Page 52 of Mountain Refuge

He turned his face and kissed my palm. “I noticed you far too much. I had to force myself to concentrate on my kids.”

I felt my cheeks heat. “So, to answer your original question, I do plan on speaking with Jack and Corbin. Not to verify your story but find out how I can help protect you and those kids.”

Of all the reactions I’d been expecting from my statement, anger was not one of them. He stood up, breaking contact with me. His shoulders were hunched, and I could see his fists clench and unclench.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Elijah leaned forward on the rail. “You shouldn’t be the one protecting me. What kind of man would I be if I let you stand between me and any dangerIbrought to your doorstep? It should bemeprotecting you.”

I understood, I think. Men, good men like Elijah, were raised to protect women and children. He already had a job that others would see as feminine. I saw nothing wrong with raising and homeschooling children, even if the title was ‘nanny’. I wasn’t sure he did either. In fact, I think he was proud of the job, and it showed in Belle. She was smart and inquisitive, not a spoiled rich brat.

I was surrounded by alpha men on this mountain. The typical muscled men one would see shirtless on the cover of a romance novel. They might be damaged or in need of solace, like me, but they were, at heart, good men. I’d only met Walteronce and I’d never met Huck, but I knew Tommy, Dalton, and Corbin well. Or as well as any of us knew each other. They didn’t know my secrets and I didn’t know theirs. What I did know was these men had good, though troubled, souls.

Elijah didn’t see himself clearly. He may believe he had done the right thing when he’d taken the kids away, but it was evident a big amount of guilt weighed on him too. Likely not for the kidnapping itself, maybe for not taking the kids away sooner. I also believed that Elijah had been traumatized by what had happened that horrible day, and maybe even from experiences before that. After all, he’d said that Belle’s older brother and he had been plotting to escape before they’d learned of Lucas’s arrival. Something had to have happened to make life so miserable that Elijah had been contemplating kidnapping one child, even with her older brother’s permission, let alone waiting to take the second one once born too.

Maybe Elijah wasn’t physically as strong as some men. Maybe he looked at my lifestyle and thought me capable of such strength too. What he didn’t understand is I didn’t come to this mountain that strong. I’d had to earn that strength and skills over the near decade that I’d been living here. If he’d seen me my first couple of years here, he certainly wouldn’t be calling me strong or viewing me as competent.

I walked up to him and put my arms around his waist. He’d filled out from the gaunt man I’d met all those months ago. I put my cheek on his shoulder, pushing myself flush against him.

“I get why you would think that, given societal norms of how the man protects the woman. But up here on this mountain, gender doesn’t matter and cultural decrees don’t matter. So how about you don’t worry so much about needing to protect me because I’m a woman. How about we start this relationship off on equal footing and we work together to protecteach other?”

He put his hands on mine around my waist. “Doesn’t sound like too horrible a plan.”

I smiled and squeezed his middle. “Most of mine don’t.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Elijah

We were nearing the end of our first summer up on the mountain. The kids were flourishing more than I could have hoped in our secluded hideaway. Lucas was showing his joyous personality a little more each day while Belle was growing bolder and stronger. I worried constantly over her safety. I knew that scrapes and bruises were a rite of passage for children, but I still cringed each time my baby girl got hurt. If I wasn’t, I knew her Uncle Corbin would be there to pick her up and make it better. I was so proud of how much she’d grown past her trauma. It was very rare for her to wake with a nightmare nowadays, and her bed wetting had stopped too.

I knew that there had been some instances where she’d wet the bed in the middle of the night due to a terror dream and she had Gertie help her clean up and change. She would then beg Gertie not to tell me. Not because she was afraid of getting in trouble, but because she didn’t want to add to my worries. Of course, Gertie would inform me in the morning so I could keep track. I wanted to identify any triggers that might be occurring prior to her having a nightmare and if they differed from theinstances that resulted in her wetting the bed. We simply didn’t tell Belle that I was aware of her secret. When we’d first arrived at Corbin’s cabin, those occurrences were once to twice a week. Gradually, it became once to twice a month. Now, it had been almost two months since her last nightmare. I was so proud of her ability to move on.

