Page 3 of Wild for the Mountain Man

I couldn’t ask for more. Our life, minus my family, is pretty damn perfect.

After ten minutes, Sam’s little body is curled in on itself and his soft, even breaths make me smile. This right here is what keeps me going even on days like today.

I stand and gently tuck his race-car sheets around him, leaning down to kiss his soft cheek.

Then I make sure his night-light is on, close his door and lean against it, exhausted.

Tonight I’m gonna do something I haven’t done in a long time and do something crazy.

Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting on my couch in my favorite sleep tank and shorts, the ones that are so worn they’re about to fall apart, eating ice cream out of a pint container and binge-watching my favorite dateline series. I always manage to guess the killer before it goes to court and someone is prosecuted.

I should be in bed but tonight is a night for something different. Something fun.

And nothing beats a good murder mystery. Better than any romance out there.

2

ADAM

Squinting, I make my way up the mountain. I was all ready to head up here last night but my parents tried to talk me out of this visit at all, claiming once again that Livvy Hennessy is a tramp and there’s no way that her son could belong to my younger brother, the saint who walks on water and died way too young.

Because he was wild and reckless. And that’s why I know this child is his. Or at least I’m pretty sure he could be. I wish my parents had mentioned him before.

But I know how they are. Convinced that their golden boy couldn’t possibly have fathered a child out of wedlock and barely over eighteen.

I know better. Jesse was a reckless, selfish piece of work that didn’t deserve all the love and attention that they poured over him. They doted on him. But he didn’t care about anybody but himself and his selfish pleasures.

I left for the army a long time ago. I’m just days away from retiring at thirty eight. He was twelve years younger than me and my parents believed that they couldn’t have any more kids so he was a miracle. A golden-haired, blue eyed, beautiful child that smiled and laughed all the time, charming everyone around him.

I’m not him that’s for sure. I’m his exact opposite in fact. Darker, quieter and with a permanent scowl, thanks to some hard-earned lessons over the years.

But those lessons made me the man I am today. Self-sufficient and careful. I’ve got money in the bank that I’ve been saving up towards my retirement on my mountain home.

Until I heard a rumor from a new recruit passing through the area where I was stationed for my last few months. My brother fathered a child. One that was born out of wedlock and my old-fashioned parents refused to acknowledge.

I had a nephew. I’ve always longed for a family of my own. But it wasn’t in the cards. But hearing that I have a nephew that I’ve never met and that my parents don’t recognize. That rocked me to my core.

I have a chance to teach this boy all about my family and my values, not my parents’ and I want it. Hell, if the girl is anything like what my parents say she is, I might be the only possible way he ends up with a good home life.

I might need to find myself a lawyer and take action. For the good of the boy, of course. If my parents aren’t going to take care of the kid, I can. He’s my nephew. My family.

Or at least I think so. I’ll need to look into a paternity test too…just to make sure. I’m not as rich as my parents but I’m pretty solid with my investments and the like. It pays to be sensible about things where money is involved.

I pull in at a cute little cabin that looks almost like a little cottage. Right down to window boxes with flowers hanging over the edges. Bright spots of color dancing against the dark wood of the home. It actually looks more like a home than my own, very large house did when I was growing up.

It looks well-tended and that doesn’t really fit the image of my parents’ description of her as careless and immature.

My eyes run over every bit of the property and I can’t find one thing that needs a huge overhaul. It’s taken-care of and yet a little worn. It just looks…normal.

I step up on the large porch and took a deep breath before I lift my fist and knock on the door. For a moment, I wonder if she’s even home. Until I hear a child giggle and running feet heading for the door along with a woman’s voice yelling. A husky, sexy, sweet voice.

The door flies open and a little cherub of about seven looks out at me, his bright blue eyes alight with the devil. For a minute, it’s like I’m looking in my little brother’s eyes. There’s no question in my mind. This little boy is Jesse’s son.

A woman whips around him and pushes him out of the way. Her snappy hazel eyes glare at me as she pushes her coppery-red curls out of her face. The boy peeks around her hip and smirks at me. “Who the hell are you?”

“Mommy, you said a bad word,” the little boy hisses. She flushes and glares at me as she picks him up and holds his sturdy little body on her lush hip.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting anybody today.”

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