Double Mountain Trouble

by Katerina Cole

  “Bye, Crawford.” Cameron waved.

  “Bye, bud. Have a good day.”

  I couldn’t say anything. I turned, buttoning my coat, braving the snow and took Cameron to school.

  I checked my phone all day. There was no news. Hawk hadn’t heard anything from the investigators except to say that the woman who claimed to be Cameron’s mother had in fact filed a missing child’s report three years ago. That alone didn’t encourage me.

  What if this boy had been kidnapped? Did he have memories of it? Was he too young at five to remember another family? I stared at my class while they worked on their social studies assignment.

  They had zero attention span this week. I knew today was probably the last day I’d get any productive work out of them. After this, the rest of the week would be spent watching movies and making crafts.

  And then we had almost three weeks off. Three weeks that had turned into some kind of a fantasy of mine. Spending them with my boys.

  Christmas Day, Hawk had the most important game of the season. But we were going to be there. After we opened presents and had breakfast we were going to meet my dad at the stadium. And then later after the Sharks won, Daddy was coming over for Christmas dinner. Maybe even Pops.

  I didn’t care that I was completely outnumbered by the men in my life. I had fallen in love with it. With football. With being a new mom. With being Hawk’s.

  And now what? Was Christmas destroyed? Were our lives completely wrecked? Would we be able to survive if this child was ripped away from our home?

  I’d never look at that tree again. A tear started to slide along my cheek, but I quickly wiped it away before the students saw it.

  “Miss Bristow?”

  “Yes?” I looked up with a fake smile.

  “Can you tell me about the Supreme Court again? I’m stuck on the puzzle.”

  I walked out from behind my desk. “Sure.” It was a small distraction, but I needed it. Needed it as badly as I need air to breathe. If I didn’t have news from Hawk soon, I was worried I wouldn’t make it to the end of the day.

  Cameron and I walked through the front door. The loft was quiet. Too quiet.

  “Hawk?” I called out.

  He was off today. I expected him to be on the couch watching Sports Now.

  I ran to the bedroom. He wasn’t there.

  “Hey, Crawford I made a really cool snowman today,” Cameron hollered running up the staircase.

  “Let me see if I can find him,” I told Cameron.

  I dug though my purse until I found my phone. I typed out a text.

  We’re home. Where are you?

  Taking care of it.

  I bit my lip. What in the hell was he talking about?

  Where are you?

  I texted again and waited for some kind of answer that made sense. I was nervous. Worried that Hawk’s way of taking care of things were part of his past, not his present.

  I’ll be home after dinner. Sorry.

  That was the last text I had from him. What was he going to do? How would he handle this? I wanted him home—dealing with this crisis with me. I needed him. Didn’t he know that?

  I stared at the phone when Cameron came bounding down the stairs.

  “Can we make that popcorn strand you told me about?”

  “Sure. Sure we can.” I tossed my phone on the table. “And we can put on a Christmas movie. How does that sound?”

  I made my way to the kitchen and started on the popcorn. I had no idea where Hawk was and I didn’t like the feeling in my stomach one bit. I felt nauseated again, and my head suddenly felt fuzzy. It was too much stress. Too much worry. But I had to power through. For Cameron.

  Thirty-Eight

  Crawford

  The woman who sat across from me in the diner kept picking at the stuffing coming out of the booth.

  “Coffee?” I offered.

  She looked over her shoulder at the waitress approaching the table.

  “Yes, I’d like a cup.”

  I nodded to the waitress to bring us two cups.

  “So, tell me Ms. Martin. Why did you make up this story?”

  I wasn’t the kind of man to hold back my emotions or my thoughts. I knew when someone was conning me. And this woman wasn’t taking my son from me.

  She slammed her fist on the table and hissed, “My son was kidnapped. I didn’t make it up.”

  “Yeah, that part of your story checks out. But why do you think it’s my son? Why did you contact DC police last night? Cameron has been in the system for three years. There is no record of anyone ever trying to contact him, meet him, reach out to him. Nothing.” I glared at her.

  She pulled the wool cap over her forehead. “How was I supposed to know he was in DC?”

  She had met me on I-95, just south of Fredericksburg. I was surprised no one had spotted me yet.

  I leaned back, crossing my arms. I didn’t buy it. None of it. “You’re not that far away. Tell me what it is you want.”

  “I want my child,” she seethed.

  “Cameron isn’t yours,” I countered.

  If Mia knew I was here, she would kill me. But I had to get to the bottom of this myself. The investigator had reluctantly given me the mother’s name: Martha Martin. The rest I did myself with a little web search.

  “You don’t know that.” She wasn’t backing down.

  We waited while the coffee was served until we resumed our argument. “I know that kid has had a shitty life. He’s been in and out of foster homes. He didn’t have clothes. He wasn’t eating. Shit, he barely spoke a sentence when I met him. But you know what? He’s happy now. And you’re crazy as hell if you think I’m going to let you ruin that with some kind of insane claim.”

  She leaned over the table. “You think the courts are going to take your side over mine?”

