Mountain Men of Liberty (Complete Box Set)

by K. C. Crowne

  “You think our family might try to snatch it up?” I shrugged. “I really don’t care about Andy’s money. It might be nice, especially since it could help with raising Caleb, but it’s the least of my concerns right now.”

  “Good,” Tabby said with a nod. “But since we’re both supposed to attend, what should we do with Caleb?”

  Good question. “I’ll ask Leah to watch him.”

  “Or Grant,” Tabby commented with a coy smile.

  “Or Grant, I guess. He is good with him, but I’m not sure he’d want to watch him for that long.”

  “I think he’d do anything for you and that little boy.”

  My cheeks flushed, and I couldn’t look my sister in the eye. “Yeah, he’d do anything for Caleb,” I agreed.

  ooo000ooo

  My phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number from Los Angeles. I had a feeling I knew who it might be before I even picked up. Tabby had just left, and Caleb was down for a nap. I was relaxing on the couch and not really in the mood to talk to anyone. Still, I answered.

  “Hello,” I said hesitantly.

  “Piper? It’s your aunt, Grace.”

  I knew I had an aunt Grace, but I couldn’t recall ever having met her. Funny how a death in the family will bring out distant relatives.

  “Oh, hi there, Grace,” I said. “I don’t believe we’ve ever talked before. How are you?”

  “I’m good,” she replied. “I’m sorry we couldn’t make it back for your father’s funeral. You know we were never that close.”

  “I understand.” I didn’t really, but it didn’t seem to matter much at this point.

  “Anyway, I should get to the point. My husband and I have always wanted a child of our own, but I was unable to have them naturally. I’m sure you understand how hard that is for a woman.”

  My chest tightened. “I can only imagine. I’m so sorry to hear that, Grace.”

  “Well, we know Andy had a little boy who’s now without parents, and I was thinking we might take him in.”

  “Oh, were you?”

  “We have a nice home here in Los Angeles. A large house with a yard and a pool. We have plenty of room for a child, and we’re both retired now. I can’t think of any better place for him, can you?”

  “Well, honestly, I think it might be best if he stayed with me. I’ve helped raise him and he’s comfortable with me already.”

  There was a silence on the other end of the line. “You want to take in the little boy?”

  “His name is Caleb, Grace. And yes. That’s the plan.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Piper. I know you operate a daycare, but are you in any shape to raise him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Financially. Children cost money.”

  “I understand that, but I think we’ll be just fine.”

  I had some concerns, of course, but Andy likely had life insurance to handle this situation. I wasn’t in it for the money, but I felt like we’d be able to survive on it. And I’d make sure Caleb had enough for his future as well.

  “Oh, Piper, dear. If you’re thinking that his insurance and everything will take care of Caleb and you for the rest of your life, I’m sorry, but I doubt it’ll be that easy. Besides, you have to work and run your business. Do you really have time for a child in this stage of your life?”

  “What do you mean this stage of my life?”

  “You’re a single woman. You’ll probably want to have children of your own in the future. What will that mean for the boy?”

  “What are you insinuating, Grace? That I’ll push Caleb aside if I decide to have kids of my own one day? I already love him like my own—”

  “So you say now, dear. Until you actually have your own.”

  “This conversation is over, Grace.” I hung up the phone, my hand trembling as I pushed the button. I felt the tears in my eyes but wiped them away before they could fall. I couldn’t let her get to me. I loved Caleb more than anything, and I would never push him aside. Never.

  The idea that someone might fight me for him, however, scared the daylights out of me. And those were tears I couldn’t fight.

  Chapter 11

  Grant

  “Hey, Piper. I scheduled Caleb’s appointment for tomorrow afternoon. They had a cancellation and could squeeze us in. Let me know if there’s a problem.” I left her a voicemail since she hadn’t answered. Getting ahold of her hadn’t been easy since the night at my place. I had a feeling that I’d fucked up. I tried not to think with my dick, but I’d failed.

