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

by Crowne, K. C.

  “I don’t need you telling me how to do my job. From here on, you’d best keep your opinions to yourself,” I scolded.

  Stay cool. The idiot is not worth losing your job.

  I returned to my seat just as Felicity served my usual hot ham and cheese sandwich, but I kept my eyes out the window. On Madison. Not because Lenny told me to. Shit, her record was probably cleaner than his ever was. But it was hard not to stare when she was so upset.

  I needed to know she was going to be ok. But I also needed to keep my distance.

  The need to put my arms around her and hold her close was almost too much to bear. And I had no business feeling anything like that toward the young woman.

  Hannah must have said something to calm her down because the pair of them were outside smiling. And the small grin on Madison’s face was about the most beautiful thing I’d seen in a long damn time.

  It took my breath away.

  Madison looked toward the diner, and even though I couldn’t be sure if she could see me, I looked away so she wouldn’t catch me staring.

  I didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about.

  The people of Liberty would talk, of course. But, as far as I was concerned she hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Something told me I was going to run out of patience for folks like Lenny real soon. I considered myself a patient man, but once my patience was up there’d be hell to pay.

  Madison had been through enough in her life and I knew that all too well.

  Madison

  From what I’d seen so far, the narrow-minded people of Liberty hadn’t evolved much. In normal circumstances, I would have hauled ass back to California but I was on a mission.

  I took a deep breath and exited from my car, parked in front of the only hotel for miles.

  There was one hotel in Liberty, owned and operated by the Barnes family. Leah Barnes was at the counter when I checked in. I didn’t know her very well since she was several years older than me, but in a small town, I at least knew her name.

  The place had changed a lot since I’d moved. It had been a run-down hotel when Leah took it over years ago, but she had transformed it into a cozy bed and breakfast with gardens and a pool.

  It seemed to me that a lot had changed since I was last in Liberty. First, the diner, now the hotel. It almost made me wonder what else had changed for the better over the years. Not that I planned to stay long enough to find out.

  My father’s funeral was scheduled for the next day. I was on break from my classes for the summer, but I needed to get back to work. My boss had given me a week, unpaid, of course. I couldn’t really afford to take that much time off, but I always found a way to make it work.

  I could pick up a second job at one of the beach cafes during the day when I got back.

  Unlike my parents, I never had problems finding employment.

  After checking in, I settled into my room, collapsing on my bed with a sigh. Even though I was there for my dad’s funeral, the reality of the situation hadn’t yet hit me.

  It was hard to believe the old bastard was gone - but it was even harder for me to believe that he had killed himself.

  May his soul rest in peace. My father was a bit of a narcissist and had thought very highly of himself. Even though his life was in shambles, he’d been happy as far as I could tell. Because the life he lived was all he’d ever known. His dad had dealt drugs, so he’d naturally followed suit. Some families have doctors, other lawyers – mine just so happened to have drug dealers and thieves.

  My eyes were heavy, and I was nearly asleep when there was a knock on my door. I sprung from the bed, unsure who might be stopping by. Hannah maybe? But we’d just parted ways a little while ago, so I didn’t see why she’d be knocking on my door so soon.

  I looked out the little peephole and sighed. It had been years since I’d seen her, but I’d recognize that face anywhere. The woman on the other side looked like a much older, thinner, rougher version of me.

  “Maddy, it’s me. I heard you’re back in town,” my mom’s voice called through the door. “I’d really love to see you.”

  Shit.

  I rested my forehead against the door, silent. How the hell did she know what room I was in? Small town, I thought nastily, my face in a sneer.

  “Maddy, I know you’re in there.”

  If I’m quiet, maybe she’ll go away, I thought to myself.

  “I know you don’t wanna talk to me, and I can’t blame you, sugar,” she called. “Not after all I put you and your brother through.”

  My fists clenched at my sides, and I had to hold in the scream. But I remained quiet, still hoping she might think I wasn’t in my room. Praying she might go away.

  I was no fool though. I knew I couldn’t avoid her forever. I’d see her at the funeral, certainly. But I had a speech prepared in my head for that moment - I would tell her I wasn’t there for her. I just wanted to say goodbye to my father.

  But she caught me off guard coming to my room. And I couldn’t remember the damn lines I’d rehearsed to myself so many times.

  I wanted to ask her how she found out I was back in town, but it was a small town.

  Everyone talked. And this was the only hotel. Everyone knew everyone else’s business around here. It was one of the many reasons I hated Liberty.

  “Maddy, please. I’ve been sober for three years,” she said, her voice pleading. “I have the chips and everything. I went through the program, and I’ve turned my life around. I wanted to find you, and I been searching everywhere, but—”

  My hand was resting on the doorknob. I didn’t even realize it until I turned it and opened the door. I found myself face-to-face with my mother for the first time in years.

  “My God look at you. You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears I didn’t trust.

  “Why are you here, Mom?”

  “Because I wanted to see you, baby girl,” she cooed, smiling a sad smile at me. “I missed you.”

  “Did you? Did you really?” My voice rose. “Because I could’ve sworn you spent most of my childhood resenting my very existence.”

