by Kelsey King
My head feels dizzy at the words. I grip a chair to keep myself from falling over. “Already? W just got here ten minutes ago.”
The doctor laughs and pulls off his cap. “We were checking her vitals when the baby decided he wasn’t waiting for us to get our ducks in a row. He’s a strong, beautiful boy. Would you like to meet him?”
“Dad!” Vayda says, tugging on my sleeve. “Go on!”
I nod and follow the doctor without a word. This is all so surreal. The baby wasn’t due for at least another two weeks.
I step into the room, and my heart swells with love. Oakley is lying on the bed, her dark hair matted against her forehead from the exertion of giving birth. Her eyes soften when she sees me, and a slow smile spreads across her face. She glances down at the bundle in the baby blue blanket and sighs. "Luke, daddy's here to meet you."
I hear a squeal coming from the blanket and cautiously move toward it. Before I look at my son, I stroke Oakley’s hair. “Baby, are you alright? You scared me to death.”
"I'm fine." She smiles at me. "Actually I'm more than fine. Just look at him, Levi. He looks just like you."
I take the tiny bundle from her and look at my son. He reminds me of a baby photo my mother once showed me. It warms a man’s heart to know his son takes after him. “He’s perfect.” I feel a tear slide down my cheek and quickly brush it away.
“Hah! You lost the bet.” Oakley laughs and points a finger at me. “Remember, the first one to cry when he’s born gets diaper duty for the first week.”
I laugh and press a kiss to her head. Only Oakley would find a way to bring humor into such an emotional moment. “For what he just put you through, I’ll take diaper duty for the first month.”
“Brave man,” John says as they join us in the room.
Vayda and Sarah take turns holding baby Luke and fawning over Oakley. I meet John's eyes, and he walks toward me, nudging my shoulder. "You did good, Levi. I wanted to kill you there for a while, I won't deny that. But you did good."
I laugh and shake my head. John had been reserved toward me until the wedding three months ago. I knew he was taking my relationship with Oakley the hardest, but we finally made our peace at the wedding when he told me he could see I loved his daughter.
“So what is my grandson’s name?” Sarah asks as she inspects his tiny hands.
"Luke," Oakley and I answer together. Our eyes meet, and we share a smile at the name we picked.
"Well Luke, we're going to see you again tomorrow. It's your own fault we didn't bring you any gifts since you decided to come early," Sarah murmurs to the baby before she turns to Oakley and me. "I proud of you, both of you. I won't lie and say I wasn't hesitant about all of this at first, but I can see everything worked out just the way it should have."
Sarah’s words mean more to me than I can ever say. I walk to her and hug her tightly. “Okay, grandma.”
She swats me playfully and scowls at me.
I shrug and laugh at her. “You never said anything about calling you grandma.”
When I’m finally alone with Oakley again, no words are needed. I climb into the bed beside her and pull her into my arms, cradling our newborn son between us.
Epilogue
Oakley
“Luke left you a little present in his diaper,” Vayda says, coming through the kitchen door of my parents’ house with Luke giggling in her arms.
“No, ask Levi. I already had a present this morning,” I complain, teasing a laugh from my mother.
“Honey, children are the gift that never stops giving,” my mother jokes as she tosses a garden salad.
It's Luke's second birthday, and my parents insisted we have a barbeque at their house. For two people who hated the idea of Levi and me together, they've really turned around. Levi and my dad are back to being best friends. My mother loves being a grandmother. When I went back to college a year ago to finish my courses, she had insisted on taking care of Luke instead of hiring a babysitter.
Due to Luke spending so much time on their side of the fence my father had erected a jungle gym where my little boy could play to his heart's content. The ladder they had installed for Vayda and me as children had been taken down and instead, they put in a gate to ease movement between our yards. For a while there I thought nothing would ever be right in my world again but our family pulled together.
The little hesitation that was still present at Luke's birth had vanished the moment he gurgled at them for the first time. Vayda and I were best friends again the only difference was I didn't discuss my love life with her anymore.
My relationship with Levi has grown by leaps and bounds. I knew he was the man for me, the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Vayda laughs, interrupting my thoughts and hands me Luke. “Dad’s busy grilling the hamburgers, so he’s all yours.”
I cringe at the thought of changing Luke’s diaper and decide it’s time I shared our news with our family. Levi asked me to hold off a little longer, but the nausea was preventing me from doing much of anything these days, never mind changing diapers.
At that moment Levi and my dad walk into the kitchen, talking a mile a minute about the grocery store burgers compared to the burgers they bought from the butcher.
I clear my throat and cock my hands on my hips and Levi meets my gaze. He smiles and shakes his head. He knows I can’t keep a secret.
"So the reason I don't want to change Luke's diaper is that I'm afraid I'm going to barf all over him," I say with a big sigh.
My father frowns, but my mother and Vayda catch on immediately. "You're pregnant?"
“Yes. We’re about eight weeks along. And this time, it was planned.”
My mother and Vayda both hug me. “Honey, I’m so happy for you. Little Luke here deserves a sibling,” she says squeezing him tightly before handing him to Levi. “And a diaper change.”
