Broken: A Mountain Man's Romance Read online

  Jake circled us, with his eyes glued to the woods, as though he was waiting for the man to return.

  From what I could tell in the darkness, the woman was bleeding from the head, but I couldn’t tell anything else.

  “Shit,” I muttered, removing my shirt, and pressing it against the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.

  I looked around, but found no source of light, so I decided that I didn’t have much of a choice, other than to move her.

  In the time it took for me to do all this and come to my conclusion, the man hadn’t yet come back, but I had a feeling that he was stupid enough to try me again and this time, I didn’t think he would be using his fists.

  So, I scooped her up and started the trek back to my cabin.

  “Jake, come,” I commanded as I headed out of the small clearing. Instantly, the dog listened, leaping back toward me before breaking out in front.

  I watched him as he crossed back and forth a little bit ahead of me, ensuring that we weren’t heading toward any danger.

  As we moved, I thought about taking her directly to the ranger’s station, but I knew that would take a long time and I wasn’t sure if she would make it.

  I could feel the blood pulsing, soaking my shirt and knew that she needed to get to a safe area as soon as possible.

  Therefore, it didn’t take me long to conclude that I had to take her back to my cabin. While I didn’t want to take her back, I felt as though I didn’t have much of a choice. I knew that regardless of my own fears and issues, I needed to keep her safe and taking her back to the cabin was the best way to accomplish that.

  Considering, there’s a large possibility that she could blead to death before I got her anywhere else and there was a slightly less, yet still plausible possibility that the crazy guy could be coming after us, I wanted to be on familiar ground.

  If he came back, I would be ready and regardless of what he planned, I wasn’t going to be using my fucking fists this time either.

  Even as we neared the cabin, Jake continued his perimeter check while I focused on getting her inside as quick as possible.

  Carrying her took three times longer than running, which was even more aggravating, considering I was getting tired by now, as the adrenaline was wearing off.

  It seemed to take forever, but eventually, I saw the light from my fire flickering in the distance and I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

  In addition to the threat on her life and possibly my own, I also didn’t want this woman to wake up and think that some mountain man was trying to abduct her; especially after the ordeal she had already endured.

  I thought that if I could get her back to the cabin and fixed up before she regained consciousness, I would be able to explain what had happened, assuring her that her modesty was in-tact and she needn’t worry.

  Although, I still wasn’t exactly sure that this was going to end well for me, but my pride and sense of decency couldn’t allow me to do nothing, so I quickened my pace to reach the cabin.

  All the way, though, I grumbled at this knowledge, wishing that I didn’t feel this way. I couldn’t say that I was exactly ashamed that there was a part of me that wanted to leave her and let her fend for herself.

  It wasn’t like I had anyone but the dog to judge me and I fed him, so he’d get over it. Yet, ultimately, I knew I had to do it and that pissed me off, almost as much as the situation I found myself in.

  I knew that if it ever got back to me that she was hurt or found by the man who had attacked her after I left her to fend for herself, I would never forgive myself.

  It’s already a long, shitty list, but I would rather not add to it.

  So, I continued my trek to the cabin, wishing things were different.

  When I finally saw the clearing through the woods, I grumbled as Jake ran ahead, now happy to be home. I thought about it, but I didn’t call him back. I knew he was as pleased as I was to be home.

  After all, at heart, Jake was a lazy hermit, just like his owner. He enjoyed the freedom of the mountains and the seclusion but rarely ventured out to take advantage of it.

  When I was able to finally get back to the house, I finagled my way in the tiny door, which I had thankfully left unlocked.

  I sighed out of relief when I was able to place the woman down on the bed. She wasn’t heavy, by any means but I was exhausted and still depressed. Therefore, all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

  However, I knew that wasn’t going to happen any time soon, as I looked her over, trying to figure out which injury needed the most immediate attention.

  She didn’t look too beat up, but she certainly wasn’t having a good day. I realized soon enough that her ankle was hurt, but didn’t appear to be broken, so I decided to focus on her head wound first.

  I found gauze and tended the wound as best as I could, given my limited medical knowledge, fueled solely by the basic instinct to try to stop the bleeding. I knew that it needed to be cleaned and did this as best as I could, before packing the wound and wrapping it. The gash was deep. I hoped it wouldn’t end up requiring stitches, because while I could do it, I didn’t want to. So, I was going to hope that the bleeding would stop and take it from there.

  Once her head seemed to be all right, or as best as I could make it, with the knowledge that I had, I moved on to her ankle. Without her being awake to tell me exactly how much pain she was in, or what it felt like, I was guessing, basing everything off the amount of swelling. I didn’t feel any broken bones, but the swelling was pretty bad, so I was certain I wouldn’t really be able to tell until the ankle had a chance to rest.

  So, I searched the cabin for items that would make a decent, makeshift splint.

