I refused to allow them to take Oakley to Utah. But I wasn’t really family and had no legal say in it, though. Her next of kin was her mother and father and they legally could make any medical decision for Oakley.
It killed me. I wasn’t sure how to go about the situation. I decided to talk to Alice, confessing my true feelings for her sister.
“I’m in love with her,” I sincerely confided in Alice. “I know that sounds crazy. We’re still getting to know each other, but I’m telling you, it was love at first sight. That’s the only explanation I have.”
Alice was several years younger than Oakley. She was a lot like her and was kind to me. “I believe you. Any man who sits beside a woman’s bed day in and day out must be in love. Or insane,” she joked, smiling.
That made me smile. Was I insane? No. My mom had told me the story about how she and Dad had met. She said it was love at first sight for her, too. And my father would always be her only love. And look at Brad and Angela’s story. Cole and Lindsay.
“Love at first sight runs in my family,” I told Alice.
“I can appreciate that,” she answered, nodding. “And Hailey approves of you, as well. Hailey and Oakley have been friends since we were kids. So her approval will go over well with my mother. I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry about it, Dax.”
“Thank you, Alice. You know you can stay at the lodge as long as you like. You don’t have to leave because your parents are leaving. I’m sure Oakley would like you to be here. I understand if you can’t, though.”
“Thanks, Dax. I really appreciate it. I’m actually a student and have talked to the dean. He approved transferring me to online classes for the rest of the term. So I can stay,” Alice informed me.
“Great,” I replied.
“Plus, Mom will be more willing to leave Oakley here at this hospital if she knows I’m staying.”
Hearing that made me happy. I was already considering what I’d do if her mom insisted on moving Oakley to Utah. I’d try to go with them. But they could stop me, so I was hoping Alice and Hailey would convince her mom to let her stay here.
I was relieved when the decision finally came in to allow Oakley to stay for the time being. At least that was one less thing to stress over.
Cole showed up every couple of days with fresh clothes for me.
“Man, you need to eat better,” he told me. “You’re losing weight. You’re not doing Oakley any good by not taking care of yourself. And, what about a shower?” he asked, pretending to smell me. “Why don’t you come home for one night?”
“No,” I refused. “I want to be here when Oakley wakes up.”
“Man, you need a shower,” he insisted. “I’m not kidding.”
“I’ll take one here,” I told him, gesturing to the bathroom.
He sighed and nodded. “Okay. Brad said he was coming by later. I’ll tell him to bring some soap and stuff.”
“Thanks.”
Brad showed up that evening, handed me the toiletries, and forced me into the bathroom with the promise that he and Hailey would sit with her the whole time. Hailey promised if Oakley even moved a finger, she’d bang on the door.
“But please wrap up in a towel before running out here,” Brad joked.
I laughed quietly and stepped into the bathroom. The hot water felt wonderful, and after, I admitted to myself that I did feel better in clean clothes.
The second I walked out of the bathroom, Brad pounced. “Dax, you need to eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said as I shoved my dirty clothes in a bag he’d provided.
“You have to eat, dammit,” he insisted.
“I’ll eat when I’m hungry.”
He and Hailey stayed a while longer. Hailey read aloud to Oakley from her favorite book, and her voice was soothing. I didn’t know the book she read from, but it sounded interesting. They left after an hour or so, Brad asking me to please eat and Hailey kissing Oakley’s forehead.
Harley showed up the next day with a big bag of take-out boxes from the restaurant that my mom had packed for me.
“Brad said you weren’t eating,” he said. “Mom told me I had to report back to her if you didn’t eat.”
I chuckled and nodded, opening one of the boxes and nibbling on the delicious roasted chicken. I just wasn’t hungry, but my family was right. I needed to keep my strength up for when Oakley woke up.
She would need me.
* * *
Week two. No change.
I could tell the others were starting to give up. How could they do that?
To pass the time, I brought in my laptop and did some work. I didn’t want to worry my family too much, so I started eating more. But all I wanted was for Oakley to wake up.
Her head wound was healing nicely, and the doctor removed her bandage. The other bruises on her body were fading as well. I had more hope than ever that her body was healing and that she would wake up soon.
* * *
Week three: No change…until early one morning just as the sun was coming up. I’d been working on my laptop all night. I’d found that keeping a journal of the events and Oakley’s condition helped me.
I posted it, at first, on my own social networks. I didn’t want to bombard the resort’s sites with personal stuff. But since the wedding was so publicized, so many people had seen the incident take place. I’d had all kinds of people writing to me asking about Oakley’s condition. So, I decided to post occasionally on the resort’s page, as well.
Brad thought it was a good idea because he was getting a lot of phone calls and emails about Oakley, too. Everyone was rooting for her recovery. I wished I could show her how many people she had on her side.
One early morning during the third week, I’d just finished a new post. I closed my laptop and spent a few minutes holding Oakley's hand and talking to her. I’d noticed more color in her cheeks this morning than there had been, but I chalked it up to the lighting in the room.
I was exhausted from being up all day and night, so I decided to close my eyes for a few minutes. I leaned back in the chair and was out like a light within a minute.
