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

by K. C. Crowne

  My heart really couldn’t get much fuller than that.

  Epilogue

  Danielle

  ONE YEAR LATER

  Who knew that Christmas would be my favorite time of year? Growing up, I had always dreaded the holiday. My parents would get drunk and the kids at school would flash their expensive new toys in my face. I was lucky to get one present, and it was usually something I needed like school supplies or clothes from the Goodwill.

  But now, Christmas had taken on an entirely new meaning for me and my family.

  That’s why I decided that getting married between Christmas and New Year’s would be a perfect way to celebrate my new favorite holiday.

  When I’d married Greg, he had chosen every aspect of the wedding, including my dress. And I thought that had been my only chance to get married. I had given up on the idea. Until Mason came along.

  I stared into the mirror and swirled around in my princess ball gown. Skyler told me that I had to wear a ballgown, and I agreed with her. It was the one chance a grown woman like me could feel like a princess. How could I not jump at the chance? I had always been so down to earth in every other way, but not for my wedding day.

  A faux fur shrug wrapped around my shoulders, sheltering me from the cold. My blonde hair was pulled back into a soft updo, tendrils curled around my face. My makeup really drew out the blue in my eyes, and I knew that Skyler would tell me I reminded her of Elsa when she saw me, a compliment I would most gladly take.

  “Ready to show everyone?” Penelope asked, smiling from behind me.

  I hadn’t really had many female friends before, but since joining the Harvey family, I got really close to both Emmy and Penelope. Both were strong, beautiful women that I was proud to call sisters.

  Speaking of Emmy, she was to the other side, wiping her eyes with a napkin. “Weddings always make me emotional,” she said, her hand resting on her growing belly.

  “Sure it isn’t the pregnancy hormones kicking in again?”

  She was already working on baby number two, and I couldn’t be happier for her and Graham.

  Our family was continuing to grow, and Skyler had so many cousins and aunts and uncles… She was one happy girl. Especially since Mason was able to legally adopt her. She asked him one day out of the blue if she could call him dad, and he agreed. We were still in therapy, dealing with the problems her own father had caused. There was so much I hadn’t known about Greg, about how he had tried to control her when she was with him. He didn’t want to sign over his rights initially, but once he got his sentence - fifty years, as we suspected he would - he likely realized there was no way he’d be able to be her father. He wasn’t happy about it, but he signed his rights over, which allowed Mason to be her legal father.

  And soon, I will be his wife, I thought.

  The door to the room opened, and I heard Skyler’s voice. “Wow, you look beautiful,” she gushed as I turned to face. “Just like Elsa.”

  I knew my daughter so well. Her love for Disney princesses was something I hoped she never fully grew out of.

  My daughter was in her flower girl dress, which was like a mini version of mine. She had always wanted to look like a princess, and we found a ball gown that was fitting for her with a poofy skirt that she loved spinning around in.

  I hugged my little girl and asked her, “Are you ready?”

  “I am, and so is Oscar. He seems to know something is going on.”

  I chuckled, imagining the sweet Great Dane dressed in his suit. Yes, we dressed a Great Dane as a ring bearer, one of Skyler’s requests. Calvin was okay with us borrowing his dog for the day, and Oscar was well-behaved enough to make it work.

  “Look who also came to see you before you walked down the aisle,” Graham’s voice came from the hallway. He stepped into the room, MJ in his arms. Sam followed him with Elianna.

  I covered my mouth as I saw my adorable twins dressed in their wedding best. They were walking fairly well now, even if a bit wobbly. And they had grown so much in the last year. Elianna was a little small for her age still, and she might always be, but her big smile more than made up for it.

  They placed the twins down and they wobbled over to me. I hugged them both tightly as Elianna tugged at my skirt. MJ pulled at my necklace with his grabby little hands, curious about what Momma was wearing around her neck.

