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

by Crowne, K. C.

  Me: You too.

  Harley: Oh, they’ll be sweet for sure.

  I dropped the phone and closed my eyes, thinking of him. I imagined him lying naked beside me. As Harley wrapped his firm, protective arms around me, I drifted off to sleep.

  Harley

  One Month Later

  Me: You seem down lately. What’s up?

  Emily: Nothing.

  After a month of nightly texting, and lots of sexting, I was hoping that our relationship would move forward. But it hadn’t. I’d take texting any day over no contact at all, but I really wanted to hear her voice and see her beautiful face.

  Me: Em, you can tell me.

  Emily: I applied for a business loan yesterday, and they refused me. Said I didn’t have enough saved yet, and I have no credit. My brother offered to cosign, but I said no.

  Me: I’m sorry. You’ll get there eventually. These things take time.

  Me: We’re just starting to cut down trees here for my gym expansion. Way this is going, it’ll take years.

  There was a pause. I watched for the bubbles to jump, but they didn’t. I got impatient.

  Me: You ok?

  Emily: I’m here.

  Maybe there was a way I could help her. But if Emily wouldn’t take money from her brother, would she from me?

  Me: Can I help? I can lend you some cash to get you started.

  Emily: Thanks, Harley. That’s nice of you but can’t accept your money.

  Me: You can pay me back after you start making some dough.

  Emily: I don’t feel comfortable with that. But thank you.

  Me: I’m here for you. I know we don’t live close, but I can find a way.

  Pause. I thought she was gone. Then bouncing bubbles returned.

  Emily: I appreciate you saying that. I have to run.

  Me: Okay. Have a good night. Talk to you tomorrow.

  Nothing.

  And nothing the next day.

  I didn’t like not hearing from Emily. How could I fix it? I’d been doing some thinking about what she’d said, along with my own situation. She was a massage therapist. I needed one to run my spa and provide the services. What if I gave her the job? We could advertise her specialties and bring in even more clients from the surrounding areas.

  It would be perfect. We could be together and see if a real relationship could work between us. The prospect was exciting, and I took a deep breath as I reached for my phone.

  Me: I have an idea.

  Emily: An idea, eh?

  Me: Yes. Why don’t we partner up on this? I need a massage therapist to run the spa. We can go 50 – 50. You can bring in your own clients, too.

  I waited and let her ponder the idea.

  Emily: That sounds great. But I can’t move to Colorado.

  Me: Why not?

  Emily: My family is here.

  Me: Your family can come to visit as often as they like. Free of charge.

  Emily: Thanks, Harley. But it can’t work.

  Why not? I wondered. She seemed as into me as I was her, so why was she turning down the opportunity to be something real?

  Me: We can make it work.

  Emily: I don’t think we can.

  She wasn’t even considering my idea. And it could work. I knew it could work. I was beginning to wonder if Emily was hiding something from me, something that would make a relationship with me more difficult.

  Me: I can make it work. Think about it, at least.

  Silence, with no more bouncing bubbles.

  The silence dragged on for days. I texted her at least once a day for the first couple of days after our last conversation, but she never responded. Had I offended her? How? By asking her to partner with me? The move to Colorado, I knew, was a huge step for anyone to take; perhaps that had scared her off.

  Why ignore my texts? No, there was definitely something more going on that I didn’t know. It reminded me of how little I really did know about the woman who occupied my brain nearly every waking hour. The thought made me sad and a little angry. Why was she playing with me? I’d been very clear how I felt about her. If she didn’t feel the same, she shouldn’t have been having intense phone sex with me several nights a week.

  Another week passed, and I hadn’t heard a single word from Emily. Obviously, she didn’t want a relationship, or she would be willing to try. She backed away from me, and I needed to respect her decision and give her space.

  After a couple more days, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to know what was wrong. It was driving me nuts not to know. All I knew now was that I missed Emily. I missed her like crazy. Maybe if I could talk to her in person, I could convince her that my idea was perfect for both of us.

  I decided to go to Washington.

  Emily

  After our last conversation, I reluctantly decided to end my relationship with Harley. I was just being cruel by leading him on. He wanted our relationship to move forward and had even asked me to partner with him. He wanted me to move to Colorado, which was completely impossible. I could never move my daughter to Colorado.

  Harley didn’t understand my refusal or why I had to put distance between us, but I didn’t see any good reason to tell him about Chole or my problems. He would want to fix them. And my problems were not fixable.

  I’d considered every angle and always came up with the same answer. Our relationship wasn’t a possibility.

  I cried for an entire week after deciding to let Harley go. At first, he texted me nightly as usual, but he eventually stopped when I didn’t answer. Ghosting was a shitty thing for me to do; I should have just told him I couldn’t talk to him anymore. But he would want to know why, and I couldn’t give him the answers he wanted. I just didn’t have it in me to argue about it.

  My biggest fear was that he would convince me to consider his proposal. The man could be pushy when he wanted something, and the strong feelings I had for him, despite the short time together, were reciprocated. Talking to him, even in text, would kill me, so it was better to just leave it alone.

