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

by Crowne, K. C.

  “Sorry.”

  My reply was to lower my head and take more of his cock in my mouth. The head slipped into my throat briefly, and I gagged a bit on the large manhood. I used my hand to stroke him after that, focusing on his head and the nerve-filled underside. He grunted as my other hand tugged gently on his balls, and I felt him stiffen after another minute of this treatment.

  Jack groaned, “I’m close.”

  I wanted to taste every drop, so I sucked harder on his head, stroking his cock in a rhythm he seemed to like.

  He came hard, and I savored it, grateful I could give him pleasure. His muffled groans and the throbbing of his cock in my mouth was such a turn on, but I would just have to wait.

  I collapsed against him, my head resting to the side. He reached for me, and I scooted up the bed to lay next to him. He rolled over on his side to face me, wrapping his big arms around me and pulling me even closer to him.

  He kissed my forehead, then the tip of my nose.

  My eyes couldn’t stay open at that point, and I was much too tired to fight it.

  “Please stay with me,” I whispered. “Sleep with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

  I fell into the most restful, most satisfied sleep of my life.

  Jack

  At first, I wasn’t sure where I was or what the sound was that had woken me. It took me a second to peel my eyes open and remember what was going on, that the crying sound was coming from my son. Cassie had already sat up, yawning as she stumbled over to Owen’s bed.

  “I’ve got it,” I said. “You can go back to sleep.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, stopping. “You need the bottles. They’re down in the fridge already made. Here, let me—”

  “No, I can get it,” I said softly, climbing from the bed and pulling my pants on.

  I walked down the hallway, trying to be as quiet as possible so I didn’t wake anyone else up. But as I stepped into the kitchen, Teddy was already there at the table with a cup of coffee.

  “You’re up early,” I said.

  “Have to be at work in an hour,” he told me, a sly grin on his face. “I could say the same about you, but, well…” He gave me a knowing smile and a chuckle.

  I grabbed the bottle from the fridge. “Never thought I’d be getting up in the middle of the night for feedings.”

  “It gets easier.”

  I nodded, grabbing a bottle from the fridge and running it under hot water for a few minutes. I returned to the bedroom, and when I walked in, I saw Cassie holding Owen up to her breast. He was crying and fussing, clearly not interested. She stared at me with tired eyes.

  “I thought he might latch, but since he’s not used to the breast, I guess he’s not having it,” she said.

  “It’s alright,” I said, scooting into the bed beside her.

  Without me having to ask, she handed Owen to me. I cradled my son as carefully as I could, even though he wiggled in my arms. His cries were more pitiful than anything, and they tugged at my heartstrings. I never wanted him to be in distress.

  I held the bottle up to his lips, thinking it would be easy. I assumed he would just latch on and feed, but he continued fussing.

  “I have to admit, I never fed a baby before,” I said sheepishly.

  “Here, try this.” She took my hand and showed me how to brush the nipple from Owen’s nose down to his lips. “The nurses showed it to me at the hospital.”

  Owen opened his mouth and took the nipple, quieting, and latching onto the bottle.

  Cassie leaned onto my shoulder, gazing at our son. Neither of us said much as I fed Owen, feeling a bond to the little boy that I’d never felt with anyone before.

  “I would do anything for you,” I whispered. “Absolutely anything.”

  Cassie squeezed my arm, and I knew she felt the same way. I thought I knew love, but now that I was a father, I experienced a whole other side of love I hadn’t known existed before.

  I would lay down my life for him, give him my heart or the very air from my lungs. I wanted to be there for him to give him the best life possible.

  I wanted to be a better man. Not just as a role model, but to give Owen the life he deserved.

  The life Cassie deserved too.

  Owen finished his bottle, and Cassie took over from there. There was a knock at the door a few moments later.

  Cassie covered up with a blanket and said, “Yes?”

  Teddy popped his head in. “Sorry to disturb you, but I figured you were already awake. I thought it might be wise if Jack left with me this morning.”

  My heart dropped. He was right, but it didn’t mean I wanted to leave. “Yeah, I think that’s probably smart.”

  Cassie looked at me, her eyes pleading. I wanted nothing more than to give in, to tell her I would stay with her and never leave her side.

  But I wasn’t ready for that. I still had things to do.

  “I’ll give you a few minutes,” Teddy said quietly, shutting the door behind him.

  “Jack…”

  “I know, Cassie. I don’t wanna go, but I need to,” I said. “I have to keep the two of you safe. Teddy’s right. I could sneak out with him, and no one will see me, most likely.”

  Cassie bit her lip but nodded. “I understand.”

  She looked down, as if unable to meet my gaze. I lifted her chin up and stared into those deep brown eyes of hers. “I promise you. We will be together soon.”

  I kissed her sweet lips, and I could feel her tears falling on my cheeks. I’d never known pain like this before. I thought I’d felt a lot of things in my life – anger, both physical and mental anguish, but nothing compared to the feeling of leaving behind my son and his mother.

  “I better get going,” I said after a few minutes, resting my forehead against hers.

  She nodded but didn’t say anything.

