CHISELED: The Mountain Man's Babies

by Frankie Love

  I run a hand over my beard, taking in her words.

  “After I shot Ricky and you told me to run. I followed because you’re my brother, but Bear, don’t you see? Laila is like a sister to me.”

  “I know, but--”

  She cuts me off. “No, you don’t. I tried to tell you we needed to go back for her. I’ve been so scared. All I could think was she was still with all those guys, except you were no longer there to look out for her.”

  “So, it’s my fault?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying,” Ginny says. “I know calling her was foolish, but you didn’t listen to me, and then you got caught up with Grace and I was alone.”

  “Dammit,” I say, hating myself for not having heard her sooner. “You’re right. We should never have left her.”

  “So, what now?” Virginia asks.

  “Now we go get her.”

  17

  GRACE

  After Stella and Wilder leave, I need to go into town for more formula and groceries. I waited a while, thinking Bear might come down to talk, but he doesn’t.

  I gave Wilder the fifth degree before he left, but he told me Bear and Virginia’s business isn’t his to share. That I should ask Bear for the truth, not him.

  But after waiting an hour, I know I need to get into town before too long. The babies are changed and fed, so it’s now or never.

  I leave, hating the fact that Bear and I haven’t spoken. When I finally return from my errands--exhausted from lugging car seats and grocery sacks, I see a note on my kitchen table.

  Dear Grace,

  I’ll explain everything when I get home. Believe in me, because Grace, I believe in us.

  You are my sunshine when skies are gray and right now, this is just a storm. We’ll get through it, I promise.

  Yours, Bear

  I reread the note a dozen times, wishing that he’d said more -- said anything at all. But he didn’t. And so, I’m left pacing the cottage with the twins, feeding them, and changing them, and rocking them to sleep. The whole time, all I can think about is the fact Bear lied to me.

  He was living with another woman, yet he wants me to believe we will just get through this? No wonder he didn’t tell me he loved me... he had a woman already.

  I feel like such a fool.

  The next morning I’m invited up to Stella’s for a BBQ and I’m glad to have something to think about besides Bear. Once the babies are both napping, I make a few peach pies knowing seeing my friends will be the best way to avoid thinking about the man who hasn’t explained himself.

  It’s awful, thinking about him and someone else. When I’m with him, my entire world makes sense. Is it possible that woman, Virginia, feels the same way?

  The effort involved in getting the twins ready for Stella’s is a little overwhelming, but finally, a diaper bag is packed, and the twins are in their car seats and I drive away, the peach pies in the empty passenger seat. There are going to be a million questions to field, and as I drive, I try to think through my answers.

  Thankfully, the people who will be there tonight are my closest friends in the world, and I don’t need to pretend around them. There is no pretending that Bear leaving like that hasn’t hurt me.

  At the house, Harper and Honor run out to my car to help me with the babies, squealing in excitement over how precious they are.

  “I can’t believe it,” Harper says, giving me a warm hug. “We’ve heard the whole story and, sweetheart, what a whirlwind!”

  “I know,” I say hugging her back. “I can’t really believe it’s my life, to be honest.”

  In the kitchen, Rosie and Josie ooh and ahh over my pies. “Are you kidding me with these, Grace? Homemade crusts when you have newborns to look after? You’re a domestic goddess, that’s for sure.”

  I shake my head, laughing as a gaggle of little boys thread between us. “Every mother on this mountain has been a shining example of how to juggle everything.”

  “Well, let’s get this sweetheart out of the car seat so I can hold her.” Rosie unlatches Laura’s buckle and coos over her plump cheeks and bright eyes. Two of Rosie’s little ones are at her side, smiling up at the baby in their mama’s arms. I take Abel from the other infant seat and tuck him into a sling snuggling him close to my chest, so he can finish his nap.

  “Now that we know the whole story, we can all pitch in to help,” Harper says as she kneels to wipe her son Cedar’s face. He just made a mess out of a chocolate chip cookie. “In fact, I already made a Google calendar assigning everyone dinner duty.”

