Mountain Man's Lucky Charm: A Single Dad Romance (Mountain Men of Liberty)

  Mountain Man’s Lucky Charm

  A Single Dad Romance

  K.C. Crowne

  Contents

  Also by K.C. Crowne

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Irish Doctor’s Secret Babies (Preview)

  About the Author

  Also by K.C. Crowne

  K.C. Crowne is an Amazon Top 10 bestseller.

  All books are FREE on Kindle Unlimited and can be read as standalones.

  Mountain Men of Liberty Series (This series)

  Baby for the Mountain Man| Junior for the Mountain Man| Knocked Up by the Mountain Man| Baby For Daddy's Friend | Triplets for the Mountain Man | Taken by the Mountain Man| Secret Baby for the Mountain Man | Mountain Man’s Accidental Surprise | Quadruplets for the Mountain Man | Delivering His Gifts| Mountain Daddy’s Fate | Mountain Man’s Treasure

  Doctors of Denver Series

  Doctor’s Secret | Doctor’s Surprise Delivery | Irish Doctor’s Secret Babies | Millionaire’s Surprise Triplets

  Lumberjacks of Grizzly Falls Series

  Lumberjacked | Lumberjack’s Baby

  Rainbow Canyons Cowboy Series

  Taboo Cowboy |Cowboy’s Baby|Her Cowboy Daddies | Southern Charm| Cowboy’s Bride

  Big Bad Daddies Series

  Big Bad Doctor | Big Bad Daddy| Big Bad Taboo Daddy | Big Bad Prince|Big Bad Mountain Man| Big Bad SEAL| Big Bad Boss| Big Bad Sugar Daddy| Big Bad Mountain Brothers

  Bearded Brothers Mountain Man Series

  Her Mountain Daddy| Beauty and the Beard| Bride and the Beard| Built and Bearded |

  Firemen of Manhattan Series

  Big Bad Fireman’s Baby| Big Bad Firefighter| Big Bad Fire Daddy|

  Spenser Sisters Reverse Harem Series

  Men on a Mission| Christmas with Four Firemen| Dirty Cowboys

  Checkout KC’s full Amazon Catalog

  All books are FREE on Kindle Unlimited and can be read as standalones.

  Description

  "You're the only family these babies have left. Good luck."

  Single. Bachelor. Content.

  Yerp.

  I'm that guy.

  Luckily, living solo is seen as socially acceptable on the mountains.

  But a phone call in the middle of the night changes everything. And I learn three things.

  1. I've got a bro behind bars.

  2. He's the father of two little girls. Girls I've never met - mind you.

  3. And some fool in charge assigned ME as their legal guardian. They're joking right???

  I can't be responsible for a kid. Never mind a kid and a baby!

  I'm ready to walk into the courthouse and give the judge a piece of my mind...

  But the minute I meet my nieces I'm speechless for the first time.

  Two beautiful angels. Innocent and scared. They deserve better.

  Much better.

  Just like that, my mountainous walls slowly begin to crumble.

  Maybe that's why I meet the girl of my dreams.

  She's answering my pathetic questions on an online parenting forum.

  And we meet to chat. To be honest I thought she was a guy.

  Her name is Alex.

  She's actually a smart sexy single mom to two little boys.

  THE definition of MILF. And the way she loves her boys blows me away.

  Too bad I'm horrible at relationships.

  Can she ever see herself with a guy like me?

  One thing's for certain...

  St. Patty's Day is around the corner.

  And this Irish daddy is ready to use his lucky charm to get his happily ever after.

  Chapter 1

  Liam

  “Alright, lads! Next round on me!” I exclaimed as I slipped from the barstool, my feet almost missing the ground.

  “I don’t know if you need anymore,” Ezra said with a serious expression on his face. I could count on my hand the number of times Ezra seemed to enjoy himself. Even when he was out with the guys, he seemed to have a stick up his ass.

  “Why? You gonna make us all come into work tomorrow, boss?” My speech was slurred, but just a bit. “It’s Friday night, Ez. Loosen up, man.”

  “I’m good,” Declan said, holding up his mostly full beer.

  “As much as I’d love to join you, I have to be up early tomorrow,” Michael added.

  “Yeah, what is it this time - your wife wants to take another couple’s pottery class or something?” Clark rolled his eyes.

  “Nah, Becky’s going shopping with her mother. I have the kids to myself tomorrow, and Zoey is usually up early.”

  Clark teased his stepbrother, Michael, often about his family, and even I thought that shit was getting old.

  “That’s my cue to grab another beer,” I announced, not wanting to hear the bickering between the brothers. We were supposed to be having a fun night. “So, none for you, Ezra?”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  I walked from our normal corner table up to the bar, leaning against it as I waited for the bartender to take my order. “One pint please.”

