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

by Crowne, K. C.

  A receptionist answered.

  “Doctor Hammond’s office, this is Kayla speaking.”

  “Yes, may I speak with Dr. Hammond, please?”

  “May I ask who’s calling?”

  “Tell him it’s Felicity James,” I said.

  The receptionist put me on hold, and I nibbled my fingernail as I paced on the sidewalk. After a moment, Abe picked up.

  “Felicity, is everything okay?”

  “Yes, everything is fine. Can we meet up at some point to talk? About the surrogacy thing, of course. I just want to make sure I have all the information before I make a decision.”

  “Sure,” Abe said. “But you know you can call my personal number, right?”

  “I don’t have it.”

  “Well you will now. And yes, we can meet up. Tell me a time and a place.”

  “Your house, preferably. Tonight, around seven maybe?”

  “Alright. We can do that. I can make you dinner, but I can’t promise it’s anywhere near as good as your cooking.”

  “That’s fine,” I said, finding myself smiling without meaning to.

  Why did this man make me smile, even when my heart was heavy? Why, of all the men to give me butterflies in my gut, did it have to be a man I couldn’t have?

  I’d never understand it, but I guess I didn’t really have to. I just had to be careful. I could see myself falling for Abe easily, and the last thing I needed, on top of everything else that had broken on me, was a broken heart.

  Abe

  “Come on in, I hope you don’t mind dogs?” I had talked about Koda with her before but wasn’t sure if she remembered or even paid much attention to my ramblings about my Golden Retriever. Felicity didn’t have a dog, as far as I could tell.

  She walked inside, and I had to admit, I loved seeing her out of her work clothes. Tonight, she was in a pair of jeans that hugged her ass nicely and a soft, pink sweater accentuated all her best assets. She was a curvy girl, and not afraid to hide it either. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a French braid that fell down her back.

  “Oh no, I love them,” Felicity said, proving that she really could get more perfect. I had to kick myself for having that thought.

  No one was perfect. No one. She had flaws; I just wasn’t seeing them yet.

  Felicity dropped to her knees, and my old boy looked to me for a cue. I nodded my head and he moved in closer to her, sniffing her face and giving her a chance to back away before giving it a gentle lick.

  “Wow, so well behaved,” she said, giving him a scratch behind his ears.

  “Koda is a therapy dog,” I said. “He watches me for cues as to what he can and can’t do, since every child is different.”

  “Therapy dog?” Felicity stayed on the ground, petting him.

  “Yeah, we visit children’s hospitals mostly, but sometimes nursing homes as well,” I said. “I did some research into how animals can help stressful situations and calm children during scary medical procedures. At the very least, he gets them to smile, but sometimes he’s there for comfort during shots or tests, to take the kids minds off what’s happening.”

  “You continue to amaze me,” she said, standing up.

  And you do the same for me, I thought, but I didn’t say it out loud.

  “Well good thing Koda impressed you before dinner, since I fear my cooking won’t stand up to yours.”

  “Oh hush,” she said, waving me off. “It smells really good in here.”

  She followed me into the kitchen, where I had to check on the pork tenderloin in the oven.

  Koda was right behind her, and when he saw me whip out the food, his eyes widened. He never begged, but he was still an animal and I could see the desire for the meat in his eyes.

  I wondered if Felicity could see the desire in my eyes like that. I sure hoped not. We couldn’t repeat what had happened at my office the other day.

  “Mmm looks delicious as well,” Felicity said, standing not too far away.

  “It’s ready whenever you’d like to eat,” I said, slicing into the tender meat.

  “I think I can speak for Koda and myself that we’re ready whenever you are.”

  I chuckled as I prepared the plates - I had made fried green beans and bacon and garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Probably my most impressive meal, but for someone who went to one of the best culinary schools in the world, it was probably a pretty amateur dish.

  I gave her a choice of red or white wine - Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. She chose the Pinot.

  I’d met many chefs in my lifetime, and almost all of them would critique a meal regardless if you asked them to or not. They could taste the subtle flavors many of us laymen missed, or they knew exactly what the dish was missing.

  I prepared for the same from Felicity. My ego could take it. I was a doctor, not a chef.

  After a few bites, all Felicity has to say was, “This is really, really good.”

  “Is that your professional opinion?” I teased.

  “Yes. If you’re ever in the market for another career, well, the diner is always looking for good cooks.” She winked at me and sank her teeth into a bite of tenderloin.

  I had to admit it was good, but I figured she was also being nice.

  “So what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, sipping my red wine. “Because surely you didn’t come all this way to try my food.”

  “Oh no,” she said. “Nothing in particular, really. I just wanted to see you outside of the diner, to get to know you more, to help with my decision.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “And you’re still seriously thinking about it?”

  “I would have told you had I made the choice not to do it.”

  “Yes, but honestly, I wasn’t thinking when I asked - I feel it would be a lot less complicated to just go through an agency.”

  “But you did ask me, and you were right - we both want or need something, and it’s a way we could help each other out.”

