A Helluva Man

by Sable Hunter

“No.” He shook his head, reaching out to touch her cheek. “This is just the beginning.”

  “Sex. Great.” She caught his hand and held it away from her.

  “Thanks, I think so too.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Face…reality. We don’t have. Future. Together.”

  “Oh, yes we do. We have to. I don’t want a future that you’re not part of.”

  “Please.” She turned away from him. “Can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” Holding to the window sill, Jaxson stood up and pulled her to her feet. “We have things to do. A life to plan. A wedding to get ready for. Besides, we can’t disappoint Owen about the camping trip.”

  Tamara leaned on him, letting herself enjoy his closeness for a few more moments. “Chelsea. Right. Don’t you…see? I heard. She’s right. Everything.”

  “Sweetheart, if you’d lingered just a moment, you would’ve heard what I said to her. I told her that you make me happy. You’re my life. My love. You’re the one person I want to wake up beside every morning. The one person I want to spend decadent nights with in bed. I want to give you children, Tamara. I want to grow old with you. One day, we’ll sit in rockers on the front porch of Highlands and watch our grandchildren play.”

  By now, she was in tears again.

  “Please don’t take that away from me.”

  He held out his arms and she fell into them. “Oh, Jaxson. Love. You. So.”

  “Oh, I love you, baby.” Jaxson kissed her tenderly and pulled her to the bed. “Let me show you how much.” With near reverence, he began to undress her. “You’re lucky, you know.”

  “I am?” She was. She really was.

  “I could be tying you up and not letting you go until you beg me.”

  Tamara couldn’t get over how his hands were shaking. “Sounds…kinky.”

  Jaxson chuckled, drinking from her lips. “Could be fun.” Maybe she would believe him if he gave her so many orgasms she couldn’t think of anything else. His warm lips traveled from her mouth to her breasts, teasing the hard, little buds with his tongue until she moved restlessly beneath him.

  Slowly and thoroughly, he eased her into intimacy, arousing Tamara to a fever pitch until she was starving for him, as aggressive in her response as he. Their passion was like a fever only surrender could quench.

  “Take me,” he urged as he pulled her on top of him, holding her hips to keep her steady as she took him into her trembling body. Jaxson was hypnotized, watching her head fall back as he let her set the rhythm. “Good?”

  She nodded as she rose and fell, riding him.

  Moving his hips, Jaxson flexed upward, his movement producing a sensation in Tamara that caused her eyes to pop open and brought a cry of pleasure to her lips.

  From that point, it was a journey to ecstasy. Tamara quivered with every upward thrust. She moaned as he worked to satisfy her, sensation mounting on sensation, until she was pleading with him for fulfillment. Her hips moved feverishly, her hands caressing his chest as they climbed the path to release together.

  Too soon, he felt himself grow tense. His body couldn’t contain the love he felt for her, it was just too abundant. “Come with me,” he whispered, finding her clit and rubbing it, loving how she clenched around his cock.

  “Oh, Jax…son!” Tamara dug her nails into his shoulders as she felt the mind-blowing drop from the heights of bliss into the rushing waves of climax.

  Her orgasm beckoned his and he pulled her down, drinking her soft cries as he began to shudder. He held her lips to his while they sank into erotic oblivion, one plane of pleasure more satisfying than the one before. Tamara sighed as the current washed over her, reveling in the perfection of their joining.

  Jaxson held her while the world came back into focus and they lay together, her body nestled to his. Sated. Happy. As she closed her eyes to sleep, Tamara vowed in her heart to never fail him.

  * * *

  “Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me,” Jaxson sang softly in her ear, waking her before dawn.

  Tamara smiled, humming along with him, afraid to try and sing.

  “Happy birthday to Jaxson, happy birthday to me,” he completed the song with a flourish.

  “Ma-ny…more,” she added lowly, kissing him on the cheek. She started to scoot away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “After. Gift.” She’d bought him a pocket knife and had it engraved. It wasn’t much, but it was from the heart.

  “Already have my present, right here,” Jaxson told her as he tugged Tamara back into his arms, spooning her. “You. I’m so thankful you’re mine.”

  She lay there for a bit, then turned in his arms, to give him a birthday kiss. “Tonight. Low-er kiss.”

