Surviving Love (Montana Wilds Book 1) (18 page)

“But what if you’re hurt?” she asked with a trembling voice.

“The worst thing that could possibly happen to me is if you got hurt. Beyond that, it’s death. But there are far worse things than death that can happen to you. So
stay here.
”

Dawning awareness and then fear flashed across Sara’s face. She knew what Duke was capable of, even if it was just hearsay, and they were out in the middle of nowhere. No laws.

Did Duke know about the GPS? Mike hoped not. That wasn’t something he advertised—safety nets were bad for business, and to date, he’d only relied on it once, and that had been in Alaska right before a big storm. Didn’t count. If Duke took Mike down, a rescue party would still come. She just had to stay out of sight.

He smashed his lips to hers possessively. She clung on, once again putting all her faith in him.

“Stay safe,” he said one final time, losing himself in those lush brown eyes.
God
he loved this woman. That stupid word didn’t do it justice. Didn’t count when something could consume a man this intensely.

He stepped away, combat reflexes washing over him. He barely noticed Sara’s gasp, as he turned, knife in one hand, bear spray in other. Silently, he took off at a fast walk, circling around the clearing and staying to the trees. He didn’t want the direction of his approach leading back to Sara.

Hopefully, he’d have his knife in a throat before the enemy noticed his approach.

Slipping behind a leafy bush at the east end of the clearing, he was able to get a clear vantage of the shelter. The extra fleece had been disturbed, taken off the branch and discarded onto the wickiup. That meant someone was looking for them specifically, or they wouldn’t have bothered with the camp.

Not good.

Mike crouched, waiting.

Movement at the far end of the clearing caught his eye. A swish of jean jacket amongst the leaves. A back bent over the trail he and Sara had used for water, well-worn with how many times they had used it. The light speckled blue moved away, heading toward that stream. Good.

Mike used the distraction to complete the circle closer to the shelter, knowing whoever it was would come back to get a more thorough look before deciding what to do next. He moved on expertly silent feet, leaving no trace of his footsteps as he moved through the wild. His gaze scanned constantly, looking for another man. Duke would’ve brought more than one, he was sure of it. His goal would be to take out Mike and then have some fun with Sara.

A white-hot surge of rage lit him up. He clenched his fist, stilling the fury. A big breath centered him. Leading with emotions made for stupid decisions.

Keep to the mission.

Mike stalked closer to the shelter and hid himself within a nearby cluster of plants. Crouching, weapons in front of him for easy use, he waited, watching the path and who might emerge. It wasn’t long before his patience rewarded him.

A slow-moving man, eyes down, crept back up the path. Same jean jacket, still alone. No other sounds came from the clearing except the crunch of the man’s boots. Body movement suggested someone up in his years. Stiffening knees and elbows. Someone who knew he didn’t have the perfect use of his body anymore. Someone who could track better than anyone in the state.

Why had Jake come so early?

Mike stood and stepped out from behind the wall of bushes, entering the clearing a moment later. “Man, am I glad to see you!”

Jake’s eyes snapped up, his whitening stubble shining in the late morning sun. He took even, measured steps toward Mike, as if approaching a spooked horse.

“She’s with me. And fine. I had her stay back when I heard the shout,” Mike explained. “Did you bring food? We’ve eaten about a day and a half’s worth of food in four days. I can hold out, but Sara isn’t used to this.”

Jake’s eyebrow quirked in response.

Mike nearly laughed at the silent exchange. Of course he’d brought food. Stupid question.

“Talk was, you asked Sara to come along,” Jake said, following Mike toward Sara’s hiding place. “News was late in getting to me—Dan mentioned it. Wished you would’a cleared it wit’ him. I turned on that tracker yesterday—didn’t seem right, since I dropped you off alone. Too late to get goin’, though. Started hiking down first light. She okay?”

They rounded a bend and descended toward the cropping of trees Sara was hiding behind. As they rounded the trunk, suddenly Sara burst out.

“Ha!” she shouted, knees and elbows bent, hands in karate-attack position, but only if she was the Pink Panther. A gangly Pink Panther at that.

As Mike started laughing, she stopped herself from swinging the stick and straightened up. “Oh. It’s you. Oh my God, Jake, do you have food? I am
starving
!”

“What were you planning? To chop me in the neck and save the day?” Mike asked with a laugh, throwing an arm around her shoulders and mussing her hair.