  “Our mommy is so pretty, isn’t she?” Skyler asked. “Just imagine it, Elli, one day, you’re going to wear a pretty dress like that too.”

  “Oh don’t rush it,” I said, wiping the happy tears from my eyes. “I want all of you to stay little forever.”

  “We’ll always be your babies, Mommy,” Skyler said, repeating something I had often told her and the twins.

  “I know, but still, you grow up so fast. You’re already in first grade. Where has the time gone?”

  Skyler hugged me, smiling up at me. My beautiful, sweet babies.

  “Are you ready?” Eli asked, poking his head in from the hallway. “The groom is getting anxious; says he can’t wait to marry you.”

  “Yeah, I’m ready,” I said, not wanting to see my children go. But I’d see them all soon, in a matter of minutes, when I walked down the aisle and married their father.

  Graham and Sam took care of the twins while Skyler walked with Eli. The two of them had gotten pretty close lately, and I was happy to hear Eli was finally settling down himself. He was a good man.

  Both Penelope and Emmy helped with my skirt as we walked out of the room and down to the hall of the church. The bells were ringing, and the place smelled like pine trees and cinnamon. I took a deep breath as I waited in place for the doors to open, and for me to walk down the aisle.

  Skyler was directly in front of me, and she shot me a smile as the doors opened.

  The music began playing, and I watched as my little girl walked beside Oscar, dropping rose petals on the floor as the Great Dane carried the rings in a little box tied around his neck.

  There were so many people there… I almost couldn’t believe it, even though we had been over the guest list. But seeing them there, the town of Liberty and all our friends, filled my heart with such joy. I smiled at Calvin and Steve, who were sitting near the back. They were holding hands and looked absolutely smitten with each other. Steve had since moved to Liberty to be with Calvin, and it made my heart happy that I wasn’t the only one getting my happily ever after.

  As the music changed, I stepped from behind the half door that had been concealing me and began my walk down the aisle.

  My eyes met Mason’s, and I swear he was crying. I was crying. But I was also smiling.

  And seeing him at the end of the aisle, ready to marry me and devote himself to our family, I knew this was going to be forever.

  Our family was going to be forever.

  The End

  Great news! You can purchase the next book in the Mountain Men of Liberty series for a special launch price of 99 cents before it goes up to $3.99. It's about Eli and his steamy love story. You can access it on the series page here.

  Meanwhile, did you know I have a bestselling Lumberjack series?!? You can check out a free sneak peek to book one in that series called Lumberjacked on the next page.

  Lumberjacked (Preview)

  "My cabin. My rules."

  Years of celibacy was my way of life.

  Now Angela's presence makes things exceptionally....hard.

  She was supposed to be my hostage.

  But Santa must have a sick sense of humor.

  I'm addicted to every inch of her...

  Her sweet scent.

  Her curvy hips.

  Those eyes filled with innocence.

  I'm afraid nothing will stop me from having all of her.

  The problem is I don't ask. I take. And once I start....

  There isn't a single inch of her I won't devour.

  Readers note: Do you enjoy mysterious men of a few words, with a sexy baritone voice and a hot exotic accent? This is
your lucky day. This is a lumberjack, BRATVA, Mountain Man, Holiday Romantic Suspense and a standalone in the Grizzly Falls Lumberjacks series.

  Viktor

  Thunder rocked the sky.

  Mud slides and avalanches were common this time of year.

  The rain had really done a number on the mountainside. The ground was loose and slippery, and I had to watch my step when I stepped back outside with a coffee mug in my hand.

  But being dainty in my step wasn’t easy for a big guy like myself.

  I liked nature when it was like this, though.

  Dangerous, difficult, and impossible - except for a stubborn motherfucker like myself.

  Lost souls that wandered this far would back the fuck off, abandon their quests.

  No one ventured out this far, even less so when the ground itself was unstable as fuck.

  And that suited me just fine.

  I looked around. The world was breathtakingly beautiful in the aftermath of Mother Nature’s work.