  “It’s not going to get that far. Name your price. I know that’s why you’re really here.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t pretend you’re shocked. I know bullshit. Fuck, I invented bullshit. Cameron isn’t your kid. You saw him on TV. You saw the story on how I’m trying to adopt him and you thought you could cash in on that.”

  Her eyes darted wildly.

  She was caught.

  I pulled out a file I had received from the lead investigator and slapped it on the table. “In here is a list of some of your pettier crimes. Check fraud. Shop lifting. I think I saw an attempted breaking and entering. Drugs. So I’m going to put my money on the fact that this was the biggest opportunity you’d ever seen and you thought you could walk away with some serious money.”

  “I lost my son three years ago,” she spoke slowly. “How can you say any of this to me?”

  I nodded. “I know. I’m sorry about that. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a child. But you know what that feels like. So why in God’s name would you try to put me through it?” I sat for a minute before I continued. “I’ll write you a check right now. A huge check. You take it and cash it in the morning and then you call the police and tell them you were mistaken. That you were so emotional you made a mistake.”

  I pulled out my checkbook. I wrote in the date and her name on the top line.

  “But what if he is mine?” She looked at me.

  “Martha, we both know that Cameron isn’t yours.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded.

  “Martha, where is your son?” I pressed.

  She sighed. “I don’t know. Really, I don’t. But I think with his father. Maybe in Florida? That’s where he always said he’d take him. He said I had to sober up.” She started to break down, the fierceness from before diminishing, she knew she’d lost. “Are you going to call the police?”

  The woman had a hard face. The kind that told the story of her life. I’d seen the same look on my own mother.

  “I’m not going to report you. I’m not even going to consider this extortion. This is a gift from me to you.” I made sure there were lots of zeros on t
he end before tearing it from the book.

  I handed it to her.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice shaky. “Why would you help?”

  “Because. I’d do anything in this world for that kid. I haven’t always been like this. I’ve made mistakes. Maybe more mistakes than you. And I’m trying to help you from making any more. Start over, Martha. Start over. Make your son proud of you.”

  She teared up and folded the check, tucking it inside her shirt.

  “Thank you,” she whispered and then walked out of the diner.

  I sat across from the empty booth and finished drinking my coffee.

  When I walked through the door at the loft Mia jumped from the couch. Cameron was asleep with a book across his chest.

  “Where have you been?” she questioned me.

  “It’s a long story.” I hung up my coat. “But I took care of everything. We don’t have to worry about losing Cameron,” I whispered.

  “I don’t understand.” She shook her head. “What happened?”

  I took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom so Cameron couldn’t hear us in case he awakened.

  I started to explain how I started my day feeling helpless, but ended up taking control. That’s what I did. I controlled the situation.

  “The woman who claimed to be Cameron’s birth mother wasn’t his mother. She won’t be bothering us. She’s dropping the claims.”

  Mia’s face turned pale. “Oh my God. How did you find out?”

  “I went to see her.” I smirked.

  The shock was immediately replaced with anger. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  Shit. I thought it would make her happy, but I saw the fury in her eyes.

  “I didn’t want to get your hopes up or down or whatever roller coaster this is.” I tried to soothe her. “I knew I could handle it,” I explained.

  “You drove to see Cameron’s possible mother and didn’t think I could handle the roller coaster?”

  “Ok. Fuck. When you say it like that it sounds shitty. But, baby, I was trying to help. And I did. It’s over. He’s ours.”

  “He is not ours.” Her hands flew to her hips. “I’m not on the papers. I’m not even listed for guardianship. And what you did tonight, shows me exactly where you think I fall on the list of people you need to consult. At the bottom.” Her eyes flared.

  “God, no. I was trying to take care of you.”

  “This isn’t how you do it, Hawk. You don’t just make all the decisions yourself. There’s a child involved. You said we were doing this together. And right now I feel completely alone in this. You went out on your own. You didn’t ask. You didn’t need me. You didn’t want my input.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know why I’m here.”

  Fuck.

  “You’re here because he needs you.” I lowered my voice. “You’re here because I need you.”

  Her sapphire eyes lifted to mine, cutting me right through the chest. Did she know she could take my breath away with one look?

  “You don’t act like you need me. You act like a man who is used to being alone. Who doesn’t know what family looks like.”

  I knelt in front of her.

  “You’re right. I don’t. I never had a real family. I never had Christmas. I never had someone like you.”

  I tilted her chin toward me. “Don’t shut me out now, Mia. Not when we just got our shit together.”

  “Isn’t that what you did? Shut me out as if I’m not even here?”

  I hung my head. “Damn it. I don’t know what I’m doing. I fucked up ok?”

  “Do you see those boxes? The suitcases?” She pointed across the room where she had started moving her things over from her apartment. “I can easily take it back. Take all of it back.”

  “Fuck. No,” I growled. “You’re not leaving because I screwed up. I can’t do this without you, baby. I don’t want to.”

  “You have to include me. No more decisions about Cameron without me. Understand?”

  Damn. She had me by the balls. “Got it.”

  I thought I saw a grin tug at the corners of her beautiful lips.

