A Helluva Man

by Sable Hunter

  After reaching the vehicle, she checked her phone, hoping to see a couple of bars.

  Zero.

  Taking a gargantuan breath, she unlocked Jaxson’s truck and got behind the wheel.

  …Back on the side of the cliff, Jaxson began the treacherous ascent. Owen wasn’t heavy, but the weight of moving himself and the boy up the side of the cliff with just his arms was tremendous. He couldn’t push with his remaining leg, all he could do was anchor himself, then hop to the next toehold to advance further. Painstakingly slow and almost impossible.

  As he worked to move, he whispered words of encouragement to Owen.

  “Steady, little man. We’ll get there. Jaxson won’t let you down.”

  “My fault. So sorry.”

  “Hush. Like Tamara said, this was an accident. Nobody’s fault.” He tried to make light of the situation. “Maybe the squirrel’s fault.”

  “Yea. Tamara…” the boy whispered. “Worried about Tamara.”

  “Yea, me too.” Jaxson prayed she was okay. He had faith in her, he did. But there were some things, impossible things, that one person should never ask of another, no matter how much they were loved. “Please, God. Let her be okay.”

  If he ever got out of here – if she was okay – he was going to get down on his knees and thank high heaven. And while he was on his knees…

  “Jaxson? Will we be okay?”

  Hearing the sweet little boy’s heartfelt question, Jaxson steeled himself. He could do this, dammit. He was strong. He was still a man – one leg or two – he was still capable of taking care of those he cared about. “Will we be okay? Well, hell yeah. I’m a hard-headed cuss and I won’t have it any other way.” He strained, gritting his teeth, and moved them up another few feet closer to the top of the cliff.

  …Tamara gripped the steering wheel with all her might. She remembered driving this monster truck from Houston the night the bull stomped Jaxson. Back then, she’d been too worried about him to be concerned about the vehicle. Now, she questioned everything. Was she going to fast? Was she judging the distance on the side of the road? Some of the hairpin curves rode steep drop-offs – all it would take was one swerve of the wheel… “No!”

  She could do this.

  At least there wasn’t any other traffic on the road. When she came to a portion that was on the straight and narrow, Tamara took the opportunity to check her phone. “Yay!” She had bars! She had service! Finding a place to pull over, she began the most daunting task of all – attempting to make a 9-1-1 operator understand what she was trying to say.

  Since the fiasco with Chris, she’d read articles how the 9-1-1 operators had to deal with fake calls. Prank calls. People were just so stupid to try to confuse someone who held other people’s lives in their hands. Tamara knew they would suspect her motives as soon as they heard her voice – that was why she had to be very careful and do this just right.

  Taking the phone, she carefully pressed the buttons and chewed on her lower lip, willing her mouth to obey her brain.

  “9-1-1? What is your emergency?”

  “Boy. Fell. Off-cliff. Reimer wil..der..ness.”

  “Ma’am are you all right?”

  “Yes. Handi-capped. Speech prob-lems. Need help.”

  “Okay. All right. So, there’s a boy in the Reimer area who’s fallen off a cliff. Right?”

  “Right.” She let out sigh of relief. “High. Ri…dge. Trail.” Tamara clenched her fist, feeling triumphant.”

  “How badly is he hurt? Do you know?”

  “Leg. Broke. Not sure. Any…more.” Hopefully, the operator would understand.

  “Do you need help?”

  “No. Always…slow.”

  “Hold on.” Tamara obeyed as she heard the operator send out the message for responders to answer the call.

  “What’s your name?”

  Tamara frowned. Was she in trouble? “Tam-rah. Gray. Son.”

  “Tamara Grayson. The Tamara Grayson? Triathlete Tamara Grayson?”

  “Used. To. Be.” Tamara felt lightheaded with relief. Help was on the way.

  “I heard about your accident. You did good. I hope things get better for you.”

  “Thank. You.” If Jaxson and Owen would be okay, Tamara couldn’t ask for anything more.