“Yay! That’s the greatest news ever. Are you hoping for a girl this time?” Vayda asks after she steps away.
“We don’t really care. As long as the peanut is healthy.” I smile lovingly at Levi, a proud grin on his face. “That’s not all, I have more news.”
“Wow, bigger news than another baby?” my mother asks surprised.
“Yes,” I say, clasping my hands together. “The last few months at college I took some extra courses. Having Luke made me reconsider wanting to work away from home, so I started looking into alternatives—working from home.”
“And?” my dad asks cautiously.
"I learned I had a knack for designing websites and managing social media. For the past couple of weeks, I've sent out a few proposals to see if it's a viable job opportunity to freelance from home."
“Just tell them already,” Levi urges me excitedly.
"And today I signed my first two contracts. I'm officially a freelance website designer and social media manager. That means I can work around Luke's schedules and when the new baby comes, I can be home with him as well."
Congratulations and excitement sounded through the room accompanied by numerous hugs when I felt Levi’s hand on mine. I follow him upstairs, with Luke in his arms. He sets Luke down in my old bedroom before he turns to me with that same gaze that made me fall in love with him almost three years ago.
“Do you know how lucky we are we found each other?” Levi asks, pulling me close.
I nod and try to kiss him, but he pulls back marginally.
"I'm serious, babe. Can you imagine if we just ignored the attraction and moved on with our lives, we would have settled? I'm so glad we fought to be together, I can't imagine wanting to be with anyone else."
Levi's hand slides under my shirt, and he cups my breast, squeezing it slightly. "Levi," I warn, laughing.
He pulls his hand away and steps back grabbing Luke. “You’re right, now we need to deal with the doo-doo king.”
Luke’s cute little giggles make us both smile, and I realize I married the greatest guy in the world.
After all, age is just a number when you find the one.
Preview of Mountain Man’s Fake Fiancée
If you love fake romances or marriage of conveniences and rugged mountain men, then this next book is for you!! Keep scrolling for a two-chapter preview!
When Tate Williams walks into the café I work at, I’m instantly smitten by his charm and good looks. Dark hair, full beard, and smoldering green eyes are impossible to ignore in this small town. To make things awkward, I drop an entire tray of dishes in front of him and instead of watching me stumble to pick up the pieces, he comes to my side and immediately helps.
That’s all it takes for us to form a connection and now I’ll find any excuse to see him again.
After bumping into each other at a bar, Tate makes a proposition that could change everything wrong in my life. He offers me fifty thousand dollars to fly with him to his hometown and pretend to be his fiancée. It’s a clear arrangement and the easiest money I’ll ever make, but that doesn’t mean it’s a simple decision.
Pleasure mingles with business and before long neither of us are faking.
1
Tate
The sun shines through the tall trees of Whitefish, Montana, and I can't help but think how much better this town is during the summer compared to the winter. Don't get me wrong, I like the snow as much as the next guy, but I can't stand the flood of tourists that takeover during the summer months. But on this beautiful, warm day, there's no one in the mountains but me.
No one else is out here because they’d need 4-wheel drive to traverse the dirt roads. During the winter, I’ll catch a few cross-country skiers, but that’s pretty much it. I built my cabin on the mountainside for the views and peaceful exclusion.
The engine of my truck roars and a massive cloud of exhaust blows out the back like the breath of a fire-eating dragon. I have to admit I like making my presence known, regardless of no one being around. It scares off the deer, which saves me from hitting one. Not something I want to deal with up here.
I'm going into town on this perfect day, but not because I want to. Some trees fell during the last heavy summer rainstorm and when I was clearing the brush, my chainsaw broke. After trying to fix it myself, I realized it needed a new chain. I was immediately irritated because now I have to drive to the store to buy the parts. I spent the entire morning trying to cut the fallen trees into smaller blocks of firewood for the winter. Considering I don't have what I need to finish the job, I'm forced to make a special trip to Jack's Hardware in town. Now I have to face civilization, which I don't like to do often, especially when work needs to get done.
With the windows rolled down, I crank the music and as my Black Lab, Shark, sticks his head out the window. When I glance at him, I see his tongue is happily hanging out of his mouth. I've had him since I was eighteen, which makes it a solid ten years of manly companionship. I love that dog so much, and I can't put into words how much he means to me. He's much more social than I am and he's overly excited to go into town. I wish some of his happiness would rub off on me.
“You just know you're getting a treat, dontcha?” Shark pants in anticipation. Every time we go into town I get him a biscuit from Victoria's, a bakery that makes pastries for dogs. I usually get a blueberry muffin for myself because they're the size of my head, but it barely satisfies my hunger. After working my ass off this morning, I'm starving and a muffin only won’t suffice. All I had were a few pieces of bacon early this morning, and I already feel light-headed since it’s been hours since I ate last.
Over the years of living a secluded life in the mountains and working the land, I’ve bulked up significantly since leaving my hometown. Between the muscles, beards, and shaggy hair, I’ve become a mountain man through and through. If my mother saw me right now, she wouldn’t recognize me, and she most definitely wouldn’t approve. I’m not the Abercrombie & Fitch poster child she once knew.
