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  Stranded in Montana

  Mia Madison

  Stranded in Montana

  Copyright © 2020 by Mia Madison.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  1. Ivy

  2. Jacob

  3. Ivy

  4. Jacob

  5. Ivy

  6. Jacob

  7. Ivy

  8. Jacob

  9. Ivy

  10. Jacob

  11. Ivy

  12. Jacob

  13. Ivy

  14. Jacob

  15. Ivy

  About the Author

  One

  Ivy

  The road was deserted for miles in both directions. Out of habit, I flicked my turn signal on as I slowed down to pull off onto the grassy shoulder. I winced as the pitiful spluttering sound my old van was making got louder and more frequent until I finally rolled to a stop and killed the engine. Leaning forward, I rested my forehead on the steering wheel and closed my eyes, taking a brief moment to curse my terrible luck.

  “Damn it.”

  I took a few deep, calming breaths before opening the car door and getting out to survey my surroundings.

  Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No houses that I could see and no sounds other than the soft wind that blew through the valley. It was surreal. The scenery of Big Sky Country was gorgeous, but according to my calculations, I wasn’t anywhere near my destination. I pulled out my phone to check the estimated time of arrival on the GPS, frowning when it refused to update the map. I tapped the screen a few times, growing more and more horrified as the reality of the situation sunk in.

  Searching for service.

  I was officially in a dead zone.

  The next stop on my Great American road trip wasn’t going to be Helena, Montana after all. It was… wherever I was now. The middle of nowhere, if the lack of life was any indication.

  I walked to the back of the van and pulled open the doors, plopping myself down with a thud before stretching to grab a Coke from the cooler. With a sigh, I cracked open the can and took a sip. At least it was relatively early. I left Washington at the crack of dawn, so I had a fair amount of daylight hours left to figure out my next move. For the time being, I sat in the back of my van, watching the road for any sign of life while swinging my legs back and forth.

  Half an hour and half a can of Coke later, I realized I was probably going to have to hoof it. I placed the half-empty can in a cup holder and dug around in my stuff to make a travel bag I could walk with. I grabbed my paper map of the area and checked my phone map to see the last spot it registered me being before I lost signal, doing my best to figure out a general idea of my location.

  The news wasn’t good. There were a few tiny towns in the general area, but I knew they appeared far closer on the map than they actually were. Judging by the little distance calculator on the side of the map, I had a lot of miles to walk no matter which way I went. Glancing back at the barren road, I cursed the fact that I had opted to avoid the major roads in favor of a more ‘authentic’ experience.

  “Ask and ye shall receive,” I muttered as I slipped on my backpack. “Doesn’t get more real than this.”

  I felt ready to journey toward what seemed to be the closest town—hoping against hope that I’d find a house or some cell service along the way—yet I hesitated to leave the relative safety of my van. While I knew about the wildlife of Montana, I wasn’t exactly prepared to deal with it. What if I saw a bear? The area around me wasn’t wooded and appeared innocuous enough, but what if that changed after several miles? I really had no way to judge how far I’d have to walk to get help and a coil of panic started to twist in my stomach.

  On the other hand, the other option I had was to wait for a passerby and hope they’d stop to help me. And also hope they weren’t a crazy person.

  If no one passed by—or if someone did and refused to stop—I’d have to sleep in my van overnight and be faced with the exact same dilemma come morning. And despite the fact that I knew I could pee on the side of the road if I really needed to, it felt incredibly awkward to even think about doing that. Even with the lack of life in any direction, being out in such a wide-open space made me feel so exposed.

  That settled it. I climbed out with my backpack and slammed the doors, stopping at the driver’s side to grab my sunglasses and fix my hair a little. Since I was going to miss getting to Helena on time, I took a few minutes to take a selfie beside my broken-down van, putting on a major sad face for my followers. At least I’d be able to post something once I got some signal.

  I took a final glance down at the map before shoving it into my bag. After double-checking that I had plenty of water and my keys, I locked the doors and started walking.

  Hours passed and it felt like I was making no progress. My van was long since out of sight, but the open scenery and the fact that the road was mostly straight made it hard to judge just how far I’d walked. I tried to stay positive, going so far as to refuse to check the time on my phone. I figured if I pretended that I was having a fun adventure of sorts, maybe I could stave off the feeling of hopelessness a little longer.

  My positive attitude only lasted until the sun started to set. I checked the time when it was hidden behind the mountain range at my back, knowing that I only had a handful of hours left before it became too dark to see.

