Heal Me Daddy (Montana Daddies 8)

His eyebrows lowered. “That’s not the problem and you know it, love. What did you think you were doing, sneaking off like that?”

“I wasn’t sneaking off,” she huffed. “This is my house and my truck and I’m not obliged to tell anyone where I go or what I’m doing.”

A shutter came over his face and he stepped back. That heat faded. And at once she felt empty. A little sad. She’d expected him to bite back.

She hadn’t expected him to retreat.

“Of course not. I apologize for worrying about you.”

She winced at those words. Seemed that maybe she should be the one apologizing. She opened her mouth to tell him that she was sorry, that she wasn’t used to having anyone else around, when she saw Doc stomping his way towards him.

“I thought it would be better if I came to get you. He hasn’t woken in the best of moods.” There was a thread of friendliness in Archer’s voice. But she got a feeling her comments had put them back firmly into the polite acquaintance category.

“You mean he sometimes wakes in a good mood?”

“Better than this. Be ready for some scolding.”

She braced herself as Doc approached. “What’s taking so long? Did she tell you where she’s been?”

“She has not. She pointed out that she doesn’t owe us anything. We are, after all, strangers who

have imposed on her.”

She winced at the cold properness in Archer’s voice. Yeah. She’d made a wrong move there. Damn it.

“Look, I’m sorry. I should have left a note. I’m not used to anyone being around. I just went to check on the creek.”

“You drove your crappy truck out alone after a storm, with what looks like another bad front coming in and you didn’t think you should let someone know? You didn’t even have your phone with you! What if something happened? What if you’d had an accident? Hurt yourself?”

She blinked as Doc raged at her. Scolding, indeed. To her shock and embarrassment, tears started to well in her eyes.

“Isaac! She doesn’t owe us any explanations.” Archer turned on his brother with a scowl.

“We didn’t know where she was! She was supposed to stay in her bed and sleep in. She barely got any sleep, then she snuck out, drove off in this heap of junk without a phone. What am I supposed to do? Ask her to kindly leave us a note next time?”

“That’s better than yelling at her!”

“I didn’t yell. I never raised my voice. And she deserves more than a scolding. She needs a damn good spanking. Should have tied her up, then I’d know she was where I put her.”

A sob escaped and they both turned to look at her shocked.

“She’s crying,” Doc said in a horrified voice.

“No wonder! You’re not her Dom. You’re her houseguest. You’re scaring her.”

He wasn’t scaring her. He was reminding her of what she’d lost. What she missed.

Having someone who gave a shit about her.

“Love, don’t cry. I’ll keep the big, mean grouch away from you. Come inside, I have coffee on,” Archer coaxed. All the winter in his voice had thawed.

“It…it’s not that.” She wiped at her eyes. But she did take Archer’s hand as he held it out to her. She climbed down from her truck and let Archer lead her inside, his hand firmly wrapped around hers. She’d always loved holding Dave’s hand. It had made her feel safe. It also brought out her Little side.

She took a deep breath, pushing that part of herself back. That was the last thing she needed right now. She could just imagine their reactions.

Actually, maybe she couldn’t imagine it. What had Archer said to Isaac?

You’re not her Dom.