  I thought everything might be fine, that maybe we could move slowly, but Piper seemed to want some space. I gave her that space, but I also wanted Caleb taken care of. I knew his appointment had been last minute, but the sooner we could get him checked out, the better. I knew Piper would agree.

  She called me right back. “Hey, so yeah, I have a favor to ask.”

  “A favor?” I scratched my chin. “Sure, ask away.”

  “Tabby and I both need to meet with Andy’s lawyer tomorrow. You mentioned Caleb’s appointment was tomorrow afternoon, and I wouldn’t be able to go, but—”

  “But you want to know if I can take Caleb on my own?”

  “If you wouldn’t mind?” she said pleadingly. “Otherwise, we need to reschedule, and I can ask Leah to watch him instead.”

  I didn’t want to reschedule, but I also had no experience being alone with a toddler. I’d watched Matilda for Kellen and Leah a handful of times, but she was an infant and all she did was sleep and eat.

  “I don’t know. Is there any way to reschedule with the lawyer?”

  “No, unfortunately not. We have distant relatives who are coming down from Vegas and even Los Angeles for this.”

  I didn’t even know she had relatives in L.A. I knew a lot of things about her, but whoever these people were, they weren’t her family - because I don’t think she’d ever met them.

  I sighed. “What’s this meeting about?”

  “They’re reading his will, talking about his assets, and discussing who Andy wanted to raise Caleb. It’s important I go.”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll take care of Caleb while you do that.”

  There’s no way Piper could miss this meeting, and I didn’t want her to stress about it. I also didn’t want Caleb to miss the appointment.

  “Thanks, I know you’ll take good care of him.”

  I nodded, not wanting to tell her that even though I was a big, burly, former Marine, my growing attachment to that little boy scared the shit out of me. We both fell silent for a few beats, clearly needing to say something but neither knowing exactly how to begin.

  Since she wasn’t bringing it up, I decided I should. “So, about the other night—”

  She cut me off. “Grant, now isn’t the time. I really can’t handle this right now.”

  “Alright.” I wasn’t about to push the issue. “Just know we can talk about it whenever you’re ready.”

  “Listen, I have to go. But thank you again for all your help with Caleb. You’re doing me a really big favor and I appreciate it.”

  She hung up before I could get another word in.

  The next day, I stopped by the daycare an hour before the appointment. Piper was still closing for the day. Thankfully her meeting with the lawyer was after most of the children left for the day. Frannie was staying to watch the remaining children while Tabby and Piper went to their meeting.

  I tried to talk to Piper, but she was rushing around, clearly stressed. I didn’t want to add to it. Caleb also didn’t seem like himself. He didn’t rush over to me when I entered, nor did he drag me over to play. He sat with Tabby at a table, and the two of them were speaking in hushed voices. I only heard part of their conversation as I approached.

  “Your daddy loved you very much, Caleb. He didn’t want to leave you.”

  Caleb’s sad face was like a knife sliced through my heart.

  “Look who’s here,” Tabby said, sounding extra cheery. “It
’s Grant! Aren’t you excited to spend some time with your friend, Grant?”

  Caleb turned and looked at me. His eyes were sullen, and he offered no smile.

  “Hey, little man,” I said, ruffling his hair. “Ready to go?”

  “Okay.” He slid from his chair and walked over to put the crayons he’d been using away.

  “He knows about his dad?” I asked Tabby.

  “Yeah, Piper broke the news to him a couple days ago, and it’s just now clicking that his dad isn’t coming back. But he keeps asking because he doesn’t quite grasp permanence just yet.”

  Caleb wandered over to us, his head down. Tabby grabbed his jacket from the cubby and helped put it on him. “It’s getting cold out there. It’s supposed to snow soon. Are you excited for the snow, Caleb?”

  He shrugged.