  I drank more of my wine and contemplated what she was saying. I didn’t want her to feel obligated to do anything on my behalf. I felt like an ass that I hadn’t just kept my mouth shut and gave her the money straight-out, no strings attached. But my mom had been right about her having good genes, and I liked the idea of her being the biological mother of my child.

  Of course it was more than just her genes, it was everything. I liked her, and it felt more natural than choosing a mother from a book based on her characteristics. I also trusted her.

  But I knew I was asking for something that I had no right to ask for too.

  “I told you, the money is yours regardless.”

  “I don’t take handouts from people. I learned a long time ago that when people give you something, especially a gift as generous as the one you’re giving me, it always comes with strings attached. Even if they swear it doesn’t.”

  Damn. Sounds like I’m not the only one with trust issues.

  “And nothing I could say or do would convince you that I want nothing in return?”

  “Nope,” she said, leaning back in the chair, her plate mostly empty in front of her. I liked that she wasn’t afraid to eat and enjoy food.

  “I can’t force you to take the money, but I hope you reconsider. I’d like to keep the diner around, it’s important to Liberty. It’s important to me.”

  Felicity stared at me for a long moment, as if waiting for me to say more. Her blue eyes were so blue, it reminded me of the Caribbean Sea.

  I wondered if she’d ever been to the Caribbean. I bet she’d look amazing in a bikini. Her soft skin sun kissed, her blonde hair flowing freely in the wind. Her breasts nearly bursting from the tiny bikini top.

  “I may take the money, in exchange for doing this for you. I’m still trying to decide and giving it some deep thought.” She spoke up and pulled me from my fantasy.

  “Good,” I said. “This isn’t a decision to take lightly.”

  “I agree.”

  Felicity drank from her win
e, but I could tell she was being careful not to overindulge. I knew the reasons behind it most likely - and she was right to do so. We couldn’t let our guard down. What had happened at my office couldn’t happen again.

  I stood up and got a bottle of sparkling water instead of another glass of wine.

  I offered her some, which she gladly accepted. I gave Koda a small bite of pork and

  he followed us into the living room and laid down by the fire. Felicity got down on the floor with him and his tail smacked against the wooden planks as she rubbed his ears.

  I joined them. The fire was nice and warm, and sitting that close to it was cozy.

  “So tell me more about your work with kids. I remember you mentioned that you participated in a program for children in hospitals, but I had no idea it involved your dog. How did you get into that?”

  “Well, it all started after I got Koda,” I said, giving my old boy a scratch as I talked about him. “I had a patient, an autistic teenager, who hated coming into the clinic. He’d always throw a fit, making it hard for his parents to control him since he was already larger than his mother, and about as large as his father. He loved dogs, and Koda was always really good with everyone he met - so I asked his parents if I could bring him in. Apparently when the boy heard there was a dog in my office, he came much more freely - and never threw a fit after that as long as Koda was there. And Koda was such a natural with him, I decided to see about training. He was only a pup back then, about a year old.”

  “How old is he now?”

  “He’s ten,” I said, rubbing his soft, golden fur. “Getting up there in years, but still going strong. And still very good with kids, no matter how old they are.”

  I met her gaze, and she offered a shy smile. I was no fool; I knew why she was asking these questions.

  “Koda has been around babies. I’d never leave him alone with an infant, but that’s just common sense. He’s had his tail tugged, his ears pulled, all that. I generally try to avoid it, but sometimes kids rush him and it happens. With my own child, I would teach them how to respect Koda’s boundaries, even if I do trust him. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  “I agree,” she said softly, continuing to stroke the dog’s fur.

  Koda lifted his head, then laid it in her lap. That brought a huge smile to Felicity’s face.

  “He’s such a sweetie.”

  “Best dog in the world.”

  “Because of all the work you’ve put into him,” Felicity said. “All the care, all the training.”

  I shrugged. “He was a good boy even before that. I can’t take all the credit.”

  She nodded, then looked down at Koda instead of me for a few moments. I looked off into the fire, trying not to stare at the outline of her perfect face.

  “So why do you want a child?”

  Her question took me off guard for some reason.

  I didn’t have a rehearsed answer, all of this was happening so fast. So instead, I answered from the heart.

  “My mother is the only person I have left, and she’s getting up there in years. I have no siblings, no cousins. No one. I’ve always valued family and wanted one of my own one day. But it was hard with my career and everything and it just never happened before now. Now that I’m slowing down a bit, I’d like to start working toward that. I just think life is better when you have a family to share it with.”

  “I agree,” Felicity said. “And from the sounds of it, you have a soft spot for kids.”

  “Yeah, animals and kids. But don’t spread that around. It’ll challenge my big burly mountain man status.”

  She giggled and it was a beautiful sound.

  I had to admit, I enjoyed sitting there near the fire, just the two of us loving on Koda. It was my idea of the perfect night. Good food in our belly. A warm fire on an otherwise cold evening. My dog and a beautiful girl.

  And the way Felicity looked at me, with a fire in her eyes, made me want to extend the evening for as long as I could. Every time I said something, she looked at me with more and more need in those baby blues. My jeans were beginning to get tight as all the blood rushed south.

