Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection

by Crowne, K. C.

  “Okay,” I replied, a bit confused. When I’d talked to Oakley not even thirty minutes ago, she’d told me the family would be arriving tomorrow. Why did she call Brad with the update instead of me? She’d never called Brad before. I needed an answer, so I went to find my oldest brother.

  I walked right past Oakley and Hailey and toward the storage room where I assumed Brad was since I didn’t see him anywhere in the large, main room. I briefly nodded to Oakley as I walked by, but she barely looked at me. I sighed. This was not good. I hoped she hadn’t said anything to Brad about what happened between us because Brad would definitely not approve.

  I did find Brad in the back room going over the alcohol stock with a checklist. “Morning.”

  “Morning.” He looked up from his list and frowned at me. “Is everything alright?”

  “That I know of,” I answered, giving him a sideways glance. “What’s going on?”

  “Oakley called me about twenty minutes ago and asked if she could get a few extra hands for a couple of hours. Said everything in the lodge has to be set up before the Stones arrive this evening.” I didn’t hide my surprise. “She didn’t tell you they were coming tonight?”

  “No. Last I talked to her –which was about ten minutes before you did apparently— she told me the Stones would be arriving tomorrow. No sense of urgency or I would have told you myself,” I said curtly.

  I was a bit annoyed. Why hadn’t she simply called me back after she realized the Stones were coming tonight instead of tomorrow? I was baffled. Even after what had happened last night, I felt like she’d gone behind my back and called Brad. I was supposed to be her first point of contact this week.

  Was she ashamed that she’d let herself get swept up the night before?

  Brad was watching my face closely, probably reading every thought. “What’s going on?”

  I hesitated. Tell him? Don’t tell him? He was my older brother who always had my back. No reason to lie to him. I sighed with indecision.

  “You can tell me,” Brad urged me kindly.

  “Oakley and I slept together last night,” I blurted. “But I didn’t press it. She made the first move,” I added quickly, attempting to defend my position.

  Brad just nodded. He didn’t look the least bit surprised.

  “Did you know?” I asked him.

  “Not for sure. I had a suspicion,” he revealed. “I see more than you might realize, Dax. And, I know you,” he reminded me with a smirk.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I’d really made a mess of things.

  “It’s not the end of the world,” Brad continued. “She didn’t say anything. I assumed you already knew the Stones were coming early and she was just the one who called me.”

  “Well, I didn’t know. She went behind my back and called you. I’m supposed to be her point of contact,” I reminded him.

  He smiled at me and cocked his head, looking at me for a much longer moment than was necessary. “You really like her, don’t you?”

  “What? I, no, I mean, yes, ugh, I don’t know,” I stammered, exasperated.

  Brad just chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. “I don’t blame you. She’s a beautiful woman. Smart and successful on top of that. What man wouldn't be attracted to her?”

  “Yeah,” I mumbled, embarrassed.

  “Just try and act normal around her. Maybe she feels like she acted inappropriately? This wedding is as big a deal for her as it is for us; bigger even,” he reminded me. “We’ll continue to get business no matter what happens, just because of our previous reputation. She’s a single businesswoman and this could make or break her. And she’s probably a bit thrown by the change in plans for the Congresswoman’s arrival.” He shrugged and added, “Just give her some space and let things play out.”

  “Okay,” I answered, looking at the floor. Brad was always the voice of reason.

  “There’s a bit of advice that Mom gave Cole and me when we first met Angela and Lindsay. Remember how crazy those situations were?” he asked me.

  “Of course, I remember. What’s Mom’s advice?”

  “Everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to turn out,” he told me, smiling.

  “Of course, you say that now because it already has worked out for you,” I countered.

  “I know. I thought the same thing when Mom said it to me. I’m sure Cole did, too. But it did all work out. Crazy as both of our situations were.”

  I sighed and nodded. “You’re right. So is Mom, I know. I just need to get out of my own head a bit, I guess.” I cuffed him on the shoulder. “Thanks brother.”

  “No problem. Now go out there and act normal. Like nothing happened. No matter how much it kills you,” he ordered me, grinning.

  I grinned back and did just that. He was right, I knew. Plus, I was relieved he didn’t blame me for the awkward situation. I left the back room and stood behind the bar for a moment. I pretended to count the money in the drawer, even though I’d done it the night before. I wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere and see what Oakley would do now that I was here.

  I kept my head down but my eyes were on her. I saw her glance at me then look at Hailey. I wanted to know what she was thinking, but I wasn’t going to ask. Even though it was killing me not to.

  After I dilly-dallied for another few minutes, I saw her walking in my direction. I put the money back in the drawer and pretended to record the numbers in the book. I looked up just as she came to stand in front of the bar.

  “Hey, Oakley,” I greeted her. “Just finishing up here. What do you need me to do?” I asked in a friendly tone. I even smiled.

  She just looked at me for a second. I guess she expected me to say something else or ask why she’d called Brad instead of me. But I just smiled and waited for her orders.

  Her expression changed slightly. Was it relief or confusion? I wasn’t sure. Finally, she spoke. “Will you help set up chairs? We have to make sure they’re in exact straight rows.”