  When I agreed to take him alone, I was expecting the usual happy-go-lucky Caleb. I wasn’t sure if I was equipped to handle his feelings or the sense of loss he clearly didn’t fully understand. I had no idea what I could even say to make him feel better. It was clear Tabby had tried, and she was an expert. I was just me.

  Tabby walked with us to the door, making sure Caleb was bundled up. “Oh, one more thing.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out some keys. “You need to get his car seat from Piper’s car before you leave. If you need some help, let me know.”

  “I’m sure I can figure it out.”

  Tabby looked unsure but nodded. “Well, don’t hesitate to ask if you need help. On second thought, maybe—”

  Piper came up behind her. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it, sis.” She didn’t look me in the eye at first, but she took the keys back and motioned for me to follow her. “Caleb can wait inside until we’re done,” Piper said. “It’s too cold for him to be standing out here for long.”

  I followed her out to her car, and she bent over the back seat. It was hard not to check out her ass and think about how nice it had been to have my hands all over it. I cursed myself for having such thoughts when she was clearly in distress.

  She stood up and handed me the seat, then motioned for me to follow her to my truck.

  “You know, if you’re afraid of things being awkward between us, this isn’t helping,” I said, speaking before I thought over my words.

  She turned on her heels. “Is that what you’re worried about, Grant? Awkwardness? Because I have a whole list of worries that come before that one.”

  “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was—”

  “What you meant was you want to talk about the other night, and I get that. I do. But I don’t think I’m in the proper headspace to handle the emotions involved with whatever we have— or don’t have, as the case may be. Not right now.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to figure out the sudden change toward me,” I argued. “Excuse me if I’m a little confused.”

  “Welcome to the club, Grant. Because I’ve been confused about you since I was seventeen years old, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

  She jerked the car seat out of my hands and worked on installing it. I stood back with my hands in my pockets, not wanting to stress her out even more. When she was finished, she called Caleb out and strapped him in properly, kissing his cheek and wishing him luck. She closed the door and pivoted to face me.

  “Piper, listen, before you go… I’m sorry if I’ve caused you problems. That’s the last thing you need right now.”

  She sighed, and her shoulders drooped. Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Grant. It really means a lot to me, all that you’re doing for Caleb. I just don’t want us being stupid here, especially me. I’m weak when it comes to you, and Caleb needs me to be strong right now.”

  Her entire body trembled as she suppressed the sobs trying to escape her body. She needed me to be there for her. I wrapped my arms around her, and surprisingly, she didn’t pull away. She let me hold her close as she cried into my shoulder.

  “My aunt and uncle from LA are interested in adopting Caleb,” she revealed, her voice so low, I thought maybe I’d heard her wrong.

  I pulled back so I could look her in the eye. “What did you say?”

  She sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “Apparently, I have a great aunt on my dad’s side, someone I never met. She’s always wanted kids, couldn’t have them, and wants to adopt Caleb.” She stopped as if to gather her emotions. “She’s got money, Grant. Lots of money. A nice house with a yard in a ritzy part of Los Angeles, everything he could ever want. And all I have is— well, nothing.”

  “Piper, there’s no way some distant relatives from California is better for that boy than you. I don’t care how much money she has. You’ve been there when Andy wasn’t.”

  “Tell that to Social Services and the lawyer reading the will today,” she muttered. “I mean, they still could choose me over my aunt, but I don’t see how they would.”

  “They will choose you to care for Caleb, Piper, because there’s no one better than you. You’ve changed his diapers, you’ve been there when he’s sick or hurting. He knows you, he loves you. He doesn’t know or love this other woman, and the last thing he needs is to lose someone else he loves.”

  “I hope you’re right, but…”

  “No, I’m right,” I said, taking her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “And don’t you dare doubt it, not even for a second.”

  She nodded. “Alright. I just hope they see it that way.”

