“Thank you,” I said, touching my throat, which ached.
Mary Beth hurried out. I looked in the mirror. The bruise on my neck was red, blue, and purple. My throat was swollen, and it was so sore, I could hardly swallow.
At least I’m alive, I thought, looking at myself. I hardly recognized the woman staring back at me.
I peeled off my ripped jacket and the shirt and jeans I was wearing. My entire body hurt, and I discovered several other bruises, in odd spots from John dragging me. No open wounds, though.
I used the wet towel to wipe the soot from my face, neck, and hands. Mary Beth rapped on the door and handed me a long, flowery dress. I smiled. Not my style, but it will do.
I stepped out of the bathroom after donning Mary Beth’s flowing, ankle-length dress, and she handed me an ice pack. The cold felt good on my inflamed neck.
“I’m making some tea. Let’s sit by the fire and talk,” she suggested.
I followed Mary Beth to the common room, and she pointed at a comfortable chair near the fire. The twins were there, watching me, wide-eyed.
“I’m okay,’ I assured them. “Come sit by me.”
They sat at my feet by the fireplace. Mary Beth returned with tea for her and me and sat in the other chair across from us. I began my story of what had happened to me, leaving out any really horrible parts because the boys were listening.
“Wow,” Bryce murmured.
“Is he dead?” Reid asked.
“Yes, we think that John died in the fire,” I told them.
“That’s crazy,” Bryce said, eyes wide. Reid stared at me in shock.
“It’s okay, Reid. He was a bad man who started the fire to hurt us. Instead, he got himself killed, and we couldn’t help him. Your uncles tried to help him.” I attempted to explain the situation to the boys in the least violent way possible.
“Everyone is safe now that the bad man is gone,” Mary Beth chimed in, and I was glad she did. The boys looked at her and nodded their heads in understanding.
Brad, Cole, Bella, Harley, and Dax walked into the common room. Bella ran to the boys, falling in the middle of the two for belly rubs.
“Is everyone okay?” Mary Beth asked, looking over each of her sons.
“Yes, Mom. We’re alright,” Dax assured her.
Mary Beth looked at Harley for confirmation as well. “Yeah, I’m good, Mom.”
“How are you doing, Angela? Any signs of dizziness or nausea?” Harley asked me.
“No. Except for some bruises and a sore throat, I feel okay now.”
“Okay,” Harley said. “If you start to feel wheezy or anything, let me know. I have some basic first aid training, even though you should see a medical professional as soon as possible,” he said, looking at Brad.
“I called 911, and they connected me to Sheriff Andrews. I reported the crime and told him we need an ambulance up here as soon as possible. I also told him about the body and that they’d need the medical examiner and a way to pull him out of there,” Brad reported.
“When are they planning on getting up here?” he asked Brad.
“I told them no one was critical, so they didn’t need to send a chopper. They’re starting to plow their way up here now, so hopefully, in a couple of hours,” Brad informed us.
“Good,” Mary Beth said, nodding her head in approval.
Brad took my hand and helped me move to the couch so he could sit with me. He put his arm around me, and I cuddled against him. The boys squeezed on either side of us. Mary Beth and Cole took an armchair with Bella at Cole’s feet. Dax and Harley sat on the other couch.
We sat in the common room, together, waiting for the ambulance and Sheriff Andrews to show up. As I sat there with Brad, the twins, and the rest of the family, I realized how lucky I really was to be a part of this tight-knit, caring clan.
Brad kissed me on the head. He had his arm around Bryce, and I pulled Reid to me. For the first time, we sat on the couch like a real family. Even though I was in pain, the warmth and love I felt were overwhelming.
At one point, I realized I could go back home now. I didn’t have to run and hide anymore. I could even go back to Kansas. But even though I missed my parents and my best friend, Hope, the thought of leaving Brad and the twins was out of the question.
Brad
Six Months Later
I looked at my grandmother’s antique diamond ring one more time.
“Are you sure?” I asked my mom again. “Dad gave this to you. You should keep it and pass it along later to one of my brothers when they’re ready.”
“Yes, Brad, I’m sure I want you to have it. You are my oldest son, and you can pass it to your boys when they get married,” she assured me.
I beamed at her. “I’m honored, thank you. Angela will love wearing this ring. It will make her so happy. I know it will,” I told my mom, almost in tears.
“Oh, Brad,” Mom said. “I’m so glad for you. You deserve to be happy and in love.”
I nodded, my voice caught in my throat.
“And I love Angela, too. She’s perfect for you and the boys. I’m so happy for all of you and wish you nothing but the best,” Mom said, tears welling up in her eyes as well.
“Thanks, Mom, that means a lot to me. And to Angela.” I thanked her.
“You’re welcome. Now go and make this happen,” she told me.
I smiled at her and went to get dressed. I’d spent most of the afternoon preparing a special dinner for Angela. I wanted everything to be perfect.
I headed back up to my house and waited for the boys’ lessons to be finished for the day. Fall had set in early this year, and my feet crunched under the leaves as I walked up.
I’d told Angela I wanted to have dinner with her tonight. A special dinner with just the two of us. I told her to dress up even though we were only going to The River Room.