  “Oh, Maddy, you know that’s not true.” Her expression was one of pain.

  “No, Mom, I don’t. The only time you wanted me around was when I could do something for you,” I reminded her. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and stood tall. “So what do you want now? Do you want my forgiveness for all those years you weren’t a mom to me so you can sleep better at night? Or do you just want to improve your image so the people in town stop talking shit about you?”

  “Maddy, please,” she begged. “You never even said goodbye before you left. I wasn’t sure if you were dead or what.”

  “And did it really matter to you?” I yelled the words, full force from my chest as if I’d let out years of rage all at once.

  We had too much bad blood for me to sugar coat anything now.

  My mother’s tears flowed more freely down her face now. She wasn’t just crying - she was full-blown sobbing. Of course, she was always the victim.

  I went back into my room and slammed the door, not wanting her to see my own tears. She continued knocking on the door, crying and begging me to just listen to her. To give her a chance.

  She’d had her chance though, and she’d blown it.

  I heard another familiar voice outside my door a moment later. My spine stiffened as I listened. Teddy spoke to my mom, almost too softly for me to understand.

  I walked back to the door and looked through the peephole, careful not to give away that I was on the other side, listening. Teddy had his arm around my mother’s shoulder, comforting her.

  I remembered my mom interacting with the cops a lot in my younger days. None of them comforted her before. They arrested her, usually for being drunk in public.

  One thing was for certain - she wasn’t drunk now, and that was a freaking miracle.

  But my eyes weren’t on her. They were locked on T
eddy.

  He was a giant of a man, towering over my petite mother. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, but there was nothing intimidating about him at that moment. Sure, he could probably scare bad guys away with his size and a look. When he meant business, he could be pretty scary.

  But now, he reminded me of a teddy bear. Fitting, considering his name.

  There was something about that hulking beast of a man comforting my mother that drove me crazy. My mind swirled with naughty thoughts - I wished his arms were around me. Or how his big hands could search my body anytime.

  I nibbled my lip and continued staring as Teddy led my mother away peacefully. His ass looked so amazing in those jeans. Damn. I really did need a distraction, and I was thankful for this one.

  It had been a very long time since anyone had turned me on like that. I hadn’t been dating, my relationships were always volatile in the past - and I didn’t need a man.

  But I did miss sex. It had been way too fucking long.

  I stepped away from the door after Teddy and my mother disappeared from my sight. The image of him remained in my head, however, and I threw myself on my bed.

  I was wearing pajama shorts, no panties, and a tank top. I could feel the wetness in the thin material of my shorts as I rubbed my hand against myself. With my free hand, I played with my nipples, which were hard and pressing against my shirt.

  Closing my eyes, I escaped into a fantasy, the first one that came to mind.

  And of course, it featured Teddy.

  He pulled me over for speeding again, and he wasn’t going to let me off easy this time. He asked me to get out of the car, handcuffing me as he pushed me up against my vehicle, his erection pressing against my ass.

  I wiggled against him, teasing him until he pulled my jeans down, revealing my soaking wet pussy.

  “You like to be bad, don’t you?” he whispered, nibbling my ear lobe.

  “Yes,” I whimpered.

  “Good,” he said. “Be bad for me, Madison.”

  Before I could say another word, he thrust into me - his cock stretching me wide and taking me by surprise.

  “Oh yes, Teddy,” I mumbled, my head falling forward as he took me from behind and had his way with me.

  I was helpless and at his mercy as he fucked me, pushing me harder and harder into my car. It didn’t take long for me to orgasm my body writhing against the bed. I screamed in pleasure as I came, fingering myself hard.

  And once the feeling of pleasure passed, I collapsed in relief against the mattress. The distraction had worked; there were no more thoughts of my mother or my father.

  Only Teddy.

  Teddy

  “Rest in peace, you old bastard,” Deputy Mike Rogers said to me as he handed me a coffee.

  I leaned against my car and sipped the warm, bitter beverage Mike had brought over from the gas station next door. It could almost pass for rocket fuel, but it was better than nothing.

  “Do you really think there will be trouble, boss?” he asked me.

  I shrugged. “I’d like to say no, that people respect the dead enough to leave well enough alone, but you know the type of friends Glen had. We can’t be so sure.”

  “Yeah, that whole Wiley clan is trouble,” Mike commented.

  Not all of them, I thought to myself and took another sip from my coffee.

  “Think Jack’ll show up?”

  “Dunno. He wasn’t exactly fond of his old man.”

  He lifted his chin. “Looks like the spectators are arriving,” Mike said, motioning toward a crowd of people standing outside the funeral home. They weren’t attending the funeral, just watching from outside.

  Watching to see if the infamous Jack Wiley would show up.

  That was another reason I’d decided to hang around the funeral home. Not just because Glen Wiley ran with a bad crowd who might decide to make an appearance, but because I still had an oath to protect the remaining Wileys from the rest of the town. Jack may have been involved in some bad shit in the past, but he’d served his time and was a free man. It was my duty to make sure no one harassed him.

  I knew the fine folks of Liberty weren’t quick to forgive and forget.