  “Of course, you did,” Honor says, laughing with a toddler on her hip. “You are the matron of this mountain, you know that right?”

  “Hey, ladies,” Wilder calls from the back porch. “The burgers are ready!”

  Carrying platters of hamburger fixings and bowls of potato salad and coleslaw, along with babies everywhere, we head outside.

  The patio is lined with picnic tables and out in the yard, kids are playing tetherball and some of the older ones are jumping on an enclosed trampoline. There are Nerf gun bullets flying through the air and shrieks of laughter as the kids play.

  James has his guitar in his lap and is plucking the strings, and Jaxon is grabbing ice cold beers from the cooler and then handing them to Hawk and Buck. Around me, couples are laughing, and I lock eyes with Jonah, the only other single person here.

  I kiss Abel’s head, wishing I weren’t alone as James comes over. “Looks like you’ve been busy,” he says with a lazy smile.

  “Yeah, it’s been a little insane.”

  “Hey, do you know who that is?” he asks, pointing to the back entrance. I look over and my heart stops.

  “That’s... that’s... Bear.” I scan the porch for Stella and she is looking straight at Wilder. Clearly, they are speaking in the silent way couples can, but it’s clear she didn’t have any idea Bear was coming.

  He walks out to the porch, and two women come out behind him. One is Virginia, and the other is a woman I’ve never seen before. Wilder walks over and claps Bear on the back, greeting him. It’s strange seeing Bear here for so many reasons, but I’m struck by how big he is. He towers over all the mountain men here at the BBQ and I’d be lying if I said my heart wasn’t pounding in my chest at the sight of him.

  He does things to me that I hardly understand. He showed up here with two women, and yet all I can think about when I look at him is his arms wrapped around me; his eyes locked on mine.

  I wish I was his, plain and simple.

  “Grace,” he says, walking over to me. “Can we talk?”

  Stella is by my side. “Sure, but you need to explain yourself to all of us if you want to stay.”

  “Wilder didn’t...” Bear looks over at Wilder, who just shrugs.

  “I told her it wasn’t my story to share. Besides, why the hell did you wait so long to clear that up, Bear? Figured you’d have done it the moment the cops left the cabin yesterday?”

  “Well, we had to drive east to get Laila, Virginia’s best friend. Before we left I stopped at Gracie’s place but she wasn’t there, and we couldn’t wait around. We knew Laila would be taken by whoever was left of the Badlands once they heard Ricky had been arrested. So we drove all night to get to her first.” I’m trying to keep up with his story, but it’s confusing. He looks over at the women he brought with him and motions them to come closer. “Grace, this is my sister Virginia.”

  My mouth falls open. “Your sister?”

  “Yeah, the motorcycle gang found us because she had made a few calls to her best friend who was still with them. After everything went down yesterday, Virginia and I knew we needed to go right away to get her to safety.”

  “How much of that did you know, Wilder?” Stella asks her husband.

  “I told you: none of it. I thought you women would have talked it all out already, didn’t think you needed me butting in. But when Bear called asking if I knew where you were, I told him to come on over to the house for
the burgers.”

  “Hey, enough you two,” Jaxon hollers. “Let these two kiss and make up.”

  Everyone snickers, and several kids are sitting down at the tables, watching with interest.

  Bear steps closer to me. “I should have told you Virginia was up there with me, but you had so much you were dealing with, I didn’t want to burden you with anything else. And my sister was too scared to leave the cabin, and then there’s the fact, that it’s all happened so fast.”

  “What’s happened?” Finn, Stella’s son, asks, causing the adults to laugh softly.

  “I fell in love, little man,” Bear tells him. “That’s what happened.”

  “Love?” I ask, biting back the tears.

  “Yes, Grace. Love. I love you. And I’m sorry I left the way I did, and I’m sorry for not saying more sooner, but I’m saying it now, and I’m saying it forever. I love you. And I won’t leave again.”

