Mountain Men of Liberty (Complete Box Set)

by K. C. Crowne

  “Then please respect our wishes at this time,” Tabby retorted. “That’s all we ask.”

  I had no idea what was happening, and Caleb studied these new people carefully before hiding his face in the crook of my neck. Piper had always said he was shy, but I’d had trouble believing it. In that moment, I saw the shy side of him I’d only heard about before.

  “Tabby, it’s fine. Don’t start a scene,” Piper spoke softly to her sister. “It’ll just cause Caleb more stress.”

  Tabby looked at Piper like she wanted to argue, but she stepped aside eventually. The older couple rushed forward.

  “This must be Andy’s son,” the older woman said.

  “Yes, this is Caleb.” Piper’s voice was clipped.

  “Can you put him down so I can see him?”

  I looked at Piper, who shook her head. “As you can see, he’s a bit shy and nervous. I’d rather not force him to interact if he doesn’t want to.”

  “But I’m his aunt!” she argued.

  “Grace, with all due respect, you’re a total stranger to him.”

  Grace huffed, crossing her arms in front of chest, then she glared at me as if noticing me for the first time. She waved her hand flippantly at me. “And who’s this?”

  “Excuse me?” I said. “I should be asking who the hell you are.”

  Piper shot me a look, and I pressed my lips into a line as she stepped up and did the introductions. This was her aunt Grace and uncle John. I already knew Thomas and Nadia, and Michaela, who rolled her eyes when she was introduced to me, having to look up from her smartphone long enough to say hello.

  Caleb peeked at them, his head on my shoulder. As soon as Grace saw the opportunity, she reacted. “Ah, there you are, come to Aunt Grace, sweetie,” she said, reaching for the boy.

  Caleb grabbed onto me tighter, burying his face once more.

  “Please, Grace, give it time.” Piper sounded exhausted. “He’s already upset enough.”

  “You won’t keep me from him. Whether you’ll admit it or not, the boy is better off with us.”

  “Alright, Grace,” Thomas said, stepping up and taking his sister by the shoulders. “I think it’s time we paid our respects to Andy.”

  “Yeah, isn’t that the reason you came all this way?” I asked antagonistically. “Pay your respects to the man by not harassing his son.”

  Piper shot me a grateful smile.

  Grace continued to huff and puff, but Thomas and her husband were able to walk her away. Thomas glanced over his shoulder, “Piper, don’t think this is the end of it. We will be requesting visitation, and soon, so you better be prepared to hand over the boy at some point.”

  “We can schedule a visitation after the funeral, Thomas, I’m not trying to keep him away from family,” she said. “I’m merely trying to protect him during the most confusing and traumatic moment of his life.”

  Caleb sniffled, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was crying. His entire body shook in my arms as he began to sob. Piper and Tabby rushed to his side.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Piper asked, rubbing Caleb’s back.

  I couldn’t see his face still, but Piper was beside me and could see him much better than I could.

  “I want to go home,” he whimpered.

  Piper and I shared a look, and she nodded. “Okay, Caleb. Let’s go home, baby.”

  I carried him out to the car, all eyes on us as we left the funeral before it had even begun. Piper was right to take him home. There was too much going on, too many people that scared him. From Lars to Grace, it was just a shitstorm for the poor kid.

  Piper secured him in the car seat and was getting into the driver’s side when she stopped. She was staring across the parking lot.

  “What is it?” Tabby asked.

  I turned to look for myself and saw Lars standing outside the funeral home doors. He seemed to be looking our way. It sent a chill down my spine.

  “I’m going to follow you home.”

  Piper nodded, but neither of us could stop staring at Lars. I swear, his lips pulled back into the most sinister of sneers as he watched us.

  “Better yet, why don’t you guys come over to my place,” I said. “I’d feel much safer with you nearby.”

  I expected Piper to argue, to say I was overreacting. But Lars was still staring at us with that malevolent grin on his face.