  “They will,” I said, but I wasn’t so certain either. I had no idea how any of this worked, but I prayed I was right. If they knew what was good for the boy, they’d let him stay with Piper. But I knew firsthand that sometimes, money could get you almost anything you wanted.

  Chapter 12

  Piper

  My aunt Grace sat across from me, her husband John at her side. Neither of them looked familiar to me, except for the slight resemblance Grace had with my father. She had the same nose and facial features, which were passed down to Tabby and me. She had the same raven hair - except hers was mostly grey - and grey eyes, which she didn’t even use to look at us once after we’d arrived. Her husband John was all grey; even his skin looked grey. He seemed older than her by at least a decade.

  In addition to Grace and John, there were relatives from Vegas whom I vaguely recognized from my youth. A cousin named Michaela who looked bored and couldn’t stop messing with her perfectly manicured fingernails. She was eighteen, at most, probably fresh out of high school and only here because her parents, Nadia and Thomas Davis, made her come. Thomas was my father’s oldest brother, and he owned a couple hotels in the Vegas area. He certainly didn’t need the money. Grace and Thomas still seemed close, offering a friendly smile and some choice words upon meeting.

  Everyone ignored Tabby and me.

  Andy’s lawyer looked younger than I’d expect for a lawyer, but he was probably around the same age as Andy himself. I’d expected some crusty old man, but instead we got someone who looked like the star quarterback for the high school football team, only a couple years later after his glory days had faded and a bulging belly from too many drinks with his fraternity brothers in college. He was from out of town, not someone I’d recognized, but I knew his name.

  He was a partner with Andy at his law firm - Davis and Huggins. William Huggins was the only one who bothered to greet my sister and me when we entered, which considering he was a complete stranger, said a lot.

  “Shall we get down to business?” William asked, clearing his throat. “I believe everyone is present and accounted for.”

  We all stared at him with blank expressions on our faces. He went over the basics, plus added in some platitudes about how sorry he was for the loss of Andy. He was a good friend of his, yada yada.

  “First order of business, his Las Vegas condo and his cabin in Aspen Colorado go to Thomas Davis and his family. His yacht along with his Newport Beach condo was left to his aunt Grace and uncle John. His San Dieg
o condo will go to his cousin, Michaela Davis.”

  That didn’t concern me one little bit. I couldn’t care less about vacation houses or boats. I squirmed in my seat, eager to get to what he’d decided about Caleb.

  “He’s left his remaining fishing boat to Piper and Tabitha’s father, who has since passed away, so it shall go to Piper and Tabitha instead.”

  That caught my attention, not because we cared about a fishing boat, but because my dad was mentioned. How long ago was this will written? He soon answered my question.

  “This will was written before the birth of his son, but it lists all remaining assets to go to his wife and any future children. His assets are set aside in a trust for Caleb Davis, and his Liberty property will go to Caleb and his guardian, and whether it’s sold or kept for Caleb to live in is entirely up to the guardian. If the property were to be sold, fifty percent will go to Caleb’s trust, fifty percent to his guardian for the care of his son.”

  My stomach roiled.

  “Excuse me, but does it say who Andy would appoint as his son’s guardian?” Grace asked, her voice sickly sweet.

  William sighed. “When Andy and I wrote this will, it was after his marriage to Lori. I’d tried to get him to update it after she died, but Andy thought he’d live forever, that he had more time.”

  “So that answer is no, I assume?” Grace finished.

  “No, it doesn’t specify,” William said. “Which means that the matter will be left up to the courts to decide. Temporary guardianship has been granted to Piper Davis, and we will have to proceed from there to determine the best placement for him.”

  “Sounds like Andy to not take care of his kid,” Tabby muttered under her breath.

  I caught Grace staring at me, giving me a once over as if to size me up. She already saw me as competition.

  William closed the file in front of him, crossing his hands over it. “I’ve already been in touch with Ashley Sutter, Caleb’s social worker. I’ll also be acting as Caleb’s legal representative to determine what’s best for the boy.”