Delivering His Gifts: A Mountain Man's Baby Christmas Romance (Mountain Men of Liberty)

by K. C. Crowne

  I had to believe he’d take that bastard down.

  Danielle

  I watched as Greg’s car pulled away with my daughter. A whole week. She was going with him for an entire week. It wasn’t the first time she’d spent a week with him, sometimes even longer in the summer, but since he’d taken her and lied about it months before, I didn’t feel comfortable with him keeping her for long.

  It probably didn’t help that I was hugely pregnant, and my hormones were getting the best of me. I was in my third trimester, finally, and the doctors had told me to do my best to be stress free. Easier said than done when you were dealing with everything I had going on.

  Thanks to the evidence Mason handed over to Teddy, they were able to link Jim to the fire. Mason didn’t tell me exactly how he came about getting it, and even Teddy didn’t really know. But there was a text message, and once Teddy was able to trace the other number, he found the person Jim had hired to take care of the fire. The man came clean in exchange for a lighter sentence, and just like that - the debt with Jim was cancelled because Jim was arrested for conspiracy and would most likely go to prison.

  Everything had happened so fast, but it was nice knowing that my debt couldn’t come back to haunt me now. And at least I could feel better thinking Greg had nothing to do with it. He had talked to Jim, according to Mason, but there was absolutely nothing linking him to the fire. The fire was all Jim’s idea, from the sound of it, but even knowing this, there was a gnawing suspicion in my mind that Greg might still be involved.

  Without proof, however, there was little I could do.

  I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes. My cheeks were burning from the frigid wind. I placed a hand on my belly, comforting myself with the thought that sometime after Christmas, my babies would be here.

  Mason took my other hand and led me back to his truck.

  “Come on, I have a surprise for you,” he said.

  “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

  “It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?” He gave me an adorably cheeky grin as he helped me into his truck. He hurried around to the driver’s side and started the engine. The warmth from the heater felt nice on my cold face.

  “I knew this week would be hard for you, and I wanted to do something special.”

  “What did you do, Mason?”

  “You’ll see,” he said.

  He wouldn’t even give me a hint as we drove to the rental. He simply told me to pack a few things, just items I would need for the next week. I did as he asked, but I had no idea where we were going.

  We drove for about an hour, going deeper into the mountains. I was grateful for his truck and the chains on his tires on the switchback roads. My stomach was getting a little restless as the roads became more twisty. Mason was a good driver, thank God, because at times, there were no guardrails on the side and we were going up, up, and up with no end in sight.

  “We’re here,” Mason said as we pulled into a driveway.

  “Where’s here?”

  “You’ll see in a second.”

  We drove around a curve, and I gasped, sitting up taller in my seat. “That view… I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  We were at the top of a mountain, overlooking the valleys below. Snow-capped mountains glistened in the distance, covered in a blanket of whiteness. The icicles on the trees were like crystal ornaments, the sunlight glinting off them nearly blinding.

  And off to our right was a cabin.

  Mason parked the truck outside the cabin. “I knew you were going to be sad this week, so I asked Eli to watch over the critters for us and thought you would enjoy a vacation. I think they’re called babymoons? That’s what Emmy told me.”

  I leaned over in the seat and stopped him mid-sentence with a kiss. His lips were warm against mine, and his beard tickled my face. I stroked his cheeks as I kissed him deeply.

  “I love it,” I whispered against his mouth. “Thank you, Mason.”

  “Anything to help you relax,” he said. “You deserve it after all the shit you’ve been through the last six months or so.”

  Tears welled in my eyes. “No one has ever been so kind to me before,” I said, choking on my words.

  His fingers grazed the side of my face. “You deserve it all, and more,” he said softly. “And just so you don’t have to worry, there’s a hospital in the town not too far from here. Just in case.”

  “Just in case, yes. You’ve thought of everything.”

  “I want to take care of you, Danielle.”

  “Thank you.” My voice was almost too soft for him to hear. I leaned my face into his palm and cherished the feeling of his rough skin against my face.

  “Are you ready to go inside? I think you’re going to love the view from the inside even more,” he said.

  “Oh yes, of course.”

  He helped me out of the truck and made sure to keep a good grip on me as we walked up the steps into the cabin.

  “The caretaker said he would start a fire before we arrived, so it should be warm and toasty for us.” Mason opened the door.

  The fire was going in the stone fireplace on the other side of the room, and when I entered, it was the first thing I noticed. I looked around me and my eyes widened. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking a back porch, which seemed to be hanging over the side of the mountain, surprised me with the beauty. I walked over to the window, feeling a little shaky just looking at how close we were to the edge, but the view was to die for. Down in the valley was a giant lake turned to ice. Nearby, was a waterfall which appeared to be frozen with icicles hanging from the cliff above the lake. I could snow and mountains as far as the eye could see.

  “Do you like it?” Mason asked, stepping up beside me.

  “Like it? I love it!” I exclaimed, my voice hushed.

  “Good,” he said. His voice wavered, and I looked over at him to make sure he was okay. And I saw something in his hand, what looked like a small box.