  “Okay,” I agreed and followed her to the stacks of chairs. I grabbed a stack and started my duty, using a long, straight measuring tape to make sure each chair was in line, the same distance apart, and straight, a time-consuming endeavor.

  When we finished, Cole had returned with a velvet rug for the actual aisle the bride and her bridesmaids would walk down. We rolled it out, flattened out any bumps, and I retrieved the vacuum cleaner. Hailey lined the carpet with fresh flowers, and we all stopped to take a final look at the room.

  “It looks nice,” Cole observed.

  “Yes, it’s lovely,” Hailey mused as her critical eye appraised the room.

  Oakley nodded her head in approval. “We just need to set out the candles.” She looked at Cole and me. “Hailey and I can do that. We have them in boxes in the storage room. Thanks for all of your help.”

  “No problem,” Cole replied. “I have to go and let Bella out. I didn’t want to bring her up here and get dog hair everywhere,” he said with a laugh and headed out the door. “Tell Brad I’ll talk to him later,” he added over his shoulder.

  “Will do,” I yelled after him.

  I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to get Oakley alone so I could get her out of her all business mode, but I didn’t see that happening anytime soon. I tried to heed Brad’s advice and give her space. But after I’d tasted what it was like to be inside her the night before, it was damn hard.

  “Do you want me to help?” I asked her. “I have the time.”

  “No thanks. You’ve done enough,” she replied, her tone professional. “Hailey and I can finish. This is it for today. Tomorrow, we have to decorate the outside areas and think about what we can do to get the dining room ready. Are the horses and buggies still scheduled to arrive early Saturday morning?” she asked me.

  “Yes. I’ll be sure to call and confirm again, though,” I assured her.

  “Okay, that would be great. We need them here first thing so we can decorate them in time to bring th
e guests up to the lodge,” she continued.

  “Got it,” I replied. I stared at her. That’s it?

  “Anything else?” she asked me in a serious tone.

  “No. Well, yeah. When you finish here, do you want to get some lunch? We can take a ride into town. A change of scenery might be nice before the big weekend?”

  She looked at me, her first show of emotion a surprised glance. “I really can’t. Hailey and I have plans to go hiking. We need some time to go over everything and to clear our heads before the Stones arrive.”

  I was completely disappointed by her response. Part of me expected her to accept my invitation. I tried to hide my emotions, but I wanted to burst inside. “Alright. Call me if you need anything. I have some writing to do anyway. I’ll be in my office,” I reported, trying to play it off. I quickly turned away so she couldn’t read the disappointment written all over my face.

  I said goodbye to Brad, who was still organizing the storage room.

  “How’d it go?” he asked me when he saw that I was alone.

  “Not good,” I answered, shaking my head. He raised an eyebrow and I added, “The setup went fine.”

  He smiled slightly. “It’ll work out, Dax. Give it time.”

  “I will,” I agreed. “Hailey and Oakley need the boxes of candles.”

  “Okay, I got them here.”

  We each grabbed a big box. I put mine down by the fireplace, then turned and headed outside without giving Oakley another glance.

  * * *

  I spent the rest of the afternoon writing another article for our blog. Good thing I’d already started it a couple of days ago because my mind was elsewhere. On Oakley, to be exact. I kept checking my cell phone to make sure I didn’t miss a call.

  No call. I sighed. I couldn't just sit here anymore. I decided to go down to the resort’s small fitness room for a workout to blow off some steam.

  The fitness room was located on the same road as the main resort building. It was a later addition to the resort, as we discovered that many of the guests liked to work out, even when on vacation. Plus, Harley loved the idea of starting a fitness program, which had been pretty successful.

  The room was basically a big square. The front and back of the room had big picture windows to let in the light. The other two walls were adorned with large mirrors. I picked a machine by the front windows and began my workout.

  Time to give my brain a break.

  Oakley

  Hailey and I finished at the lodge and returned to our cabin to change for a hike. Dax had asked me to go to town with him for lunch, but I’d turned him down. I felt awful about it, though, and about my behavior towards him. I wasn’t ashamed of what we’d done, but I certainly wished I had waited a little longer, at least until the wedding was over. I felt like I’d let my professional demeanor fall to the side, which was terribly unlike me.

  The sex had been the best I’d ever had, and if I was being honest with myself, I wanted to do it again. And again. And then again after that. The man was undeniably sexy, and he was incredibly talented.

  And rather than act like a grown woman, I was behaving like a sixteen-year-old girl whose boyfriend told her he loved her just to get in her pants. I had made the first move, practically attacking him in my slightly inebriated state. I couldn’t even blame the alcohol. I had three beers in two hours, not nearly enough to get drunk.

  The hike with Hailey wasn’t just to clear my head for the wedding. I needed to get him out of my head, at least for a while. We left our cabin and headed down the sidewalk toward the resort. We planned on taking the trail that led to the river in the valley below. Hailey wanted to take some pictures for our website and just because the area was stunningly beautiful. I wanted fresh air and a pretty view.

  “You could have accepted his invitation, you know?” Hailey told me after we’d been walking in silence for several minutes. “I hope you didn’t say no because of me.”