“Let’s make it an intimate evening,” I said, holding her hands. “Just me and you.”
“Sounds nice,” Angela agreed. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had any alone time.”
I sent Angela to the main house to get changed and told her I’d pick her up at six o’clock.
The boys would spend the night at Mom’s house. We hadn't done anything like this in a long while since we had dinner with the boys most evenings. Plus, we’d an extremely busy summer at the resort, and we hardly had time to go out on any dates at all.
Angela was still staying at Mom’s house…for now.
When John had tragically perished in the fire, I’d feared Angela would want to go home to Kansas because she didn’t have to run anymore. But to my surprise, she told me she wanted to stay here and not only in Blue Haven but at the resort. She asked me if it was okay if she stayed here and got rid of the house down in town.
Of course, it had been okay with me. She’d also told me she loved me and wanted to be with me. We would take it slow, but she wanted to stay and see where things went between us.
Now that six months had passed, I was more in love with Angela than ever. I was ecstatic that she’d chosen to stay here at the resort and be with me. With Angela here, my family felt complete.
To make it even better, the boys loved Angela as much as I did. I didn’t even have to explain the situation to them. They’d asked me when Angela and I would get married, and I’d been astonished at their perception and their acceptance of her.
Before I proposed, I had talked to the boys to make sure the move was okay with them.
“I’m going to ask Angela to marry me tonight,” I informed the boys as we walked by ourselves to the resort. “If she says yes, she’ll be a part of our family. She can move in here with us. Is that okay with you two?”
“Yay! You’re finally getting married!” Bryce exclaimed happily, jumping up and down.
Reid was silent for a moment, though.
“Reid?” I asked patiently.
Thinking, he finally replied, “Angela is already a part of our family,” he informed me. �
��I would like her to live here all of the time,” he said, thoughtfully.
I smiled at my twins. Thirteen now, they’d grown tall. Soon, they would fill out and be men.
“Thanks, boys,” I said. “I’m looking forward to making it official with Angela. I love her very much. I love her like I loved your mom when we got married,” I explained to them. “Angela will never take your mom’s place. But she is very special to me.”
“We know, Dad,” Reid said. “We think Angela is special too. And I really like having her around. She likes to teach us things and does stuff with us.”
“Yeah, she likes to do the photography class, and she even likes to fish with me!” Bryce exclaimed.
Angela had gone fishing with us a couple of times and enjoyed it. Lately, she and Bryce went down to the river together when they had free time. He loved that. And she took time to teach Reid IT stuff, and he appreciated that. It was perfect.
I sent the boys to my mom’s house and went upstairs to my room to get ready. Surprisingly, I was nervous. Calm down, Brad, I told myself, but the butterflies kept fluttering around my stomach.
Dressed in a light blue dress shirt and a black suit jacket and matching slacks, I took one last look into the mirror. My sky-blue eyes beamed back at me, accented by the blue shirt.
I hadn’t been this happy in a long time.
I positioned a white rose with blue-died tips to match my shirt and the color theme for the evening into my jacket pocket. Ready, I opened my drawer to retrieve the ring Mom had given me.
Downstairs, I grabbed the bouquet of white roses with blue tips I’d arranged to be delivered along with several other floral arrangements I had decorated the dining room with.
Since I knew Angela’s favorite color was a cadet blue, I’d chosen with white roses, cadet blue-dyed ruscus and Leucadendron, and white fuji mums topped with a delicate sprinkle of blue paint. I also placed a vase of light blue carnations with white baby’s breath on the center of our dining table, along with several lit candles.
I left my cabin and climbed into the Jeep and drove next door to pick up Angela. Taking the bouquet of roses to the door with me, I walked through the screened door to knock on the main door, as if I was really picking her up for a date. I wanted to be as romantic as possible.
I reached the door and knocked lightly just as Bryce opened it. I stepped inside the entranceway to see Angela coming down the steps from the second floor. Bryce, Reid, and Mom stood in the study doorway, watching in awe as Angela glided down the steps in her light blue stilettos and flowing blue dress.
I gasped and felt my heart skip a beat when I saw how lovely Angela looked. My jaw dropped at her striking beauty. She had a glow about her, her cheeks pink, eyes bright blue green. Her golden hair was up in a bun with long wisps hanging down over her shoulders. Her earrings dangled to her collarbones, shining in the overhead light of the hall chandelier.
Angela lifted the long dress so she wouldn’t trip over it. Her blue, silk dress flowed about her legs but hugged her bosom perfectly. Over the strapless dress, she wore a white silk shawl, which she draped over her shoulders. A diamond necklace shined beneath the shawl.
“You look gorgeous,” I said in awe.
Angela smiled. “Thank you.”
“Wowzie!” Bryce exclaimed. Reid looked on wide-eyed. “Dad, you look spiffy, too.”
“You both look absolutely stunning,” Mom remarked, clasping her hands together. “A perfect couple!”
Angela glided to me, and I handed her the white roses. Her grin widened, and she lowered her nose to them. “Thank you, Brad. They’re perfect.”
“You're welcome.”