  Even with all the thunder, nature continued unscathed and unbothered.

  The leaves glistened in the late morning sun, birds chirped a welcome to the world, ruffling their feathers and enjoying the rays that sliced through the crisp air.

  Nature continuing its pursuit regardless of all the chaos.

  If it wasn’t a damn metaphor for my life, I didn’t know what was.

  In the distance, I heard rumbling a third time, a thick sound, like a giant clearing his throat. The ground beneath my feet trembled, and I heard branches cracking. Scratch that, whole fucking trunks cracking.

  As I watched, the forest a few feet ahead of me started shifting.

  At that moment, I knew this was no average mudslide.

  It didn't reach all the way up to where I was standing. And that was just a happy fucking coincidence.

  The rumbling and groaning of the earth redecorating itself was overpowering. I watched as the giant hand of nature clenched a fist, crushing whatever was in its wake.

  Any humans would be pulverized. This part of the mountainside was mine, as I’d come to see it, and it was deserted, so I didn’t have to worry about any deaths and the crowds of investigators and rescuers that might bring.

  I let my eyes slide over the part of the mountain that had yet to be transformed. Natural disasters were a kick. Everyone hated them –they were right to. They weren’t called disasters for nothing.

  But I liked that there was something bigger and more powerful than me. It was rare.

  I liked being reminded that no matter how awful things got, the world still kept turning. And that no matter what a disgusting son of a bitch I’d been once upon a time, in the grand scheme of things, life went on as if I didn’t matter.

  The balance, the perspective, kept me sane.

  I wanted to see what disasters had fallen near my cabin.

  As I meandered through the trees, some upright, some hanging by roots, I cast my eyes in all directions. My eyes landed on a green truck, a little beat up, the paint worn. Sometimes I came across old cars abandoned by their owners decades ago. But this one was new and had no business being in the middle of a mudslide. And it sure as shit wouldn’t be there much longer.

  As I gazed at the truck curiously, I heard something I’d least expected. Someone else was here - and they were in trouble. A yelping sound came from the distance.

  And then I saw her.

  F*ck what the hell is she doing here?

  Her auburn hair streamed behind with abandon as she ran with all her might. Whoever this woman was, I could tell she had fight in her, but there was no fucking way she was getting out of the path of destruction in time.

  I dropped my axe and ran in her direction. A demented smirk overtook me as I was reminded of my true nature. I always run toward danger and not from it.

  The ground started sliding beneath my feet. I worked hard to keep my footing. At 6’6” and mostly muscle, I didn’t go down easily, but the area was dangerous and getting more so by the second. Logs fell across my path, rocks tumbled down. I ducked to avoid a thick branch hitting me over the head.

  For a moment, I lost sight of her. I followed the sound of her shouts, something primal in me forcing through the danger to get to her. The strange woman needed help, and I was the only person for miles. I’d grill her later about why the hell she was out here in the first place.

  When I reached her, I was just in time to yank her out from underneath a falling tree that crashed to the ground. She spun around when I grabbed her, green eyes bewildered. She was a looker, that I was certain. And her reaction to me was defensive, though not afraid.

  “Whoa! Who the hell are you?”

  “We’re getting out of here, now!” I shouted.

  She shouted something in return, but a loud crashing drowned out her voice. A branch crashed down, followed by mud and dirt. I tried to get away, but the ground gave underneath my feet, and we were stuck. I tucked her against me and turned my back. The branch landed on me with a noise like a train wreck. I gritted my teeth as a searing pain throbbed into my shoulder. But the woman was safe. I squeezed my eyes shut as more debris fell around us. A few small rocks, dirt, and some branches and leaves fell on me, but the worst was over.

  When it was safe and the forest was silent again – mourning in the aftermath of the terror it had spread – I opened my arms and looked down. The green-eyed beauty was unconscious.

  Shit.