  “Cameron’s been asleep for two hours.”

  “I’ll carry him upstairs. Don’t move.” I didn’t want the tiny bit of forgiveness to evaporate. I had to capitalize on it while I could.

  I walked to the living room where the boy was curled under a blanket. The tree twinkled next to him. I lifted him into my arms and took the stairs two at a time. His eyes opened for a second when I lowered him to the bed. I pulled the covers up to his chin and he rolled on his side.

  “Good night, son.” I kissed him on the head, turned off the light, and closed the door.

  Thirty-Nine

  Mia

  Hawk walked back into the bedroom and locked the door behind him. My emotions were twisted inside me.

  I was still angry, but it was nestled inside relief. He had saved Cameron from a legal battle. He had kept him safe. He had fulfilled his promise to me.

  “He’s out,” he reported.

  I nodded. “He read until he fell asleep.”

  I shivered as his glorious green eyes raked over my body. I got lost in the depths of them every time he looked at me that way.

  “Come with me.” He offered me his hand.

  “What are you doing?” I wasn’t ready to shed the resentment I had. He had hurt me. Whether intentional or not, it didn’t just go away.

  “We’re getting in a hot shower together.” He turned the hot water knob and waited for the steam to rise. “And I’m going to wash your body.”

  I cocked my head sideways. “I don’t know about that.”

  His fingers fastened on the button on my blouse. “I’m going to take care of you always. Even when you’re angry. I promise you won’t walk out of that shower still mad at me.” He winked.

  I didn’t know if it was the challenge. But I stepped out of my jeans and into the shower. Convinced he couldn’t seduce away the hurt feelings.

  But I was wrong. So wrong.

  Hawk climbed in after me. His massive shoulders taking up much of the space in the shower. He lathered soap in his hands and then placed them on my shoulders.

  “Just relax,” he ordered, spinning me toward the wall.

  I turned around giving him my back. His hands felt like magic as they worked their way down my spine and then back up across my shoulders, up my neck.

  He dropped to his knees and continued rubbing the soap into my skin. My legs and feet have never been cleaned this well in their whole existence. I’m sure of it.

  When he reached up to clean between my legs I inhaled sharply.

  I whimpered a little as he ran his fingers along each side of my pussy lips and then pulled back to rub across my clit. My breathing became more erratic with each caress of his hand. I wished he would reach back just a little more and slide a finger inside of me or his cock.

  Anything.

  I squirmed back and forth causing him to chuckle.

  “My little minx,” he growled, turning me around to face him. His mouth captured mine in a kiss so blistering hot I didn’t know how the walls didn’t go up in flames around us. As he pulled away, he pressed me back against the wall.

  “Sit.” He ordered.

  I didn’t hesitate. If there was one thing I had learned, it was to listen to this man when he spoke. I sat on the bench built into the shower, and watched as he knelt before me. When he lowered his head between my legs I wanted to scream and cry. I wanted him.

  Then I felt his tongue dart out against my clit. I spread my legs wide for him, eager for more.

  Once.

  Twice.

  He sucked me into his mouth and bit down ever so gently but enough that I knew he had me and that I couldn’t pull away. With my clit clamped tight between his teeth, he flicked his tongue against me over and over.

  My hands gripped at his hair while the hot water splattered around us.

  “No. Don’
t stop. Don’t ever fucking stop.” I breathed. My forgiveness was growing.

  “Mmm.” He moaned as he sucked me back into his mouth while I rode his face with frantic force.

  I glanced down at this amazing man before me as he knelt in the shower, steam cascading all around us and I realized how much I loved him.

  How hard I had been falling. Why I was so angry with him when he went out on his own. Why all of it mattered so much. I loved Crawford Hawkins.

  I didn’t think this man knew what in the hell he was doing to me. Every single time he touched me, he took another piece of my heart and firmly stored it away. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if I knew how the hell he felt or where he thought this was going.

  With all the stuff going on with Cameron we hadn’t had a chance to sit down and talk about anything and that worried me. What if we weren’t on the same page? What if tonight was the beginning of that? What if Hawk did everything on his own and couldn’t find a way to let me in?

  I wanted to know him. I wanted this. I wanted him.

  My hips jutted forward.

  “Fuck, yes, baby. Yes,” he groaned against my pussy.

  My head fell backward as I offered myself to him again. He was relentless, pushing my knees wide.

  His tongue darted while his fingers pushed inside me. Twisting and pumping tighter and faster. Harder and deeper.

  “Don’t stop. Don’t stop. I’m coming,” I cried.

  With one powerful lick he sent me over the edge. My body convulsed and quivered. I gasped for breath. I searched for gravity. But I was floating in a blissful haze.

  Hawk’s eyes locked on mine. He lowered my feet to the tiles, where the hot water pooled at my toes. He kissed my stomach and then each nipple, drawing closer to my lips.

  “I love you, Mia.”

  I gasped. “Oh, God.”

  “I do. I’m sorry I screwed up. But damn, I’m so in love with you.”

  My arms wrapped around his neck. “I love you too. So much.”