  “I didn’t say no because of you,” I told her, smiling in gratitude at her.

  “Then why?” she asked me.

  “Because…” I sighed. “Well, um, you know I stayed with Dax last night while he closed the bar...”

  “Yes…” Hailey drew out the word as she glanced at me.

  “Well, I kind of jumped him,” I blurted out. Hailey laughed without a touch of surprise in her expression. “It’s not funny!” I retorted, smiling.

  “I know. Sorry,” she said, still giggling. “But seriously? You honestly think I didn’t know why you were staying?”

  “I don’t know what you know,” I stated, pouting in my tone.

  “I know you,” Hailey replied matter-of-factly.

  “Yeah, I know,” I answered, shaking my head.

  We walked past the resort and turned down the path that would take us to the river. I lifted my hand to one Dax’s sisters-in-law, though I couldn’t remember which one she was. The sound of tittering laughter caught my attention as we circled the resort, and I glanced over. The two girls who’d flirted outrageously with Dax were sitting on a swing under a tree, gabbing and enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze.

  I rolled my eyes, thinking the pair were just silly girls. I stopped myself from making a comment; I really wasn’t being fair. They were just two young women having a good time on vacation.

  Hailey’s voice interrupted my silent apology to the women. “I kind of figured that’s why you were giving Dax the cold shoulder again. Thought we were past that?”

  “I know…” I grumbled, unhappy with my behavior.

  “So now what?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered, truthfully.

  “Hmm,” Hailey responded.

  As I looked at Hailey to answer her sarcastic hum, I noticed the building that housed the gym. I hadn’t seen it before. I peered through the window and gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. “Is that Dax?”

  His back was to us, but I recognized the long blonde hair. And those biceps. He was using a weight machine, working out his arms. With each lift, his biceps bulged into two massive balloons. I could see his engorged veins from there.

  “Damn!” I swore, fanning myself ridiculously.

  Hailey grinned. “Yeah, damn,” she murmured, watching as he lifted and lowered the bar.

  We stared in awe, glued in place until I nudged her. “Let’s go,” I said. “Before I run in there and jump his bones again.”

  Hailey laughed at me, teasing, “I mean, would it really be so bad?”

  “Absolutely not,” I answered, and we laughed as we hurried past.

  Dax

  I felt much better after my workout. Working out helped me focus. Before going home, though, I took a quick shower at the fitness room and headed over to the resort for dinner. It was right about the time Oakley and Hailey should return from their hike since it would be dark soon.

  I was hoping to accidentally run into her. Maybe in the dining room during dinner. Or on the way in or out. But nope, no Oakley. Disappointed, I returned to my cabin, grabbed a few beers, and finished writing the article. I finished around nine and cracked open another beer. I would publish it in the morning.

  My mind strayed to Oakley. I wondered what she was up to. I told myself to forget her, that she was becoming something of an obsession, but no matter what I tried to think about, she crept in. I took my phone out of my pocket again to see if I maybe missed her call. Nope. I thought about calling her. But what would I say?

  Jesus, I’m pathetic. I was a grown-ass man and pining away, waiting for some girl to call me? But Oakley wasn’t just ‘some girl.’ I needed something to do.

  Hmm, I thought, looking at my article. The article was about what preparations on the days prior to the Stones arriving had been made, about the excitement of the setup and anticipation of the big day. I’d included Oakley in the article several times, mentioning her skills as the wedding planner.

  An idea seeped into my head. I could ask her to come over and check the article for a
ccuracy. Tell her it should be done before I published it in the morning. Nervously, I dialed her cell phone number.

  “Hello?” she answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, Oakley. Are you busy?”

  “No, the Stones are settled in their cabin, and Hailey and I are just watching a movie. What’s up?” she replied. She sounded friendlier than she had earlier, and I let out a breath I’d been holding.

  “I just finished writing up this article I want to post in the morning. It’s about the events leading up to the wedding,” I told her. “I mentioned you. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “You did?” She sounded interested.

  “I was wondering if you could come read it. Check it for accuracy before it goes live in the morning. The press’ll probably pick it up,” I added for emphasis.

  “Sure,” she said. “When?”

  I was a bit surprised. Based on her behavior earlier in the day, I’d expected her to protest. “Cool. I’ll come and pick you up now, if that’s good.”

  “Okay, I’m ready when you are.”

  “See you in a few,” I said and hung up.

  My heartbeat sped up. I felt excitement but was anxious at the same time. I hoped this didn’t turn out to be a big mistake. I ran upstairs and freshened up. I splashed on some aftershave and glanced in the mirror. Normally, I’d touch up my beard and sideburns, but I didn’t have time for that now. Excited blue eyes peered back at me. With a deep breath, I took off.

  I pulled in front of Oakley’s cabin and got out to knock on the door. As soon as I stepped onto the porch, she opened the door and stepped outside.

  “Hi,” I said, trying not to stare. Her hair was down. It was the first time I’d seen it down on purpose, and she was too beautiful.

  “Hi. Ready?” she asked with a shy look.

  I really wished I knew what she was thinking. “Yep, let’s go,” I answered and led her to the passenger side of the truck. I held her small, soft hand to help her in.