Big Man’s Claim, Wylder, Penny [accelerated reader books TXT] 📗

Big Man’s Claim

Penny Wylder

Contents

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1. Melody

2. Branson

3. Melody

4. Branson

5. Melody

6. Melody

7. Branson

8. Melody

9. Branson

10. Branson

11. Melody

12. Melody

13. Branson

14. Melody

Epilogue

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Copyright © 2021 Penny Wylder

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or businesses, organizations, or locales, is completely coincidental.

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1

Melody

“You'll call me if you need anything, right?” Ryder asks as he leans against the tailgate of my truck.

“Yes, I'll have my phone, it's fully charged—”

“And you have the cordless charger too?” he asks, cutting me off abruptly. Which he's been doing since I started packing up for my trip.

Don't forget water, Mel.

Did you remember your first aid kit?

Bug and bear spray, you need those, too.

It's like he's sending off his kid to college. Only I'm not his kid, and I'm only heading to the mountain for the weekend. I'm annoyed as hell right now.

“Yeeees,” I say, half whining. “I have everything. You're acting like I've never done this before.” Stabbing the tip of my walking stick into the ground, I twist it so it makes a small hole. “I'll be fine.”

I can't even look at him. I'm afraid I'm going to go ape shit and start a fight. I don't want to do that. This weekend is for rest and relaxation. It would be awful to start it angry.

“I'm sorry, Mel. I can't help it that I worry about you.”

“Well, you have your own family to worry about now. The baby is coming soon, Jenna is huge and probably needs your help just to stand up from the couch! Relax and get off my back a little. I am eighteen now, it's not like I'm a kid.”

“I'm sorry, Mel, you'll always be the little sister in my eyes. So, you're just going to have to deal with it.” He ruffles my hair and I swat his hand away.

“Stop it.”

Buttercup pokes his head out the driver's side window. His tongue is hanging out of his mouth, causing drool to trickle down the door.

“Plus I have him,” I say, pointing my thumb at my slobbery friend waiting in the car. “Buttercup will make sure I'm safe.” His ears perk up as I say his name.

Ryder grabs his face and scratches him roughly. “Don't let her do anything stupid. Understood?” Buttercup licks Ryder's face, causing him to turn his head and cringe. “All right, all right, I get it. You got her covered. I still don't understand why you're so set on doing this alone. I could come with you. Jenna isn't due for another month.”

“Because I need some time to myself, Ryder. Besides, it's only a few days. Now, if you'd kindly move, I'd like to get there before it's dark.”

“Fine, but don't think I won't come looking for you if you're not back by Sunday night.”

Rolling my eyes, my arms hang by my sides. “Could ya just move, please?”

Ryder takes a long step to the side, grabbing the handle and opening the door for me. “Just be safe, Melody, that's all I ask.”

“And all I ask is that you let me do me. One day soon you'll have to let me go, might as well prepare for it now.”

“I didn't make a fuss when you started looking for your own place to live. What more do you need?”

“Yeah, right. All you've done is complain about it and sulk like a baby. You’ve found every excuse for why this apartment wouldn’t work or that apartment is in an unsafe neighborhood. Get real!”

Chuckling, Ryder rubs the back of his neck. “Okay, I get your point. Go have a good time.”

Giving him a smile, I start the truck and pull out of the driveway. Buttercup moves to the passenger window and sticks his face out. His ears blow back in the wind and it makes me smile. Finally, we’re on the road.

Three whole days to myself. No motel. No brother doing constant wellness checks. No one but me and my dog.

The sun is starting to rise high in the sky, and I have plenty of time to get there. It's a bit of a hike to get the valley where I want to camp. As long as I'm on the trail by eleven, I'll make it before night falls.

Camping is one of the few things I still have that makes me happy. I lost my parents. My brother, my only family, is married with a kid on the way. It seems like all my friends from school are heading off to college or starting on some grand adventure, like traveling the country or backpacking across Europe.

Meanwhile, here I am, completely lost, directionless, and unsure what to do with my life. Ryder thinks I should go to college, maybe get a degree in business management since I've been working at the motel for a couple years now.

But I'm not sure that's what I want.

Honestly, I don't know what the hell I want anymore.

The mountain comes into view, making me smile instantly. I love being outdoors. Hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, I love it all. Being outside with nature is the only time I feel really at peace, as if I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

Parking the truck, I grab my pack and hang it over my shoulder. It's heavy to hike with, but at least I’ll have everything I need. A tent, food for me and Buttercup, drinking water, my fishing pole and bait. There's nothing else I need.

My boots crunch against the fallen leaves and sticks as I start walking. I