Christmas Cowboy

by Claire Adams

  Right. After Finn's accident really boils down to being my fault, or Dad's, really.

  Taking a deep breath, I knocked and pushed the door open.

  Clark stood and gave me a sad smile. "Chloe. I'm glad you're here. I didn't have your number or..."

  I lifted my hand to stop him. "It's okay. Really."

  "He's doing better. Thank God." Clark moved to one side of the bed, and I moved to the other, my breath catching in my chest.

  "What was he thinking?" I bent down and brushed my lips by his ear. His beautiful face was covered in black and blue bruises. There were tubes and wires everywhere. I held in the scream that pressed against my lugs as I wept as quietly as I could.

  "They think he can hear us," Clark whispered through his own tears.

  I nodded and kissed the side of Finn's face several times before whispering in his ear. "You better come back to me. You're not a boy anymore, Finn Warner. You're a grown-ass man. My grown-ass man. Please don't leave me here without you."

  Clark turned and walked to the window as a deep sound of grief left him.

  I kissed Finn's face once more and pressed my cheek to his forehead. "Please, wake up. Please."

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Finn

  A strong hand held mine as I came to from the long sleep I'd been in. It took me a minute to get my eyes to open, but I wasn't in a hurry. The last thing I remembered was not being able to see anything, so the blurry colors that danced before my eyes were a blessed relief.

  "Finn?" My father's voice caught my attention, and I languidly turned to find him as my vision cleared a little more. I was almost too scared to try and speak, but I knew it was foolish. Fear had never been something to bind me before. It wasn't happening now, either.

  "Dad?" I groaned, my head hurting far worse than it had in the past.

  "Thank God." He leaned over me and pressed his cheek to my forehead, which was beyond awkward, and yet not. He was my dad, and I'd most likely given him the scare of his life.

  "What happened?" I licked at my lips and tried to move around, finding out what worked and what didn't.

  "You were in an accident over at the new hill that opened up. You took a pretty bad fall."

  "Anything broken or missing?" I couldn't help but look around the room slowly, half hoping to find Chloe. Maybe no one had told her that I was hurt, or worse, maybe they did, and she wasn't interested in coming to see me. I deserved that shit completely. Ignoring her because of her father's actions? Stupid.

  "Broken foot, but it will set, thanks to your cast." He moved back and rubbed my chest rhythmically like he did when I was a kid and had a bad dream. "You had a concussion that they figured would fix itself if they put you in a medically induced coma. You’ve been out for three days."

  "Damn," I mumbled and closed my eyes, arching my back just to make sure nothing hurt.

  "Seems to have worked. You're talking. You can see me, right?" He leaned over, and I reached up pushing at his chest.

  "Yes, and I can smell the ten cups of coffee you had this morning." A smile lifted my lips, and I looked around again. "I need some water."

  He moved from the bed and poured me a glass before pressing the button that lifted me to a reclined seating position. "Let me go tell the nurse you're awake. They'll want to bring the doctor in."

  "Yeah. Where's my phone?"

  "It's in my truck. You want me to go get it?" He stopped by the door.

  "No. Just wanted to check in with Brian. I'm sure he was worried."

  "He's been by every day." Dad winked and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  "What about Chloe? Has she even called? Does she know? Does she care?" I mumbled and reached up to rub my hand down my stomach as it growled loudly.

  The door opened, and my father came back in. "Alright. He's on his way."

  "Dad. What happened with you and Mr. Burke?"

  Dad gave me a sad smile, but moved up next to me and sat down on the bed. "We were best friends as kids. We grew up together, spent every holiday together, hell, shared the horror story of losing our virginity the next morning with each other when it happened."

  My heart ached in my chest just hearing how this nightmare started.

  "In college we fell in love with the same girl. Your mom."

  I lifted my hand to my face and closed my eye. "I knew it was something fucked up like that."

