Scarlett’s Mountain Man (Daddies of Whiskey Mountain #1)

CHAPTER 1

SCARLETT

Istare out my front windshield, blinking several times to clear my vision and taking a deep breath. Exhaustion weighs heavy on me as I continue up the bumpy, windy road to the cabins. Am I nearly there yet?

Groaning in pain, I grip onto the steering wheel just a bit tighter. My knuckles are white as I stare into the night sky. Driving up the mountain in darkness something I don’t suggest doing. Especially when I gave birth almost twenty-four hours ago.

I glance into both the rearview mirror and the additional safety mirror I set up so I could see my baby.

Juniper.

My sweet baby Juniper.

She is fast asleep in her car seat like nothing is wrong in the world. To her, it’s not, and I’m going to make sure of that for as long as I can.

How long will that be?

I don’t have a clue, but I’m going to try my hardest. The urge to keep her protected is strong.

Maternal instincts.

Or so I think. I’m not actually sure since my own mother gave me up when I was a baby. Left me on the doorstep of a church one night to fend for myself.

Okay, not literally. I was told she knocked and vanished into the night. Soon after, the pastor came and took me inside. That night, I was placed into foster care and adopted a few months later but it was never the same.

Knowing my real mother didn’t want me. My adopted parents loved me for the first several years of my life or so I remember, but once I hit seven everything changed.

They had a biological child, and I just became another person in the house, not their child anymore.

The void had been filled by their own flesh and blood.

I shake my head, needing to keep my thoughts off that. I try not to think about it too much. Growing up, I had everything I needed.

Everything but love.

“I’m going to love you for the rest of my life,” I whisper, looking back into the mirror at Juniper.

When I turn my eyes to the road, I whimper as I drive over a bump.

“Please don’t wake up Juniper,” I quietly beg myself.

Before leaving, I fed Juniper, burped her, and rocked her to sleep. Not once have I stopped.

Not that I could have. My seat is blood-soaked, and I didn’t want to get out of the car at a gas station. That would bring too much attention my way.

What am I going to do when I get to the cabins?

I groan and grip the steering wheel tighter. White-knuckling is hurting my fingers, but it’s keeping me awake.

“What am I going to do?” Tears pool in my eyes.

I can’t get out of the car and greet the owner to get my keys when I’m wearing blood-soaked pants.

When I talked with him on the phone, I told him I would be a little late, and he said it was fine.

Said he would wait at the main cabin to give me the keys and show me where I’m staying for the two weeks.

Two weeks by myself, looking after Juniper.

Am I going to survive? Did I have to bring my own food, or will they provide it? Do they have a washer?

Those are all things I should have a good idea of, but I don’t. I don’t have an answer to the last two because I didn’t think to ask. It wasn’t on my mind.

I just needed to get out of there, so I ran. No extra clothes for myself, but plenty for Juniper. I can survive with what I’m wearing, but I needed everything for Juniper to take care of her properly.

Pain flows through my body, and I clench my jaw. After taking a deep breath, I slowly let it out, trying to get through the pain.

“Almost there,” I whisper to myself. “Almost there. I can make it.”

But I don’t know if I can.

I lean forward to see out of the front windshield better. Trees are on both sides of the road, closing us in. But what is on the other side of them? Is it the side of the mountain, or is it sea ground? Maybe if I drove in the daytime, I would be able to tell.

I wanted to leave during the day when I would be able to see properly, but he didn’t leave until late in the day, making me wait until it was already getting dark. That’s why I called Thorin and told him I would be late.

First, I asked if I needed to come tomorrow or if tonight would work. I held my breath as I asked that because I wouldn’t have anywhere to go tonight if he told me tomorrow. But thankfully, he said he would wait until I arrived.

I don’t know if that is a good thing or not, though. Will he require me to get out of my car? My seat and I are covered in blood. I know he is going to look at it and freak out.

Any logical person would do it.

A sign appears ahead, and I slow down.

Whiskey River Mountain Lodge.

I let out a sigh of relief and slowly press on the gas. I’m heading in the right direction. After seeing the first sign, I grow worried as I continue to go up a winding path, not knowing if I am heading in the right direction.

I know I could use my the maps app on my phone, but I don’t have a charger to plug into my car, and I didn’t want to waste any battery in case something happened.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Shit,” I curse, picking up my phone and answering it without looking. “Hello?” My voice is weak.

“Is this Scarlett?” a deep voice rumbles through the phone. “I’m Thorin.”