“I’ll take those and put them in a vase for you,” Mom offered.
“Thank you.”
“Are you ready to go to the restaurant?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she answered as I linked my arm into hers and led her through the doorway.
I opened Angela’s door for her, and she lifted her dress to step into the Wrangler. Once inside, I closed her door and hurried around to my own. I drove us down to the resort and parked in front of the building. Again, I got out and went around to open the passenger door for Angela. I took her hand and helped her out of the jeep.
I linked my arm through Angela’s again and led her up the stairs to the resort. The black double doors were closed tonight, and there was a sign telling the guests that room service was available on us today.
“You closed the dining room?” Angela asked me, surprised. “You didn’t have to do that. I don’t mind the guests.”
“I wanted a special evening for us. An intimate evening. So I closed the restaurant early tonight. Sent the staff home, as well.”
Angela looked at me in shock but smiled at me. “You are too much,” she gushed. “But I love that about you,” she said, reaching up to give me a kiss.
The small kiss Angela gave me wasn’t enough to satisfy the lust I felt for her right now. I grabbed her waist and planted my lips on hers. I kissed her hard, tasting her lipstick and slipping my tongue into her mouth.
Angela moaned in response. She threw her arms around my neck and pushed her body against mine. My cock hardened and I made sure she felt it.
“Brad, not here,” she whispered, trying to push me away.
Before I got too worked up, I let her go. She was taking small, gasping breaths, and I knew she was as turned on as I was.
“Later,” she mouthed. I smiled and nodded at her.
I pushed open the massive, black, double doors, revealing the dining room to Angela. I took her hand and led her inside. The dining room lights were dimmed, and candlelight bounced from the ceiling to the walls. The ambiance was romantic and intimate, just as I had planned.
Angela gasped. “Oh, Brad,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “I love it. When did you do this?”
“This afternoon,” I answered, grinning at her reaction. If I didn’t smile, I might have cried with her. “I reached over and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Hungry?”
“Yes,” she whispered in reply.
I took her hand and led her to the table I’d centered in the room. I’d covered all the tables in white tablecloths and moved the rest to surround this one table. I placed the large flower arrangements on the surrounding tables, candlelight everywhere.
The blue carnations and baby’s breath were at the center of this table. Angela cried out in delight when she saw it. Then she looked at all the other bouquets and clapped her hands together in excitement.
“Brad!” she exclaimed. “This is too much!”
“Nothing is too much for my beautiful lady,” I told her, sliding out her chair so she could sit down. Angela sat down, and I helped push her chair to the table. I sat in my chair across from her.
As if on cue, Michael wheeled a cart out of the kitchen. First, he popped open a bottle of fine wine. He poured us both a glass and set it before us. He placed the opened bottle in an ice bucket and set it on a nearby table. He placed small plates in front of Angela and me. He uncovered the first dish, which was an appetizer of grilled oysters on a bed of salt. He put the main dish between us and served us both our first oyster.
“Thanks, Michael, this looks delicious,” I told him.
“You are welcome, sir,” he answered and wheeled the cart back to the kitchen.
We ate the oysters slowly and sipped on our wine.
“I still can’t believe you pulled this off,” Angela said, grinning. “I love it, just like I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I answered. “And I’m glad you like it. It’s long overdue. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately.”
“It’s good that you’re busy. It means the resort is busy. I would never complain about that. I’ve come to love the business as if I was a part of it.”
“You are a part of it,” I assured her. “You’re a big help around here. Now, if we could just get the boys to help out more.”
Angela giggled. I loved hearing
her laugh.
Michael rolled out the cart again with our entrées. He cleared our salad plates and uncovered our entrée plates. He’d prepared duck breast with pomegranate citrus glaze over a bed of greens, with baked sweet potatoes with spiced butter pecan topping, and red cabbage braised in vinegar, butter, and brown sugar.
“Oh my gosh, all my favorites,” Angela said, cutting her duck.
“Glad you approve,” I told her, digging in myself.
Michael came back out to check on us and poured us another glass of wine. When we finished, he cleared our plates. “Ready for dessert?”
“Dessert?” Angela remarked. “I’m not sure I have room for dessert. I ate too much of your delicious food, Michael.”
“I made a petite, sweet dessert that will compliment your after-dinner drinks perfectly,” Michael assured her.
“Okay, since you put it like that. Thank you for preparing all of this. I loved every bite,” she complimented.
“You are very welcome, ma’am. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Michael rolled the cart away to prepare our desserts. We sipped on our wine and had light-hearted conversation. Angela was in a giggly, flirty mood, and I loved every second of her company.
Again, Michael rolled out his cart, which held two small covered dishes. He put one in front of Angela and the other in front of me. He topped off our wine glasses and turned to roll back his cart.
“Thank you, Michael. You can go home now. I can take over on our drinks.” I handed him a white envelope I took from my jacket pocket.
“Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate it. Have a good evening,” he said, looking from me to Angela and headed back to the kitchen.
I stood and removed the cover from her dessert plate. I watched as her face lit up in surprise. At first, she just stared at her plate, eyes wide. Then her lips formed a grin, and she blushed. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Brad…”
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 16