  “Lower kiss?” he asked, then it dawned on him what she meant.

  “Ah…dang. If we didn’t have to get on the road, I’d insist on that kiss now.”

  “O-wen waiting.”

  “Right.” He sat up on the side of the bed to attach his prothesis. “I’ll be testing a climbing prothesis today, one inspired by a mountain goat.”

  “For rec-om…rec” She huffed, trying to think of another way to say what she wanted to say.

  “Recommendation?” he spoke up. “Yes, I want to know if it works before I bring it up in a session.”

  “So…you can endorse,” she said triumphantly as she gathered her clothes to take to the restroom.

  “Not getting paid, though. I just get to keep this one.” Jaxson’s gaze was hung up on her, admiring the way she moved. “You’re improving.”

  She glanced at him in the mirror, frowning a question.

  “Your movements are smoother. Surer.”

  A smile lit her face up with joy. “Work. Helping Chris…helped. Me. Someday, I may. Work with others like him.”

  “Perfect. I’m glad.” He caught her as she walked by. “Kiss me.” She did. “I’m going after our camping equipment and gear. I’ll be back here after you in about an hour.”

  She nodded her agreement, excited for the day.

  As soon as he was out of earshot, Jaxson looked up the number for the man who owned the local jewelry store. He knew it was too early for the store to be open, but he’d known the guy for years. It wouldn’t hurt to ask for a favor.

  “Yea? Jaxson? Do you know what time it is?”

  “Time for me to propose. I’m about to take my girl on a camping trip. I’d sure appreciate you helping me out with the ring.”

  Joe Morehouse chuckled. “I’m a sucker for romance, I’ll head downtown now.”

  “I’ll meet you there.”

  As he made his way to the truck, he whistled Happy Birthday once more. He was about to give himself one helluva gift.

  * * *

  “Do you think we’ll see a bear?” Owen asked as he craned his neck to look at the rolling hills in the distance.

  “Probably not, buddy,” Jaxson answered. “There’s wildlife, but no bears.”

  “Dang,” Owen pretended to be disappointed, then returned to playing on his handheld video game Jaxson had given him for his birthday.

  Tamara was so excited. She loved the outdoors, having missed it so much when she quit training and competing. Her eyes followed the terrain, it was getting more rugged every mile they continued west. She admired the soaring limestone bluffs and the steep canyons. If she didn’t know better, she’d think the rocky limestone terrain and scrubby cedar dotted hills indicated a parched landscape. This wasn’t the case, Tamara knew there were many underground springs that flowed across the area through a honeycombed network of caves, aquifers, and porous underground limestone called karst. When those same springs broke the surface, they formed clear, cool streams and lazy rivers.

  Resting her head against the glass, she halfway listened to Jaxson’s and Owen’s conversation, her mind wandering to the miracle she was living. Yes, she had a hard time believing it, but when she caught Jaxson’s eye and he smiled at her, Tamara couldn’t help but place her faith and
trust in him and their love.

  Once, she closed her eyes, imagining what their wedding would be like. She wondered who to ask to be her bridesmaids. She smiled picturing Ryder, Pepper, Molly, and Cato in matching dresses. She also thought of Clare, wondering if she would consent to be in the wedding party. Would the Connelly’s come to the ceremony? She hoped so. They had proved to be faithful friends.

  “Hey, wake-up, Sleeping Beauty. We’re almost there,” Jaxon reached over and tugged a lock of her hair.

  “Not. Asleep. Dream…ing.”

  “You have to be asleep to dream!” Owen spoke up. “Don’t cha?”

  “Nope.” Tamara grinned at him. “Day-dreaming.”

  Not too many minutes later, they arrived at the wilderness area. Jaxson found a place to park and he and Owen unloaded the gear. Soon, they were backpacking across a sun-soaked savanna before descending into a sheltered canyon with fern-draped walls.

  “So…beau-tiful,” Tamara breathed. “Thank-you,” she told Jaxson.

  “You’re welcome, honey.” He put an arm around Tamara and one around Owen. “Let’s find a place to set-up camp, then we’ll take our first hike.”

  Owen was so excited, he couldn’t see straight. He helped Jaxson put up the tents and helped store the sleeping bags and supplies inside.