  Jack had kept himself hidden away, for the most part, a smart move. He needed to stay local for his parole for now, but once he was completely free and clear, I wouldn’t blame him if he pulled a Madison and got out of town. His name would forever be marred; he’d never be free from his reputation.

  “Oh, looks like the daughter is back in town,” Mike observed, nudging my side and pointing toward the parking lot.

  “Her name is Madison,” I said grumpily.

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot. It’s been a while.” He let out a low whistle as Madison approached, shaking his head. “She’s looking good.”

  I looked at Madison and couldn’t peel my gaze away from her. She was wearing a modest black dress, nothing too showy. But she didn’t have to show off to get attention. The dress fell below her knees, and she wore black pantyhose along with short, black heels. The dress had a lace neckline that complimented her pale skin, making her look more fragile. More innocent. Her lips were a dark red, and even from a distance, they looked plump and full.

  Her honey-blonde hair was pulled back into a twist at the back of her head, but soft tendrils fell around her face. Her blue eyes locked on mine as she passed, and I realized that Mike was talking. I couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

  Nor did I care to.

  “Good morning, Sheriff,” Madison said as she walked past me.

  “Morning, Madison.”

  For the first time, I noticed she wasn’t alone. Hannah was at her side, their arms linked.

  I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t find the words. I also feared anything I said wouldn’t come off as sincere.

  “Hey, boss,” Mike said, nudging me harder in the side than before. “Incoming at two o’clock.”

  I shook free from my trance and turned in the direction Mike was pointing. Madison’s mother, Patricia Wiley, was rushing our way.

  Madison saw her at the same time I did and said, “Shit. I’m not ready for this.”

  “It’s okay,” Hannah said, her voice calm and sure. “Remember what we rehearsed. I’m here for you; you’ll be fine.”

  I thought about the night before. Madison’s mother was desperate to reconnect with her daughter. She was sobbing and begging me to do something, but I couldn’t force Madison to open the door - nor did I blame her for not wanting to.

  I stood straighter, putting my coffee on the hood of my cruiser. Madison steadied herself against Hannah and walked straight toward her mother.

  “Maddy, please—”

  “Mother,” Madison said, her voice strong and confident. “I am not here to talk to you. I’m here to pay my respects to my father, and then I’m gone. I don’t want a confrontation.”

  “Maddy, listen to me, please—”

  Hannah had a grip on Madison’s arm and led her past Mrs. Wiley. Patricia was right on their heels.

  “Pat, ” I called out.

  She looked at me but kept walking. I followed her, catching up to her as she continued begging and pleading with her daughter. I took Pat by the shoulder, stopping her. She looked at me, tears in her eyes.

  “Why won’t she talk to me?”

  “You’re not going to win her back this way. You need to give her space, let her come to you,” I advised. “Following her won’t do you a bit of good.”

  “But what if she never comes back to me?”

  “That’s her prerogative. She’s a grown woman, Pat. You can’t force her to have a relationship with you, and you can’t make her forgive you. And now is certainly not the time to try to make amends. Let her say goodbye to her father today.”

  Pat wanted to argue with me, I could tell. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Just a pitiful half-sob.

  “Listen, I know you feel like you’ve lost everything,” I said, giving the woman a firm squeeze on he
r shoulder. She had lost her son to prison, then her daughter without so much as a goodbye. Now her husband was gone too. “But you can’t do this. Not here, and not like this.”

  Pat nodded, even though the tears continued to fall. She wiped them away with her hand.

  “Go and say goodbye to your husband. Focus on healing yourself.”

  I let her go and watched as she walked toward the entrance. Madison had already slipped inside. While I thought maybe I’d gotten through to Pat, I couldn’t be sure. I motioned to Mike, calling out to him to watch the entrance and the people on the sidewalk - I was going inside.

  At the entrance, Glen’s picture greeted me. A photo from his brief stint in the military. A younger version of him, one that I’d never met. He looked a lot like Jack in the photo; in fact, the resemblance was practically uncanny. And some would say that Jack took after his old man in other ways too.

  I followed the crowd of people into the viewing area. I scanned the room until I found Madison. She was sitting in a corner with Hannah. Pat was at the casket, sobbing uncontrollably. Her sister was with her, so she wasn’t alone. Madison was watching her from a distance.

  “How could you do this to me?” Pat screamed. “How could you leave me when I have no one. My own kids want nothing to do with me, and you kill yourself?”

  I moved toward her, but Pat’s sister took over, leading the woman away from the casket. She was a mess, but one thing was certain - she was sober. If this didn’t break her sobriety, I’d be impressed.

  Pat’s sister led her from the room, and they walked right past Madison. As soon as they approached, Pat turned to Madison. “And you, how can you be so selfish?”

  Madison stood up as I rushed over.

  “You are calling me selfish?” she scoffed, glaring at her mother. “You know what? I’m not even sure why I came here. It’s not like either of you were parents to me.”

  Madison pushed past her mother, then walked past me. I turned on my heels as she rushed out of the viewing room. I had a moment to decide what I was going to do - deal with Pat or comfort Madison.