Delivering His Gifts: A Mountain Man's Baby Christmas Romance(6)

“Mama! Pizza is here,” Skyler called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

Oscar got up as I stood, and he followed me to the door. He didn’t bark at the delivery driver, nor did he beg for the food as we ate.

He really was the best boy.





Mason





“Look who finally decided to show up.”

My youngest brother Eli was standing between me and the stairs leading up to my bedroom. With his arms crossed in front of his chest and the glare on his face, he reminded me of our mom after she caught me sneaking in after curfew or something. Except, of course, Eli looked more like our dad - as did all of the Harveys. We were big men, solid and tall. I had a couple inches on Eli, but he was still over six feet of solid muscle.

“Sorry, didn’t know I had a curfew,” I scoffed.

“Not a curfew, asshole. A meeting.”

I closed my eyes and cursed. “Shit. Yeah, that’s right. With Jacob Flynn. The guy looking for his daughter. I’m so sorry, Eli. It slipped my mind.”

I’d been so caught up in taking care of Calvin, that I forgot the reason my visit to him was supposed to be quick. I saw a problem that needed solved and went straight to the dog rescue, got caught up with Danielle and totally missed the meeting.

“Well, you weren’t the only one. Graham at least had the decency to tell me yesterday that he couldn’t make it - an OB appointment or some shit.” My brother’s brow was scrunched so tightly, it gave me a headache just looking at him.

“How’d it go?”

“Ended up being no meeting. When no one else showed up, Flynn decided we were too flaky with such an important case and he left. Ran into Sam on the way out the door. At least he decided to show up, even if he was fifteen minutes late.”

“I’m sorry, Eli,” I said again.

“Well, sorry ain’t good enough, man. What’s up with you lately? All of y’all are acting like you no longer want to run this business together.”

I pushed past my brother.

“What the fuck, Mason?” Eli said, following me up the stairs. “You’re not even gonna tell me why you missed one of the biggest potential cases we’ve had in months?”

“I was busy helping someone, Eli. I said I’m sorry. What else do you want from me?”

“Was it more important than the business you run with your brothers?” Eli scoffed.

I reached my bedroom door and was ready to go inside and slam it shut. Sometimes sharing a house with your brothers was a blessing - there was always someone to shoot the shit with or drink with. But other times, it was just damned annoying. We were working on a property with separate homes. This was merely a rental, but I was ready to have my own space. It was past time for that, in fact. Graham and Sam had moved into temporary places with their fiancées. Maybe it was high time for me to consider that as well.

Eli was still running at the mouth. I could go in my room and shut him out, lock the door. But there was a chance he’d just bang on it until I talked to him. Or until he got the answers he wanted. He could be damned stubborn sometimes. Hell, we all could be.

“I’m sorry if I actually want to do something good instead of just helping rich assholes who get themselves into trouble.”

“Flynn is looking for his daughter,” Eli scoffed. “Not getting himself into trouble.”

“He’s still a rich asshole. Maybe if he’d not walked out on his baby mama when she was pregnant, he wouldn’t have to be trying to find her now,” I said with a shrug.

I’d also read the papers and knew that he likely abused the poor woman. After all, not many women wouldn’t want to go after a rich asshole like Flynn for child support unless they were afraid of him. It was all rumors, but I couldn’t deny that my loyalty was most definitely not with Flynn. His daughter very well might be better off without him in her life.

I turned the doorknob, and Eli grabbed my arm. I pulled it away violently.

“Mason, what the hell is wrong with you? This was our dream, man. Our way of not just living off our dad’s money but paving our own way in life.”

“Maybe it was your dream. Hell, maybe it was my dream at one time, but…” I trailed off before I could finish that sentence. I knew that if I said much more, if I told him how I really felt, like how I got no satisfaction simply working cases anymore, and how I needed something more - a true purpose - he wouldn’t understand.

I also didn’t want to be impulsive and throw away the family business because of an argument with my little brother.

Even if I had been feeling a bit done, I knew I was being impulsive.