  I kissed Owen on the top of his head. He was falling back asleep. He had a full belly and seemed more content now. Hopefully, both mother and child would get some rest.

  I slipped from the bed and threw on my shirt.

  “What does Teddy know?” Cassie asked. “He can’t know much; otherwise he’d be involved, right?”

  “He doesn’t know anything,” I said. “Neither does Madison. And I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

  “Then why does he think you’re sneaking around?”

  “He thinks it’s because of your parents and the gossip going around,” I explained. “I told them both I just wanted to keep you from being harassed until I clear my name around town. My truck has been vandalized in the past, so has my house. I told them I wanted to protect you from all that.”

  Cassie stared at me but didn’t speak. There really wasn’t much left for her to say.

  I walked to the door and glanced back. “I do want to protect you, Cas. Both of you. And I will do just that.”

  I left the room, even though it felt like my feet didn’t want to move. I had to. For them.

  Teddy was waiting for me at the end of the hall near the entrance. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I muttered.

  I followed Teddy into the garage and climbed inside his truck, hunkering down low in the seat so no one would be able to see me. I hated having to hide and sneak around, but I’d do anything to keep my family safe.

  Teddy chuckled. “You’re sure going through a lot of trouble to keep the gossip down.”

  If only he knew the real reasons, but Teddy wouldn’t let me work through my plan. And without evidence to get the guy at the top, I would only be in more danger. We didn’t have enough evidence yet, and Hank was good at keeping himself hidden.

  “The people in this town can be damned cruel,” I commented.

  “I guess, but most of that’s died down since we caught the real bad guys, right?”

  “People still talk, Teddy.”

  “Listen, I know you’re just trying to do what’s best for your son and Cassie. I can tell you
really love them,” he said, glancing at me. “It’ll get easier. People in this town will see that you’re not the person they thought you were, and soon, you can raise your family in peace.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I know so,” he continued. “And Madison and I are here to help, you know.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “Of course. We’re family now.”

  It was hard to believe that at one time, Teddy had been the bane of my existence. My whole family hated him, though we weren’t right to do so. He was the sheriff, the law in this town and my family was caught up in some shady stuff. I wasn’t an angel myself, but I was young and dumb, just trying to survive and to take care of my sister.

  But now, things were different. My mom was clean. She hadn’t had a drink or any other illegal substances since well before my dad died. She was even holding down a job. Part-time for now, but she was answering phones for an insurance company in town and doing better than I’d ever seen her.

  And, of course, Madison was married to the same sheriff that had once caused us all trouble. They had a beautiful daughter, a nice, large home, and a quiet life. She was finishing her degree and focused on becoming a therapist. I was proud of her.

  I also wanted what she and Teddy had – stability. I wanted to get on the right track, to have a family and a house I could be proud of. I wanted to provide for Cassie and Owen the way Teddy provided for Madison and Zoey. I wanted to be on the right side of the law one day.

  Teddy glanced back in the rear-view mirror and frowned.

  “What?” I asked, trying to see behind us without being seen myself.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing,” he muttered.

  “What did you see?”

  “Just a car sitting awfully close to my bumper. Like they were following us, but they turned off.”

  “Did you recognize the car?” I asked.

  “No, the plates were from Tennessee.”

  Tennessee? Hadn’t the guy who’d shown up in the alley at the handoff had a bit of a southern accent? Maybe I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t be sure it was a coincidence.

  “Where should I drop you off?” Teddy asked.

  “In town. Maybe behind the bar. I can walk home from there.”

  “Alright, sounds like a plan,” Teddy said, turning down the road toward the bar.

  It was Sunday. No bars were open on Sunday in Utah. Especially not at five in the morning. As he pulled into the gravel driveway, I sat up and peered out the windows. Not a car in sight.

  As Teddy dropped me off, he hesitated before driving away. Winding down the window, he called out, “Take care of yourself, Jack.”

  “I’ll try.” But my first priority was taking care of my son and his mother. They would always come first.

  Cassie

  “Zoey, meet your baby cousin,” Madison cooed, holding her daughter so she could look down at Owen in my arms.

  Zoey grinned and reached her tiny hands out. She was only about ten months older than Owen but compared to how small he was, she looked so big. It was hard to believe that one day, my little boy would be as big as she was - and learning to walk and babble on and on like her, too.

  “It’s going to be so cute watching them grow up together,” Madison said.

  My heart dropped. “Madison, I don’t know if we’re going to stay in Liberty,” I murmured, averting my gaze and focusing on Owen’s tiny hand in mine instead.

  “What? Why not?”

  I couldn’t tell her all the reasons, all my doubts. Most of them were about our safety. Jack promised to do what he could to keep us safe, but there was no guarantee that he’d fix everything. And I couldn’t keep living like this, staying at her house and mooching off her for the rest of our lives.

  “I just don’t know if I can build a life here,” I confessed.

  Madison sat down beside me on the couch, Zoey on her lap. She was fascinated with Owen, staring at him and grinning, as if she was trying to figure out what he was.

  “You know, I used to think the same thing,” she said. “And look at me.”

