Rocky Mountain Wild (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 6) Read Online Free PDF

stuck to her side like bark to a tree. Even now she had to walk carefully to keep from bumping into his big form.
    “Wolfie, no, get on with you.” She yelped when the animal pressed closer to her, almost knocking her off the trail. She heard a rustling behind her and whirled, relaxing when she noticed the light swinging from the man’s hand. It was her employer.
    “Phoebe,” he bellowed, stomping up to her. Wrapped in a fur robe, with his long hair wild about his face, he looked closer to a bear than a man.
    “Mr. MacDonnell? Did I forget something?”
    “Aye.” In the low lamplight, his face looked fierce. “Your escort.”
    She pointed to Wolfie. “I had one.”
    Calum fixed a glare to his pet. “And you’re no help either, you great fur beastie. Letting the lady walk alone at night in these woods.”
    “It’s not far,” she protested, but Calum took her arm and started marching forward.
    “I walk you home each night, especially after dark.”
    “But—”
    He stopped and held up the lamp to illuminate his glowering expression. “Dinnae argue. I’m this close to—” He broke off.
    “To what?”
    “Nothing.” He seemed to be trying to get himself under control. “There are rules to being in my employ, lass. I should’ve taken the time to properly explain them.”
    “Rules?”
    “Aye. For one, you always must have an escort after dark. And Wolfie is not good enough. From now on, it will be me.”
    “But that will inconvenience you.”
    “It’s not an inconvenience to make sure you’re safe. I will not argue about this, lass. You’re stubborn, aye, but I’m a Scot. My da always said that you’re better off arguing with a mountain than a MacDonnell.” His thick brogue and grin softened his words.
    “But—”
    “Not another word.” He laid a large finger over her lips, and Phoebe found her cheeks flaring with heat at his touch. The big man was gentle, but one look told her he would not be moved in this. “Cross me on this and there will be consequences.”
    Her brow furrowed and he dropped his finger, shrugging off his bearskin and wrapping it around her. “More on that later. Let’s get you to bed.”
    There was a chill to the night air, a hint of coming autumn.
    They went along in silence for a time. The path to her house took a while because they had to skirt around the section of fence that kept his bull. By the time the lamplight washed the dingy hut door, Phoebe sighed in relief. The big man beside her seemed unhappy for some reason, and when she offered his bearskin back, he waved his decline.
    “Keep it.”
    After his little speech, she thought it wise not to argue. Even though he towered over her, and he obviously was upset about something, she didn’t feel frightened in his presence. On the contrary, she felt safer walking with a giant at her side, his swinging lamp chasing shadows away.
    “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
    He grunted, blowing out the lamp before stomping away.
    *
    Over the next few days, Phoebe found the rhythm of her new position. In the morning she woke, cramped and cold on the hut floor, and almost grateful for the walk to work to warm her. Mr. MacDonnell would usually be awake and gone already, returning after his morning chores to eat the massive breakfast she spread on the table. She ate with him, spending most of the time perched on a stool nibbling on a lone biscuit while he cleared two plates of them, smeared generously with wild honey. In addition to a mountain of biscuits, he polished off a steak or two, and threw the bones outside to Wolfie. Then he wandered off for the day while she cleaned up, swept and started on laundry. She had his clothes to darn as well as the scarves to finish for Mrs. Martin, but she waited until after dinner to work on that extra project.
    Mr. MacDonnell worked long hours, disappearing with Wolfie into the woods for hours on end. He had some cattle, including the bull whose pen jutted