Oakley
I opened my eyes and turned my head. Stark white walls and machinery were all around me. Where the hell am I?
I tried to sit up, but my body felt weak. And I was really tired. Tubes and wires coming from the machines were attached to me. I started to panic until I saw Dax in an armchair beside my bed sleeping. He must have been tired because he didn’t stir when I lifted myself. I looked at him and was taken aback for a moment. He looked so different.
His beard was longer than I remembered and was definitely shaggier. His mustache was longer, as well. And his usually well-kept sideburns had grown in. His hair was unbrushed, and he was disheveled.
I glanced around the room; I was in the hospital.
I closed my eyes, and the avalanche came back to me in bits and pieces. The last thing I could remember was losing consciousness in that ice pit.
How long had I been out? I looked back at Dax. Had he been sitting beside me the entire time I’d been here?
His clothes were wrinkled, and he looked as if he’d lost some weight. He’d had several bruises that were plainly in sight when we were on the mountainside after the first wave of snow had crashed over us. I didn’t see any bruises now. They had healed.
I felt my head. I distinctly remembered having a bloody wound just under my hairline. I had hit my head the first time, then I was hit again in the same place, causing a throbbing, bloody mess. Shock coursed through me as I felt along the wound; it had mostly healed. I had clearly been here for some time.
I stared at Dax, my mouth open in shock. His facial hair was long, he’d lost weight, and his clothes were wrinkled, but he was still my Dax.
As handsome as ever.
He must have sensed my stirring or my gaze because his eyes fluttered and opened. His clear, bright, beautiful blue eyes looked straight into mine. I smiled at him. I was so happy to
see him.
I saw his initial look of surprise, then his entire face brightened as he launched himself out of the chair. “Oakley! You’re awake!” Tears welled in his eyes and fell down his cheeks.
“Dax,” I tried to say. My voice was hoarse from disuse and, later I would find out, from the ventilator I’d been on. I reached out to him, and he grabbed my hand and put his lips to mine. His crying made me cry, and he wrapped his arms around me gently, and we hugged each other and cried.
After a long while, I gently pushed him away. I needed some answers.
“How long have I been in here? Have you been here the entire time?” I asked Dax.
“Over three weeks. And, yes, I’ve been here the entire time. I haven’t been home since the accident,” he told me.
I couldn’t believe it. Three weeks? He’d never left me. I stared into his eyes. “Dax?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“Oakley,” Dax smiled. “I love you, too.”
Dax
Oakley had to stay in the hospital for another week, but her recovery was going well and she would be able to leave the hospital soon. The doctors told her she needed to take it easy for the next couple of weeks until her brain fully healed from the trauma.
Now that she was awake, Alice decided it was time to go home. Oakley was happy to see her sister and to learn that she and Hailey had been here the entire time.
Since I hadn’t been home, I had no idea what was going on there. I knew that Hailey was still staying in the cabin but didn’t know that she had a guest staying with her. I overheard her telling Oakley about Cooper Stone. I wondered why the Congresswoman’s son was still there.
After Hailey went home for the day, I asked Oakley about it.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear, but I thought I heard Hailey say something about Cooper Stone still being at the resort. Now, he either loves the place or something’s up?”
Oakley chuckled. “Hailey has a thing for Cooper.”
“Really? I had no idea,” I replied, shocked.
“I know,” she said with a laugh. “I guess they really like each other. I was surprised when she told me he’d decided to stay at the resort with her, I admit.”
“Wow! Well, good for her. He seems like a nice dude. I talked to him a little at the dinner party and at the wedding,” I told Oakley.
“Yeah, I agree. He’s nice. Different from his snobby family, that’s for sure,” Oakley noted.
“For sure,” I agreed. I cleared my throat. “Anyway, that brings up something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Oakley’s look revealed she knew what I was going to ask. Not knowing what Oakley was planning to do was driving me nuts. I couldn’t wait any longer for her to tell me.
“I know your sister is leaving soon and that you talked to your mother today. What are your plans?” I asked.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked me.
“Stay. Stay with me.”
She smiled at me. “Are you sure? It’s kind of a big deal. I still need time to recover,” she reminded me.
“Are you kidding me? You think I’d feel like you’re a burden? I can take care of you better than anyone else,” I stated matter-of-factly.
“Did I offend you, Dax Hunter?” Oakley joked.
“Yeah, kinda,” I answered but with a grin. “You don’t know this, but I put up a hell of a fight when your mom was here. She wanted to transport you to a hospital in Utah.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised.
“Yes, really,” I said with a laugh. “I was this crazy in love stranger who never left her daughter’s side begging her not to take you away from me. Imagine what she thought?”
Oakley chuckled. “I am imagining it,” she said laughing. “How did you convince her?”
“Your sister took a liking to me. And Hailey talked to her. So they convinced her,” I said. “I owe them both.”
Oakley nodded. “I can see Alice approving of you,” she stated. “And I’m glad my mom didn’t move me. I’d be pissed to wake up and not see my man by my side,” she told me, smiling a sweet smile.
For the first time in weeks, I felt my cock get hard. “Stay with me,” I asked her.