  I shoved my phone back in my bag and plopped down on the soft grass. I stretched my legs out and flexed my ankles in an attempt to soothe my feet, wincing when I felt the pain that I knew was from blisters. I cursed the two vehicles that had passed me earlier in the day going at least seventy miles per hour, completely ignoring my frantic waving as they continued on their way. Both trucks had been going so fast that I wasn’t even sure if they’d seen me at all. I took solace in the fact that they had to be going somewhere in the direction I was heading, but I had yet to reach that point.

  The urge to stay seated was getting stronger, so I forced myself up and moving before I let exhaustion catch up to me. I had to keep moving.

  About an hour later, I heard the unmistakable roar of an engine in the distance ahead of me. The sound was like a beacon of hope and I started sprinting in its direction, grunting from the bursts of pain the blisters caused as they broke. The sound was coming from the wooded area ahead on my left and I caught sight of the truck and the massive dust cloud it kicked up as it flew out of the forest and up an unmarked dirt road.

  “Hey!” I shouted, praying the driver had their window down. “HEY!”

  It was no use. I was too far away and the truck was too damn loud. It turned in the opposite direction, speeding off into the distance. I watched dumbly as the taillights disappeared from my view into the almost-darkness. Without noticing, I found myself still running forward, only stopping when I reached the point where the dirt road touched the pavement.

  Close to tears, I glanced around the open space before the tree line began, praying for a sign. It was nestled a few feet back from the road, but the unmistakable shape of a mailbox filled me with such a sense of relief, I started to legitimately cry.

  I had no idea what I would be walking into, but I knew I couldn’t go any further. Night was approaching fast, bringing a chill to the summer air that I wasn
’t prepared for. Between my exhaustion and the pain radiating from my feet, I let desperation override my fear as I walked down the driveway.

  Two

  Jacob

  As a general rule, I don’t like people.

  I really don’t like visitors. It wasn’t a coincidence that I had my house built three miles off the main road.

  The only exception I made for visitors was getting supplies delivered every six weeks. Even then, I never let Tony or Jerome into my house. They would unload the truck to my porch and I took it from there. We didn’t speak unless I needed to request something extra for the next delivery. Otherwise, they handed me a bill, I paid, they left.

  It was pretty much the sole interaction I had with people anymore and exactly how I liked it. People from the area knew not to bother me and tourists were rare. The few that traveled on the highway never turned down my driveway, probably too afraid to get any more off the beaten path than they already were.

  So when one of the motion-sensor lights kicked on just as it got dark, I looked out the window to see what kind of animal wandered a little too close to the house.

  A person. My least favorite type of animal.

  I couldn’t see them well, but I could see enough of the silhouette to know that it wasn’t Tony coming back after his supply drop. Besides, I knew he didn’t forget anything. I’d already put it all away.

  With a curse, I stormed over to the front door and flicked on the light, swinging the door open loudly and stepping outside to scowl at the trespasser who dared to come onto my property.

  The figure was frozen in place, holding a hand above their face to shield themselves from the sudden brightness of my porch light. It only took a split second for my brain to register that the stranger was female, and my anger instantly evaporated.

  I might have been a recluse, but I wasn’t a monster. I had a soft spot for women, and I couldn’t imagine what must have happened for this little slip of a girl to wander down my driveway in the dark.

  “H-Hello?” she called out as she lowered her hand and squinted against the light.

  I stepped back inside just enough to manually turn off the floodlights, leaving the porch light on. By the time I got back, she’d gotten closer to the bottom step, her arms wrapped around herself for protection as she warily glanced at me.

  The way her eyes widened didn’t slip past my notice. Most people had the same reaction. I was a big, scary-looking motherfucker. I gave her a moment to get herself together, frowning deeply when she just continued to gape at me in silence.

  “You lost?” I asked, grunting when she nodded mutely. “Come on up here. I don’t bite.”

  “Promise?” she muttered under her breath. I chuckled as she gingerly climbed the steps and stepped into the soft light on the porch.

  Damn. I didn’t get a good look before, but she really was a little slip of a thing. A pretty little thing, my cock couldn’t help but notice. I felt a slight twitch as I took in her curvy body, but the red-rimmed eyes and the fact that she looked absolutely terrified killed my libido just as quick.

  “Are you hurt?” She jolted a little at the sound of my voice. With a sigh, I gently added, “I’m not gonna hurt you, honey. Just tell me why you’re wandering around this late at night.”

  Wide green eyes flashed up to mine, giving me a desperate look for a long moment before she blurted, “Can I please use your restroom?”

  My brows raised as I gave her another once over. She clearly wouldn’t be a threat to me if I let her in—not unless she had a gun hidden in her backpack. Even if she did, I’d probably be able to wrestle it away from her before she could take aim considering the way she was shaking.