  Milly had been working at the bar for as long as I’d been a customer, and I was just a wee lad back then. Long before the legal drinking age. Dad would drag me in the bar and Milly would serve me free soda all night, probably because she felt sorry for me. Things were different back then, of course. Bars no longer allowed children inside, which meant I likely would have been left at home or in the car when Dad went on his drinking binges. I was thankful for Milly’s kindness back then and the fact that she never gave me a hard time about how much of my paycheck was spent here week after week.

  Milly filled up my glass and passed it to me. “You know, you really should find yourself a nice girl one day, Liam.”

  “Are you available, Milly?”

  She cackled. “I gave up men ages ago. But for someone like you…” She pretended to consider. “Hell? Who am I kidding? I wouldn’t be able to keep up with someone like you. My third ex-husband was a redhead, you know? Just like you. And he was trouble. Learned my lesson after that one.”

  I gave her a cheeky grin. “Well, if you’re not interested, guess I’ll be spending the rest of my life alone.”

  Milly leaned over the counter, whispering, “Take a gander at the woman sitting at the booth near the door. I’d reckon she’s the prettiest woman in all of Liberty. She might change your mind.”

  I rolled my eyes but turned to see who Milly was pointing at. After all, this was Liberty. I grew up here. I practically knew everyone in the town, and most certainly knew everyone who stepped foot in the bar.

  My eyes fell on her, and I froze.

  The first thing I noticed about her was her hair - a rich, chocolate brown that fell over her shoulders in voluminous waves, like a hairstyle you’d see on the cover of those women’s magazines at the checkout counter. She
ran a hand through all of that thick hair, pushing it away from her face in one, gentle movement, and all I wanted to do was to touch it, to see if it was as soft as it looked.

  And then I saw her face.

  Her eyes scanned the room, and from the distance and the darkness, I couldn’t make out the color, but I didn’t need to. They were beautiful even from this distance. Large eyes framed by dark lashes turned toward me, and I took that as an invitation.

  I pushed away from the bar but felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced back to find Milly grinning at me. “Don’t make a fool of yourself, Liam. We both know you’ve had a lot to drink tonight, and I’d hate to kick you out for harassing one of the customers.”

  “I’ll be nice.” I crossed my heart as I said, “I promise.”

  “You better be, boy. Now go get ‘em, tiger.”

  I put one foot in front of the other and tried not to stagger. Milly was right, I’d had a lot to drink, but I did my best to pretend to be sober.

  The woman’s eyes widened as I walked closer, so I offered a smile and slipped into the booth beside her.

  “Well, hello there, beautiful.”

  Now that I was closer, I could see what she was wearing - a black sheath dress that hugged some delicious curves. I was practically salivating at just the sight of her.

  The booth was open at both ends, and the woman slipped out the other side as quickly as I had slipped in. She grabbed a black clutch from the table.

  “This was a mistake,” she muttered to herself.

  “What was a mistake, lassy?”

  “Coming here. Thinking this was a good idea,” she said, her tone clipped as she dug around in her bag. She headed for the door, and I slipped from the booth and followed her.

  “But you’ve met me, so it’s not a complete mistake,” I said, grinning at her.

  She rolled her eyes and pushed past me. “Guys like you are exactly why coming here was just that.”

  I took that as my cue, stopping in place. “Well, nice meeting you too, sunshine,” I called out after her. I grumbled to myself as I made my way back to my friends, who had all watched as I struck out with the beautiful dream girl.

  Ezra shook his head as I approached. “You really think that was gonna work, huh? As drunk as you are?”

  “Hey, now,” I defended, taking my place at the table. “We all know that alcohol improves my flirtation skills. Maybe it’s not the same for you, Ezra, but it’s true for me.”

  Clark chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that, Liam.”

  “Whatever, lads. You’re just jealous.”

  “Jealous that you got shot down by that woman?” Declan added.

  I rolled my eyes and took a large swig of beer. “Nah, that I can nab any lady I want, when I want.”

  “Except that one,” Mike added.

  I shrugged. “I wasn’t trying that hard.”

  “Unbelievable,” Clark muttered, shaking his head. “Anyway, while you were getting rejected, Mike was telling us about how Sabrina is making him get rid of the Camaro.”

  “She’s not making me,” Mike interjected. “It’s just, well, we don’t have room in the garage for a car we never drive. I can’t fit the entire family in it, so it’s just sitting there, and we both think it’s time to pass it along to someone who might actually get some use out of it.”

  I raised my hand. “I volunteer as tribute.”

  It was a joke, but it also wasn’t. As a teen, I’d coveted that car with every ounce of my being. Mike was a couple years older than us, and the few times I was allowed to ride in that car were practically orgasmic. But the rest of guys felt the same way about the Cammy, as we liked to call her.

  “Do you think Mike’s just gonna hand over his baby?” Clark asked incredulously. “And if he does, I stake my claim.”