I make a right at the fork in the road and follow the route along the creek. The forest along the road is endless, and when it snows, many of the trails up the road are where the tourists ski in the winter. The town is full of people in the summer, too. Hikers, campers, and even mountain bikers come to visit Whitefish. Along the road, runs a small river that's vigorous, and I'll occasionally see people whitewater rafting as well. There's fisherman here and there, and just the thought has me wishing I were sitting along the river and getting a fresh catch myself. I love handling my meal from start to finish; from the catch to the cleaning, cooking, and then eating. My dad taught me to fish when I was a kid, which is surprising considering he was always busy managing hedge funds. But there were plenty of times he took me out on Lake Michigan. It was one of the only times I left our Chicago high-rise penthouse.
Not paying attention, I hit a bump in the road, causing Shark to go flying. I let out a laugh and find myself asking him if he’s okay as he almost hits his furry head on the ceiling of my trunk. I have to laugh because Shark looks at me with his big floppy tongue hanging out of his mouth, smiling. He lives for this kind of adventure. Leaning over, I pet his head and tell him how much of a good boy he is.
I speed down the road, dirt, and dust flying up all around us, knowing that we'll soon be down the mountainside and on the paved road that leads to town. Once the tires hit the pavement, I slow down considerably and head toward town. As soon as Shark sees the buildings on Main Street, he begins to bark, knowing he'll soon have his treat.
I park the truck and leave Shark inside with the windows down.
“I'll be right back, boy,” I tell him as I step out. I glance at myself in the window and realize I look like shit, but it's not like I'm trying to impress anyone. My white T-shirt is dirty, my jeans torn, and my boots muddy. My brown hair is flying all over the place, and there's grime under my nails. I could use a shower too.
Once I step into Jack’s Hardware, a small shop that still manages to have everything that I need, I see Jack standing by the counter chatting with an old timer. He’s a salt-of-the-earth type of guy.
“Tate,” Jack says as soon as he spots me.
“Hey,” I reply, nodding my head. The hardware store is small, with low ceilings, and it smells like oil and plastic. It's a small town shop, and if Jack doesn't have what I need, he'll order it, which means I'll have to come back into town. I walk up and down the aisles, trying to find the replacement chain.
“What are you looking for?” Jack asks. His red beard is not dissimilar to my own.
“Chainsaw parts. My damn chain broke when I was cutting stumps,” I reply, feeling like I’m in my element surrounding by the tools.
“What size?” Jack asks.
“Eighteen inches.”
Jack knows just where to go, and walks down the second aisle where various types of chains are stocked. He looks up at the shelves that climb toward the ceiling and scratches his beard.
“What brand you got?” he asks, giving me some options.
“Craftsman. Give me three, just in case. I have five more trees to cut.”
“Sounds like a big project. I know some guys that could help you out with that.”
“No thanks. I should be able to take care of it.”
Jack gives me a dubious look, and I merely smile. He thinks I’m trying to prove myself, no doubt. And in that, he wouldn’t be far off. After a life of privilege, I have a lot that I want to do by myself. Building a cabin in the mountains isn’t enough though. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch. Some days, I don’t even know how far I’ll go because it never feels like enough.
Jack pulls the chains down from the shelf using a stepladder. A hundred bucks later and I have what I need along with some other tools and gadgets for good measure. Even though I have a massive shed that’s full of tools, it always seems like I could use more when I walk through those doors.
“On the market for a riding mower?” Jack asks, nodding his head toward the bright orange zero-turn mower sitting outside his shop. “Just got that in the other day. Ca
n mow half an acre in under twenty minutes, no lie.”
Now, I'm not one to be able to turn down gadgets, and Jack plays on my weaknesses. I've been using a push mower for the past few years, so this would save me time, and since money isn't an object, I get it. Within moments, he has his guys loading the expensive beast into the back of my truck and of course I purchase ramps to get that sucker out safely. After I pay my five thousand dollar bill, Jack smiles and waves goodbye and I climb into my truck. Every time I come into town, I'm pretty sure I pay his rent for the quarter, which I'm happy to do.
Shark cocks his head at me, as though asking if I have buyer’s remorse.
“No regrets.” I pet him with a smile. The hardware store didn't take as long as I thought it would, even with the extra purchases. I'm happy about that because I still need to go grocery shopping, get Shark's treat at Ethel's, and buy some liquor. Even though I'd like to get all these things out of the way and go home to finish cutting trees, I still need to eat. My stomach growls so loud, Shark barks when he hears it. In light of being famished, I decide to stop at the first place I see. Slowing down, I turn into the parking lot of Whitefish Café, a place I've only seen in passing. I've been to a lot of fancy cafés growing up in Chicago, but this one has that hometown flair to it. It's inviting with its green awning, flower planters, and patio tables.
After I park, I put a leash on Shark then open the door for him. A woman is standing outside by the door who has the café logo on her shirt. I contemplate speaking with her but round up some courage and ask the petite blonde about Shark.
“Can my dog sit with me out here?”
She eyes me up and down and licks her lips like I'm the sweetest candy she's ever tasted. I haven't had anyone look at me with interest in a long time, so I'm somewhat surprised considering how I look at the moment.