  While they worked, Tamara prepared them a snack before hitting the trail.

  “Smells good, love,” Jaxson praised her for the simple array of food she’d brought from home.

  “Just chil-i and beans.”

  “Texas caviar, you mean.” He accepted a cup and ate it with relish.

  Owen wasn’t as keen on the spicy dish, so she gave him a ham sandwich instead.

  “I’m going to change my prothesis before we head on the hike.” Jax told her as he set down to switch them out. In times past, he would’ve been too shy, now he thought nothing about it.

  When Owen finished his meal, they donned their backpacks filled with water and other necessities, heading down by a shady river bottom surrounded by century-old cypress trees.

  “Now stay close to me, you two,” Jaxson told them. “When we get into higher elevations, the walking will get more difficult. Lots of loose rock.”

  “We’ll be careful, won’t we Tam?” Owen looked at her for confirmation.

  “Def-i-nitely,” she agreed with him.

  “Good, because we’re out in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone service. If we get in trouble, there’s no calling for help.”

  While Owen set out ahead of them a few feet, Tamara eased close to Jaxson. “Is this…safe?”

  He smiled at her. “Yes. We’re taking the easy way. It goes pretty high but the path is wide. One of us would have to jump off the cliff to get into trouble.”

  “Okay.” She put a hand on his arm. She trusted him implicitly.

  After about a mile or so, they clambered up a steeper trail and were rewarded with a sweeping view of the countryside.

  “Gor…geous.” Tamara stopped for a few moments to look at the sight. To the right, a stream meandered into a clear blue pool, over a series of small falls, then wound its way among a stand of bald cypress and sycamore trees. On their left, she could hear the sound of dripping water in a picturesque grotto.

  “I agree.” Jaxson rubbed her back. “This is like another world.”

  Owen was taking it all in. His mother had sent a couple of disposable cameras with him and he was taking pictures right and left.

  As they continued down the trail, the canyon deepened quickly. Soon, they were traversing the top ridge of limestone bluffs overlooking the Pedernales River.

  “Look! A squirrel!” Owen yelled. Before they knew it, he scrambled off after the little animal.

  “Owen!” Tamara yelled as she realized he was too close to the edge. To her horror, the rocks beneath his feet skittered and he slipped off the side and tumbled down.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  “Owen!” Jaxson almost swallowed his tongue when he saw the boy disappear over the edge of the cliff. “Owen!” he bellowed.

  Tamara’s stomach turned over as she heard the small child yelp loudly with pain as he fell. “God, no!” Worse, the sound ceased abruptly when he landed.

  Rushing to the side of the cliff, Jaxson could see the boy had fallen about thirty feet. “Owen! Answer me!”

  “Jaxson, I hurt,” he moaned with a sob.

  “Where?” His question was almost frantic. “Are you bleeding? Did you hit your head? Is it your stomach?”

  “No. My leg hurts. My real leg. It’s twisted.”

  “Is it broken?”

  “Don’t know,” he cried. “Hurts though.”

  “Shit,” he muttered, trying to figure out a way to get to him. “There’s no other trail leading to him. I’ll have to climb down.”

  “You’ve done. This. With Ten. I…remember.”

  Jaxson didn’t wait for her to finish. “Before I met you. Yea. But it’s been awhile.”

  Tamara could see Jaxson was scared for Owen, his square jaw was tense and she could see his heartbeat in his throat. She was worried about the little boy too, but she couldn’t ignore her concern for Jaxson. “You…can’t. Too…dangerous. I’ll go.”

  Jaxson shook his head, looking at her like she was out of her mind. “Absolutely not. You wouldn’t be able to carry him back up. Plus, I have this prothesis with a foot designed especially for climbing. Other than his leg, I don’t think he’s hurt anywhere else. At least, I pray he’s not. I just need to hurry.”

  “Okay.” Tamara helped him affix the ropes and other gear he’d need to his harness, then watched him tie the lead rope around a nearby rock.

  Bringing Owen up and still being able to climb would be a challenge. “I’ll rappel down and you can lower the emergency kit if I need it.” He looked at the trust on Tamara’s face and knew he hadn’t earned it. “This was a mistake, coming here.”

