by Frankie Love
CAVE MAN MAKE BABY
The First Mountain Man
Frankie Love
Contents
CAVE MAN MAKE BABY
Prologue
1. Fancy
2. Flint
3. Fancy
4. Flint
5. Fancy
6. Flint
7. Fancy
8. Flint
9. Fancy
10. Flint
11. Fancy
12. Flint
Epilogue 1
Epilogue 2
About Frankie
Copyright © 2021 by Frankie Love
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CAVE MAN MAKE BABY
The First Mountain Man
By Frankie Love
I never intended to time travel to the Stone Age during my Special Ops mission – but it’s not the first thing in my life to get effed up.
To say I didn’t have a happy childhood would be an understatement – that’s why I joined the military the first chance I got.
And to be honest, living alone on the beach isn’t the worst way to live out my days.
But all that changes the moment Fancy winds up on my coastline.
She’s sexy, confident and smart as hell.
And she seems downright happy to be here. Chipper in ways I really can’t fathom.
And she’s got ideas about making a baby.
Plans, really.
Funny thing is, it’s not me she’s interested in.
She wants to hatch this egg I found. She thinks our future depends on it.
Me? The only thing I want is her.
Prologue
Flint
2 Years Ago…
The last thing I remembered, before falling through the floor of the cave, were the shouts to take cover from my brothers-in-arms. That’s the last time I heard from Carnage, Stone, Rock, and Storm. The blast from an exploding grenade ending whatever lives they hoped to have.
Now, I come to consciousness, trying to figure out where the hell I am. When the grenade went off, it was as if the ground beneath me opened up and I fell.
Fell so damn far.
The men I served with for years in Special Ops are nowhere to be seen – I am alone.
They didn’t make it.
I pull myself to sitting, freezing cold, in a very shallow stream of water, only a few inches deep. I look up, not seeing the ceiling of the cavern clearly. The distance is remarkable – twenty feet above me, at least, vines and jagged rocks everywhere. But there is no gaping hole above where I could have fallen from. Maybe I floated downstream, but the water doesn’t seem deep enough to have carried my body.
I stand, my bones aching and muscles sore. But that might be from weeks of crawling through small spaces as we looked for our target in the Yucatan Peninsula. I sure as hell hope the fucker who threw the grenade got blasted by it.
I pull out my radio, wanting to let the higher-ups know ASAP that the mission has been compromised. That I might be the only man left standing. I grunt, hoping like hell that’s not the case. I never had a family of my own, a woman to love – hell, never had anyone – until these guys. And the idea of losing them? I shake my head, looking for a radio signal, praying even though I’ve never been much of a religious man. Times like these test your faith.
“Alpha-225, mission Black Dog Nite.”
There is no answer, and I mess with the antennae, knowing this radio is the most durable of its kind. No way would the signal get ruined from a fall.
Downstream, there’s light, and so I begin to walk toward it, hoping that it gets me closer to a signal.
As I walk down the underground stream, I take in the insects crawling on the walls. They are huge – beetles the size of my foot and spiders that are bright green.
The light is further away than I expected, and I stumble, nearly face-planting on a pile of rocks.
I’m getting dizzy. Maybe it was the fall, or the fact I’ve been running on fumes for days. Sitting on a rock, hoping there isn’t some big ass bug next to me, I catch my breath. From my backpack, I pull out my jug of water and down the whole damn thing.
I look around, feeling like it’s too damn quiet, too damn still. Like this place has never been explored before – and I know we are in the jungle, but this feels different – looks different too. A lizard crawls through a crevice in the wall, jutting its big eyes at me – and damn, this thing looks fucking prehistoric with its long tail and scaly body. This isn’t an amphibian you can buy at the damn pet store.
My eyes follow it, as it jumps from rock to rock, and then something small and amber-colored catches my eye, tucked between a rock and the cave floor. Everything else around is either green or brown – this stands out, looking like a gemstone.
I bend down to pick it up, realizing it’s not a lost treasure. It’s an egg the size of my hand, and it’s coated in thick amber, as if crystalized.
Huh. Looks ancient, like – if it didn’t sound crazy – some prehistoric dino egg from Jurassic Park.
I put my empty canteen away, pulling my pack back on before walking toward the light, carrying the egg in my hand.
The closer I get to the cave’s exit, the louder things become. It isn’t until I step outside that I see why. Before me is the ocean, wild and crashing, a sight I am happy to see.
The radio, though, still won’t work.
I know there are hotels all along this stretch of ocean – luxury high-rise condos and massive all-inclusive resorts. Cancun is a few hours north, but all along the coast there are towns and cities boasting large tourist epicenters.
But as I look up and down this stretch of sea, all I see is the ocean and the jungle. Not a hotel in sight.
Then, my eyes widen as something runs out of the tree line. It’s a giant lizard the size of a car.