  Mike chuckled and ran a hand over his beard. “I know, I know, all you guys have fond memories of the car, and that’s what makes this so hard.”

  “Wait, you’re gonna give Cammy away? Not sell her?” Ezra asked.

  Mike shrugged. “I’d rather it go to one of you guys as a gift than to profit off her. My father gave her to me, and I want to make sure she stays in the family.”

  We weren’t officially family. If anything, that would leave Clark, but the two of them weren’t exactly close. They were stepbrothers, with his dad marrying Mike’s mom, but there was always a rivalry between them, and I could see it in Clark’s eyes now - he was going to get his brother’s car.

  But not without a fight, because I wanted that baby as much as he did. If not more. Growing up poor, I’d always dreamed of the day I could own a car like that. I could pay for one outright, but the idea of having that one - a car that held so many special memories for me - became my one and only obsession.

  “So, what are you gonna do?” Declan asked.

  “I figured that since this isn’t exactly a family car, I’d give it to the guy less likely to settle down anytime soon. That way it’ll get the most use.”

  “We all know who that is,” Clark said with a smirk.

  “Yeah. Me,” I said.

  He frowned. “No, look at you. You’re constantly chasing after women every single time we go out. I give you a week.”

  “Pfft. Hooking up and settling down are two different things, bro. I hate to tell you. I have no intention of settling down, ever.”

  “My bet is on Liam,” Mike added.

  “Yeah, see?” Clark’s gaze narrowed on me, so I returned the smirk from earlier. “I mean, had that hot lass talked to me, I might be a goner, but since she didn’t…” I shrugged in an overexaggerated manner.

  Mike continued with a laugh. “Because if anyone can turn away a woman looking for something serious, it’s him. I mean, did you just see him five minutes ago?”

  My smirk fell. “Hey, now. I wasn’t at my best. If I wanted to find a sweet little lady to settle down with, I could.”

  “When are you ever at your best when it comes to women?” Ezra asked, laughing loudly.

  “Ladies love me.”

  “They love to sleep with you, you mean.”

  “Isn’t that the same thing?”

  Ezra rolled his eyes and changed the subject. “Well, I’m in. After the shitshow with my ex, I don’t see myself dating for a long, long time.”

  “I’m in, too,” Declan added.

  The group tried to hold back the laughter and you could feel the tension in the room. But I burst first. “Sure, Declan. I give you a week before you’re in love with some beautiful woman you met on one of your hikes or something.”

  Declan shot me a crooked grin. “Maybe I’ll surprise all of you.”

  Declan was the hopeless romantic of the group. He tried to deny it, he tried to act tough, but we all knew that deep down, he wanted a family and two-point-five kids and a white picket fence. He’d written poetry about it in high school, which he tried to hide, but he was never very good at hiding anything. Just like he wouldn’t be very good at staying single for too much longer.

  Nah, Declan would be the first man down. That was an easy call.

  I sat back and went around my group of friends. After Declan, it had to be Ezra. He might be bitter from his last breakup but being in a serious relationship suited him. He wasn’t into playing the field anymore. He’d be the second one with a long-term girlfriend, I was sure of it.

  After that, however, Clark and me were the only ones left. Clark stared back at me as if he had the same thought. It would come down to the two of us for the win.

  He was handsome enough that he could have almost any woman he wanted, but like Ezra, he didn’t play the field. Unlike Ezra, he also didn’t date, period. I couldn’t recall the last time he’d been in a serious relationship, to be honest. And the same could be said about me. I’d never done serious. I didn’t want to be tied down. And Clark had the same fears as I did.

  “So, it’s on then?” Clark asked from across the table. “Because we both know it’s between you a
nd me.”

  “It’s on, brother.” I took another large swig of my beer.

  I loved a competition. And the prize? Well, I couldn’t wait to be sitting in that baby, driving down the mountain roads. Even if it meant dying alone, at least I’d be dying with that beautiful Camaro in my garage.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I dug it out. An unfamiliar number popped up on the screen. “Be right back,” I said, waving the phone in the air.

  I stepped away and headed for the door, the music too loud to hear myself think, much less hear a phone conversation. I answered as I pulled the door opened. “Hello, Liam McDowell speaking.”

  “Mr. McDowell, this is Candace Peters. I’m with Salt Lake City Social Services. Do you have a minute?”

  I leaned against my truck in the parking lot, confused why someone from Social Services would call me. “Sure, go ahead.”

  “Mr. McDowell, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but your brother, Shane, was arrested earlier this evening along with his girlfriend, Lisa.”

  I ran a hand across my beard, smoothing it into place. “No, can’t say I heard anything about that. My brother and I don’t talk. Not that I’m surprised. He tends to find trouble wherever he goes.”

  The fact that he was still in Utah was a surprise to me. Last I’d heard from him, five years prior or so, he’d moved to Chicago with a girl named Becky.