  She placed a hand on his back as he moved to the point where he’d begin his descent. “Acci-dent. Just like. Losing…your leg. Like. My crash. No-body’s fault.”

  He stole a kiss as he started down. “Watch over me, angel.”

  “Hurry, Jaxson,” Owen cried out below, pain evident in his voice.

  Tamara knelt and watched Jaxson’s every move, willing him to be careful, and to place each foot in just the right place. She’d never known such a short distance was such a long way away.

  “Al…most…” she whispered. He was almost there when…

  “Fuck!” she heard him shout.

  Tamara gasped, trying to see what was wrong. “Jax…son?”

  “Hell. Hell. Hell.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The damn foot on this prosthetic has broken off. There’s no way I’ll be able to climb up. You’re going to have to go for help, baby.”

  “O…kay.” She stood, confusion whirling around her like a twister. “Go – help.”

  Jaxson jumped down to where Owen lay, throwing off the broken prothesis, which was just getting in his way. “I’m here, buddy.”

  “Hurt, Jaxson. Hurt so bad.”

  He knelt by him, running his hands over Owen’s body. Pressing on his stomach, his chest, making sure there were no internal injuries. From the position of his leg, it was obvious it was broken. “Tam’s going to get help. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  Up top, Tamara wasn’t so sure. She’d have to retrace their steps and do it quickly. “No…sig-nal!” she cried out, more to remind herself than Jaxson.

  He raised his head and called to her, praying that she would find the strength to do this for them. “No, you’ll have to drive out far enough until you have service, then call 9-1-1. My keys are in the backpack.”

  Tamara moaned. “Can’t…do this,” she whispered. This was what she’d feared. To be faced with a task that she couldn’t perform when people she loved needed her. “I’ll. Fail.” She didn’t know if she could drive – and making the 9-1-1 call… Remembering how sh
e’d messed that up with Chris scared her no end.

  “You can do this, Tamara. I have faith in you.”

  “Yes.” She would do it. She had to help Jaxson and Owen. Running to his backpack, she took his truck key and made sure her cell phone was charged. She transferred the things into her own pack, checking to see she had water. The trek wasn’t that long, but she was frantic and would need liquids often. “I’m. Gone!” Tamara called as she took off to find help.

  …Jaxson began to carefully place Owen on the stabilizing board. Every time he moved the boy, Owen cried out in pain. “I know it hurts, but we’ll have help soon.”

  “Tamara will help,” the child whispered. “She will. She’s strong.”

  Jaxson agreed – but he couldn’t help but worry. He knew her symptoms worsened when she was tired, stressed, or worried. Now, she was all three. Had he asked too much? He shook his head, thinking what a mess he’d made. It was his job to take care of her, not put her into a position where she’d have to take care of him.

  After securing Owen, Jaxson couldn’t help but try to think of a way to get them out of this situation. What if Tamara needed him? What if she got lost or wrecked the truck? Worry for her and worry for Owen made him call on reserves he didn’t know he still possessed. His brothers always told him he had the upper body strength of a bull. Could he could pull himself up carrying Owen? Could he do this with just one leg? Mentally, he tried to envision this. He’d literally have to spring from one foothold to the next. This would require a major amount of concentration and strength. Waiting here would be the easiest, but thoughts of Tamara needing him fueled his determination to act. Prove to himself for once and forever that he was still the man he used to be.

  …Hiking down the trail, Tamara needed to take her time, but didn’t feel like she had it to take. Her poor peripheral vision forced her to look right and left – right and left. Was she going the right way? There were only a couple of off-shoot trails, but she seemed to remember the landmarks. Things looked familiar – didn’t they? “Get. Grip. Get. Grip.”

  As she followed the wooded trail in the shadow of a limestone cliff, she could hear the chirping of canyon wrens as she passed vines loaded with wild grapes. Too scared to appreciate the view, she followed the scenic stretch by the river on the High Ridge Trail, following the emerald water and navigating around large boulders. What seemed so beautiful before – now seemed alien and treacherous. Glancing at her watch, she saw she was taking too long. Speeding up into a near run, she turned right to hike along a granite trail with panoramic views of the bend of the river. Finally, she walked along the water’s edge to the vehicle access point.