Hungry Mountain Man

by Charlize Starr

  It was embarrassing, really. She stepped under the shower and let the steamy hot water sluice over her skin. How many times had they made love here? Or in her bed, on her couch, on the kitchen island, for heaven’s sake?

  Everywhere she turned, she was reminded of Alex. How bossy he was in bed, and how generous he was out of it. She’d once told him she wanted an out of print book and he’d called around the whole country until he found a copy, in Boston, and had it sent to her.

  She started to cry again, but it didn’t matter. She let the water hit her face and wash them away. He was the man she’d waited for, the one who could make her feel things, be alive, forget everything—and she’d never get to be with him because he didn’t love her back.

  ***

  Alex had lost his mind, he decided, parking in David’s driveway. He had to do something to win Kellie back, to prove that she meant more to him than… well, anything. Including his friendship with David. Because once he told his business partner that he’d fallen in love with his daughter, had an affair with her, and wanted to marry her… well, it wouldn’t be pretty.

  He walked up the sidewalk to the door and rang the bell. After a minute, Diane answered. “Oh, Alex. I was hoping it was Kellie.”

  “Are you expecting her?” Hope blossomed inside him at the chance to see her again.

  “Well, no. Just hoping. Are you here to see David?”

  Alex knew David planned to return to work on Monday, so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that he might need to discuss some work issues with him. If only that were the reason. But, he could do this. He would do this—he’d do anything for Kellie. “Yes. I need to speak with him about some important matters.”

  “Sure. Come on in.” Diane led him deeper into the house. David sat in the living room. It was early, but he and Diane were both dressed and ready for the day. He wondered if he’d caught them getting ready to go out or something. “David, Alex is here to see you.”

  “Hey, old friend.”

  Alex winced at that. They were old friends. David had been there for him when he’d found out about the death of a daughter he’d never known, had helped him out when Alex wanted to do something for her mother. She was Alex’s one and only former girlfriend. He didn’t intend to let Kellie go.

  “Hi. Listen, we need to talk. This isn’t going to be good news for you.”

  Diane gave him a curious half-smile. “I’ll just let you boys get to work, then.”

  “What’s up?” David asked.

  Alex crossed the room and sat down in an easy-chair across from David. “I have to tell you something.”

  “You said,” David smirked at him. “Just get to the point.”

  “I’ve fallen in love with someone. I just want you to know that I love her, I’d do anything for her. I want to marry her.”

  “How is that not good news? I couldn’t be happier for you. I’d offer you a drink but it’s early and the doctors have told me to lay off the alcohol.”

  Alex held up a hand. “Because I’m not finished yet.”

  “Well don’t keep me in suspense. Who is she?”

  Alex let out a slow breath, preparing for hell to break loose. Once David calmed down and realized Alex wanted to marry Kellie, it would be okay. He hoped. “It’s Kellie.”

  “Kellie?”

  “Your daughter, Kellie.”

  Grabbing at his shirt, David ripped open the top button. “You son-of-a-bitch. You’re the one?”

  David jumped up but Alex remained in his seat. He didn’t want to have a fight with David—he wanted his blessing.

  “She told you?”

  “You got her pregnant, left her to face it alone, and then you come here and give me flowery words about how you’ve fallen in love with her? If you loved her, she wouldn’t have had to call her mother to hold her hand yesterday.” David’s voice rose until it cracked. He grabbed at his chest and shouted, “Diane!”

  Alex scanned the room, trying to make sense of what David had said. Kellie was pregnant? Why didn’t she tell him? He knew he was the father. Kellie would never, ever screw around with anyone else.

  He hopped up and went to David. His face was a mottled red, and he was having trouble catching his breath. “Are you all right?”

  Diane came in, took one look at David, and said, “Go start your car. We’ve got to get him to the hospital.”

  “He’s… the one.” David said.

  “The one what?” Diane looked between the two men. Alex hated to say it again, to hurt this family any more than he already had. And he needed to get to Kellie.

  “The one… who got Kellie… pregnant and left her.”

  Diane turned on Alex, her face thunderous, but then she faced David. “We have to get you to the hospital, baby.”

  This was a disaster of epic proportions. How would he tell Kellie he’d caused her father to have another heart attack? What if David didn’t make it? That got him moving. He put a hand on David’s shoulder to lead him to the car, but David shrugged it off.

  Once they got him seated in the back, Alex gunned the engine to life and peeled out. Diane turned to him. “If he doesn’t make it, I will cut off your balls myself, Alex Leblanc.”

  Alex shook his head. He couldn’t even blame them for hating him. He kind of hated himself, for pushing Kellie away so hard she’d thought she’d have to go through this alone.

  ***

  Kellie got the call at 8:36 in the morning that her father was being rushed to the hospital. Her mother called from her cell. “We’re in the car now, sweetie. Meet us at the hospital. Try not to worry, you don’t want to send stress hormones to the baby.”

  Kellie closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Please let my dad live to be a grandfather to this child. “I’m on my way.”