What the fuck.
And it’s being chased by an ape that is two times as tall as me.
I’m 6’4” so that’s saying something.
I look at the egg in my hand, wondering where the hell I fell. Because this isn’t the 21st century.
This can’t be real. I can’t be back in the goddamn Stone Age.
1
Fancy
I’m rarely left speechless, but this discovery is truly remarkable.
A complete Ankylosaurus skeleton buried with care in the Yucatan Peninsula.
So many questions run through my mind, and the minds of the other paleontologists out here on this excavation. The jungle buzzes with excitement. What we’ve found is going to change the known history of dinosaurs in this area.
There is no historical reason that this intact skeleton should be here, its death estimated to be millions of years after the rest of its kind became extinct.
“What does it mean?”
“Why would it be buried like this? It looks like a ceremonial burial.”
“This changes everything we know about dinosaurs.”
I look at my colleagues, as stunned as they are.
When Carlos suggests breaking for lunch, I’m on board, anxious to tell my BFF about the morning.
Back in the camp, I FaceTime Summer. She picks up right away and I smile when her face fills the phone screen.
“Wow, does this phone call mean you made a breakthrough?” she asks.
I grin. Summer knows me better than anyone. We were foster sisters during our teenage year
s and now she’s my forever family. The two of us are thick as thieves, but we’ve taken wildly different career paths. Which is why I’m in Mexico while she’s in Southern California hustling her organic apothecary products, trying to break into the market.
“Yes,” I exclaim, “we did. We just finished unearthing the skeleton today.”
“What dinosaur was it again?” she asks, multi-tasking by propping her phone on her bathroom counter and applying a mud mask.
“It’s a fully intact Ankylosaurus. An herbivore twice the size of a car, lizard-looking with a large spiky tail that means while it didn’t hunt prey, it was capable of knocking out the legs of a T. rex. A protector, more than anything else.”
Summer smiles indulgently. “That’s so exciting. Did you meet any hot archeologists at the dig site?”
I groan. “This is not about hooking up with scientists, it’s about–”
“I know, I know,” she sighs. “But you need to have some fun too, Fancy. I know you take work seriously, but I get worried you’re going to wake up one day having missed out on the best things in life.”
“And by best things you mean finally having sex?”
She snorts. “No! I mean companionship, a partner, a family?”
“Like you can talk. You’ve never had a boyfriend either.”
“Maybe not, but I’m trying. I’ve been on three dates this week.”
I lift my eyes, surprised. “Wow. Really? Any of them getting a second chance at your heart?”
She shakes her head. Her mud mask is beginning to dry, but she still looks beautiful. “Nope. I’m picky. Call me crazy but I want a guy who is both hot and smart.”
I smirk. “And a good cook, and good with kids. Summer, your Ideal Man list is a mile long. It’s gonna take more than one guy to meet all those needs.”
“Why are we talking about me?” she asks. “Tell me about you.”
“You know I only want romance if it’s totally out of the blue, completely catching me off guard. If I have a chance to overthink it, I might ruin it.”
“So you want some man to just catch you when you’re falling and be your knight in shining armor.”
I snort. “A knight? How about a beast?”
Summer laughs. “You’re crazy. But promise me that if you meet some wild barbarian you’ll let him take you to bed?”
“I promise,” I say, laughing. “Though we both know that won’t happen.”
“Are you doing anything non-work-related while you’re down there?”
“Actually, yes. Carlos, my supervisor, planned a day trip this weekend. We’re going to the beach in Tulum. They are forcing us to pace ourselves and take weekends off. Personally, I’d work every day until forced to come home.”
Summer laughs. “Well, I’m glad it’s forced leave then, because I don’t want you to work yourself to death. Enjoy your youth! And a trip to the beach sounds amazing. Pack a tiny bikini and an open mind.”
My stomach rumbles and I remember I need to eat before I head back to the dig site. “Okay, and I’ll pack food too because you know how quickly I get hangry.”
Summer smiles. “Don’t want that.”
“Good luck with your dates. I need details if any of them go beyond a second, okay?”
“Promise. And you’ll still be home for my birthday, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss your twenty-fifth for the world, babe.”
I don’t particularly want to go on this day trip with my colleagues. I’d like a long, hot shower, another phone call with Summer, and a good meal – alone.
It’s been a long few weeks working side by side with my co-workers. And as a second-year graduate student, I’m the low person on the totem pole. Sometimes I would like to be a little more appreciated for my contributions, but I know it takes time to earn kudos.
And being friendly, even though I am an introvert, is an important way to build bonds with the team.
So, even though it’s not how I want to spend my day off, I pack a swimsuit, a bunch of my favorite snack foods, sunscreen, a few books, a sketchpad, and a pack of my favorite colored pencils. If we’re going to have a beach day, I need things to keep myself busy. I’ve never been one for lying out idly in the sun.