“
Well?
I heard someone coming and knew that if I ran I’d get chased. Plus, it vaguely sounded like you, and you seemed kinda… dangerous when you left, so I figured I’d be mostly okay. Just in case, though, I was ready.”

“To what? Judo-chop me? Or jab me with a rotting stick?”

With raised eyebrows and an air of superiority, Sara stuck her nose in the sky and said, “Yes. Exactly. I am lethal. Beware.”

Mike rolled his eyes, still smiling, and led the way.

It turned out Jake had a pack full of protein bars. Sara admitted to hating the things right before she scarfed down three. He also had a few canteens of fresh water, and while they weren’t as dehydrated as they were hungry, it went down smoother than silk.

“Did Duke get in trouble?” Sara asked as they started back to the truck. Jake had driven as close as he could, but it still amounted to about a three-hour hike.

“Said he overheard Sam was sick. Thought Mike asked for you. Trying to help out.” Jake grunted, a sign that he didn’t believe a word of it.

“I have the note he left,” Mike said with a light voice, trying to hide the boiling rage deep within. “He knew exactly what he was doing.”

“Hard to prove,” Jake shot back.

“There are many ways to skin a cat.”

“Gross,” Sara muttered. After a quick moment, she continued, “Although, given how hungry I was, I would probably do it. Then I’d eat it. Then I’d feel bad.”

“Gotta survive.” Jake nodded once.

If there was ever a time to get back to civilization…

“
W
here you wanna be dropped
?” Jake asked after a quiet half-hour car drive as they turned onto a paved road.

Mike turned his head to Sara, sitting in the middle on the bench seat of the old truck. She looked back, a question and indecision in her eyes. With civilization came reality. With reality came all her past drama and emotional baggage. Which meant eventual confusion, and, in Sara’s case, freaking out.

“Do you want to let Christie know you’re okay?” Mike asked quietly, falling into those rich brown eyes. “Get some clothes and your bearings?”

Slowly, she nodded. “Changing would be good. And just…”

“No problem.” He brushed her face with his fingertips. “Still friends.”

Alarm flashed, her brow crinkling. “With benefits.”

“Yes.” He chuckled, laying his palm on her cheek. “If you want. I have a shipment coming in soon, so how about I stop by in the next couple of days and pick you up. Take you out for dinner?”

Her eyes started to sparkle and a smile drifted up her face. She glanced out of the cracked windshield, seeing the ranch approaching, helpers and customers in full swing as they went about their daily activities. Mike followed her gaze. It was as if no time had passed in the four days they were gone. As if getting stuck in the woods without supplies was as normal as it got.

When she turned back to him, he could see another piece of her click into place. “I’ve always wanted to go on a real date. I never did with the jerk. Not a real one.”

“Well, then. I don’t have much to live up to. How do you like McDonald’s?”

She giggled and slapped his chest playfully as the truck came to a groaning stop. “Red carpets, mister. I want red carpets, flowers, and bells.”

Jake grunted.

Mike agreed. “What are you going to do with
bells
?”

“A lady never tells. Now let me out. Christie is going to go crazy when she sees me.”

Mike slowly got out of the truck, hating that he had to set her free again. After helping her out of the cab, he stared down on her, pulling her in close despite the logic of a friendly hug and a farewell.

“Okay, well…” He hesitated. What did he say? See ya?
Adiós?
“I’ll talk to you soon.”

Her palm slid up his chest, gratitude in her eyes. “Yes. Thank you. For everything. I’ll call you tonight if I don’t see you at the fire pit.”

“I’ll be at the fire pit.”

A sweet smile curled her lips. Her hand, still soft despite their time in the wild, slid over his shoulder and up to his jaw line. Goose bumps broke out on his skin at the contact. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”

Without thinking, he bent to her, his lips glancing hers. She stood on her tippytoes to deepen the contact, but he backed off. Dangling the bait caught bigger fish. “Rest, eat, see you later.”

“Tease,” she muttered, turning away. She threw a wave at Jake and moseyed toward the ranch.

“You got her pausin’,” Jake said after Mike climbed back into the truck. “Eyein’ you. Figurin’ you out. Got pulled from her herd, disoriented, but not scared anymore. Just needs a steady hand, now. Worst is over. Soon she’ll side with you. Take a saddle.”