“Okay,” she agreed. “But you do know I have a house in Alta? At some point, I have to go back,” she reminded me.
“I know. Get well and we’ll figure it out together,” I suggested.
“Alright, it’s a plan.”
Oakley
We finally went home, and by home, I meant Dax’s place. The hospital was reluctant to discharge me, but I talked them into it. Dax promised I would want for nothing. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Dax and I were settling in well. He was the perfect gentleman and took very good care of me. One night, he set up a romantic dinner while I was taking a bath. I had no idea how he pulled it off to make it the perfect, most romantic surprise.
I came downstairs from my bath and saw that the lights had been dimmed. The entire cabin had been lit up in candlelight along with the burning fire in the fireplace. It was so beautiful and romantic.
“Oh, my,” I exclaimed, completely surprised. “Dax?”
He came out of his office wearing his sexy grin. He kissed my lips. I kissed him back and was suddenly very wet. It had been too damn long since we’d been intimate. He clasped my hand and led me to the kitchen where he had an entire candlelit, gourmet meal placed on the table in my honor.
I gasped. “Dax, when did you cook this?”
He put his finger to his lips; he didn’t want me to ask. “I wanted us to have a nice evening.”
He pulled my chair out for me, and I sank into the chair. Dax removed the covers from our plates, revealing steak dinners with all the works. All of my favorites.
He opened a bottle of wine and poured us both a glass. This is so perfect, I thought.
I smiled at Dax when he sat down across from me. The candlelight bounced off his face and flashed in his blue eyes. His eyes were so clear I could see a perfect reflection of the flame.
Even after our time together, I was still in awe of his beauty.
We ate the excellent dinner, enjoying every morsel. I always had such a wonderful time with Dax that when I was with him, nothing else mattered. He was the center of my world.
After dinner, Dax revealed that he had a copy of a movie I’d talked about seeing. Living out there in the mountains, we didn’t get to see too many new releases.
“How did you get this?” I asked him.
“It’s a secret,” he told me.
“Okay, I’ll accept that. Put it in.”
He did and we cuddled on the couch with another glass of wine and the movie.
Dax’s body was on fire beside mine. He had one strong arm around me, and I found that watching the movie was really difficult.
And he smelled like heaven.
I couldn’t stop myself. Before the movie ended, I moved my hand from his torso down to find his cock. I heard him suck in a quick breath. The mound in his pants instantly hardened.
“Oakley, are you sure about this?” he asked me. “I’m concerned that it’s too soon.”
Dax had been the perfect gentleman, and I’d appreciated that. But I couldn’t take being so close to this perfect specimen of a man and not take advantage of him. I had to have him tonight.
“I’m ready, Dax. I want you.”
He didn’t ask again. He sat up straight and put his wine glass on the end table and did the same with mine. Then he kissed me.
I loved kissing Dax. His lips were firm but soft and fit mine perfectly. He kissed my top lip, then my bottom lip sensually. He licked me before pushing his tongue inside my mouth. My tongue found his and we both moaned in anticipation of what was to be.
Dax stood up and reached down to pick me up. He carried me in his arms up the steps to his bedroom. “I want you to be comfortable.”
He was still worried about me and that was okay. T
he way he treasured and took care of me was just one of the many things I loved about him.
He sat me down on the bed and pulled my shirt off over my head. I wasn’t wearing a bra, and Dax took a step back to admire my breasts.
“Perfect,” he murmured as he massaged my mounds and fondled my pink nipples.
Then he carefully pushed me back on the bed. He pulled down my pants and panties, and I lay naked before him.
Dax reached between my legs and slowly parted my thighs. His eyes on mine, his fingers found my hot spot. He massaged my clit, making me wetter, and my body writhed under his touch. Then he bent and kissed my thighs. He lightly brushed my tender inner legs with his lips until they found my swollen mound. I parted my legs for him so he could push his tongue inside me.
“Dax…” I moaned his name as he tongue-fucked my pussy. My juices flowed and he lapped at them. His tongue danced inside my warmth and then found my clit. He flicked at it with the tip of his tongue until a small budding of an orgasm built low in my belly. I wiggled as the orgasm traveled to my abdomen, and Dax held on to my ass with his strong hands so I couldn’t get away from him.
“Come,” he ordered me. “I want to drink you up,” he moaned into my pussy.
I let go and the orgasm took over my body. Sensations I’d never felt before surged through me. I cried out in delight as my body shook and pulsated with the contractions.
When I finished coming, Dax stood up and took off his shirt and pants. He stood naked before me so I could admire his hard body. His dick stood stiff and erect, waiting to sink deeply into me. I parted my legs to let him know I wanted him to fuck me.
Dax carefully put his thick cock to my entrance and pushed inside me. He pulled my ass to the edge of the bed so he could push into me fully. Instead of our usual frantic rhythm, he maintained a steady pace and fucked me slowly.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed Dax’s cock moving inside me. He massaged my breasts, and in no time, my pussy was aching again. He carefully pushed me back up the bed and climbed on top of me. He took my hands into his and pushed my arms up over my head. He laid his masculine body over me and moved his cock slowly inside me.
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 48