  Mind made up, I stepped back in and motioned for her to follow. I pointed to the empty spot beside the door and instructed, “Leave the bag there.”

  She dropped her backpack without argument and followed me silently through the house. I pointed into the bathroom, watching curiously as she darted in with a muttered ‘thank you’ and shut the door.

  While she was occupied, I stalked back to the front door and opened her backpack. I didn’t poke around all of her stuff, but I did a quick inventory just to make sure she wasn’t carrying any weapons. I didn’t see anything that bothered me, though the four empty water bottles and wrappers of granola bars told me she’d probably been walking for a while.

  Satisfied that she wasn’t going to try pulling a stupid stunt like trying to rob me, I zipped the bag shut. Instead of lingering by the bathroom, I went to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Didn’t really know if she liked it or not, but I had a feeling that I’d sure as hell end up needing some.

  A few minutes later, she quietly stepped into the kitchen doorway, frozen like a deer in headlights. No matter how hard I tried to look relaxed, my large frame seemed to startle her.

  “Thank you for letting me in,” she said with a nervous little smile. “I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem. Coffee?”

  “Yes, please.”

  I pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and waited for her to take the hint. Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink before she slid into the seat and cleared her throat.

  “I should probably answer your question from before. My van broke down and I didn’t have any cell service so I started walking. I saw a truck pull out of your driveway and figured I’d take a chance and see if there was a house down here.”

  “How long you been walking?”

  “Since ten this morning.”

  “Christ,” I hissed, turning away from the coffee pot to give her another look over. She didn’t appear injured, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. My gaze slid under the table and I noticed the way she had gingerly arranged her feet to not touch the floor. I jerked my chin in their direction and asked, “Your feet hurt?”

  “Just from blisters. I’ve hiked in these boots before, but I don’t think they were made for that much walking,” she said with a dry laugh.

  Without thinking, I dropped to my knees and reached out to gently grip her ankles. She gasped as I unclasped the buckles and slid off her shoes one at a time, but it changed to a quiet moan of pain when I peeled off her thin socks. The sound went straight to my heart—a twinge of pain in my chest at the thought of hurting her.

  “I need to clean these,” I mumbled as I inspected the damage.

  “Y-You don’t have to do that.”

  “You want to risk them getting infected?”

  I looked up at her. Big mistake. She cleaned herself up in the bathroom well enough, but her eyes were shining with unshed tears and it was making my pulse race in a bad way. I really didn’t want to see this girl cry. It’d break my fucking heart.

  Before she had a chance to answer, I rose to my feet and sternly said, “Wait here. I’ll go put some water in the tub so we can—”

  “Wait,” she called as I started to back out of the room. “I… There’s really no good way to ask this politely, but before we do that… Could I maybe have something to eat? I-I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality or anything so if you want me to leave after I—”

  “Stop right there. Believe me—you don’t want to go wandering around this area at night. You’ll stay here.”

  The look on her face was some cross between terror and relief, which was good enough for me. I told her again to wait at the table for me while I at least went to grab some supplies. I made her swear not to move until I came back down, promising that I’d get her coffee and something to eat in a moment.

  When I got to the doorway, I hesitated and turned back to find her watching me with a soft expression of gratitude. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way the look affected the rest of my body.

  “I’m Jacob, by the way.”

  Her pouty lips stretched into a smile, giving me a glimpse of perfect white teeth. Christ, the girl was too beautiful for her own good. Not to mention way too damn young for me.

  “Ivy Evans. It’s nic
e to meet you, Jacob.”

  The only thing I could do was nod in response. On my way upstairs, I had a sick feeling in my gut that the way my name sounded on her tongue was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

  Three

  Ivy

  Of all the ways I imagined my day from hell ending, this was not one of them.

  Jacob buzzed around the kitchen faster than I expected from a man of his size, gathering ingredients for dinner while still being quick to refill my cup of coffee or my glass of water any time I took so much as a sip. After promising that I wasn’t a picky eater and had no food allergies, he decided to make a pot of beef stew and it smelled delicious.

  When I told him that in an attempt to break the silence that had settled in the room, he just chuckled and said that any kind of food smells good when you’re hungry enough. My stomach let out a horrendous growl not long after, seemingly proving his point.

  Since he seemed content in the quiet, I used his distraction as a chance to study him. I could admit that he scared the fuck out of me when I first saw his silhouette appear on the porch. After coming out of his bathroom and getting a better look, my feelings quickly started to change.

  Jacob was… well, hot. Really hot. He was built in the kind of way that was clearly from hard work outside and not from a tailored diet and countless hours of gym time. All the muscled guys I knew fell into the latter category. Even though I did like to exercise and take care of my body, I loved food way too much to be into that type of restriction.