  With a sigh, I picked her up, her body limp in my arms. She was tiny, 5’4” at the most, and light as a feather. Lifting her took no effort at all, and I turned, trudging up the hillside like fucking Tarzan taking Jane back to safety.

  As soon as I was on solid ground, I laid her down on the mulch and studied her, checking for injuries that might be life-threatening. God, she was beautiful. An angel.

  She had a bruise on the forehead, matted blood in her hair, but neither injury looked too serious. Her skin was smooth with a tiny splash of freckles across her nose. Perfect full lips, delicate neckline, everything perfect. My eyes slid down her body and found curves enough to make a man’s mouth water. She was in fucking good shape, too.

  Her clothes were torn, and through the rips her soft, smooth skin showed. A long tear up her leg showed the pale skin of her thigh through her jeans, and I swallowed. My cock was suddenly at full attention, straining against my pants.

  Nyet, I told myself. I could not want her. Not like this. She was unconscious, helpless, possibly injured, even if not serious. Frowning, I stared at her. Who the hell is she? And how did she end up in these parts of the woods where hardly any soul trespassed?

  Had Maksim sent her to find me? I wouldn’t expect a woman like her for a spy for the mob, so that would make her perfect. But a spy? He couldn’t imagine Maksim would let a beauty like her slip out of his grasp. He’d want her for himself, and that thought bothered him more than it should have.

  I didn't know who the hell she was, so I needed to keep my guard up. But she needed help. She needed to be patched up, taken care of.

  Bringing her back to my cabin crossed my mind, but I didn’t like anyone knowing where I lived. The whole point of being up here was so no one could find me. Or figure out who I was.

  Even if this girl was an innocent pedestrian, it was a major risk to let her know about my life here. I didn't exactly blend in. I was a fucking big ass Russian with a deep accent and mob tattoos all over his neck and body. Not exactly your everyday average nice guy. More like the kind of dude that had things to hide. I was bound to draw attention. And that was all Maksim would need to find me.

  But fuck, I couldn’t leave her here. She needed help. And damned if I was going to abandon this creature. No fucking way. I grunted, ignoring the voice screaming at the back of my mind that I was making a colossal mistake, and lifted her in my arms again. She was unconscious, so she wouldn’t know how we got to the cabin, I rationalized.

  The trek to the cabin was a little harder after the mudslide. The gr
ound was slippery and unstable, and I had to leave my axe. Couldn’t carry her and it, so I’d have to come back later. I made it after nearly double the time I would have made it on a normal day and welcomed the comfort of my home nestled in the shadows.

  The cabin was small but cozy, and it was comfortable for what I needed. The bedroom and bathroom were separate from the open plan living room and kitchenette, and I had running water after I’d tinkered some with existing, rusting pipes. The water came from a natural stream higher up, but I had managed to get it flowing into the house.

  The cabin was warm when I shouldered open the door and carried her to my bedroom. I carried her to the bed and laid her down gently. I studied her more closely, making sure she didn’t have any visibly serious injuries. A bump to the head, a few minor scratches and bruises, but nothing appeared to be broken.

  Carefully, I peeled the torn jacket from her shoulders. She moaned softly when I moved her, and the sound made my balls tighten.

  Fuck. What I would give to... Nyet, I scolded myself again. I would not give in to my primal urge.

  The blouse she wore gaped dangerously low. The top two buttons had snapped, and the swell of one breast showed, leaving just enough to the imagination.

  My cock punched against my jeans - cursing me for trying so hard to tame the beast inside. I wanted her, that much was excessively clear. I hadn’t responded like this to a woman in a long time, but my cock had a mind of its own, straining upward, needing a release.

  I’d seen a few women when stopping by the local town for supplies over the years, but no one like her. Had I been the same man I once was, this internal struggle probably wouldn’t have even existed. I would have waited for her to awaken, seduced her, and fucked her brains out. But now, I didn’t want the complications a woman added to my life.