“Jesus,” Mike muttered with a crooked smile. “I don’t know about a saddle.” He couldn’t help a delighted chuckle as his groin tightened yet again. The constant hard-on was becoming a problem.

Jake shifted, his hand coming to rest high on his hip.

Mike nodded, reading the subtle cues. “I need to figure out what to do about Duke. Legal action would be best, but he’s clever. He has a way of getting out of trouble. If that doesn’t pan out, I’ll need a backup.”

Jake’s jaw clenched. They’d figure something out. In Jake language, Mike was a running mate, and now Sara was a herd mate. They stuck together. The man was loyal to an absolute fault. He didn’t get involved until pushed. But once pushed…

Duke’s day was coming.

“
O
h my God
, you bitch! Are you okay? I was worried
sick
!”
Christie tackled Sara as she came in the door, hugging her ferociously. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving with him? That is something a friend and roommate tells her friend and roommate.”

“I wasn’t supposed to. Duke set us up.”

Christie slapped her hand over her mouth. “I wondered. I did. Because I figured you would’ve told me. And then you were gone all of a sudden, with all your drama. Tell me, how did it work out?”

“Christie, I love you, but I have
got
to take a shower.”

Christie nodded and followed her toward the bathroom.

“You’re going to sit in the bathroom and make me spill the details, aren’t you?” Sara said in resignation.

“Sara, I cannot wait for this. It is essential I hear this immediately.”

Without the energy to fight it, Sara recounted the story as she scrubbed four long days of dirt from her body.

“So what about the situation with Mike?” Christie asked when the retelling was done. “And what should I snag you to eat? Dinner isn’t for a few hours.”

“Food. I will probably dream about food for as long as I live.” Sara sighed, shutting off the water. “I had a breakthrough with him. I love him. Always have, but… just didn’t know it, I guess. Or I didn’t realize I loved him like this.”

“Oh my God.” Christie put a hand to her chest with a smile. “What did he say when you told him? Did he gush? Of course not, he’s not a gusher. But I bet he kissed you. Did he kiss you?”

“I didn’t tell him. Towel?”

“You didn’t?” Christie said, handing over the towel. “Why not? He told
you
, I bet.”

“He did, yeah. It’s just… I don’t know. I don’t know why. Afraid, I guess. Or not really afraid, but…”

“You need to have a post-mortem.” Christie nodded solemnly and followed Sara back into the room. She grabbed Sara’s pajamas out of the closet. “You need to call that jackass ex-boyfriend.”

Sara shook her head vehemently as she sat on the bed. “Why? I don’t want to hear how perfect his life is or how great his woman is.”

“Yes, you do, if that’s the case. You need to put him to rest.”

Sara was still shaking her head as she slipped into her pajamas. “It would crush me.”

“Your imagination is far worse than reality, trust me. Worst-case scenario. Go.” Christie sat on her bed and stared at Sara in expectation.

“You mean, what would be the absolute worst thing he could say?”

“Exactly.” Christie’s eyebrows rose. “Say the worst out loud. And if that comes to pass, well, you were prepared. Anything less won’t seem all that bad.”

Sara’s heart sank. “I hate this. I don’t want to.”

Christie switched beds and sat beside Sara, patting her leg. “Look, Mike is probably the perfect man overall, and for you, definitely the perfect man. Super hot, totally sweet, great bod, great career, house—he’s all grown up with grown-up stuff. Very successful. And then, oh, I don’t know, he thinks the sun shines out of your ass. Unlike that other dirt wad, he is a great catch. You need to clear the way so you can snatch him up, girlfriend.”

“He also wants to start a family. If I am pregnant, he’s gung-ho.”

Christie’s mouth dropped open. “I completely forgot about that,” she said. “You haven’t gotten your period yet?”

“Why is everyone so open about saying that? What happened to Aunt Flow?”

“Who?” Christie asked.

“Never mind. And no, I haven’t.”

“And Mike knows?” To Sara’s nod, Christie said, “And he’s happy about that fact? Not freaked out, or making the best of it?”

“No. Happy.”

“Oh…” A smile lit up Christie’s face. Then, because she had too much energy for her own good, she jumped up and started squealing. “That is so
sweet
! Oh my God, I am so excited. Because you’ve always wanted a family. Oh my—this is so
exciting
!”