  …With a great straining heave, Jaxson hoisted himself up on the surface of the ridge. He’d made it! “We’ll rest a bit,” he muttered as he eased the ropes from his shoulders so he could lay Owen on the ground. Fishing in his backpack, he pulled out two waters. “Here, drink.”

  Jaxson held the bottle as Owen drank greedily. He was glad they’d packed extra. If only he’d been better prepared in other areas. He frowned wishing that his regular prothesis was here with them, rather than down at the campsite. Glancing around, he tried to see a limb large enough to use as a crutch. After spotting one, he shook his head, remembering how much he’d hated his crutches – and now, he’d give anything to have them back.

  As they drank their water, Jaxson thought of Tamara. He was so worried about her. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

  “Listen…” Owen whispered. “Is that…”

  “A helicopter.” Jaxson’s face broke out into a smile. “She did it. By God, she did it.”

  …Down below, Tamara watched with gratitude as the helicopter flew over her to rescue Jaxson and Owen. She would wait here to see if everything went well before heading back down the mountain again. Tamara didn’t exactly relish the prospect of driving back to Burnet, but she could do it. With a smile, she acknowledged she could do most anything she put her mind to.

  “You-re. Not. So. Dumb. After-all.”

  After about ten minutes, Tamara was shocked to hear the helicopter start up again. That was fast. She stood up, hoping to see a glimpse of Jaxson as it flew by.

  To her surprise, the chopper put down on the surface of the park road and Jaxson hopped out. He was balancing himself on a large oak limb. “Baby!” he called. “Come give your man a hand.”

  Without hesitation, she took off for him, running up to him with a smile on her face as big as Texas! “Safe! Owen?”

  “He’s going to be fine.” Jaxson pulled her to him and they proceeded to lean on one another. “I climbed out, Tam. I climbed out of that hole by the strength of my arms and the skin of my teeth. I wasn’t as damn helpless as I thought I was.”

  “Knew you could.” She soothed her palm over his chest. “I. Drove. Called. Got help.” Repeating her earlier mantra, she whispered, “Not. So. Dumb. After-all.”

  “You’re the smartest person I know.” He held her tight. “Bar none.”

  “Love. You.” She told him. “Love. You. So Much.”

  Jaxson smiled. “I’m pretty sure I love you more.”

  She playfully pinched his arm.

  “Let’s get our gear and my good leg. I told Owen we’d meet him at the hospital.”

  “Mother?” she asked.

  Jaxson nodded. “We called her from the helicopter on the way down.”

  * * *

  “I’ve never seen a little boy so excited.” Jaxson laughed as they pulled up to Tamara’s front door.

  “Surprise. Just-the-thing. He…forgot pain.”

  “Yea, when I told him Henry was waiting for him at Highlands, you could hear him holler all over the hospital.”

  Tamara sighed with happiness as she waited for Jaxson to come around and help her out. Not that she needed help. Her confidence level was soaring. Nevertheless, he enjoyed doing things for her the same way she enjoyed pampering him. “All’s well. End’s well.”

  “Listen to you talk, Miss Smarty.” He gave her a smack on the lips. “You’re going to be joining Toastmaster’s soon.”

  “May. Be.” She gave him a smirk as they climbed the steps to her house. “I tired.”

  “Me too.” All he wanted to do was lay down and hold this sweet armful of woman. “One thing I need to do first.”

  “K.” She led him in.
“Sit. Get drinks.”

  While she was gone, he pulled the ring from his backpack and managed to get on the floor on one knee. A good size puff of wind might knock him over – but he was going for this.

  When Tamara returned, she almost dropped the glasses of water. “What. Is. This?”

  “Me making it official, darling.” He held out his hand.

  She set down the glasses of water and clasped one hand over her heart as she placed the other hand in his. “Oh, Jaxson…”

  “Tamara Grayson.”