  After carefully pulling the leg of her pants up past the swelling, I secured the splint and again, hoped for the best.

  Once the splint was in place, I propped pillows underneath her foot to give it some height and I covered the woman with a blanket.

  It took me about an hour to tend to her wounds and ensure she was as comfortable as possible, all against my better judgement, before I felt I was finished.

  When I felt it was safe to turn my back to her for more than a few seconds, I went to the closet and grabbed a fresh shirt. In all the commotion, I had forgotten that I had used my other shirt to stop the bleeding and because of it, was marred with a hundred scrapes on my upper-body from running through the woods shirtless.

  When I was dressed in something at least somewhat reputable, I dug around to find the shirt and realized that it was completely unable to be saved.

  “Dammit,” I muttered, throwing the shirt into the fire. I didn’t want the blood to attract animals, after all, so this seemed like the best way to get rid of it.

  I watched the flames roar up, licking the shirt for a moment, before consuming it, almost entirely.

  The shirt created a lot of smoke that made the house smell funny, but eventually, it dissipated, leaving only remnants of the fabric behind.

  Before finally settling into my chair to go to sleep, I checked on the woman one last time.

  Her head wound seemed to be doing okay and the swelling in her ankle also appeared to be shrinking.

  I was happy to see that, of course, but having her here, in my cabin, created a shitstorm for me.

  I knew that the thoughts I was having presently were only the beginning.

  What made it even worse, was that as I observed the sleeping woman, I felt a twinge of something that I hadn’t thought I was capable of.

  I felt, attracted to her. She had beautiful blond hair, clear skin and a gorgeous physique, so the thought that she was beautiful, didn’t bother me all that much.

  What bothered me, was from the moment I saw her in the light, after I had done all I could to make sure she was going to be okay, I wanted her.

  I didn’t even know this woman’s name, but I already felt a connection to her.

  I tried to think of a million reasons why; perhaps I knew her or maybe she looked like
an ex-girlfriend, but for as much as I wracked my brain, I couldn’t figure it out.

  Oh well, I thought, I guess I’m just going to have to wait until she wakes up…

  Chapter 3: Carrie

  Upon waking up, the first thing I noticed was that my head ached. The second thing I noticed was that my ankle was pulsing with sharp, annoying pain. It felt as though it was inflamed and when I tried to move it, something stopped it.

  I panicked.

  I had no idea why I was afraid, or what had happened to put me in this position, but I knew that the last thing I remembered was being terrified.

  Don’t open your eyes… I thought to myself as I tried to clarify the reason. My heart was thumping hard in my chest and my head was aching.

  Carefully, trying to act as though I was still asleep, I tried to move my arms. There didn’t seem to be anything inhibiting them. I tried to move my other leg. It too wasn’t barred in any way.

  I took a deep breath and opened one eye. I braved a look at myself, to find that I was in a bed.

  With a bout of fear overcoming me, I quickly shut my eyes again, though I still couldn’t figure out what it was that was making me so scared.

  It was obvious that something wasn’t right. I knew that there was a reason I should be cautious, but I still couldn’t pinpoint what it was. I couldn’t remember what happened, but I was certain that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

  Yet, something told me that was probably a good thing.

  I tried to remember what had happened the night, or even a few days before waking up here but thinking hurt my head more, so I gave up.

  I was still so tired…

  I yawned and settled deeper into what I presumed was a pillow, clearing my mind so that I could settle back into slumber.

  While I didn’t particularly want to sleep, since part of me continued to warn that I was in danger, I was still so tired that I convinced myself that if I was in danger, I should probably pretend to be asleep anyway. My current position didn’t seem to be drawing any danger too me, and at least while I as sleeping, I wasn’t in pain.

  I must have drifted off again eventually, because I went through a similar experience when I woke up again.

  While I still couldn’t remember anything about what had happened or why I was here, my headache had receded slightly and the throbbing in my ankle had settled.

  For the first time, I chanced a look around at my actual surroundings. Immediately, I noticed that there was a fire crackling in an old stone fireplace, which was the only source of heat and light.

  I continued to glance around and quickly determined that I was in a one-room fishing cabin. It looked old but secure and strangely comforting.

  However, I felt my heart skip a beat when my eyes focused on a rocking chair, sitting in the corner, facing the fire, with a silhouette of a man clearly visible.

  “Who are you? What do you want?” I demanded, without thinking it through all that much, which seemed to stir the man, who was previously paying little attention to me.

  “Oh,” he answered quickly, his head turning and his eyes settling on me, “You’re awake. Good.”

  I couldn’t see his face, but his voice was completely unfamiliar.

  “What happened? Why am I here?” I asked, losing my resolve slightly as I became aware of the fact that I might not want to know the answer to any of these questions.

  “It’s okay,” he offered in a gruff, yet kind voice, “You’re safe. Nothing happened. I was able to get there in time,” he assured but didn’t go into detail.