  “And, Kellie… we know about Alex.”

  “How could you?” She didn’t understand what could’ve happened. She certainly hadn’t told anyone, not even her best friend. Had someone at the office overheard something, the fight between Alex and Chase Valentine, maybe?

  “Alex came by this morning.”

  “And that’s why Daddy’s having another heart attack? Oh, my God. This is all my fault.”

  “No, this is all Alex’s fault.” Her voice was hard as a stone. “We don’t know that he’s having a heart attack. We’re just being safe. Just… get to the hospital.”

  “I will. I’m leaving right now.” Kellie hung up the phone and ran to the bathroom. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt from college, ran a comb through her blonde locks, then pulled them up with a hair tie. In a rush, she brushed her teeth before running out the door. When she realized she’d forgotten her keys and purse, she had to come back.

  She drove quick as possible to the hospital nearest her parents, where her father had gone for his last heart attack. Why would Alex have gone to her father? Some misplaced sense of guilt, a need to ease his conscience for breaking her heart?

  What if they'd told him about the baby? Surely not—she'd begged them not to tell anyone. She couldn't think about all this right now. She just had to think positive, healing thoughts for her father.

  In the emergency department lobby, Alex sat not far from where she'd sat and waited to find out more about her father just… what? Seven weeks ago. Please, not another heart attack.

  If Alex had told her father, then that would've been quite a shock. Their knocked up daughter had an affair with her dad’s business partner. She stalked up to him. “What did you do?”

  “Me, really? You're fucking pregnant, Kellie. Were you even going to tell me?” Alex stood up, his voice rising.

  She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder, running her fingers through the strands. “No. I don't know. You were pretty clear about not wanting to be trapped.”

  “This is different—you’re different.” He pulled a box from his pocket and flipped it open. A big, clear diamond sparkled at her. “Marry me, Kellie.”

  “Stop it
, Alex. People are staring.” Kellie glared at the people looking at them until they turned away, one-by-one. “This is the last thing I want, you marrying me because I’m pregnant.”

  “It’s not because you’re pregnant.” He grasped her by the elbow and tugged her to a corner of the lobby. “I’d planned to do this so different. I was going to have that music we picked out at the bookstore playing and make you dinner with candles.”

  “You’re not making any sense. You couldn’t have known I was pregnant before this morning. I didn’t know myself until yesterday.”

  He took her other arm and pulled her closer, into his embrace. “Think about it, Kellie. Why do you think I went to see your dad today?”

  “I don’t know what you were thinking. I just hope he’s okay.” Tears brimmed her eyes.

  He squeezed her tight. “He will be—he has to be.”

  “Let’s just wait until we hear something about my dad before we talk about anything else. I can’t think while he’s in danger. I can’t—”

  “Shh.” He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to.”

  Together, they sat. Alex was perfect. He went to fetch her coffee and made her eat a breakfast sandwich, he held her hand, he asked the nurse for status updates. It was a shame he was only offering to marry her because of the pregnancy because she loved him and he was a good man.

  She sighed, worried she was going to cry again. This was all too much—the pregnancy, her dad, her broken heart. She couldn’t take much more.

  The doors whooshed open and her mom walked out, arms crossed over her middle. She looked shaken but not broken, but what if it was shock?

  Kellie jumped up and ran to Diane. “Mom? Is he okay?”

  Her mother took her hand and nodded. “He’s fine. It wasn’t a heart attack. The stress just… overworked his heart a bit.”

  Diane gave a pointed look in Alex’s direction. He stood a respectable distance away. Far enough that he wasn’t eavesdropping but close enough if Kellie should need him. “Did you work things out yet?” her mother asked her.

  “Mom, these are not the times when a man and woman have to get married because they made a baby. I won’t do that.” The nurse at the reception desk near them jerked her head up, openly listening to their conversation now.

  “But, Kellie… he came this morning to ask your father for his blessing. He wanted to marry you before he found out about the baby.” Diane shrugged. “Do what makes you happy, sweetie. I don’t approve of him getting involved with you, but the man doesn’t want you because you’re pregnant.”

  Her hands flew to her mouth as it all clicked into place. She’d been too upset to realize it earlier, but Alex already had a ring. He couldn’t have gotten one this morning, after he found out. He’d been planning to propose to her when he went to her parents’ house today.

  Kellie flew into Alex’s arms, holding him tight. She’d never let him go again.

  “Kellie? What is it, honey? Is your dad okay?”

  She blinked back tears of happiness this time. “He’s fine. I just… I need to hear what you want.”

  “I want to marry you.” He took her by the shoulders and held her, gazing into her eyes.

  “One question, I need to know one thing. Why? If it’s not the baby, then why?”

  He tucked a finger under her chin and used the other to pull her close. “Because I love you. I’m so in love with you, I can’t bear the thought of being away from you.”

  Releasing her, he got down on one knee and opened the box. “Will you?”