  "Yeah. We started dating, and Jon was so pissed because he'd told me that he had feelings for her. It was my fault. I wanted her over him, and it ruined everything."

  "I knew he was bitter the other day when he got in my face, but I honestly thought it was him that was the bastard in the story."

  "Oh, he got me back. He got her drunk one night, and I came to her dorm room to find them making love." My father closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "I deserved it, but I beat his ass that night until he couldn't walk. We haven't spoken since. It's been thirty-two years and not a word."

  "Damn," I mumbled and dropped my hands back on the bed. "Do you miss him?"

  "Every day." He stood up and stretched. "Jon and I should have fixed this thing between us a long time ago. He's lost his wife, and I've lost mine. Whatever hate that built up between us is so past over that we're just spiteful to have someone to hate, I guess. I'll go talk to him."

  "I think that would be smart." I turned and let out a slow breath. "I'm in love with Chloe. I don't know if she feels anything I do, but I need you to know that I have to work this stuff out with her dad. I can't not try to fix it."

  "I know you do, son. She's been here every minute of every day and night since you got hurt." He smiled, and reached for my hand, squeezing it hard.

  I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to hold back tears that I wasn't supposed to have. "I was scared she didn't come."

  "Are you kidding? I forced her to go home and take a shower about an hour ago."

  "You forced her?" I opened my eyes, and smirked at him.

  "Yeah, you need to learn how to make a woman do what you want them to do."

  "Teach me, oh wise one." I chuckled, and groaned as pain shot down the back of my head.

  "Take it easy, okay?" He moved to sit in the chair beside the bed. "I told her she stunk. Like really bad."

  "Dad. Shit."

  "Right?" He laughed and slapped his knee. "She didn't, of course, but she high-tailed it out of here fast."

  A knock at the door had my attention shifting. I expected the doctor, but it was my beautiful California girl instead.

  "Do I hear two voices in here?" She stuck her head in the door and let out a soft cry before moving up beside me quickly.

  I reached for her and pulled her down with my free arm, kissing her hard and holding her as close to me as I could manage.

  "Don't you ever do that shit again! Do you hear me?" She pressed her forehead to mine as tears filled her beautiful eyes.

  "Never, baby. I promise."

  My father huffed, and Chloe moved back, sitting down beside me and taking my hand into hers.

  "All you gotta do is bring a beautiful woman around, and this boy will do anything." He stood, and picked up his jacket. "I'll be back after a while. I know you guys need some time together."

  "Thanks, Dad." I scooted over in the bed and patted the empty space beside me. "Get up here."

  "You sure?" She glanced around, but started to work on getting her boots off. "Fuck, you scared me to death, Finn."

  "Did I?" I wrapped my arms around her as she snuggled against my chest.

  "Yes. I thought I was going to die if something happened to you." She glanced up at me before lifting up and kissing me softly a few more times.

  "Don't do that. I've got long-term plans for you." I brushed her hair off her shoulders and glanced down at the covers below my waist. "Put a pillow over that. I don't want the doctor thinking a bone's protruding from my stomach."

  She chuckled, and slid her hand down my erection before leaning in an
d kissing me again. I groaned against her warm mouth, my headache dissipating fast.

  Someone clearing their throat behind her caused us both to jump. She got off the bed and ran her hands down the front of her shirt as the doctor laughed and moved up to the other side of me.

  "Well, good to see certain parts of your anatomy are working." He pulled out my chart as heat rose up my chest and coated my cheeks.

  "The important parts, or so my girl thinks." I glanced over at Chloe as her mouth dropped open.

  "I do not."

  "You don't?" I tilted my head to the side, somewhat saddened by her not sticking up for the important parts of me working.

  "I mean I do, but..."

  The doctor turned and smiled at her. "He's just messing with you. It's the concussion."

  "Yeah. What he said." I laughed and turned my attention back to the doctor. "When can I get out of here?"

  "Friday morning." He put the chart down and moved closer to me.

  "What day is it now?"