I sighed and rested my head against the doorframe, closing my eyes. My jaw was clenched so tightly, I spoke through gritted teeth. “Listen, I’m sorry, Eli. I just need a break. Please, just give me a break, alright?”

After the flooding and helping out at the clinic 24/7. And the re-building efforts. And meeting Calvin and deciding to help him. I was completely overwhelmed, and the last thing I wanted to deal with was Eli’s temper.

Eli backed off, eyeing me with suspicion. “Fine,” he said dryly. “We’ll talk later.”

I knew this wasn’t the end of our feud. It was only the end of this particular argument, which was fine with me. My head was beginning to hurt from all the tension in my jaw and neck.

Eli walked back downstairs, as evidenced by the heavy footsteps. He wasn’t happy, but at least I’d get some respite from his drama for the evening. I opened my bedroom door and entered, locking it behind me. I would have hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the handle had one been available. I just wanted to be left alone.

I didn’t want to worry about letting some rich football player down. I didn’t want to worry about helping yet another rich prick with whatever problem he found himself in this time.

One thing that working at the clinic had shown me was that I wanted to do more than just carve out a career for myself. I had a need to help people. I wanted to do better.

I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them into the dirty laundry before heading into the private bathroom. One good thing about this rental - it had plenty of rooms and bathrooms for all of us, so none of us had to share. Even if the rooms themselves were a bit small, it was supposed to have been temporary while we searched for our half-brother, Jack, here in Liberty. But we fell in love with the little mountain town and were planning to stick around. Especially since both Jack and his sister, Madison, were family. Being here in Liberty allowed us to get to know them and their family more, something we’d missed out on growing up.

I turned on the hot water in the shower and closed my eyes, letting the spray rush over my body.

Staying in Liberty had been a good choice. I felt at home here. The people were nice, and we could make a real difference in the town after the devastation caused by the flooding. My brothers and I had military backgrounds, we were strong and hard workers. I had medical training from my time in the military, while my other brothers had their talents.

So yes, it was a good thing we stayed.

And even better now since I met Danielle, I thought to myself. What a fine woman she is…

Stop it, Mason. You don’t even know if she’s married or what her deal is. Stop that right now.

The more I tried to stop thinking about her, however, the harder it was. I could see her clearly in my mind’s eyes. Her natural blonde hair likely fell down to her mid-back when she let it down. Those eyes - so blue and innocent with thick, black lashes. Her creamy skin with a dusting of freckles on her nose.

And moving down… that woman had a body that would make any man weak in the knees. Thick in all the right places. I’d never seen someone with such a perfect, natural hourglass shape in all my life. She reminded me of a statue you’d see in Paris or Milan - round breasts and hips that stretched the very limits of her jeans.

Ahh, thinking of her jeans, and the way her plump ass wiggled with every step…

I didn’t even realize it, but my hand had moved down my body, stroking myself as I visually imagined every curve of her body. I imagined we were alone in that adorable house of hers. And she beckoned me toward her bedroom with her finger, a seductive grin on her beautiful face.

How could I resist? I wouldn’t be able to tell her no, not if she asked me to follow her. Hell, I’d follow her off a cliff if I wasn’t careful - I’d be too busy watching her hips and ass that I’d walk right off.

I pictured what she would look like naked, and damn, that got me close. I had to slow down on the stroking as I undressed her in my mind, wanting to savor every moment.

Her breasts fell free from their bra, and they fit into my large hands, nearly overflowing them. Her nipples were pink and hard. I gently teased them, bringing a gasp from her sweet lips. And I knew, if I ever had her like that, I would drop to my knees and bury my face between those thick thighs of hers. She had to taste as good as she looked.

A soft groan escaped my lips as I pictured bringing her to orgasm again and against, sucking on her clit and fucking her with my tongue.

I nearly lost it just thinking about tasting her, but even in my fantasy, I knew I needed to be inside her. My throbbing member ached as I pictured placing her up on her countertop and burying myself deep inside her core.