“It’s not for sure,” Sara said, unable to help her grin at Christie’s exuberance. “And I am still scared about how I’ll handle it all, but… it’s nice to know.”

Christie rushed over to Sara’s travel-stained clothes. “Where’s your phone?”

Sara reached over to the nightstand and dragged her phone out of the drawer.

“Why didn’t you take it?” Christie asked as she organized the charger.

“First, because Jake is scary when I use it while working for him. Second, I was avoiding reading any texts from Mikey before all this. Certainly wish I had it on this survival experiment, though.”

“Yeah, I bet. Although I doubt you would’ve had service.”

“True.”

Christie handed over the phone with another expectant stare. “Worst-case scenario. Go.”

Sara sighed. “Married her. She’s pregnant. Kicked his gambling and drinking. Became a good husband.”

“Okay. Call.”

“Right
now
?”

Christie’s stare turned into a scowl. “Yes! Right this second. Call right this second. You survived for four days in the wilds of Montana with not much more than the clothes on your back. You can survive that asshole.
Call
.”

“Potty mouth,” Sara muttered, taking the phone, heart pounding. She really didn’t want to do this.

“Do you want me here, or gone?” Christie asked quietly.

“Can you grab me some food? I don’t want a witness.”

Christie nodded and ghosted out.

Sara raised the phone to her ear with a quivering hand. After pressing his name, she nearly hung up on the first ring. Her hand started shaking violently on the second. A burst of sweat coated her face on the third. She thought she’d get off easy—when suddenly his voice came on the line.

“Hello?”

“Um, hey, Phil. Hi. It’s Sara.” She wet her suddenly parched lips.

“Sara, hi!” he exclaimed, excitement ringing through his voice. “Wow. Long time. I saw your name but didn’t think it was you. What are you up to?”

“Oh, just in Montana, actually. Got a job here. On a ranch.”

“Oh, really? You’ve always wanted to go there. So what have you been up to? What’s new?”

Sara’s heart sank the longer the conversation carried on. She wanted him to be sad and forlorn, not energetic and exuberant. He didn’t sound lost or lonely. He sounded high on life. “Just that. Here, I mean, in Montana. How are you? Just thought I would check in. See what was new.”

“Well, Sara, I’ll tell you something. I’ve been missing you. Jessie’s hot and all, with a great rack, but she used the excuse of a constant man to let herself go. And she chatters the whole time. On and on about her friends or whatever else. Bitches about my gambling, can’t balance a checkbook—her dad is withholding his money so she isn’t getting a dime. Now she’s pressuring me about children. Poking holes in the condoms. Joke’s on her, though, right?”

Sara could barely swallow through the lump in her throat. “Why is that, Phil? What joke?”

He paused for a moment. “Didn’t I ever tell you? I’m sterile. Got in an accident when I was a kid. Thank God—I don’t want one of those little brats. Anyway, when are you coming back into this area? I was thinking—we made a good team. We were good together, you and I. I had my midlife crisis, got it out of my system, and I think we should figure it out. You know? Maybe go through with tying the knot.”

Sara glanced up as Christie came into the room. Her hands were shaking with a profound sense of relief. It felt like a weight had been peeled from her shoulders. The crippling insecurity she’d felt since he walked away for another woman started to erode. He’d take her back. He
had
realized it was a mistake. He still wanted her!

Excitement bubbling through her, breath coming out in shallow spurts, she smiled up at Christie, not even really sure what to say.

“Can I call you right back?” Sara said with a quivering voice.

“Yeah, sure. Talk to you in a second.”

“Bye.” She could barely stab the large red “End,” her hands were shaking so badly.

“What happened?” Christie asked with a carefully blank face.

Sara let out a huge sigh. “It wasn’t me.”

“What wasn’t you?”

“I mean…” She got off the bed with a burst of energy, validation pumping her adrenaline. “He left, but it’s just because he was confused. He wants me back! He’s realized he still loves me. Or wants me, at any rate.”

Christie stared at her with a blank face.

Sara splayed her hands, willing Christie to realize how good the news was. “He wants
me,
Christie. He realizes that leaving for a hotter, younger woman wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Don’t you get it? I’m not damaged goods.”

Unthinking, flying high from the surge of renewed confidence, she texted Mikey.

“Are you going to go back to him?” Christie asked, still without expression.

“I mean, I shouldn’t. He’s still gambling. And kind of a jerk, if I’m honest, but… I mean, I know him so well. He said he might marry me.”

