Delivering His Gifts: A Mountain Man's Baby Christmas Romance (Mountain Men of Liberty)

by K. C. Crowne

  “Try me.”

  “I don’t have time right now,” I said, turning back around.

  I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs behind me.

  “You never have time for us anymore, Mason. I’m starting to think you’ve found another family.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  But I took the bait. “You know, family is more than just your blood, right? So yes, I have found another family. It doesn’t mean I’m replacing the one I have, though. So lay off, man.”

  Eli grabbed the door handle to my room. The clock was ticking. I had to be there to pick up Danielle as we’d discussed or else… Greg would know they were leaving and might get there before I did. I didn’t know how far he’d go to hurt Danielle, and I didn’t want to find out.

  And the way I saw it, I had two choices in that moment. Get into a fight with my brother, likely wasting necessary time dealing with him. Or come clean.

  I decided the latter option was the best one.

  “Eli, I’m going to be a father, and the mother of my child is in danger. I need to find a way to help her, and fast.”

  Eli’s face shifted. His blank, hard mask turned into something softer as he loosened his grip on the doorknob and stepped back.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked quietly.

  “Because I wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet. I’m still coming to terms with it myself, and I have no idea what I’m doing or what’s going to happen between Danielle and me, so I couldn’t answer everyone’s questions even if I wanted to.”

  “How long—” He stopped and shook his head. “Never mind, we don’t have time for that,” Eli said. “What do we need to do? Should I get Graham and Sam involved?”

  I opened my bedroom door and hurried inside, Eli right behind me. “I need to find a place that will let her, her daughter, and their pets stay with them,” I told him. I walked to my desk and grabbed my contact book, flipping through the pages of business cards I’d collected over the years, trying to determine if I knew anyone in real estate. “I don’t know if we have time to call on the others. I need to pick her up in about thirty minutes.”

  I thought about the job we were supposed to be working and looked at Eli. It seemed like the moment I told him what was up, he forgot all about it.

  “Can Graham and Sam do the job alone?”

  “Yeah, they can handle it,” Eli said. “And I think I can help you with your problem. Let me make a phone call.”

  Eli whipped out his phone and went into the hallway. I could hear his voice, but not what he was saying. I landed on a business card that might work. An old client of ours owned real estate all over the country. That could work. I dialed his number, hoping he’d remember me.

  Before I could finish punching in the numbers, Eli burst in the room. “I got them a place.”

  “You did?”

  “Yep. Remember that job I took about two months back, the one I did alone because everyone else was too busy?”

  I nodded.

  “The guy owns several homes in the area, all rentals. He’s got an empty house.”

  “You didn’t even ask how many pets they have. She’s got two dogs, including a giant one, some cats, and other small critters too. Think it’ll be a problem?”

  “I’ll call back and ask, but I’m sure with enough persuasion, we can figure anything out,” Eli said, rubbing his fingers together to insinuate that money would be the persuasive element. “Worst case, cats and small critters can be left at home and we can check on them as needed.”

  “We?” I asked, a smile pulling at my lips.

  “Yeah, of course. We’re family, Mason. If you need help, I’ll be there for you.”

  “Thanks Eli. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

  Eli placed a hand on my shoulder. “No problem, man. I understand. It’s water under the bridge now. Let’s take care of your woman.”

  I didn’t correct him and tell him that Danielle wasn’t mine.

  Yet.

  Danielle

  My phone vibrated in my pocket as I headed out to the car to pick Skyler up. I answered it without looking at the number as I slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Hey,” I said calmly, expecting Mason. “I’m on my way to pick her up now.”

  “Don’t worry about picking her up.” Greg’s voice sent a chill down my spine even though he spoke in a normal tone. “I was in town and stopped by the Ellison's place. She’s with me.”

  My heart stopped. “How did you know—”

  “Mrs. Ellison called me by mistake,” he said. “Something to do with Charlotte running a fever all of a sudden. But this works out. I was meaning to tell you that I wanted her this weekend anyway.”

  “It’s not your weekend with her,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “No, it’s not, but it’s my mother’s eightieth birthday, and she’s my daughter too, Dani. My mom likely only has a little time left, and she wanted all her grandkids there. Tony will be there, so will his kids. You know how much Skyler loves to play with them.”

  “Tony and Shelly will be there?” I asked, a lump in my throat, nearly making it hard to speak. His brother, Tony, was a good guy. I had to admit I liked him, and his wife Shelly had always been very kind to me, even through the divorce.

  “Yep. Angela will be there too. She just had a baby and she’s dying for Skyler to meet her,” he said.

  Angela was his sister. Also good people, as far as I could tell, even if we were never that close. She lived in New York and rarely made it to Utah. She loved spoiling Skyler.

  Except for Greg - and technically his mom - his family was actually pretty decent. And I trusted them with my daughter.

  But something didn’t sit right with me. Even if Greg was acting calmer than usual, I feared the worst. Did he know about our plan to flee the house? I never knew Greg to hold his emotions together when angry, however, so I was inclined to believe him.

  Even if I didn’t want my daughter going with him.