  Tabby piped up, “Yeah, that might not be a bad idea.”

  Piper nodded again, climbing into the car.

  “I’ll be right behind you.” I hurried to my truck, never taking my eyes off Piper’s car. I hopped inside, and I followed their car to my house. They could stay as long as they needed, and personally, I felt much safer with them there than anywhere else.

  Chapter 14

  Piper

  “I want to go home,” Caleb repeated for probably the hundredth time that day.

  My heart stuttered every single time he said those words. I soon discovered that home wasn’t Grant’s place, it wasn’t my place - it was his home, the home he’d shared with his father.

  “Soon, baby.” I stroked his soft hair back from his face, hoping I could work something out to get us into his home. He deserved some semblance of familiarity.

  We were at Grant’s house and had spent the majority of the day there. Tabby was getting restless and wanted to go to our house, but I wouldn’t allow it. Finally, we’d come to an agreement that she’d go to Leah’s hotel. There were always people there, and she’d lock herself in a room and not answer the door. I felt slightly better that way.

  Grant, Caleb, and I were alone. We sat around his dining room table - the table his parents had when were younger. I had eaten many meals around the table, since his family took my sister and I in a lot.

  The house was very much as it had been when we were younger. Grant had hardly changed a thing, besides a few minor upgrades and repairs needed as the house aged. Otherwise, it still felt like home to me.

  Obviously, less so for Caleb.

  Grant put a plate of food in front of Caleb, who frowned and pushed it away. Grant didn’t seem to notice as he handed me a plate of food as well.

  “Just something to tide us over until dinner,” he murmured.

  He’d made us some ham sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and chips on the side. Nothing fancy, but I was starving, and Caleb had to be too. It had been hours since we’d had breakfast.

  Caleb refused to touch his food. While I didn’t want to push him too far, considering the circumstances, I did want to encourage some manners. “Caleb, sweetie, what do you say when someone does something nice for you?”

  Caleb shrugged and wouldn’t even look at me. He crossed his arms and placed them on the table, resting his head on them. He was ignoring me on purpose. He wasn’t happy, and while it might be easy to think his mood was simply a temper tantrum, I knew it went deeper than that.

  And thankfully, Grant did too. “Hey, buddy, what would you like you eat instead? If I have it, I’ll make it for you. I know you’ve had a rough day.”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you not hungry?” he asked quietly.

  Caleb didn’t answer this time. He just shrugged. Grant and I looked at each other.

  “It’s okay, I know you’ve been through a lot today,” I said. “Just let me know when you’re hungry and what you want to eat. We’ll figure it out together, okay?”

  Caleb stared at me, as if he was contemplating my words. It almost seemed as if he expected me to push the issue. Maybe his father had taken after mine, who likely had taken after his father. I don’t know, but Caleb seemed surprised that I didn’t force him to eat that very second.

  I took a bite of my sandwich and made sure to say, “Thank you, Grant. It’s delicious.”

  Grant dug into his food as well, and before long, we had cleared our plates. Caleb picked at the potato chips on his plate, eating a few, but trying to hide the fact that he was doing it. Grant and I pretended we did
n’t notice.

  Finally, Caleb spoke, his voice soft. “Can I have a pickle?”

  “You want a pickle with your sandwich?” Grant asked lightly, and he nodded his little head slightly. “Coming right up.” Grant got up from the table, walked to the fridge, and pulled out a whole jar of pickles. He placed it on the table and asked, “How many? You can have all the pickles you want.”

  Caleb looked at me, as if asking permission. I nodded, and he mumbled, “Just one, please.”

  Grant placed the sliced pickle wedge on Caleb’s plate. I didn’t even have to prompt Caleb to say, “Thank you.”

  Grant and I watched as Caleb began to eat his sandwich, munching on the pickle spear after every bite of sandwich. I could hardly contain the smile on my face. I was just so relieved he was eating and returning to his normal self. I knew it would be hard, and I was still learning all his likes and dislikes. It would take time, I reminded myself. One step at a time, and this was a step in the right direction.