Corbin had taken Belle into town multiple times over the summer. I was terrified when he’d suggested letting her come with him to drop off his furniture to Jack’s store. Belle really wanted to see the town, as well as meet Super Jack. Corbin knew of my fears and assured me that, with her short pink hair, no one would recognize her. Beyond that, he swore that he would not letanyonetake her away from him. I knew I could trust Corbin to protect her, but that didn’t stop my mind from panicking as soon as they drove away on his four-wheeler trailering his furniture.

I swear I couldn’t breathe the entire time they were gone. I hoped I had hidden my fear from Belle. I’m still not sure if she saw how relieved I was when they’dfinallygotten back. Thankfully Gertie had taken care of Lucas for me, so he wasn’t affected by my panic either. Corbin definitely saw it though.

Later that night, after the kids were asleep, Corbin told me that he wouldn’t take Belle into town again. I was so relieved by his declaration—only to remember how excited Belle had been to go into town with Uncle Corbin. She’d met Super Jack and had ice cream and played on the playground and ate a giant hot dog and helped Uncle Corbin move his furniture and met the lady who ran the bakery… She’d be crushed if I told her she couldn’t go back.

Corbin yet again questioned if I wanted to go with them on their next trip, but I quickly shook my head. I knew my anxiety would be worse if I went to town too. My face was on national television. We’d been able to alter Belle’s appearance enoughthat I was sure no one would recognize her as Lydia Gunther. But me? A beard couldn’t change my body type, height, or eyes. Plus, who would believe spoiled, rich Lydia Gunther was the happy child rolling around in the mud all day?

I couldn’t do it or risk it.

So Lucas, Gertie, and I remained at the cabin all summer long. It wasn’t as isolating as I figured it would be. Like winter, summer had its advantages and disadvantages. The heat was definitely something to get used to. Some days it felt like I was baking after taking only a few steps outside.

I was learning a lot from Corbin about mountain life. I could now successfully chop wood—to Belle’s enthusiastic applause. I was also learning how to manage the water and food stores. I wasn’t up for hunting or gutting, but I had helped Corbin cure the meat. Belle was utterly disappointed that I would not allow her to go hunting with Uncle Corbin. She stomped around the house all day, refusing to play or do her studies. Even Lucas couldn’t bring a smile to her face. I was not one for rewarding bad behavior. However, I did tell her that,perhaps, we could revisit thepossibilityof her going hunting with Uncle Corbin next summer. While that did not immediately cheer her up, she did tell me that she would take hunting lessons from Uncle Corbin until I felt satisfied she would be safe enough to go with him.

My little angel. I knew what she was doing and, though I was aware of the manipulation, I allowed it. She had, after all, agreed to take lessons before doing the activity. I could make Corbin drag out those lessons for a very long time.

Over all, the summer was amazing and I was shocked with how quickly it had gone by. I was beginning to grow muscle too. Nothing like Corbin’s, but my body was slowly becoming more defined. I certainly wasn’t complaining—and neitherwas Brooke.

Brooke was, aside from my children, the light of my life. We didn’t visit each other every day. That journey was just too far, but we remained in constant contact. She purchased two-way radios from Jack’s store. They were crap during storms or high winds, but most of the time they worked wonderfully. We were able to chat into the wee hours of the night, staying up like teenagers past our bedtimes.

Corbin taught me how to drive the four-wheeler and, after many journeys to Brooke’s cabin with Corbin, I eventually felt confident enough to travel there on my own during clear weather. Like Corbin, Brooke was also using the summer to prep for winter. I helped her where I could too. I usually brought Belle with me, and sometimes Lucas. While they weren’t much help, it was a change of scenery for them.

The times when I went alone were pure heaven. We hadn’t had sex yet, but that anticipation almost made the relationship sweeter. Thealmostwas for when I thought my blue balls were going to kill me.

Brooke was so sexy and funny and brilliant. She was constantly surprising me with how adept she was at mountain life. I loved watching her work. She even built a tire swing for Belle in her backyard. I was falling head over heels for her.

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