  He shifted a little uneasily and she didn’t even hesitate. Gazing at the man she loved with all her heart, she knelt on the floor with him. “Jax…son. McCoy.”

  “This isn’t what I planned.” He caressed her cheek. “I think it’s better. I can kiss you easier from here.” He feathered his lips across hers.

  “I know I already asked you to marry me…but you’ve had time to think. So, here I am.” He shrugged his shoulder. “Just me. A not so perfect cowboy. Asking the woman of my dreams to be my wife. Will you wear my ring, Tamara?”

  “Yes,” she whispered the word as if it were a sacred vow. “Yes.”

  As he slipped the ring on her finger, she lifted sparkling eyes to his. “So. Happy.”

  “Oh, if you think this is good, just wait. I’ve got a whole lifetime of happy planned out for you.” As he held her close and kissed her, he whispered his dreams. “A beautiful wedding. A fuctastic honeymoon. A life of sharing. A little boy and a little girl. Years and years of cherishing you.”

  “For. True?”

  Remembering the sweet words she’d whispered to him so long ago, he repeated them. “For true, baby.” He kissed her on the end of the nose. “You’re the love of my life, Tamara.”

  “And you’re…my man.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as could be. “A. Helluva. Man.”

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  How to Rope a McCoy: Hell Yeah!

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  Is Texas big enough for more McCoys? Hell yeah! Heath McCoy, the oldest cousin of Aron and his brothers spends his days championing his family. He is no stranger to heartbreak, the woman he loved left him at the altar. From that moment on, Heath developed a new attitude - love'em and leave 'em wanting more. Until he meets Cato. Cato is determined to experience all life has to offer. She is deaf, yet very adept at listening with her heart. The moment she lays eyes on Heath, she knows he’s the one man who will mean the world to her. But Heath doesn't want forever, he wants a fling. So, Cato decides to give him what he wants and hope he falls in love with her in the process. She takes a gamble on love and the stakes are high. How do you rope a McCoy? Very carefully. How do you keep him tied? With love.

  Godsend: Hell Yeah! Heritage

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  Godsend is the first novel in the Hell Yeah! Heritage series. If you ever wondered where those McCoy men came from…these historical novels will take you to their beginnings. Deeply sensual stories of romance and adventure, they will capture your imagination and your heart.

  History is definitely worth repeating.

  Thrust from his home, Austin McCoy travels west to build a new life for himself in the wilds of Texas. Civilization has not yet arrived to the wilderness where he settles and his nearest neighbor is more than two days’ journey through Indian territory alive with bear, cougar and wolves. While difficult, carving out an existence amidst these dangers is not what weighs heavily on his heart. With nothing and no one to share his days, Austin is lost. The answer to his prayers comes from a very unexpected source…

  Jolie Dumas has also been torn from the only home she has ever known. The beloved daughter of a plantation owner and his quadroon mistress, she is horrified to be sold into slavery after the death of her parents. Bought and paid for, she is chained and walked from New Orleans to Texas. Before she can be delivered to her master, the slave trader is killed and Jolie escapes. Alone and vulnerable, she seeks a safe place to hide, not knowing the sanctuary she finds may end up being the one place she truly belongs.

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  What could a rough, tough cowboy and a beautiful ex-nun have in common?Not much, but opposites attract.

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  Daniel Blackhawk never believed in love at first sight until he falls for Sarah Riley like a ton of bricks. From the moment he sees her rush out into a busy highway to save the life of a little child, he knows she is the woman for him.

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  Until one day…he accidentally kisses his partner.

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  A kiss that changes everything.

  Rey Cassidy is his right hand. The woman behind the man. Whatever he can envision, she can make happen. After the kiss, his focus begins to change. Business is not so important, playing the field is getting old. How did he overlook the amazing woman who was right under his nose?

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identifying her as his soulmate is just half the battle.

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  King’s Fancy: Wild West

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  Kingston Ramsay needs a good woman, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

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  Lonely days. Lonely nights. Lonely bed.

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