  Caleb didn’t eat all of his sandwich, but he ate enough of it that I was satisfied he was no longer hungry. Once he was finished, I helped Grant clear the table.

  Caleb’s little eyes were growing heavy. It was past his naptime, and he’d had a busy day. Grant must have noticed it too.

  “My old room is still available,” he whispered. “We can let him rest in there, if you want.”

  I felt safer with Grant, and even though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that we were in any danger, it was nice that we could stay there. At least until our nerves died down a bit.

  Grant carried Caleb as we walked down the hall to his old bedroom. It was right by the living room, so we wouldn’t have to worry about him being too far from us.

  When Grant opened the door, it was hard to contain the laughter. The room was set up just as I remembered when we were teens. Star Wars posters lined the walls, with a few posters of famous athletes from our time. His twin bed still had the same navy-blue bedding too.

  “I remember how you’d never, ever let us in here,” I teased. “Leah and I would try to break in, just to annoy you.”

  Grant laughed as he motioned for me to step inside. “A lot has changed, obviously.”

  “Obviously.” I stepped into the room and looked all around. It felt like walking into a museum, a time period so perfectly preserved except for some dust on the sports trophies on the shelves.

  Grant placed a sleepy Caleb in his bed, tucking him in. He fought to keep his eyes open, saying, “I’m not sleepy,” even though we knew it was a lie.

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to sleep, little man. Just get comfy and relax.” Grant took a seat in the desk chair beside the bed, and I sat down on the bed near Caleb. “We’ll just hang out here for a bit. What do you say?”

  “Okay,” Caleb said, his eyes shutting on him against his will.

  It took maybe two seconds for him to fall fast asleep. I stayed with him for a few more minutes, just in case. As soon as we were sure he was deep in dreamland, we quietly left the room, leaving the door open just a crack so we could hear if he woke up.

  “You know,” Grant said as we walked back into the living room, “I would feel much better if the two of you stayed here tonight. I don’t like the way Lars was looking at you.”

  I felt like I should protest, to tell him I couldn’t do it, that I was afraid of what might happen if we spent the night together. As if he’d read my mind, Grant quickly added, “You could stay in Leah’s old room, if you want. You wouldn’t have to, you know…”

  He was such a perfect gentleman. He ran a hand over the stubble on his face and didn’t meet my gaze at first, but when he turned his brown eyes to me, my heart fluttered in my chest.

  “I probably need to make some phone calls, see if I can get into Andy’s house for Caleb, but I’ll think about it.”

  I already knew my answer. I couldn’t turn down an offer like that. I didn’t want to get caught up in a relationship right now, especially since Grant had his own demons to deal with - he didn’t need mine too. But the fact that he was so damn good with Caleb made it impossible for me to not imagine what could be.

  “Yeah, that’s fine,” he said. “I also need to call that specialist back. I think Caleb’s shoes might be ready.”

  I bit my lip, fighting the urge to show him how much it all meant to me with a kiss. “Thank you,” just didn’t seem good enough, but it’s what I settled for.

  We parted ways to make our respective phone calls, but I couldn’t get his offer out of my mind. Stay the night, here, with Grant? Sure, I didn’t have to sleep in his bed, but after the other night, would it be possible to resist?

  I guess I’d just have to wait and see.

  ooo000ooo

  “I can get the keys tomorrow,” I said, staring at my phone instead of looking at the gorgeous hunk of a man sitting next to me. “I’m shocked it was that easy.”

  “You’re his guardian. It makes sense you have access to his clothes, toys, and whatever else he may need.”

  “William said we could even stay there, if I wanted.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Andy had a ridiculously nice house. It was huge - far too big for just Caleb and me.

  Now it was empty.

  “It rightfully belongs to Caleb, and when you get custody of him—”

  “If I get custody.” I hated to imagine that possibility, but it was in the back of my mind.