  Laura starts fussing in Rosie’s arms and she unceremoniously hands her over to Bear.

  I blink hard, tears welling up in my eyes.

  “Here’s the thing, Grace, neither of us knows much about family. I have my sister, and you have the folks on the mountain, sure, but we’re both missing an awful lot. The thing is, I want to fill in the gaps with you. I don’t want to be a rock, all alone in the world. I want the painful memories of our pasts to be chiseled away so we can create new ones, together. I want a life with you and Laura and Abel.”

  “What are you saying?” I ask him, every fiber of my being shaking with dreams I want him to fulfill.

  “I’m saying I need you as my wife. I want to be your Grizzly Bear, protecting you and our family. Marry me, Gracie. Be my sunshine and let me be your shelter when skies are gray. Let me be yours, now and for always.”

  His words are more than a balm to my heart, they are the song to my soul, the lyrics to my anthem. “I love you,” I whisper, as tears fall down my cheeks. “And yes, I will marry you, Bear.”

  The patio fills with raucous hollers and hoots, cheers and clapping, as everyone I love gathers around rejoicing with us. It’s overwhelming, my heart is about to burst as Bear wraps his arm around me, Laura and Abel tucked between us, our eyes filled with tears and our future filled with hope.

  EPILOGUE 1

  Grace

  Six Months Later:

  We close the door of the honeymoon suite in the new boutique hotel that Laila and Virginia recently opened in Eagle Crest. My wedding gown is on the floor, Bear’s suit is ripped off by my greedy hands, and our mouths crash hard against one another’s.

  Our wedding night has finally come. Our babies are being watched by their social worker, Shelby, for the night. Bear and I danced for hours with our friends at our November wedding. Virginia caught my bouquet and I shoved cake in Bear’s mouth and we laughed, knowing that we beat the odds. We found love. We found one another. And now, here we are, married.

  My hands are empty, a feeling I haven’t experienced very often over the last six months as I’m constantly carrying a baby, but within minutes, those hands of mine are already full again. Bear presses my hand to his rock-hard length, and I run my fingers over him, luxuriating over this stolen time with my husband.

  My husband!

  My lips part as Bear’s tongue finds mine, swirling together as every inch of my skin prickles with excitement. Bear’s hands graze over my naked body, and his fingers run between my thighs. His kisses take my breath away and my eyes flit open, finding his. We smile, unable to believe that his life is actually ours.

  “I love you, wife,” he says, and my body opens to him as I absorb the words I’ve longed to hear.

  “I love you, husband,” I say back, then plant kisses on his neck, his chest, his everything.

  He lifts me up, my ass in his massive hands and he lowers me to the bed, leaning over and kissing my breasts, one after the other. His fingers run over my pussy, and my back arches as I delight at his touch.

  “You’re so wet, Gracie,” he murmurs, sucking on my hard nipple.

  “So wet for you,” I moan, as he spreads my lips and begins fingering me the way I like. My legs fall open as he moves faster, his fingers fluttering at my g-spot with practice and intent. He wants to make me scream his name and he knows exactly how to touch me to make that happen.

  “Oh, Bear,” I pant as I begin to come hard against his hand. “It’s... oh... ohhh.” I’m gripping the sheets as my thighs shake, his hand grinding against my core until he’s making me gush with pleasure.

  “God, I love you, woman,” he growls, running his fingers over my belly, my body. Then he guides his thick, throbbing cock to my entrance, and I wrap my arms around his neck, grinning from ear to ear.

  How is this my life? “I love you too,” I whisper.

  Bear looks down at me as his hard cock inches into my welcoming pussy.

  “Maybe I’ll knock you up tonight, Gracie,” he says, growling in my ear. I laugh, my eyes fluttering. I know he is serious.

  And the crazy thing is, the idea makes me giddy with excitement.

  “Then come on, mountain man, what are you waiting for?” I ask, running my hands over his chiseled abs.