  “Yeah, but you have Teddy,” I countered. “I can’t keep living with the two of you. I need to get out on my own, and I'm not sure I can do that in Liberty.”

  “You have Jack,” Madison argued. “I know things are tough right now, but he wants to be there for you.”

  “I know that, but—”

  “But what?”

  “I can’t really explain, Madison. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Jack, and I still have to finish law school. I need to make sure I can stand on my own two feet and care for my son.”

  “Jack will be there for you,” Madison repeated.

  “I know he wants to be, and I trust him,” I said. “But I can’t rely on him fully. I need to be self-sufficient too.”

  “I understand, but I think you can do that here.”

  Unlike Madison, I’d always dreamt of raising a family in Liberty one day. I left for school, but only because I got into one of the best law schools in the country. I left with the goal of one day returning to the area. This was my home, where I felt I needed to be.

  But I no longer felt safe there.

  And I wanted to believe she was right – that I could have everything I wanted with Jack. The idea of having a home together, raising our son together, was a dream I’d had ever since I found out I was pregnant. Even though I knew Jack had the best of intentions, I wasn’t sure what he was caught up in or who was after him. And without knowing more, it was hard to feel safe.

  My phone buzzed on the coffee table, thankfully pulling me from the conversation.

  “Ooh, it’s Isabelle,” I said. “Can you get it for me?”

  Madison reached for the phone and answered, putting it on speaker.

  “Hey, sis,” I said.

  “Hey, Cass. I hope you don’t mind. I’m on my way over to visit. I have some things for Owen.”

  I looked at Madison. “Is it okay?”

  “Of course it is!” Madison exclaimed. “Your sister is welcome here any time.”

  “Thank you,” I said softly. “Hey, Izzy. It’s fine; we’d love to have you.”

  “Good, because I’m pulling into the driveway now. See you in a few!”

  She hung up the phone and, laughing, Madison went to let her in.

  Isabelle had visited nearly every day in the hospital. She’d been one of the people who helped me get through this. I wasn’t sure what I’d have done without her or Madison at my side.

  Isabelle followed Madison into the living room, her arms full of bags.

  “Wow,” I said, laughing. “Looks like someone went shopping.”

  “I can’t help it,” Isabelle said, placing the bags near me before leaning down for a hug. “Everything is just so cute, and I can’t stop. I wanna spoil that little angel so much.” She grinned at Owen.

  “Want to hold him?”

  She hadn’t really had a chance to hold him in the hospital. I was the only one who got to do that, and even that had been limited at first.

  Isabelle’s eyes lit up. “Uh, yeah. Of course.”

  I passed Owen to her, and she started cooing and talking in baby talk. Pretty much all I heard was, “He’s so stinking cute,” and “Oh my God, I love him so much.”

  She sat down on the couch next to me, carefully cradling Owen in her arms. He was wiggling around a bit, staring at her, but not fussing.

  “He’s such a good baby,” Madison said. “Zoey didn’t let anyone but me hold her for the longest time. She was a total mama’s girl. Even Teddy got jealous.”

  “I think it’s because he was around so many nurses and stuff at the hospital.”

  “Or maybe,” Madison said, sitting down on the other side of me, “he’s just a calm baby.”

  There was so much love in that room that my heart felt like it would explode. Madison took my hand and gave it a squeeze. Isabelle finally calmed down and started talking like a normal adult, b
ut the first words out of her mouth filled me with dread.

  “Mom has asked to see Owen and would like you to come over for dinner tonight,” she announced. “Dad says he wants to talk to you. I think he might be ready to apologize.”

  I groaned and closed my eyes. “Really? Now?”

  “I think they’re sad because they’re missing part of Owen’s life,” Isabelle said. “Mom especially.”

  Mom had mostly stood by me, even visited me in the hospital often. Dad didn’t join her, but I’d made it known he wasn’t welcome - and the nurses and staff hadn’t let him visit because I said no. They were protective and only allowed guests when I said it was okay, something I was truly thankful for.

  “He seems sorry, Cassie. Not that I think you should forgive him completely, that’s up to you,” she told me quickly. “But maybe you should talk to him.”

  I didn’t want Owen to never spend time with his grandparents. I hoped we could work through this and be a happy family one day. The only way we’d get anywhere was by talking. And I also didn’t want to punish my mother; she wanted to know her grandson. I didn’t want to keep Owen from her.

  “Alright, I’ll do it,” I decided. “Tonight?”

  “Hopefully, that’s not too short of notice?”

  “No, not like I really have much else going on,” I said with a laugh. “Tell them we’ll be there, I guess.”

  “Will do, but I’m not ready to leave just yet,” she said. She returned to the baby talk, holding Owen’s tiny hands in hers and remarking at how tiny everything was, including his fingernails.

  Madison had been quiet through all of this, so I turned to her. “What do you think?”

  “About what?”

  “About me going over to see my family?”

  “It’s your choice, Cassie,” she said with a shrug. “But I think it’s a good idea to try and mend fences whenever possible. Especially with family. But I know first-hand that it can be hard, and you need to be ready. Don’t let anyone force it on you.”