  Kellie looked around. Everyone in the room was actively watching them now. And that was okay because she wanted to remember this moment, when Alex proposed and they became one sweet little family forever. “Yes.”

  *****

  THE END

  Hungry Cowboy

  Description

  A good girl. A bad cowboy. A dirty secret. Ready to figure this one out?

  She used to be like my little sister.

  Now her curves make me choke on my beer.

  But she’s broke, and I’m the reason.

  Not that she knows. It’s my secret.

  I’ll make it up to her though.

  I’ll offer her a job.

  To be the live-in nanny at my ranch.

  I’ll win her for me with my cowboy abs.

  Seriously, who can resist those?

  She’ll be screaming for more before she knows it.

  All I need to do is keep my secret from her.

  Or she’ll leave.

  And I want her to stay.

  Chapter 1 - Connor

  I’ve never gotten over the ivy covering the facade of my family home. Some might say that it is the nicest thing about the house. The moment you walk in, you’re hit by the excruciatingly bright glittering light of the crystal chandelier in the foyer. After that, shit just goes downhill from there. Uniformed maids and valets greet you by taking your coat, champagne is served on a tray immediately, and you’re expected to make an entrance into the parlor carrying the glass in your hand and have a collection of choice greetings ready to dish out to my mother’s group of elegant friends. Oil paintings hang in place on the walls, specially ordered Turkish rugs match the upholstery on the furniture, and a pianist is hired to play Beethoven in the corner to entertain our guests.

  It had been five years since I left this place, and it wasn’t very often that I returned to the Hamptons. When I did, I was always struck by the opulence and a strange feeling like I didn’t belong – even though I very much belonged. I was still the only heir to my father’s billion-dollar legacy and my mother’s only hope for the future. The fact that I was also a huge disappointment in her eyes was another matter. You don’t wash your dirty laundry in public.

  Tonight was a reunion. I had returned home after two years of radio silence and Mother had thrown a party in my honor. A party that consisted specifically of all those friends who had daughters of a marriageable age. Mother was at it again – she was determined to find me a bride. As if the first time around wasn’t good enough.

  “Ah, Connor, you look tanned!” Mrs. Grantham kissed the air beside my cheeks like they did in Europe. Her hands were bony and cold as she gripped my arms. I smiled and looked immediately to the left, where her daughter was standing beside her, staring up at me from under her heavily mascaraed eyelashes.

  “It’s the Texas sun, no doubt. I’m forever telling him to wear sunscreen.” Mother had interrupted the conversation with a swoop of her arm. She had brought Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, and Mr. Frasier with her to join our group – and their daughters with them, of course. They were all standing around me in a circle like I was a trick monkey in a zoo.

  “I heard something about Texas, yes. What kind of work are you doing out there?” Mr. Frasier asked, taking a sip of his specially imported scotch. I opened my mouth to speak, but Mother cut in before I could say anything. She had decided that she was going to do all the talking.

  “Taking care of the business, of course. We’re looking into purchasing a chain of ranches in Texas. There’s good money in horse breeding, you know,” Mother said with a stiff smile ready on her lips.

  I clenched my jaw. What was she talking about? It was one ranch. I’d already bought it, and I worked with the horses every day myself. She was making it out to sound like some sort of international corporate model.

  “A ranch? Like those cowboys from the movies?” One of the daughters had spoken up. I didn’t know whose she was. They all looked the same to me anyway: blond, face caked with makeup, perky breasts, diamonds glittering around their necks, and waists small enough to circle one of my palms around. I’d grown up around girls like these – I’d married one of them! – Only this particular group belonged to a younger generation.

  “Yes, exactly like that,” I replied honestly and watched as the group of girls looked at each other and giggled. It was Mother who wasn’t pleased with my response.

  “Connor
has always had such a sense of humor!” she said and added a forced nervous laugh before linking her arm in mine and gently tugging me away from the group.

  “You’re ruining it!” she hissed, dipping her face towards me as we walked out of earshot.

  “Ruining what, mother?” I asked her lazily while taking a sip of the scotch. I preferred beer, but it was considered to be ditch water in this household. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

  “Ruining your chances. These people aren’t going to be thrilled about marrying their daughters off to a tanned, callus-handed cowboy! Keep up our appearances, Connor, at least for tonight!” she hissed and I pulled my arm away from her.

  “Mother, do you remember what your matchmaking skills landed me with the last time?”

  “There was nothing wrong with Natalia. She was a perfectly fine young lady!” Mother retorted and I took in a deep breath. Mother was never a woman to admit her mistakes.

  “Yes. She also divorced me within two years and left our son to be raised by me and a house full of servants,” I said through gritted teeth and took another sip of the whisky. These days, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about Natalia without feeling like punching a wall.

  “This is exactly why you need to marry again. Alfie can’t possibly grow up without a mother in his life!” she snapped and then, turning on her heels, she walked away to join her friends. She didn’t even want to wait and hear what I had to say.

  I emptied the remaining whisky down my throat in retaliation. Why did I even bother accepting this invitation? I should have known what this was going to be about.