I clench my thighs together and grip the steering wheel tighter. I will never forget the sound of Thorin’s voice. Deep, smooth, and sexy. I could fall asleep listening to him talk. Which isn’t good right now since I’m exhausted, in pain, and driving my newborn baby to safety.

“Scarlett?” he calls out, bringing my attention back to him.

“This is she,” I reply.

I hold the phone away from my face as I take a deep breath and slowly let it out, grimacing as pain makes its way through my body. When will this end?

I don’t have a clue since Juniper is my first child. I don’t have anyone to turn to for advice. “Scarlett, are you all right?” His voice holds a concerned tone. “Did you groan?”

I pull the phone back to my ear and plaster a smile on my face. I know he can’t see it, but it helps me believe that I am okay while reassuring others.

“I’m okay,” I gently say. “What can I help you with?”

I need to change the subject because, deep down, I have a feeling Thorin isn’t as easily distracted or fooled as the people I usually have to placate.

“Are you sure? I can come and get you.”

I shake my head.

“Scarlett?”

“Sorry, I shook my head, thinking you could see me, but clearly you can’t.” I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m fine.”

I’m anything but fine. I am lightheaded, exhausted, and hurting. Everything in me wants to fall asleep right here, but I need to get to safety. Not only for me, but mostly for Juniper.

I can’t let him sell her.

I curse as I slow down, almost hitting a pothole. That could have been really bad. What would I have done if Juniper started to cry? I can’t stop on the side of the narrow road and try to calm her down.

“Scarlett? Are you driving and talking on the phone, or have you pulled over?” he asks.

I wince. “Driving and talking on the phone.”

It’s not the safest, but I don’t want to wake up Juniper, and I don’t have a place to really rest my phone and for him to still hear me.

“Scarlett,” he scolds. “Pull over.”

“I can’t,” I reply.

“Why?”

“Um, because I don’t like putting my car into park when it’s on a slight incline. When I try to start again, it rolls back some, and it scares me,” I rush out.

It’s the truth and a logical answer. I will go out of my way to avoid any hills that I could stop on because I don’t want the possibility of my car not working.

“Little One,” he gently coos.

Tears prick my eyes, and I blink them back. No time for crying, especially when I am driving. And his words shouldn’t affect me. He is the owner of the lodge and probably has a family of his own.

“How far away are you?” he asks.

I’m glad he’s changed the subject, it eases my anxiety. But I have a feeling it won’t be the last time he brings up me driving and talking on the phone. If he’s gotten bossy now, what’s to stop him from getting all bossy later?

“Uhhh,” I stall. “I just saw the sign for Whiskey River Mountain Lodge,” I offer.

He has to know how far away I am.

“That was about five minutes ago, though,” I mumble.

“You’re almost here. I’ll be standing outside waiting for you,” he informs me. “Get here safely.”

“Oh, you can just hand me the keys when I get there,” I suggest. “I bet you want to get to bed.”

“It’s seven. I won’t be going to bed for several more hours,” he replies. “And it’s no problem. I can show you around and make sure you have everything. I’ll see you in a couple of minutes.”

Before I can say anything, he hangs up. I sigh and grumble under my breath. I hate it when people hang up on me without letting me talk. He probably wanted to get me off the phone, but still, I’m a safe driver.

All of a sudden, I enter a clearing a huge cabin appears in the distance.

“Wow,” I whisper as I take it in.

It’s tall, two or three stories tall, and massive. Are all of the cabins like this?

I slow down as I pull up onto the level surface. The closer I drive to the main cabin, the more small cabins I see.

“Oh my goodness,” I say, awestruck.

A wooden path leads to other cabins and the forest. Trees surround the houses, covering them from the sunlight if it is daytime.

“So beautiful.”

A man comes into view in the distance, and I know it’s Thorin. He’s huge, muscular, and has a beard.

Just my type. Everything he wasn’t.

I put the car into park in front of him and roll down the window.

“Stay in the car,” I remind myself.

“Scarlett?” he checks, standing next to my car.

Without warning, he grips the handle and opens my door.

“You can leave your stuff here while I show you around.” He holds his hand out.

I grab his hand, and he helps me out of the car. Hissing in pain, I hold my stomach with my free hand and double over.

Waves of dizziness assault me as I take a deep breath in.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I slowly stand and look at him, but as I do, stars appear in my vision. Blackness creeps into the corners, and I cling to his hand.

“Juniper,” I manage to get out before darkness takes me under.