  "It's Wednesday." His fingers moved along my neck and around to the base of my skull. "This hurt?"

  "No. It tickles." I turned my head a little so that I could see Chloe better. Her white wool dress fit her nicely, the belt in the middle accentuating her small waist and drawing my eyes to her breasts. I wanted to kick the doctor out and bring her back into the bed with me. My body might not be ready for another wild night, but my mind was—as were the important parts.

  "You want me to come back later?" she asked and moved to the door.

  "No. Fuck, no. Stay right there. He's almost done." I glanced over at the doctor and gave him a look.

  "Yeah, I'm done. You look great." He patted my chest. "You're a lucky man. No snowboarding for six to eight weeks and promise that you'll never go up there after a fresh snow again. It's dangerous. You're proof of that for all of us."

  I nodded. "Lesson learned. I promise."

  He left, and I motioned for Chloe to come back.

  "You need to rest," she whispered and crawled back up into my arms.

  I slid my hand down her back and cupped her butt as I pressed my lips just under her ear. "I don't wanna rest."

  "Well, you're going to." She kissed me softly all around my face and moved to tuck her head under my chin as she relaxed against me. "Don't ever scare me like this again."

  "You said that already, baby." I kissed the top of her head. "I promised you that I wouldn't, and I won't."

  She looked up with seriousness on her pretty face. "And, no more listening to what my father thinks. It's me you’re dating. Not him."

  "Are we dating?" I chuckled as she narrowed her eyes on me. "Right. Dating."

  "Unless you don't want to."

  I slid my hand into her hair and pulled at the back of her head, needing to taste her again. I kissed her long and hard, probing deep into her mouth and echoing her groans with a few of my own.

  "I'm here to stay, girl. If you want to get rid of me, you're going to have to try hard."

  "Or just piss you off, and you'll throw yourself off a snowy mountain." She nipped at my lips and laughed. "Too soon? Too much?"

  "Yes, you wicked bitch."

  She laughed and sat up. "So, I figure you spend Christmas with your father, but I want a night with you right before or right after. I got you a few things, and I want to watch you open them."

  "Chloe, I told you that I didn't want anything."

  She turned and pressed her fingers to my lips. "I know that, but I'm a woman. We do what we want to, when we wanna do it."

  "Why is that hot all of a sudden?"

  "Because you're turned on." She brushed the back of her fingers over my arousal and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. "I wonder if they would bother us if I got under the covers."

  I growled and shook my head. "No. I'd never hear the end of it. This town is too damn small."

  She chuckled and stood up. "I'm glad you're awake. I knew you were going to be okay, but there's always that part inside that feeds the doubt and fear, you know?"

  "I do." I reached out and took her hand into mine. "Hey, there's an incredible festival of lights in downtown during the week of Christmas. Do you remember it from when you were a kid?"

  "I do." Her eyes lit up. "Man, it's been so long since I've seen it, though."

  "Let me take you?"

  She glanced down at my cast before giving me a cocky smile. "How about I take you?"

  "Either way. As long as I'm with you, I don't care."

  "I feel the same way." She leaned over and tucked herself against me, right where she belonged.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chloe

  I left the hospital later that night and slept for twelve straight hours in my bed. Brian wanted some time with Finn, and I was beyond exhausted. I made sure to text him most of Thursday, but we decided that he would spend some time with his dad and then we would get together on Friday, so I could help him settle back into his house. Brian was staying Friday night, but I wasn't missing the opportunity to go over and spend a few minutes with him. I'd had all the patience I could with not seeing him. It was nice to know that I wasn't alone in my feelings.

  He was grumpy from us not seeing each other, too, but his family wanted his time, and I really needed to work out a few things with my dad.

  After taking a quick shower, I braided my hair, put on some comfy clothes, and walked out into the living room. Parker was playing video games on the big screen, which was out of the ordinary.

  "Morning," I mumbled as I walked toward the kitchen. "Where's Dad?"

