Knocked up by the Mountain Man (Silver Ridge Mountain Men)

3. Clara

3

CLARA

H onk, honk, honk.

Honk, honk, honk.

Urgh, I hate that alarm. Despise it. But I need it to be this freaking loud, or I’d sleep right through it.

I’ve done that far too many times for my liking, and it makes me let people down. There’s nothing I hate more than letting people down. Particularly my boss, Daniel.

After everything he’s done for me, I can’t be late. I just can’t.

“Shit, come on.” I practically roll out of bed in an attempt to hurry myself up. But hitting the floor with a hard thump isn’t exactly the best start to the morning. It doesn’t help me feel my absolute best. “Urgh, get on with it, Clara.”

I haven’t slept long, or well, it seems, because my brain is fogged up with restlessness. I could easily crawl back under the sheets and sleep for another few hours, but I have too much waiting for me. I’m not a teenager without a care in the world anymore... although I’m not sure if I ever was that, even at that age. Living with my uncle and everything...

Well, until I left in the dark of night with just a backpack for company.

I shudder, grateful that part of my life was behind me. It’s something I’ll never go back to. Thankfully, because I was eighteen, when I ran away, and legally an adult, one without a cell phone, no one could track me down.

Although, I’m not sure if anyone even bothered to come looking for me.

Maybe Wyatt had for a while, but probably not for long. I’m sure he understood why I needed to get away. I’m just surprised that he never wanted to leave Silver Ridge himself…

It’s not likely that my uncle even noticed me missing, and if he did, he was likely glad to have me gone. That’s why I didn’t bother moving away too far, because it didn’t really matter. The short distance to Lewistown had been enough. I had escaped, I was safe from them all.

“Don’t think about that shit anymore,” I remind myself as I rub my eyes hard. “The present needs you now.”

I tell myself that a lot, to stop myself from delving too deep in the past or worrying too much about the future, and it helps. Actually, it helps a lot that I have something that absolutely needs me to be in the present. My beautiful little boy, Thomas.

The love of my life, my gorgeous baby who has been surrounded by love from the very first moment that he was born. I love him so much that he doesn’t even need anyone else. It’s not the easiest life, but we find a way to make it work for us. We find a way to be happy.

We don’t need any other family members, Thomas and me. We have each other. We’ve carved out our own little family anyway. Daniel, my boss and his wife, Sandra. They’re the closest thing to a family that we’ve had for the last three years.

Ever since I ran away from home and they saved me from the worst time of my whole life.

Not that I want to think about that right now. Or ever again, given half the chance. I’ve moved past that now and I’m in a better place.

“Thomas, baby boy,” I whisper to my son as I shake him awake. I really don’t like to disturb him so early, but we need to get going. I have to get to the clinic on time, to check in before we go to the nursery just around the corner. “It’s time to get up and get dressed, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.” His face lights up the moment his eyes open, and he smiles widely, making me grin as well.

It’s at times like this when everything that happened in the past melts to nothingness.

None of that matters anymore because we are here, and my life is finally perfect. “Can I get myself dressed today? Sandra liked my super hero t-shirt yesterday.”

I clutch my hand to my chest while the emotions get to me. At almost three years old, his independence is growing by the day, and it’s hard for me to see. But it also makes me very proud and like the luckiest mom alive.

“Of course you can, sweetheart.” I lean down and kiss him on the head. “I’ll go and make breakfast while you do.”

It’ll take longer for him to dress himself, which doesn’t help me if I’m in a hurry, but I also don’t want to get in the way of his independence.

Instead, I use the time wisely by taking a quick shower, getting dressed, and organizing breakfast. I also make sure that Thomas has everything that he needs for his day at nursery, including his lunch. All the while, Thomas gets himself dressed. His t-shirt might be inside out and his joggers definitely don’t match, but it doesn’t matter.

“Thank you for this breakfast, Mommy.” He takes his seat and feeds himself quickly. “It looks delicious. I like apple slices.”

As he starts to eat, I begin to get messages on my cell phone from Daniel asking if it’s possible for me to come in even earlier because we’re having an animal related emergency with a really important client. That only amps up the pressure even more.

I really need to get my ass out of this door and into the car as soon as I possibly can. Work is screaming out for me.

“Can you speed up a little bit, Thomas?” I rub his hair playfully, trying not to stress him out as well. “So we can go?”

“Daniel wants you now?” He understands a lot. Too much, I sometimes worry. “Okay, I’ll bring this with me.”

I part my lips, about to argue that he can finish his food at the table, but he leaps up anyway, and to be honest, I really do need to get a move on, so I agree it’s a good idea.

We get in the car, it’s a very short drive, just about within walking distance, but it used to kill me hauling Thomas up there with me before I got this small life saving vehicle. It gives me the gift of time, which equals more sleep and less stress, it also means that Thomas can eat his breakfast in the car as we drive.

Moments later, I pull up in the parking lot and Thomas and I run inside the building.