  He fills me up in the way that makes me whole, and I close my eyes, trusting Bear will always be here for me. My mountain man will never take my sunshine away.

  EPILOGUE 2

  Bear

  Three Months Later:

  Standing in the courtroom with Grace, Laura in her arms and Abel in my mine, I try to fight the urge to cry.

  I may be a badass, burly mountain man, but in so many ways I’m just a fuzzy bear who wants to hibernate with the ones I love.

  “As Judge Hartshire, presiding over this court in Boise, Idaho, I am pleased to sign the official adoption decree. Congratulations!” Judge Hartshire stands, shaking my hand, and Grace’s too, then he joins us for a photo op as all our friends from the mountain pull out their phones and document the moment when we became a family.

  The courtroom is filled with sounds of joy. There are children everywhere and smiles on everyone’s faces. I lean in to kiss my wife, tears in both our eyes. My sister gives us heartfelt embraces, and Laila does too. Our social worker, Shelby, is here and she gives us both warm hugs. “I’m so happy for you both.” She squeezes our hands before getting swept up in the celebration.

  “It’s official,” Grace says kissing her daughter’s head. “We’re really a family.”

  “What a road,” I say, taking her hand. “But I’m so glad it led us here, together.”

  I know some of the tears in our eyes come from the harsh truth in what this adoption means. It means two other parents won’t be raising the two beautiful children in our arms. It means loss and heartache.

  But it also means joy.

  So much joy, my heart could burst. I came to this mountain running from a life that had me bound in ways I never wanted. And here, under the cedar trees, in the fresh air and sunshine, I found a fairy tale.

  I met a woman who kneels in the dirt foraging for herbs, who brews tea every night and sings lullabies even when the babies are sleeping. I found a wife who is learning to heal from the heartache of her past, the same way as I am.

  “Cake!” Abel says, clapping his chubby little hands and soon all the kids around us are joining in the chorus.

  We leave the courtroom and make our way into a reception hall where we are celebrating not only our adoption but also the twins’ birthday. Two cakes are set out on a pair of highchairs, one candle each, and we let the twins go to town.

  “Don’t worry,” Grace tells everyone as the twins make a disaster with their frosting and cake. “You don’t have to eat a mashed-up mess. I made a cake for everyone else, too.”

  Our eyes turn to the layer cake on the counter. Kids are grabbing juice boxes and I see Honor and Harper pouring coffee for the adults. I’m not sure if this city has ever seen such a production, but I’m grateful everyone in our mountain family came out for this special
day in our life.

  “The cake is a special one,” Grace says with a grin.

  “What do you mean?” Stella asks.

  “Well, I figure today is the day for celebrating, right?” she says looking at me. I already know the news, of course. We’re pregnant. Turns out we were pregnant a month before our wedding night. We planned on making the announcement today. “The thing is,” she reveals to everyone gathered around us. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Stella squeals. “How far along?”

  “Four months.” Then she looks at me. “But I have another surprise too.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask. “Wasn’t that enough?”

  She shakes her head, eyes twinkling. “I made a cake to reveal the gender.”

  “You what?” I ask, shocked. I knew she had some blood work drawn that would tell us, but I had no idea she got the results so soon.

  “I know,” she laughs. “I had to tell the news like this though.”

  “Why?” I run a hand over her back, grinning like the fool I am. I’m about to find out if Laura and Abel are gonna have a little brother or sister.

  “Because... well... Just cut the cake, Bear.”

  Everyone is looking at us, and I’m loving the fact Grace was able to surprise me. I cut a slice and set the three-layer cake on a plate.

  My eyes go wide as everyone looks at what I’m already seeing.

  It’s a layer cake for a reason.

  There are three layers.

  Pink. Blue. Pink.

  “No way!” Virginia shrieks.

  “Yes way,” Gracie laughs, her smile as big as I’ve ever seen it. “We’re having triplets! Two girls and a boy!”

  Everyone is clapping and laughing, and Abel and Laura have no idea why, but they are screaming in joy all the same.