There are seven of us who take a van to the beach, and the day is bright and sunny. Everyone is talking about the dig, the dinosaur, the weather. It’s good vibes, and I find myself loosening up, reading my guidebook as we drive to the ocean.
But once we arrive at the beach, I’m a little disappointed to see Carlos has chosen a touristy place, with huge high-rises around us and stretches of public access beaches in front of them. There are tons of people, and I already feel exhausted. I don’t recharge my batteries with crowds, and this is my day off.
Most of the team is ready to jump into the ocean, but I keep my backpack on, my boots laced. In the parking lot I decide to do what I need to do for me.
“I’m going to explore the caves that are right next to Paradise Palms,” I tell them, pointing to the large resort next to us. “I read about the tunnels around here and want to explore.”
They give me a hard time. “We always explore. Maybe take a day off?”
I smile. “Go, swim, be merry. I’ll find you in a bit.”
They don’t press me further, and I’m glad to walk off on my own. There is a path from the parking lot to the jungle, surprisingly undeveloped. A stark contrast to everything else around. I follow the path, relishing the beauty around me. The path leads to a small cave opening, and I go in, surprised to find the entrance so quickly. There are stalagmites and a steady flow of water, so I keep on the edge, wanting to keep my boots mostly dry.
After walking for a bit, I realize maybe I’m getting in deeper than I ought to alone. I try to go back to where I started, but realize I’m walking in a circle. Crap.
I lean against the cave wall, pulling out my guidebook and a flashlight, thinking maybe it will help with directions somehow.
But as I open up the book, the cave begins to shake and rattle – as if I’ve just stepped on a landmine. Rocks fall and the space seems to spin.
I scream, scared, but as I take a step back, the ground beneath me breaks up and I fall. Far. Ten feet. Twenty. More.
I cry for help, but I’m alone. I close my eyes, not knowing where I’ll land.
But by some miracle, I don’t crack my head against a rock. I don’t crash to my grave – instead of falling to my death, I’m caught.
I open my eyes and scream.
It’s not a net that broke my fall – it’s a man.
A bearded hunk of a man with piercingly bright blue eyes and strength that takes my breath away.
“Who are you?” I ask, gasping. “Where am I?”
“I’m a cave man, baby,” he says with confidence. “And you’ve fallen through time.”
2
Flint
She’s squirming in my arms, demanding to be put down, and I like to see her put up a fight.
It’s cute as fuck.
And damn, it’s been two long years since I’ve seen another human – let alone a female. I always hoped for company, but never dreamed I’d get a woman like her, sexy as sin, falling in my arms.
“You know I just saved your life, don’t you?” I ask, carrying her toward the exit of the cave. “That’s the same hole I fell through, two years ago. You’re lucky I was in here, looking for some beetles to spruce up the soup I’m making.”
Talk about impeccable timing.
“Let me go, you creep!” she screams, and I chuckle, setting her down.
“Come on, camp is this way.”
“Camp?” She huffs, shoving the book she was holding into her full backpack. “No. I’m going back where I came from.”
“Sadly, that’s impossible. God knows I’ve tried.” I feel bad for her, I do. When I first realized that this was my reality, I lost my shit. Took a long time to come to terms with my new life.
“I don’t know what you’re t
alking about. I’ve gotta go. Thanks for catching my fall, but goodbye.” She hurries off, her sturdy boots stomping through the shallow water as she runs out of the cave.
My eyes catch sight of a flicker of neon green. I grab a rock and pound it down. “Gotcha.” Picking up the juicy beetle and tossing it in the pouch slung across my chest, I make my way out of the cave, figuring this beauty is about to freak the fuck out, and she might faint, needing me to catch her again. I will.
“What the hell… where am I? What…” She is spinning in the sand, the glittering ocean ahead of her, the wild jungle surrounding us, the sky clear, unpolluted, the sun shimmering against the blue water.
Paradise, though it took a while for me to believe it.
“You time travelled,” I explain, walking up next to her, trying to imagine what it would be like to arrive here and find another human. When I came, I was piecing this all together on my own.
“Where is the Palm Paradise resort?” she asks. “The parking lot, the people?”
“They’ll be here in a few million years.”
She scoffs. “What?” She shakes her head. “That’s impossible… time travel?” She sets her hands on her hips. “Look, I’m not exactly a people person, and I hate practical jokes. I don’t know why you’re dressed as a cave man or what’s happening, but I don’t like it. The jig is up – what’s your deal?”
I run a hand over my beard, slowly. “My deal? I was on a Special Ops mission, a grenade went off, the cave started spinning and the ground fell out from beneath me. The guys I was with? Never saw them again. Walked out of the cave like you just did and saw a fucking Megalania and freaked out.”