Sandra, who often works the reception desk, immediately jumps up to greet my son. She always looks after him during times like this to make it easier for me, until it’s time to take him to nursery. I honestly think Sandra is an angel. At the least, she’s the best woman I’ve ever met.

“You better go,” she whispers to me. “Daniel’s already in the operating room, and he needs you. A poisoning, I think.”

Since I know important people are waiting, I race off fast.

Daniel is easily the best vet around, and everyone knows it, which is why the wealthy always bring their much loved animals to him. It makes me proud to work alongside Daniel. To be a part of something incredible and know that we’re making a difference in the world. He makes my passion to work with animals that much more fulfilling.

“Ah, my savior is here,” Daniel jokes with arms stretched wide as soon as he spots me. “This is the sort of operation that I’m too old to do alone. I need my angel to come here with all of her energy to save the day, as always. What’d I do without you?”

I chuckle at his compliment and get to work rapidly, knowing that with potential poisoning, speed is of the essence. It’s also something I’ve done before, so I can work on autopilot and be successful. While I work, I think about how Daniel is the real savior here. Him and his wife. They’re the ones who’ve kept me from losing my life, not the other way around. Everything I do is just making up for them saving my life. That’s why I give Daniel all of my energy when he needs it.

I don’t like thinking about the last three years. It’s far more pleasant to remain in the present, but my brain goes there anyway. Daniel’s comments about me being his angel sends me flying all the way to the past. Back to when it was just me, with a pregnant belly, needing to get away before my uncle killed me.

Because I really did believe that if he found out he’d kill me.

I didn’t even say goodbye. Not even to Abby.

That wasn’t on purpose. I hadn’t wanted to run away like that but I needed to escape. I couldn’t stand being in Silver Ridge anymore. It was too suffocating, I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I needed freedom, instantly. So I hoped on the first bus I could find and got off when the service came to an end.

That’s how I ended up in Lewistown. I couldn’t get much further because I had nothing.

Unfortunately, in my quest for freedom, I hadn’t thought about practical things. Obviously, I was too young and dumb to consider how much cash I was going to need to survive. I wasn’t prepared for real life.

For a little while, I got by with a room at the cheapest motel I could find, eating as much as I could get my hands on, which on some days was nothing but water. But cheap motels and scavenging for food came with it’s own set of dangers. People staying in those types of motels are usually running away from something. More often than not, it was the law.

I was in the midst of criminals all the time, which came to a head about three weeks after I left home when I ran into a group of terrible men while I was looking for food behind a veterinarian clinic. They had taken my vulnerability for a weakness and it quickly became obvious they had nefarious intentions. Even my pleas that I was pregnant didn’t stop them.

But Daniel did.

He showed up and threatened them, intimidated them despite his age and smaller stature. He scared them off, allowing me to live.

Then he and Sandra took me in, letting me stay in their spare room even after I gave birth to Thomas. They clothed me, fed me, allowed me to work and train with them, allowing me to live out my passion even without a college degree. They gave me a life. Without them, I would have ended up dead by a dumpster somewhere, and Thomas would never have made it.

I’m self sufficient now, because of Daniel and the pay check that I get for my work, so I’m always going to be grateful for him. I’ll always be on time and work hard for him and his wife. I love them. They’ve become a family for me. People who I’m always going to look up to.

But Daniel always treats me like he is grateful for me. “You’ve done it,” he’s saying now with a beaming smile. “You’ve saved the day again. Which actually brings me to something I need to talk to you about…”

“Oh yeah?”

“I have a mission for you,” he starts. This isn’t unusual. Daniel often sends me on various ‘missions’, given my experience and reliability.

But then he hesitates, and my stomach tightens.

“Okay, where am I going?” I prompt, curiosity tinged with a bit of apprehension.

“Silver Ridge.”

The words nearly knock the air out of my lungs.

A flood of memories and emotions crash into me all at once, making it hard to breathe.

“Really?” I gasp out in shock.

“It’s the Marshall Ranch,” he continues nodding. “There are some really sick animals there, and…”

He continues talking but I don’t hear a word.

The Marshall Ranch.

Silver Ridge.

Beau Marshall.

I can’t go there.

Not with Thomas.

He looks too much like Beau.

“I don’t know, I…” I stammer out, but I can’t really get my words out.

Daniel’s face softens with understanding. “I know it’s difficult, Clara. But they really need help. The issues at the ranch are critical, and I believe you’re the best person for the job. It won’t be for long, just until you sort things out. And the pay will be amazing. It could set you and Thomas up for a while.”

I bite my lip, torn between my past and my present. The idea of going back to Silver Ridge terrifies me, but the promise of good pay is tempting. Thomas’s future is always my priority, our own home one day would also be lovely. This job could provide a level of security we desperately need.

“I hate this,” I admit, my voice barely a whisper. “But… maybe it’ll be good to see my brother again. It’s been a long time.”

Daniel smiles gently. “I know it’s a lot to ask. But I believe in you, Clara. You’re stronger than you think.”

Am I?

I don’t know if I am.

It’s been forever.