  Grant touched my cheek, turning my face toward him. I stared into those deep, brown eyes and for a second forgot about everything. I melted into the couch, yearning to just fall into him and let it all go. Being with him often felt like things would just work out. He made me feel safe.

  “You’re going to get custody, Piper.”

  His words touched something deep inside of me, causing a warmth in my chest that spread throughout every vein in my body.

  He made me believe it.

  I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I stared deep into his eyes and let myself live for the moment. Before I knew what was happening, his face was closer to mine and our lips were pressed together. He kissed me, or maybe I kissed him, I didn’t know, but our mouths were exploring each other’s as his hands moved down my body.

  My own hands moved up his chest, running underneath his shirt from the tight, smooth muscles of his abs up to his ripped, chiseled chest. I craved to touch every inch of his body.

  A sound pulled us apart, however. We stopped and dropped our hands and pulled away from the kiss just in time to hear Caleb’s little feet down the hallway. By the time he made it to the living room, Grant and I were sitting on the couch with our hands in our laps and looking like angels.

  Caleb padded over to me, and I helped him climb on my lap. He wiped the sleep from his eyes.

  “Have a good nap, sweetie?”

  “Yes,” he said, resting his head on my shoulder.

  “I got some good news today. We can go to your house soon.”

  Caleb looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. “Can Grant come too?”

  Grant and I both chuckled. “I’m not sure, honey. He kinda has a home of his own, you know, but I’m sure he can visit us no matter where we live. Right, Grant?”

  “Of course. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I glanced at him, and I had to admit, he’d opened up so much over the last week or so. I’d never seen this side of Grant before, and it amazed me. All this time, I thought he wouldn’t be open to having a relationship with me - either because I was Leah’s best friend or because he had monsters in his head or because I had a child to care for now - but maybe I’d imagined those things. Perhaps I’d put up my own walls, afraid I’d never be able to get through his.

  Maybe it was time I let my guard down a little.

  “And good news, Caleb. Grant asked if we could spend the night here. Would you like that?”

  “Yes!” He threw his arms in the air as if to celebrate.

  Grant and I laughed again at how excited the
boy was to spend the night at Grant’s house, especially with the promise of going back to his own home soon. I still wasn’t sure if we’d stay there and didn’t want Caleb to get too excited about the prospect of moving back in case things didn’t go as planned, but for the meantime, the best way to cause as little disruption to his routine as possible was to visit his home.

  Ooo000ooo

  “He’s out like a light.” Grant shut the bedroom door behind him, and we entered the hall again.

  Caleb’s nap earlier had been incredibly short, and with all the excitement of staying with Grant - and the two of them roughhousing late into the evening, he was exhausted.

  As was I.

  It had been a long day for all of us.

  Grant must have sensed my tiredness, so he motioned me down the hall to Leah’s old room. He flipped on the light, and like his room, Leah’s looked much the same as it had when we were teens, just with a few things missing here and there, things she’d taken to her own place. Just like Grant’s, there was dust on the edges of the bookshelves and the silly little knickknacks that adorned the shelves.

  So many memories came rushing back in that moment. Late nights with Leah, talking about boys and doing each other’s hair and makeup. She only had a twin bed, but there was a second bed in the room that used to belong to her sister, Caroline, who passed when we were kids. I usually slept in that bed when I stayed over. I noticed the bedding for that one had been stripped, leaving it bare, sitting in a corner like a long-forgotten artifact while Leah’s bed still had the bright yellow and grey bedding she had when we were teens.

  But I had no intention of sleeping there tonight.

  I closed the distance between us, pressing my body against his as I stared up at him. I wanted to see if he’d make the next move, and he did exactly what I wanted him to do.

  Cupping my face in his hands, he leaned closer to me. Our lips smashed together with such force, it was almost magnetic. He whispered against my lips, “Are you sure you want this?”

  “Yes.”