  Mason did say act natural, and if I fought too hard at this, what then? He already had my daughter with him and getting her back would lead to a fight and likely calling the cops. Greg would probably threaten to take me to court for a different custody agreement.

  I sighed and closed my eyes to hold back the tears.

  I didn’t even say anything, but Greg was already growing impatient with me. “Dammit, Dani,” he said, lowering his voice as if trying to not swear in front of Skyler. “She’s my daughter too. Sorry I forgot that my mom’s birthday was this weekend. Tony just reminded me this morning.”

  Breathe, Danielle. Just breathe. He doesn’t know anything, I told myself.

  “Can I talk to Skyler for a second, please?”

  I heard a muffled sound as the phone was passed to her.

  “Hi Mommy!” she said, her voice cheery as usual.

  “Hi baby. Do you want to go with your daddy to Grandma’s birthday party?”

  “He said Madison and Michelle will be there,” she said excitedly. “I haven’t seen them in years.”

  I giggled at her hyperbole. She was simply repeating a phrase she’d probably heard in passing. She’d just seen her cousins a few weeks ago for one of their birthday parties at a waterpark, but to her, a few weeks probably did feel like years.

  “So you want to go then?”

  “Yes, please, Mommy?” she said, and hearing her beg to stay with her father tugged at my heartstrings. I didn’t want to pull her away from that side of the family. She deserved to know her aunts and uncles and cousins. My heart hurt, though.

  “Okay, I love you baby. Can I talk to your daddy, please?”

  More muffled noises on the phone as Skyler passed the phone to her father.

  “Yes?”

  “Is the party tomorrow?” I asked.

  “Yes, tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Have her back to me by tomorrow evening,” I said, speaking slow and steady.

  “I’ll bring her ba
ck whenever I damned well please,” he growled, hanging up the phone before I could say anything else.

  My hand was trembling, and I nearly dropped the phone.

  Skyler was happy. She would be with her other family members. I would put off leaving the house for another day or two. It was unlikely Mason would find us a place to go that quickly anyway. I would just have to act normal until then.

  Speaking of Mason… I needed to update him.

  I was still in the car, but even there, I didn’t feel 100% certain someone wasn’t listening. Greg could have bugged my car, for all I knew. So I texted him instead.

  Hey Mason. Change of plans - can we meet somewhere to talk?

  His response came a second later.

  I was already on my way, but sure. Meet at the diner in fifteen minutes?

  Sounds good, I texted back, tucking the phone away before starting the engine.

  Something still didn’t feel right. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  As I drove toward the diner, I remembered past celebrations with his family. His mother’s birthday was always such a big deal. She always expected everyone to come together, so that wasn’t the problem. Especially for a birthday as important as her eightieth.

  Her seventieth, I remembered clearly because that was the first time I’d met all of his family.

  Wait, it was right after we started dating…we started dating in January. It was July.

  I tried to keep my focus on the road, but my head was spinning. I was almost to the diner, and there was nowhere else to turn off. I sped to the diner and parked along the street at the first spot I could find.

  With my hands shaking, I reached for my phone and scrolled through my calendar. I kept track of all of Greg’s relative’s birthdays for Skyler’s sake. We tried to send them cards or call them. Even his damned mother.

  Henrietta’s birthday. Found it.

  My heart stopped as I read the date.

  February 25th.

  I felt the world cave in around me, like I was suffocating in my own car. Just to be sure I wasn’t losing my mind or had misheard Greg, I tried to call him back.

  No answer. It went straight to voicemail.

  I didn’t bother leaving a message.

  I decided to get some answers about what happened, how Greg got Skyler in the first place. I called Mrs. Ellison.

  She answered, and she sounded worried when I told her I was Skyler’s mom. “Oh Danielle, how are you doing? I heard about the accident.”

  “What accident?” I stammered.

  “Greg told me you were in a car accident. He said it was really bad, and that you were in surgery so you couldn’t call. That’s why he had to pick up Skyler.”

  My heart dropped.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Ellison. I’m fine. There was no accident.”

  “Oh dear, I told him I could keep her until I could speak to you, but he insisted. Is everything alright?”

  I didn’t want to drag her into our mess and had no time to explain. I was shaking all over and needed to get off the phone. “Yes, everything is fine. It was a misunderstanding. But I really need to go now.”

  I tried Greg again. Still no answer. Dammit. I had to get through to him.

  Tony. He said Tony would be there. I still had his number and pulled up his contact info, hitting dial without a second thought. The phone rang and rang, and I feared it would go to voicemail.

  Please pickup, I pleaded with the universe.

  Finally, a man’s voice said, “Hello?”

  “Tony? It’s Danielle,” I said.

  Before I could continue, Tony said, “Oh hi there. Is everything okay?”

  “Well, I was just trying to reach Greg. He took Skyler with him, said that your family was having a huge birthday celebration for your mom and I—”

  “What? No, you must be mistaken,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s no party. My mom’s birthday is in February.”

  Just as I thought.

  “So there’s no family get-together this weekend?” I asked, feeling like my heart had been ripped out through my throat.

  “No, not at all. In fact, we’re not even in the country. Shelly and I are in Barbados with the girls right now.”

