Page 1 of Scarlett's Mountain Man
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 himon 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.