  When Harley finally gave up, I should have been happy. I got what I wanted. But I missed him so much it hurt even though we hadn’t actually spoken since the conference. His text messages had kept me going, kept the negative aspects of my life at bay. Now, with no messages coming in, I felt lost.

  I found myself moping around work and the house when I was home. Depression was setting in, but I couldn’t let it. I had to fight it. So I hid my feelings from Chloe, playing with her, reading to her, doing all the things we always did together. Chloe was easily distracted, so as long as her life didn’t change, she would be alright. Kellan, however, wasn’t falling for my act. But he gave me my space, and I was grateful for it. I would talk to him when I was ready, and he knew it.

  I struggled with what to do about Harley. I had so many issues he didn’t know about. Could I tell him? The big question was, would Harley still want me after he knew the truth about me? About the fact that I had a young daughter, that I’d been married and was now divorced, that the custody agreement with my narcissistic prick of ex-husband would absolutely prevent me from taking Chloe out of the state.

  With all that on my mind, my boss noticed I was having trouble concentrating. She wasn’t mad, bless her heart, but she suggested I take a few of my vacation days. “To get my shit together,” as she had put it.

  I willingly accepted her suggestion. I could use a few days off. I’d spend time with Chloe, enjoy my daughter and have some fun.

  But getting my shit together over Harley? I really didn’t know how.

  Harley

  I started my own search for Emily. I did another, more thorough, search on social media, wishing I’d asked her more about her family. She’d mentioned a brother but had never said his name. If I knew his name, I could search for him.

  My search turned up nothing. I’d been looking online for private investigators to help when I remembered Dax’s buddy Jackson. He owned his own security and PI firm. I d
ecided to contact him and gave him what little information I had.

  I didn’t mention any of it to my family. They would think I was nuts for doing it, or worse, they might ask if I was stalking the poor woman. I did feel a little stalkerish, but I truly felt seeing each other in person would help our situation. I would eventually have to tell them about Emily, though. Only Dax knew that I remained in contact with her since the conference. And only he knew about the trip to the chapel.

  Two days later, Jackson called with some information. He had found Mayberrys that lived in Boston Harbor, which was just north of downtown Olympia. He told me Mimi and Gregory Mayberry were well-to-do; Gregory was an investment banker. They had a son and daughter, Kellan and Emily.

  Jackson didn’t have an address for Kellan Mayberry but gave me the parents’ and Emily’s. I was ecstatic. I paid him through his website and booked a plane to Olympia for the next morning. Then I Googled hotels close to the East Bay area. I found one right on the bay and booked a room with a view for three nights. I had no idea how long the trip would take.

  Now, what would I tell my family?

  I found Dax at his cabin working in his office, as usual. I had to be honest with at least one of my brothers. He could cover for me if I was gone longer than planned.

  “Harley, to what do I owe the visit?” he asked, grinning.

  Dax’s office was decked out with all the latest tech equipment. I pulled up an extra chair to his three-screen contraption.

  “What are you working on?” I asked, disregarding his question.

  “A new commercial on how great the resort is in the summertime,” he boasted. “And, why are you here?” he repeated, smirking.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m going to Olympia for a few days, and I’m asking you to cover for me.”

  Dax’s grin deepened. “You’re finally going to get the girl!”

  “That’s the plan,” I confirmed with a little grin.

  “About time. I’ve never seen you moon over a woman like this. She must really be something,” he commented, saving his work. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Cover my fitness classes for me. Check on the lodge lounge.” I thought for a second. “We don’t have any other events planned this week. With the weather in the upper sixties, we might get a hiking trip or something. I was going to ask if Reid and Bryce would help out too, but don’t want to alert Brad.”

  “Yeah, that’s all fine. But you know, Brad will find out you’re gone. He might not miss you for a day or two, but three...uh-uh.” Dax shook his head. “He’ll start asking where you are.”

  I sighed. I wasn’t even sure why I didn’t want to tell Brad. Was I afraid he’d tell me I was being stupid, going to find a girl I’d known for such a short period of time?

  Dax read my mind. “Brad would be the last person to tell you not to go. Look at the shit he went through with Angela when he first met her. That happened fast too, but he just knew,” Dax reminded me.

  “I know. I’m sure you’re right.”

  “Cole, too. He and Lindsay went through all that drama when those guys kidnapped her. He had Cole’s back until the end,” he reminded me.

  “And he had your back when you stayed at the hospital for a month with Oakley,” I mused.

  “Yep,” Dax nodded.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just pissy with him because he dismissed my proposal.”

  “He didn’t flat out dismiss it. He’s looking for a happy medium to getting it done,” Dax countered.

  “Maybe. I just don’t want to talk to him about it yet. He doesn’t know about Emily. Only you do. I want to keep it that way for now.”

  “Okay. But is there another reason? Besides your Vegas wedding that wasn’t a wedding?” Dax asked.

  “I asked Emily to partner with me for the spa. She’s a massage therapist,” I informed him.

  “Ah, yeah, I see what you mean. But that would be perfect man. She could run the spa and everything,” Dax said.

  “If I can convince her to drop her life and move to Blue Haven.” I smiled.

  “And if she says no, there’s no reason to involve Brad. If she agrees, you can have the conversation when you get back.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” I agreed.