  I had to do something, before I’d lose my head again with her.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked as I jumped up from the floor.

  “Yeah, just going to clean up the kitchen.”

  “Here, let me help you—”

  “No, it’s fine. Stay here and relax.”

  . Once I was alone in the kitchen, I leaned against the counter and breathed out a sigh of relief. Closing my eyes, I tried to cool myself down, willing my cock to behave itself.

  I heard Koda’s nails on the hardwood floor. I assumed he was following me, but no, he was following Felicity, who popped into the kitchen anyway.

  “I’m not the type of guest to just leave the host to clean up by himself,” she said, grabbing the plates from the table.

  She was facing away from me, her ass so perfect and round.

  When she turned back around, her gaze fell lower on my body. She opened her mouth in surprise as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. She mumbled something I couldn’t make out, but stayed there, in the middle of my kitchen with dirty dishes in her hands.

  “I should probably go,” she said.

  “Yeah, maybe so,” I said. “Here, let me take those.”

  My hand brushed against hers as I took the plates from her. There was an awkward silence as I carried them to the sink.

  “I just think, in case we’re going to really do this, we shouldn’t get too intimate, you know?” She was stammering, her embarrassment clearly showing.

  I felt terrible that I’d put her in such an awkward position. Had I only kept my stupid mouth shut.

  “No, I mean, yes. I agree.”

  And I did. Even if we didn’t go through with the baby thing, I couldn’t allow either of us to get too close to one another. I wasn’t ready for commitment, and probably never would be. I’d already fucked up the friendship I had with Felicity, no need to make it even worse.

  “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” But something in her voice, the way her tone dropped ever so slightly, told me that she wasn’t really glad about it.

  Even if it was the right thing to do.

  Felicity

  I couldn’t stop thinking about that evening at Abe’s house. I’d never been inside his home before, and it had been more beautiful than I could have imagined. Two stories with a spiral staircase at the front entrance. A kitchen almost the size of my whole house. The things I could do in there, with granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and everything brand new. Plus, all that space to spread out while cooking. He had a better kitchen than the diner did, and he was the only one who used it.

  “He’s amazing,” I gushed to Leah, leaning in close so no one else in the restaurant could hear me. We’d managed a temporary fix on the sewage issue and were open for a couple of days - but my inspection was happening later that afternoon. I tried not to think about it, instead focusing on my dinner with Abe.

  “Yeah, it sounds that way. Almost sounds too good to be true,” Leah said.

  I cocked my head to the side. “You think so?”

  Leah finished her lunch and leaned back in the booth with a cheeky grin.

  “I mean, the man lives in a mansion, is wealthy and successful, and he takes time out of his busy schedule to visit sick kids in hospitals? I don’t doubt all of that is true, I just think— well, maybe you’re seeing him with rose colored glasses because you’re falling for him.”

  “I’m not falling for him,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes to avoid looking into hers. “He’s just a good person, and I think he’d make a wonderful father.”

  “Oh I don’t doubt he would, but I think you need to be careful, Felicity.”

  “I am being careful,” I said with a frown. “You suggested I get to know him better, and I did. I still haven’t made my decision, but it has helped me feel better about the idea.” />
  “I just worry about you getting too close to him,” Leah said. “Then again, if he’s falling for you too then maybe—”

  “No,” I said, holding my hand up to stop her. “I can’t think like that.”

  “You’re right,” Leah said with a sigh. “I shouldn’t put thoughts into your head like that, I just want to see you happy.”

  “Trust me, so would I. And don’t get me wrong, I’d love to find a man like Abe someday, but he’s made it perfectly clear that he’s not open to a relationship and I need to believe him. I can’t let myself get pulled into a fantasy world where we live happily ever after together.”

  “So you do like him?” Leah had a soft smile on her face, but there was worry in her eyes.

  “I do, but I’m not in love with him, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Yet,” Leah muttered.

  “What was that?”

  “You heard me.”

  I huffed in silence for a moment. Maybe Leah was right, maybe I was getting too close to him.

  “Why don’t you just take the money he’s offering, Felicity? He said there were no strings attached.”

  No one seemed to understand why I was so hesitant to take handouts, and it was getting old. Especially since Leah knew about my past.

  “You remember Richard, right?” I asked.

  “Yeah, calling him Dick was always fun and fitting, how could I forget?”

  Richard was my high-school boyfriend and he came from a wealthy family of lawyers. A bit snooty, but I was young and didn’t know better.

  “Well every time he would buy me dinner or do something nice for me, it came with a price. Usually a sexual favor of sorts.”

  “He was one guy, and a dickhead at that. Not everyone is like that.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to push the memories from my head. The night he’d taken me to a very fancy, expensive meal in Las Vegas. He’d flown me out there for graduation, to celebrate, and we stayed in the presidential suite. It was all very glamorous until we got back to the hotel room.

  “Felicity, you okay?”

  “Yeah, just trying to forget all about him,” I said, opening my eyes and praying I wouldn’t cry. “I can’t help it, Leah. I don’t expect you to understand, but I just can’t do it. My father wasn’t much better about all this either.”