  “Mason, is that…”

  Before I could finish my sentence, Mason dropped to one knee and held out the little blue box. He flipped it open and my heart nearly stopped beating. My hands flew to my mouth as I gasped. My knees felt like jelly, and I had to steady myself against the window.

  A massive diamond ring winked at me, glistening like the icicles on the trees outside and about as thick as some of them too.

  My gaze moved past the diamond and stared deep into Mason’s eyes. I had sworn to myself that I would never get married again, that I could never trust again. But that was before I had met Mason Harvey.

  “Danielle, will you marry me?” he asked.

  He looked absolutely terrified. I couldn’t blame him. We hadn't really talked about getting married. I wasn’t even sure he’d wanted to get married until that moment.

  But the answer was easy.

  “Yes,” I said, tears streaming down my cheeks.

  Mason slipped the diamond onto my finger, and I still couldn’t believe it. I had an engagement ring on my finger. A sight I never expected to see again. My heart fluttered, and I felt a bit weak. Mason was there, however, and he stood up and held me against his chest.

  We kissed, our bodies shaking from excitement. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought he might be crying too. Our cheeks were wet, but we were smiling. I don’t think I had ever smiled so big in my entire life, in fact.

  “And one more thing,” Mason said, speaking slowly. “If it’s possible, I’d like to see about adopting Skyler.”

  The breath caught in my throat. I stared at him with the widest eyes, like a deer in the headlights as the cliche goes. “I would love that, but Greg is her father.”

  “We’re taking Greg to court,” he said. “I know we lack proof of all the horrible things he’s done to you, but it’s only a matter of time before he does something abusive again. Eventually, Skyler will witness how he treats you or his anger will be aimed at her, and I kn
ow we both want to protect her.”

  “I—I would love that, Mason,” I repeated. “I really would. And if we can find a way to sever his parental rights, I know you’d be a better father to her. I just don’t know how. He’s always been untouchable.”

  I knew it was only a matter of time before Greg’s his narcissism affected our daughter. I feared for my daughter, especially when she became a teenager and defied him or wanted some freedom. What would happen when she started dating or having sex? Would he also call his own daughter a whore? I couldn’t be sure, and that gnawed at me every day, waiting for the day she came home from her dad’s hurt and reeling from his insults.

  “We’ll see what we can do, that’s all I’m saying,” Mason said. “Because you’re not in this alone, you know. I’m here too.”

  Accepting help had never been easy for me. But I nodded my head. I knew Mason better now; I knew the type of man he was. And I trusted him.

  “I’m sorry I brought it up,” Mason said.

  “No, please don’t be sorry,” I said. “I would never have accepted your proposal had I not thought of you as an ideal father-figure for my daughter. The love you show for her already is amazing to me, and I want nothing more than for us to be a complete family, for her to be raised by a kind, loving man like you instead of that abusive asshole. I just don’t know.”

  “Shh, I know,” he said, his lips brushing against my forehead. “But we’ll figure it out, I promise.”

  He held me close, kissing me softly, as we overlooked the beautiful scenery outside our window. All things considered, I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal, or a better fiancé.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket a few moments later, and I frowned as I stared at the screen. “It’s Greg,” I said, feeling uneasy. I feared he might be up to something, or hell, that somehow he had cameras here at the cabin in the mountains.

  I answered, my voice shaking. “Yes?”

  “Mommy!” Skyler’s sweet voice responded.

  “Hi honey,” I said, feeling some relief at hearing her voice instead of Greg. “What’s going on?’

  “I just wanted to say I missed you,” she said.

  “I miss you too, baby. Are you having fun at your dad’s?”

  “Ehh, not really, but he said my cousins will be over on Thanksgiving.”

  “Oh, I know you’re excited to see them.”

  Skyler continued telling me about everything she’d done since arriving at her dad’s. Mostly she played by herself, drawing or reading a couple books he bought her. I could tell my daughter was bored, and that was likely the reason for the call. But hearing her voice reminded me that she was okay. There were worse things to be than bored, and she was in good spirits.

  As we spoke, I heard shouting in the background. Greg’s voice. “Time’s up, Skyler.”

  Skyler argued, “But I’m not finished talking to mommy.”

  “You’re finished because I said you are. You do not defy me, you hear?”

  Hearing that tone sent a chill through my body. Every hair stood on end. I heard some muffled sounds on the other end of the line, but then Skyler popped back on, her voice sounding sadder than I’d ever heard it before.

  “Daddy wants to talk to you,” Skyler said, and my heart dropped.

  “Okay, sweetie. Put him on the line,” I said. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Mommy.”

  She barely got the words out before Greg swiped the phone away from her. He simply said, “Dani.”

  “Greg.”

  “Skyler wanted to talk to you.”

  “Well, thank you for letting her call me.”

  “I know it must be hard for her to be away from her mom. She’ll have to get used it.” My heart jumped. He quickly added, “I will be seeking more time with my daughter, I hope you know.”

  “We’ll see what the courts have to say.”