“Mhm.” Christie nodded slowly. “And would that make you happy?”

Relief still bubbled up. She suddenly didn’t feel like such trash. She might be older, sure. And she wasn’t as good-looking, okay. But underneath her exterior, she was someone worth having. Mikey had been right—it wasn’t her, it had been Phil.

She twirled around, the smile coming up from her toes.

“Actually, I’m even more rounded now,” Sara said in contemplation. “I just survived in the wild for four days. It didn’t break me. I helped. I caught two fish with my hands! Not everyone can do that. And Dan and May are really impressed with how I handle the ranch. I’ve impressed Jake, even, and Mikey said that’s not easy to do…”

“Mhm.” Christie nodded slowly. “And then there’s Mike. Mikey. He’s put his faith in you from the beginning. He’s never wavered…”

Sara took a deep breath and let the smile warm her insides. She looked at Christie, noticing the still-blank face. Christie’s words sank in. The bubbles of relief from a second ago started to pop one by one as the euphoria eroded away.

Reality seeped back in.

Mikey.

“What am I thinking?” Sara asked in a wispy voice, remembering the emotions she’d discovered over the last four days.

“I’m not sure, but I’m hoping it’ll wear off soon.” Christie looked away from her. She picked at her nail in irritation.

Sara looked down at her phone. “I just sent him that text. He told me he loved me. What’s wrong with me?”

Christie nodded once, very slowly, and clasped her hands in her lap. “Sometimes love makes no sense. The question is, who do you love?”

Sara looked at Christie.

“Mike will support you, whatever you decide,” Christie said in that same flat voice. “As will I. But as a girl who has made some bad mistakes in her life, I think you should listen to me when I say—take a long moment and think about this.”

Sara did take a moment. She stripped away the soul-wrenching relief and validation that Phil still wanted her, and thought about him as a person. About the long nights when he didn’t come home. And the constant money problems, and lying, and callous behavior. Toward the end he stopped even kissing her. Their lovemaking was less than good and lasted for thirty seconds.

“I never orgasmed during sex with him. I had to take care of myself after, or when he wasn’t around,” Sara blurted. “In all that time. I didn’t know how sex could really feel until…” Sara let the thought trickle away.

“Hmmm…” Christie tweaked her lips, as if thinking hard about that perplexing subject.

“He didn’t open doors for me. Or take me out. He never said I looked beautiful, and towards the end, he very rarely said he loved me.”

“Mhm.” Christie tapped her chin, making a show of pondering those words.

“He’s a pig and a liar. What the hell am I thinking?”

“I do not know, Sam-I-Am.” Christie clasped her hands in her lap again.

Sara burst out laughing, a new kind of relief sweeping through her. She thought about calling Phil back. About the pleasure of telling him where to shove it. But in the end, she settled for deleting his number. He’d stolen enough of her time. He’d caused enough tears. He didn’t deserve any more from her.

“Eat, sleep, and be merry,” Christie said with a light voice. “When you wake up, we’ll plot revenge on Duke. There’s a sandwich and some potato salad here. That’s all I could grab.”

Sara ate a lot faster than she should have, got a pain in her stomach, and then crawled into bed for an hour’s nap.

T
he next morning
, after making that hour-long nap a marathon sleep, she blinked her eyes into the filtered sunlight through the sheer blinds. Christie was up and moving around, getting ready for her shift.

“Oh crap, how late am I?” Sara asked groggily, sitting up.

“You’re off. They brought someone in to take your shifts. I think things went a bit crazy in your absence, so May wants you reorganizing the ranch. You spoiled everyone with your management. Besides, there’s that issue with Duke, and you possibly dying.”

“I was only gone for four days. And Mikey knew what he was doing. I wasn’t in any danger of dying.”

Christie paused in tying on her apron. She faced Sara, dead serious. “What if Mikey had already wandered away? You would’ve gotten lost. Do you think you could’ve survived on your own?”

The realization of what Christie said slammed into her. The memory of wandering into that clearing, with only limited supplies—not even a water bottle—sifted into her head. Mikey had been turned toward her, probably having heard the Jeep. What if he hadn’t? If she had been dropped in a different spot, there was no way she would’ve made the right decisions. She wouldn’t have even found water. She would’ve waited there for the whole day, hoping someone would come get her. And no one would have.