  "Hey, sis. He's in the garage."

  I didn't waste any time finding him, though I could think of a million other things that I'd rather have done. The tension between us had only grown worse, and I had to hope that some of it was due to the fact that he knew that he was responsible for Finn going up on Bear Creek Mountain. If it wasn't, then I didn't know my father at all, nor did I want to.

  I poked my head in the garage to find him putting chains on the gray Lexus he loved to drive.

  "Dad, you got a minute?"

  He glanced up, covered in sweat and grease, but nodded, sitting back on his heels. "Yeah. This going to be a short talk or a long one?"

  "Long." I moved out into the garage as he stood up and cleaned off his hands.

  "Okay. First let me say this..." He reached up and wiped his forehead with the back of his forearm. "Had I known that Clark's boy was going to get hurt, I never would have said anything to him. I can't imagine having to go through almost losing you or Parker, so I'm sorry for that. I still don't like the kid, but wishing him harm isn't at all who I am."

  Letting out a long breath, I nodded. I was beyond grateful to hear that he wasn't a total monster. Now to see how far his benevolence could go.

  "I'm sorry about attacking the other day."

  "Don't be. You were right." He leaned against the car and sucked his bottom lip in his mouth before patting the hood next to him. "Come here and sit beside me."

  I walked out without hesitation and sat down next to him, pulling my legs up and wrapping my arms around them.

  "I grew up not too far from here, the mountains behind the old house was my favorite place to play. One of the reasons I love bringing you guys up here during the winter is because I honestly wanted you to experience some of the fun that I did as a kid." He paused and wiped his head again. "My best friend lived next door, and we did everything together. I mean from the time we could walk to slapping each other in the face with our diplomas. He meant everything to me."

  Sickness rolled through me. I'd come out to talk about Finn, but something told me that we were talking about his father.

  "So things went on as they always did until we got to college. We both went to the University of Colorado because we loved to snowboard, and there was no damn way we were splitting up." A smile brushed across my father's face as he got a faraway look in his eyes. "We were there three years before I fell in love with
this beautiful brunette in my history class. She was so damn funny and left me feeling alive, like really alive."

  "Dad. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." I reached out and touched his arm, not sure why I was giving him grace, but I was.

  "No, it's good. I need to get it out." He glanced over at me and continued. "The problem was, my best friend decided to snatch her up before I could get to her, even though he knew that I'd had my eye on her for the last year. I was just waiting for the right time."

  I didn't want to hear anymore. My father hadn't been at fault from what I could tell, yet I had pinned him as the villain without even considering that Clark might have started the whole thing.

  "So, he starts dating her, and as you can imagine, the riff between our friendship, our brotherhood, was deep and wide. I hated his ass, and without thinking too much about it, I got her drunk and made love to her on a night that I knew he would show up." He turned to me. "He stabbed me in the chest, and instead of trying to work it out, or even walking away, I cleaned off the dagger and I drove it deep into his heart."

  Tears filled my father's eyes, and I couldn't fight back the ones in mine, too. There was so much hurt in his face. I reached out and wrapped my hands around his thick arm before pressing my cheek to his shoulder.

  If I had been in love with Seth, and then Jessie had taken him, I wasn't too sure I wouldn't have stabbed her in the back, too.

  "So you see, it's not just about seeing Clark that twists that dagger around in that old womb, but his boy is a product of the relationship that was supposed to be mine." He sniffled and wiped at his nose. "I think the only thing that healed me was finding your mother. All those years we were together, none of this mattered, and honestly, it doesn't now, either, but when she died, it came crashing back in. I don't want him near you, and I don't want Clark near me."

  "Dad, it was thirty years ago, and you both hurt each other." I moved from the hood of the car to look at him. "You can't put that one incident on me and Finn. I'm in love with him, and I want my life to be here in Aspen with you, Parker, and Finn, but if you think you're going to disallow that..."