  “Okay, I’ll ask Reid and Bryce to help me if I need them. Besides this commercial, I don’t have too much going on right now. When Brad asks, I’ll just give him the basics and tell him you’ll talk with him when you get back,” Dax said.

  “Sounds like a plan. Thanks so much, Dax,” I said sincerely.

  “Anytime, bro.” He grinned at me. “Now, go get the girl.”

  I nodded and left him to his commercial.

  * * *

  Before the sun came up the next morning, I snuck out of the resort. I hoped nobody was up yet and saw me. I left before sunrise because I knew Brad had his morning coffee on his front porch, and Cole got up early to work in his woodshed.

  I was at the airport and on a plane to Washington without seeing a single soul. I didn’t text Emily and tell her I was coming. I’d thought about it but didn’t want her to tell me not to stay away. My plan was to surprise her. I had no idea how Emily would take my visit. Would she let me in? Turn me away?

  Staring out the plane window, I was as nervous as hell. But I needed to see her in person, and showing up unannounced on her doorstep was the only way.

  The plane landed, and I decided to rent a car. I wasn’t hailing or calling a cab every time I wanted to go somewhere. I asked about my options and decided to splurge a bit. I ended up with a silver BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Used to my SUV, the V-8, 560 horsepower engine took me a minute to control. It only wanted to go, and I had to learn how to reign it back.

  I drove to the hotel in style. After check-in, I decided to go and do what I’d come for. I dropped my bags in my room, checked my appearance, and decided I needed to change. With the temperature in the mid-seventies in Olympia, I changed into a dark blue Polo and black dress shorts. I grabbed a jacket just in case I needed it later.

  Back in the BMW, I punched Emily’s address into the GPS. It was mid-day, during the week, so I suspected Emily would be at work, but I could just wait for her.

  I circled the East Bay and drove North on East Bay Drive until I got the command to turn off. From the map, it looked as if she lived a couple of blocks from the bay. After taking a few turns and driving down a residential street, I was notified that I had reached my destination. I slightly passed the house on the right and pulled into the next available spot along the curb. I sat in my car for a moment, getting up the nerve to walk up to her door. I’d figured she would be at work, but I saw a white Chevy Malibu parked in one of the duplex’s two driveways. I thought she had mentioned driving a Malibu during one of our text sessions.

  What bothered me was that a big, black truck was parked along the curb, blocking the Malibu in the driveway. Whose truck was that? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet, but maybe whoever drove the truck was the reason she’d stopped texting me.

  No matter. I’d come to talk to Emily, and I would do so. If there was someone else, I’d have to see him for myself, and then I could put us behind me and move on for good.

  I got out of my car and walked down the sidewalk toward the black truck and Malibu. I noticed that the truck had a firefighter’s decal in the windshield. East Side Fire Department, it read. I’d just walked by the cab of the truck when I heard the sound of a small child giggling, a woman’s laughter, and a bouncing ball. I knew that laugh.

  With the bed of the pickup shielding me, I glanced toward the sound. Yellow hair shined in the sunlight. The laugh came again, and I knew for sure it was Emily. I watched in shock as she played basketball with a small child and some guy.

  The guy was teaching the child how to dribble and shoot the ball. The hoop was way too high for her, but she gave it all she had. Emily stood below the hoop to catch the ball. Her back was to me. The child laughed and laughed when t
he ball arched under the hoop.

  “Mommy, did you see how close I got this time?” her little voice yelled excitedly.

  “I did, baby. Great job,” Emily answered.

  Emily passed the ball to the man, and the child ran over to him to steal it back. He dribbled in front of her, not letting the little girl get it from him. But the girl was quick and dabbed her hand in for a piece of the ball. The man lost control of it, and it bounced away. The child doubled over with giggles. Emily laughed and ran to retrieve the runaway ball. The man, laughing himself, picked up the little girl, whirled her around and hugged her to him. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the resemblance was evident.

  Both the man and the child had brown hair, though the man’s was a tad lighter. What did it for me were the similar facial features. Even from where I stood, I could see the analogous outlines of their noses and high cheekbones.

  As the man kissed the child on the cheek, I had a sinking feeling in my gut. Emily retrieved the ball and turned to trot back to them. I hid behind the truck’s cab so she couldn’t see me. Once she took up her position at the hoop again, I hurried to my car.

  Inside, I rolled down the window so I could hear them. I sat for a moment and watched them play in the side mirror. Emily had a daughter she never told me about. Who was the man? Her husband? Boyfriend? Obviously, the child’s father. I didn’t know what to think. Maybe that’s what she’d meant when she’d said she couldn’t be married. Maybe it was because she already was?

  My heart was torn to pieces as I watched the man come to Emily with the girl in his arms. Smiling happily, Emily hugged them.

  I’d seen enough.

  It was time to go home.

  Emily

  A strange sound made me turn and look toward my house. I noticed an out-of-place silver BMW parked along the curb in front of Kellan’s truck. The window was rolled down, and a man’s arm was resting on the door. My eyes widened when I saw the black watch on the man’s wrist. Even from this distance, I knew I’d seen that watch before.