Chapter 9

Boone

The cabin door slams behind me with a furious whack.

I stand on the porch for a brief moment, taking in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air in an attempt to calm my fucking nerves.

It helps a little, but it’s not a cure to the raging emotions and thoughts coursing through me.

I have to get away from the cabin and the woman encased inside.

I forgot how intoxicating it is being near Margot.

All the sexual attraction I had for her five years ago has returned so fast. Maybe I never lost it in the first place.

Her enchanting eyes, luscious lips, and captivating curves all pull me in.

I had to leave the cabin. If I didn’t, I was going to turn into a lust-crazed caveman and strip her right then and there. There’s a beast inside me that wants nothing more than to claim her body again, just like I did all those years ago.

That sure as hell couldn’t happen with Amelia resting in her arms. Both of them are still recovering from the shock of surviving a rock slide.

I’m the last thing Margot and Amelia need around them right now.

I start walking away from the cabin toward the creek that runs alongside my cabin.

The creek is a place I sometimes go to in order to clear my mind. But when the urge arises…well, what kind of man would I be if I didn’t enjoy doing a little fishing from time to time?

Not a fuckin’ man at all, is what kind.

Right now, I could use the distraction that catching fish brings.

I don’t use a fishing rod though, when fishing. A line and reel doesn’t give the same feeling as using a little true grit and your own hands.

Hand fishing is a lot more difficult than fishing with a rod, but I’ve gotten so damn good at it that it’s a walk in the park.

Once at the creek, I chuck my boots and socks off, then roll my jeans up to my knees, exposing my rippling calves.

I step into the water and feel it rush over my shins, trying to carry me away—but I’m rooted too firmly in place to be moved.

The water is brisk. It feels fucking good on my bare skin.

After a few minutes, I start to see a few fish swimming towards my legs as if I’m just another rock in the water they have to get around, on their journey down the creek.

I focus in on one medium-sized fish and then strike.

An explosion of water splashes around my arm as my hand goes into the water to grab the fish.

Its tail slips through my hands, and it swims quickly out of reach along with the others.

I stand there, waiting for the fish to come closer again.

It’s not about getting it right on the first try.

It’s about perseverance. Focus. Manning up and calibrating your body to adjust to your mistakes.

I repeat the routine: focus, strike, miss, wait, and repeat.

But after five failed attempts, even I can’t help but feel frustrated. Normally, I nail this on the second try.

The issue is that my hand is shaking slightly, enough to throw me off so the fish slips through my hands.

The situation with Margot and Amelia has me more shook up than I would like to ever admit.

If I hadn’t been there, I would have lost Margot.

I would have lost Amelia.

Amelia, the sweet little angel…who is no doubt my daughter. I can see it in her eyes. She’s mine.

With that thought, I suddenly find it hard to breathe.

Jesus. What the hell is going on?

My chest feels like it’s been hit by several large boulders.

It’s hard to wrap my mind around the existence of Amelia.

But the idea of losing her hits me even harder.

All those years ago, I thought I left Margot behind. Really though, I left her and our daughter both.

Today, I could have lost a daughter who I didn’t even know existed.

Anger rises up in me.

How could Margot not have told me?

She should have contacted me when she found out she was pregnant after that one night.

I had a right to know, dammit. Every man has a right to know.

I wouldn’t have stopped her from having Amelia—on the contrary, I could have fucking helped.

With money. The pregnancy. The birth.

Changing fucking diapers and staying up for long, sleepless nights. Whatever she wanted. Anything my girls could have needed.

It pisses me off that she didn’t tell me…but it pisses me off all the more that she felt like she had to do it all alone.

In that way, really, I failed her.

I let loose a growl and then a heavy sigh.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.

The past can’t be changed, Boone.

But the future…the future is another story.

I’ll make sure I’m a part of Amelia’s life in some way or another.

I have a daughter, a beautiful blonde-haired, dark-eyed daughter.

As I keep repeating that to myself, it becomes more and more real.

I smile a little.

Fate hasn’t just given one piece of my heart back to me today.

It has given me two.

One from the past that never stopped aching…

And another that I didn’t even know I had.

Both beautiful girls mean everything to me. More than anything.

Crockett is definitely a close third.

I chuckle.

I wonder how the coon is going to react to Margot and Amelia. He won’t have much of a say, if I have anything to say about it.

Looking down into the creek, I spot a massive fish that would be perfect for lunch.

My hands are still shaking slightly, but I force them to still.

Margot and Amelia are safe.

Deep breath.

Concentrating, I slice my hands into the water.

I pull them out with the wriggling fish in hand.

Finally!

My victory is short-lived. The air is suddenly ringing with a scream from the cabin.

Margot.

I run toward the cabin in a heartbeat, fish still in hand.

Bursting through the door and prepared to take down whatever threat there is toward Margot and Amelia, I halt at the sight in front of me.

Margot is leaning against a wall next to Amelia. Completely calm as if she never screamed.

Amelia is on the floor. Sitting in her tiny lap is Crockett’s fat behind. You can hardly see Amelia’s legs under him.

“I see you’ve met Crockett,” I say to Amelia.

“That’s one way to put it,” Margot snorts. “The little shit jumped on my back, scaring the hell out of me. As soon as I got him off me, he crawled over to Amelia’s lap like nothing happened at all.”

“You’re a stranger lurking around in his house,” I chuckle. “Probably thought he was on guard dog duty.”

“Very funny,” she responds. “He didn’t do that great of a job though.”

She nods her head down to Amelia.

“Why do you have a raccoon for a pet, anyway?” she asks.

“I found him when I first moved here. He was a baby then. No bigger than my hand.” My eyes glance toward Amelia, who is hanging on to every word. “Looked like he’d been attacked. So, I nursed him back to health. Once he was all better, I couldn’t get rid of him.”

The guy wouldn’t have lasted out back in the wild, anyway. He had stayed with me for too long.

He’s the only real company I’ve had here at the cabin.

Plus, he’s a lazy little shit. Keeps stealing food from the pantry and getting fat.

The fish I’m still holding in my hand suddenly wriggles frantically.

I walk to the kitchen.

There I lay it on a cutting board and take a knife to drive it through its head and kill it instantly.

I wash my hands and grab a treat for Crockett, then head back into the living room. Couching down to Amelia’s level, I hold out the treat for her.

“You want to give Crockett a treat for being such a nice boy for you?” I ask her.

She nods her head and grabs the treat.

“He isn’t going to bite her hand off in the process of her giving that to him, is he?” Margot asks with a worried tone.

“No,” I reassure her. “I taught him early on to be gentle when he takes anything from people.”

Amelia gives Crockett the treat and giggles.

It’s a sweet melody only a small child could give—a sound of innocent delight.

“Crockett’s pretty fat,” Margot quips. “How much does he eat?”

“He eats a lot. But it’s either give him food regularly or come home to find trash strewn all over the place ‘cause he goes looking for food there.”

“Makes sense,” she responds.

I grunt in agreement.

“I’m going to make lunch for us. Fish okay?”

“Yeah. Do you need any help?” Margot offers.

“Sure. You can come out with me. Amelia will be fine with Crockett. The back door will stay open so we can listen if she needs you.”

I grab the fish and head out back with Margot.

Time to get some answers out of her, while she is away from Amelia.