  Nevertheless, flashes of the horrible attack started to ebb their way into my consciousness. I remembered the guide, I remembered being chased, drugged, unable to move and finally…

  I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut with the intention of forcing out the awful memories, horrified about what I finally remembered.

  I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and trapped, so I tried to move.

  “Stop, don’t…” The man insisted quickly, motioning toward my ankle, “You shouldn’t put any weight on it.”

  The sound of his voice, rather than his actual warning was what brought me to a halt as my eyes drew down to my ankle. For the first time, I noticed that a makeshift splint masterfully secured it.

  I wasn’t quite sure what to think at that point. In a way, I was pleased to see that this man had taken such good care of me. Yet, I was distrustful. This man didn’t have to do anything for me. He didn’t have to save me, and he certainly didn’t have to patch me up like he did.

  Considering recent events, even though I couldn’t recall it all with certainty, I was sure that I never wanted to be put in that situation again. Therefore, I knew I needed to be more cautious, which led me to wonder if the man had his own secret agenda.

  It seemed strange to me that he just happened upon me, at the time of the attack and was a goodhearted enough individual to involve himself the way that he had.

  I was usually someone who saw the best in people but right now, feeling utterly betrayed by my own instincts, it was hard for me to consider trusting anyone; even myself.

  So, I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to be trusting this strange mountain man, until I had a good reason to.

  “As soon as that heals, I’ll take you to a ranger’s office and get you some help. Okay? Unfortunately, it’s about a day’s walk and you need to give yourself some time to heal or you’ll never make it.”

  I frowned, only half listening to the handsome, rugged stranger. The more I thought and the more he talked, the more overwhelmed and nervous I became. The more aware of my surroundings I became, the more the severity of the situation struck me and thus, the more fearful I was.

  Although, I wasn’t afraid of the man, even though I knew I probably should be. After all, up here in the mountains, he could do whatever he wanted with me and no one would know until it was far too late.

  I had already been through one version of hell and somehow survived. It terrified me that I was potentially barreling straight for another, this time with a bum leg and a lingering exhaustion that was somewhat paralyzing.

  My brain was still too fuzzy to comprehend why I was so tired, when all I really wanted to do was jump out of my skin.

  I tried to focus on the man in front of me, answer him like a normal human being but I was lost for words.

  I had so many questions, most of which, I was terrified to know the answer to, but I couldn’t form words anyway, considering my brain was still far too full. I was tired and felt sick to my stomach, besides the obvious disgust I felt toward my situation.

  I wondered briefly if it would benefit me to throw up, but I figured that wouldn’t do much good. Likely, it would make me feel worse.

  “Are you okay?” The man asked eventually, bringing me back from my thoughts.

  “Yes,” I managed to croak, realizing for the first time how hoarse my voice sounded.

  “You’re safe here,” the man assured, and while I wanted to believe him, I didn’t. I didn’t feel safe anywhere and part of me feared that I never would again.

  I didn’t tell him that though. For the moment, he was being kind and I didn’t want to do anything to discourage that, at least until I could figure out a way to escape.

  A pain shooting up my leg caused my resolve in that thought to dampen, but I tried not to become too discouraged.

  The man didn’t seem bothered by my lack of response however. Instead, he got up and poured something into a mug that looked like it was carved from a tree. It was a small mug, which I was thankful for when he handed it to me. I figured, through my rattled, slightly irrational state that if he was giving me something that was going to hurt me, at least I wouldn’t take much.

  After the events of the past few…hours, possibly days, I was happy with not only the option to choose my own fate but a quick vehicle through which the end would arrive.

  I could fight him, or I could drink whatever this was. It wasn’t much of a choice,
but it was something and so, I took it readily.

  Downing the warm liquid, I was surprised to find it tasted like pine needles, with dark stalks following the tea-like substance that echoed this realization.

  It didn’t taste good by any means and I made a face. It was earthy and tangy. I felt almost as though I was eating a pine tree air freshener.

  When I locked eyes with the man, he didn’t react. He simply held out his hand for me to give him the mug back.

  “This will help you sleep. It’s good for you,” he answered.

  After getting over the initial taste of the tea, I felt a sense of warmth and a calming sensation surround me.

  I didn’t want to settle in and succumb to sleep so quickly but the sensation that coursed through me lulled me into a stupor, at first. I felt my body, almost against my conscious will, turn over as much as my bum leg would allow, curl up and settle under the covers.

  The bed I was lying in suddenly felt far more inviting. It surrounded me in a comforting manner, easing me into a slumber.

  However, soon after closing my eyes, allowing myself to be carried away by the sleep that the tea had made a far more convincing option, my eyes snapped open and I felt renewed with energy.

  In fact, in that moment, all the pain from my ordeal left me and I felt rejuvenated, as though I had slept for days.