  I was tense. It was beginning already. I could hear the way he spoke to her, the way he commanded her to do what he said instead of being patient with her. Maybe if it had been any other man, I would have given him the benefit of the doubt, but Greg thought of people in his life as possessions and had to control everything. He’d talked to me the same way, and once I started defying him, things got ugly.

  “You won’t be hearing from us again, since it’s my time with her,” Greg said.

  A knot formed in my throat. The idea of my daughter not being able to reach me when she needed me filled me with dread, but what could I do?

  “Please let Skyler call me if—”

  “It’s my time with her, dammit. There’s no court order stating she must be able to call you, Dani. The girl needs to learn to live without you.”

  My insides felt empty and cold. “She will always have me.”

  “Goodbye, Dani,” Greg said haughtily.

  “We’ll see you on Sund—.”

  He hung up before I could finish.

  Mason must have sensed something was wrong, and he wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me close.

  “We have to get custody of her,” I whimpered.

  “We will, Danielle. I promise you, we will.”

  Mason

  After a romantic week in the mountains, it was hard to return to reality. Sunday approached, and even though we hadn’t heard anything from Greg or Skyler since the first day, we were at the ice cream shop in Liberty as previously discussed.

  The ice cream shop seemed like the best, most neutral place to meet. It was in public, so no issues with Greg causing Danielle any trouble. And then we’d grab some of their favorite ice cream before going back home.

  “Where are they?” Danielle muttered, snuggled up beside me.

  “It’s just now one o’clock,” I said.

  “Greg is never late, though.” She nibbled on her nail and began scrolling through her phone, checking the time every two seconds.

  “The roads are pretty bad. It’s possible he’s just going slow,” I said.

  A few more minutes went by, and she straightened up to look out the window of the shop at a passing car. “I thought that was him, but it’s not. I think I better call him.”

  She pressed some buttons on her phone and held it to her ear. Her jaw fell and her hands began shaking. “No, that can’t be right.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It said his number has been disconnected, but it can’t be—” She tried it again, and I swear, her face turned as white as the snow outside. “It still says disconnected.”

  I took the phone from her hand and double checked that she had called Greg’s number. His name was in her call log. Even though I believed her, I tried it again, just to be sure and to hear the message. It specifically said the number had been disconnected.

  Danielle was already out of the booth and on her feet, pacing the ice cream parlor. “What am I going to do? Should I call the cops?’

  “Yes, call the police,” I said. “Is there anyone else you can call? His brother, maybe?”

  “Yes, his brother. Let me have my phone back.” Danielle called and waited for what felt like an eternity. “Hi, Tony? It’s Danielle. I’m trying to reach Greg, but his phone is disconnected. He was supposed to drop off Skyler today…” Danielle slipped into a chair nearby, her entire body shaking as her jaw nearly hit the table. “Are—are you sure?”

  Her voice was pitched and panicked. It sent me into fight mode immediately.

  “Where is that bastard?” I growled.

  Danielle handed me the phone. “I can’t talk. I can’t think straight. Talk to him, please? We need to find out where they’re going.”

  “Hello? Where are Greg and Skyler?”

  “As I told Danielle, the last I heard from Greg, he requested the private jet for this afternoon. Said he was taking Skyler to Paris for the holidays and—”

  “Do you know when they’re leaving?”

  “He said they were flying out at three this afternoon,” he said.

  Two h
ours. We had two hours to get to her.

  “Where’s the jet located?”

  “What’s going on?” Tony asked.

  “Greg isn’t supposed to be taking Skyler anywhere, especially out of the damn country,” I growled. “He’s supposed to bring her home today. He’s kidnapping her.”

  “Are you sure? My brother—” Tony stopped himself from finishing the sentence. I had a feeling he knew his brother more than I did, and something in his head seemed to click.

  “Where is the jet? We need to get to them.”

  Tony relented and gave me the information. The jet was housed at an airfield outside of Salt Lake City. It was an hour or more drive, especially in these conditions. We had no time to delay.

  I hung up the phone without saying goodbye and headed for the truck. “Can you get someone to pick you up?” I asked Danielle.

  “I’m going with you. She’s my daughter.”

  “You’re also seven months pregnant with twins, Danielle. You can’t—”

  “She’s my daughter, Mason,” she interrupted, glaring fiercely at me. “Waiting around here will only stress me out. I’m going with you.”

  We didn’t have time to argue, and I knew this wasn’t an argument I could win. Even if I left her behind, she’d likely find some way to get there. And the last thing I needed was her driving in her own vehicle on these mountain roads.

  “Call my brothers while I drive, tell them what’s going on,” I said, handing her the phone as we climbed into the truck.

  Danielle called my brothers, her voice shaking as she put Eli on speakerphone. Tears were running down her face and she was a sobbing mess.

  “We’re going to get her back. He’s wealthy and connected to family here. There’s no way he can simply disappear,” I assured her.

  “Mason? What’s going on?” Eli asked.

  “Greg is trying to leave the country with Skyler. We’ve got the address for the hangar where he keeps his family’s private jet. We’re headed there now. I’d appreciate the backup.”

  “Send me the address. We’ll be there.”