from riding goats.
They’re wilder than a bull ride. People think they’re cute little lawnmowers, but they’re live grenades.
My buddies and I called them buckin’ bucktooth ponies, and we rode them all over town. ”
She laughs and shakes her head, tucking her tiny hand into mine as we crunch over the gravel toward the little ice cream stand at the river’s edge. “Well, my kids won’t be riding goats, or pigs, or anything that bucks.”
“What? How are they gonna toughin’ up if they don’t fall and get hurt every once in a while?”
She rolls her eyes and stares up at the pegboard above the little ice cream stand. “I don’t know about the kids, but I’m thinking that brownie explosion sundae will toughen me up.” Her gaze tracks mine. “What do you think, Daddy? We could share it.”
God, I love this girl.
“No way. If this is to toughen you up, you need to eat it on your own.” I step toward the counter and order two brownie explosion sundaes from the gray-haired woman at the window who can’t help herself from glancing toward Pepper and I every other second.
I gather she’s confused by the relationship.
An older man with a young, beautiful girl, and my hand tucked in hers, our arms wrapped together.
I don’t give a shit what people think, but I hadn’t thought about how it would affect Pepper until now.
“That woman really can’t stop staring.” Pepper tips up onto her toes as she whispers, “Is there something on my face?”
“No, baby girl, you’re gorgeous. It’s because Daddy is here with you. People are going to stare.”
“They don’t know you’re my daddy.”
“No, but they see our age difference.”
“Well, that’s dumb,” Pepper says, taking the first plastic bowl of ice cream from the window.
“I don’t even notice.” She hands the bowl back toward me, but I shake my head and step forward, handing the woman a twenty for our sundaes, before taking my own from the window.
“I mean, I notice you’re older, but… I like it. ”
I kiss the top of Pepper’s head as we turn away from the woman in the window.
I’ve been in the world long enough that I can tell the woman wants to ask questions, or at the very least she wants to make a comment, but I toss her a smile and walk away before she gets the chance.
If people’s judgment is the worst thing that happens out of my life with Pepper, I’ll take it.
Besides, it’s pretty hard to be upset about anything when you’re holding two big bowls of vanilla ice cream stacked on top of a brownie with hot fudge, whipped cream, and cherries.
Put my baby girl next to me and I’m in heaven.
We sit at a picnic table on the other side of the ice cream stand.
It’s a sunny spot next to the river’s edge where a few folks have set up shop with their poles.
I haven’t been out this way in a long damn time.
I’ve had no reason to given most of my jobs come from town and my farmhouse is set on the other side of the mountain, but it’s peaceful out here.
Pepper’s eyes go wide as she digs her spoon into the treat and slides the first bite into her mouth.
My heart warms instantly. I love how simplicity makes her so happy.
I love the way she feels in my arms. I love the way she sounds when I’m pressing inside of her.
I love the sarcastic way she jokes, and the longer I sit here, I know without a doubt that I love her.
“If we bought Moo’s, what would you want to do with it?”
“You mean in our fantasy?” she says as she moves her spoon around in her ice cream.
I scoop up a bit of the fudge brownie from my bowl and feed it to my little girl. “Sure, in our fantasy.”
She grins as soon as the chocolate hits her tongue. “I’d put a big cow statue outside of the shop and everything would be cow print. My napkins, the walls, the bathrooms… everything.”
“Would you have signature sundae recipes?”
She grins as a warm breeze passes through. “Of course! I’d like signature ice cream flavors like,” there’s a pause while she thinks, “Rugged Mountain roads.”
“Oh, what’s that? Like a play on rocky road?”
“Exactly. It’s charcoal vanilla ice cream, molten marshmallow streaks, with chocolate and graham cracker chunks. Sounds good, right?”
I lean in and kiss my sweet girl’s forehead gently, feeding her another bite of the brownie sundae. “What would you name the place?”
She looks off in the distance for a minute then returns, her gaze soft, her brows downturned. “Moe’s.”
“Why Moe’s?”
“My family called it Moe’s after my mom started saying it. It’s her nickname.”
“Because she called the place Moe’s?” I take a bite for myself, savoring the ultra-sweet chocolate.
“No.” Pepper shakes her head as she stares out at the river. “My mom’s name is Moira, but everyone called her Moe.” She shakes her head and glances back at me. “Maybe it’s a stupid idea.”
“Not at all,” I say, scooping up another bite for my baby.
She could name the place after a steakhouse, and I’d grin and buy her whatever the hell she wants at this point.
I want to give her the world. I want to make her life easy.
I want to take care of her. I want her to have everything she’s ever wanted and then some.
I’m not sure where I’ll get the money for any of it yet, but that’s neither here nor there.
If my girl wants something, I’m going to do whatever I need to make sure it happens.
She’s sliding another bite off of her spoon when my phone rings. I should’ve turned it off. We reset after Nathan disturbed us this morning, though given the number on my phone, the Rugged Mountain Police Department hasn’t gotten the memo.
“Who is it?” Pepper asks as I stare down at the screen, debating my options.
“Brooks.”
“Officer Brooks?” She freezes. “What does he want?”
I shrug, though I can’t imagine it’s anything good. “Doesn’t matter.” I nudge the spoon toward her lips, prompting her to ignore the rest of the world with me, but she isn’t having it.
“No, we have to answer. What if he found the ring? What if we’re in trouble?”
“If we’re in trouble, I don’t want to know, and he didn’t find the ring if you left it on the flowerpot in the house. He’s not anywhere near the house, at least he better not be.”
Given the anxiety this call is causing my girl, I decide to answer. Knowing why he’s calling is better for her than the guessing game, and what’s best for her is what’s best for me.
“Hello,” I clear my throat, “Rhett here.”
“Rhett, it’s Brooks from Rugged Mount—”
“Yeah, I know. What do you want?” I’m far gruffer than I need to be, but the words are out before I can stop them.
Brooks and I knew each other in high school, and we’ve run in similar circles through the years, but we were never too buddy-buddy. I’m not sure why, we probably have a lot in common, but for whatever reason, he had his side of town and I had mine.
He drags in a deep breath as though he’s recalibrating his own tone. “Pepper’s father called looking for her. He said she was with some guy with tattoos who’s renovating a lake house, but they didn’t have a number.”
My shoulders tighten as a crow lands on the edge of the picnic table like some kind of ominous fucking message. “Okay…”
“The ambulance just left the station headed for her parents’ house. Pepper’s dad wanted to get a hold of her so they could tell her what’s going on. I couldn’t give your personal information out, so he asked if I could pass the message along.”
My stomach knots as Pepper takes another bite of the brownie sundae, her eyes wide as she stares toward me, still oblivious.
“Do we know what’s going on?”
“No, man. Sorry. They’re taking her to the general hospital out in the Springs. That’s all I know.”
The Springs. If it was something manageable, they’d triage her in town. The fact that they’re transporting her all the way up to the Springs isn’t good.
“Got it. Thanks,” I groan before sliding the call to end, tucking my phone back into my pocket.
“What?” Pepper’s tone lowers and her voice shakes as though she can sense the incoming bad news. “What happened?”
I wet my lips and stare at my girl. “I’m not sure, but your mom was taken by ambulance to the Springs. We should get up there.”
She stands from the table, her face turning a shade of white I haven’t seen since I took her from the wedding. “We need to go right now.”
And just like that, I know I was right when I thought we should’ve stayed in bed.