  My heart stopped. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even breathe.

  “Dani? Is everything okay?”

  “Uhh, I must have misheard, sorry,” I stammered, eager to get off the phone. “I have to go.”

  I hung up in a hurry and stumbled out of my car. I had to talk to Mason. I had to tell him what was going on, and I had to find out what Greg was up to with my daughter.

  Mason

  “Danielle!” I called, running into the street after her. She stumbled out of her car and to the ground, in the middle of the road.

  A car screeched to a halt as I stood in its way. It honked and the driver drove around me angrily, screaming obscenities out the window. But at least Danielle was safe. I knelt to the ground to help her up.

  “What happened?” I asked her.

  She stammered, “G-Greg has her. He took Skyler.”

  Hearing those words caused every muscle in my body to tighten up. I had to get Danielle out of the road and somewhere safe. I took her arm and led her onto the nearby sidewalk.

  “Tell me everything,” I said, helping her sit down on a bench not too far away.

  Her entire body was shaking, and at first, she just babbled incoherently. I could barely make out the chain of events, but I was able to piece it together.

  Skyler was at her friend’s house. Her dad picked her up and said they had a family event that weekend. She realized something was off and called his brother, who confirmed there was no family gathering.

  “What do you think he’s doing? Do you think he’s going to leave the country with her?” Her eyes were bloodshot and wide.

  “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” I said.

  I reached for my phone and called Eli, who answered on the first ring. I told him everything.

  “Get home, bring Danielle with you. Graham and Sam will be back soon, and they can stay with her while we get the girl back.”

  “Thanks, Eli,” I said, still feeling like an ass for not confiding in my brothers sooner. I got off the phone and told Danielle the plan.

  “No, we need to go to Greg’s,” she said.

  “We need to get you safe first—”

  “No, I’m going with you, and we’re going to Greg’s,” she stated, wiping the tears from her eyes. “And we can’t waste any more time. We need to go now.”

  “Right. You’re right,” I said, not liking the idea of Danielle being there. “What’s Greg’s address?”

  She told me. He lived outside of Liberty, in Sunville. It was a thirty-minute drive. We had to hurry.

  I walked Danielle to my truck while calling Eli back. I gave him the plan and texted him the address. He promised me he would head out now and fill Sam and Graham in on everything they needed to know. They were still working the job, which meant they likely wouldn’t be checking their phones. It would just be Eli and me, but I knew we could handle it.

  Danielle was mostly quiet on the ride over, staring out the window as the tears continued to flow. Her hand rested on her belly, which was protruding rather obviously from her too-small shirt and tight pants. She would need some maternity clothes soon. I didn’t know much about pregnancy other than watching what my sisters-in-law were going through, but she did seem larger than I expected. And if for some reason, Greg didn’t already know about the baby, he would now. There was no hiding the baby bump.

  When I looked at Danielle, it was like a hand clenched my heart inside my chest. The pain was unlike anything I’d felt before. My protective instincts kicked into high gear, and I knew that I would step in front of a bullet to save her and my child.

  “Eli’s right behind us,” I said as we pulled onto the street where Greg lived.

  Danielle nodded. She tensed up as we pulled up to the address she
had given me. “We’re here,” she said slowly.

  The house was about as large as Jim King’s, and likely just as gaudy. I didn’t know why rich people wanted to flaunt their wealth. Even though my brothers and I had the money to live like this if we wanted to, we never saw a point in gaudy grandeur and McMansions.

  The street was lined with cars - several black BMWs that looked identical. A white Mercedes stood out amongst the bunch, as if someone was intentionally trying to be different.

  “Do you see his car anywhere?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “He parks in the garage, never on the street.”

  Eli’s truck pulled up behind me, and I waved at him to let him know we were ready to go. “Stay here,” I said, unbuckling my seat belt.

  “No, I’m going with you,” she said.

  She was her own woman, and I knew from the look she gave me I wouldn’t be able to keep her confined to my truck.

  “Stay behind us then, at least a few feet back,” I muttered, even though she was already getting out of the truck and slamming the door. There was no controlling her. She was a wild one, an independent spirit. She was a mother who would do anything to protect her child.

  Eli and I walked faster than her, however, and I was able to lead the way up the delicate stone walkway. The grass on each side of us was so perfectly green and cut with precision, I thought it might be fake.

  We walked up the stairs to the porch, and I knocked on the front door without even checking for a bell. I assumed Greg, like Jim, would have a butler or doorman, so it surprised me when Greg himself opened the door.

  Danielle, who had been standing behind us until that moment, rushed forward.

  “Where’s Skyler?”

  “She’s inside, Dani,” Greg said, his gaze moving over her body. He sneered at her. “Where she should be.”

  “You lied to me,” Danielle said, calmer than I expected. “I talked to your brother. I know your mother’s birthday isn’t until February. There’s no party this weekend.”

  Greg shrugged and rolled his eyes, sighing deeply as if Danielle was nothing but an annoyance. “Fine. Yes, I lied. Because I wanted to see my daughter on a weekend that wasn’t my own. Is that so wrong?”