Page 8 of Ashton's Mountain Man

It was as if time stood still as they explained the last few days to me.

The accident, and what had happened to my leg and, in reality, how lucky I was. My recovery ahead was going to be long and difficult to gain back the full movement and strength in my leg, but I was alive. I hadn’t sustained any other damage elsewhere, and I’d been healthy prior, and active, which stands great to aid in the process of my recovery.

I couldn’t believe how much worse it could have been.

It could have been my little boy…

“We’ll leave you to get some rest for now, and I’m sure the rehabilitation team will be coming to see you shortly. They’ll over your plans for when you get out of here and where you’ll be staying,” the doctor stated. “You’ll need a lot of help and support.”

“That’s okay, Doctor. He has me.” That smooth, deep voice that set my body wild sounded from the doorway. I gazed across, and my heart squeezed tightly, knowing he’d been standing there, watching us. That he’d actually even been in the hospital when I knew how much he hated them. “He has his family too—the mother of his child and little boy here. We’ll be ensuring he gets all the support he needs.”

“I’d just advise that you make sure that you discuss all the options with the team when they arrive,” the doctor confirmed before walking toward the door and halting when Cole and Maxwell entered. “Make sure you don’t spend too long here with him. He really does need his rest.”

“We’ll make sure of that, Doctor,” Maxwell replied before looking between the two guys. “I’ll make sure of it myself. He needs to gather his energy to heal. I’m sure these two can both agree on that at least,” he uttered as Cole nodded before shifting his weight on his feet and letting out a sigh, watching the way West was perched by me.

I could understand that he was just being protective of me, and he had every right after having been there, listening to my drunken tales as I finally opened up about my feelings about the guy who got away all those years ago as our friendship grew. It hadn’t mattered that I never revealed names or anything about my hometown or the smaller details to him. That night gave away everything after that showdown at Zane’s and Jed’s celebrations.

“You have other options for your recovery,” Cole added, walking across to the bed, his hands cupped behind his neck as Maxwell shook his hand slowly at him. “You don’t have to do this. I mean, you also have the rehabilitation unit, and you could?—”

“Cole, what did we say about this earlier?” Maxwell winced before mouthing a “sorry” to West. My brow furrowed, trying to gather my thoughts. “I know, but I have to say it. Who else will? I only know who this guy was to Ashton before and—fuck!!”

“Cole.” West lifted his head up from bedside me, his eyes red rimmed and swollen from the guessing of tears or lack of sleep he’d had. “I guess you were the one my guy?—”

I gasped at those words as he gazed at me for a moment and squeezed my hand gently. I winced at the wires contracting under my skin before turning my attention back to them.

“Have you ever done something you regret? Wished to have acted sooner or not been a fool prior in life?” he asked as Maxwell coughed and smirked, reaching for Cole’s hand and rubbing his thumb across the top. “You see, I admit, I’m not a perfect guy and am full of errors.” West chuckled loudly, throwing his head back as he ran his hand through his luscious brown hair and flicked it away from his tired blue eyes with his fingers. “I’m willing to bare all those flaws and work on them however long it takes to be the man he deserves,” he choked out as I let a tear fall down my cheek, and Cole leaned closerinto Maxwell’s side as he wrapped his arm around him. “I want Ashton to have every opportunity possible in life, and I want that to be with me. I just hope it’s not too late for him to want that with me too?”

“I’m sorry for—” Cole began as I waved hand in the air, and West just shook his head.

“You were just being his friend, and I couldn’t wish for anything else,” West confirmed. “You were looking out and protecting him.”

I coughed to grab their attention.

“I’m right here,” I moaned, as Cole and Maxwell chuckled. “Talking about me, as if I’m not just leading him,” I uttered, attempting to push him in the shoulder, but failing miserably with no strength left. “You know I want you too.”

“Then that’s settled,” West confirmed, his tone turning rough and deep. “Nothing else matters. Now it's time for you to rest,” he told me, before bending and placing a kiss to my lips without a care for the fact that we still had an audience. “That’s an order. Come on, you two. You can come back in the morning, if I let you.” He winked as the three of them pushed each other in the shoulders, sharing a moment together, and I waved them goodbye.

Now I just had to concentrate on getting better and try to wish away the raging hard-on that West caused…

Such a fucking shame we weren’t somewhere more private and he could have given me a hand.

CHAPTER 6

West

The doctors haven’t beenwrong about how long Ashton’s recovery would take, including the rehabilitation to ensure he regained the full use. Not like I’m thinking the experience of the doctor would be wrong or anything. It just surprised me the intense regime the specialists had devised and what was expected ahead, but in reality, if that’s what my guy needed, that’s what he would receive.

I would be supporting him at every step—through every celebration that he made and every moment that he wanted to give up. I would be there ensuring that he knew he could lean on me and I wasn’t going anywhere.

The last few weeks I had spent most of my time between the hospital, the wreckage of the site, and Maisie’s house. I’d barely stepped into my place. I needed to be with the people who required my support at my house, barren with only me there— a lonely place at the best of times.

I hated leaving him and only left when I was forced to. I visited the wreckage on the early shift—checking in on the progress and glad to notice a new infrastructure and exoskeleton being built already. One which should be much stronger againstthe high winds and issues we face up here. The team had made adjustments, and work had already returned to normal, but I’d taken the time away. With the circumstances at hand, they couldn’t deny my request. I’m not sure if I will return or not—it’s a conversation that I want to have with Ashton once he’s more stable and comfortable back here with me.

I picked up my cell and searched for Cole’s number in my phone directory. Pressing the dial, I waited until connected, glad that the two of us had found a common ground now and were on the same page, along with the calming central force of Maxwell. It was nice to know that Ashton had someone looking out for him while he was in Manhattan, even though he didn’t have a clue he was apparently protecting him from me. Now Cole, Maxwell, and I were able to be the three people Ashton could reach out to talk to about anything, but I was the man who he would be returning home to—the one who he loved and desired. The one who would keep him warm. They would remain his friends, though, and I couldn’t ask for two better people for him to help protect his heart from pain.

“Cole, are you alright staying with Ashton a little longer today?” I asked him. I instantly wanted to take back the words that I had just let slip from my throat as I wished I could spend every second with Ashton, but this couldn’t wait any longer. I hated leaving him, but I had to set these plans into motion and give all the final details of the next stages to Ashton’s doctors. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to be discharged into my care as I had hoped and would need to be placed in the interim in a rehabilitation facility program. A place which was fantastic for so many people, but not where I knew Ashton would thrive. Heneeded the people he loved and those who cared for him around him to help him strive and push on through each step of the plan in his recovery. It was the best course of medicine for him—love. “I need to meet with Maisie and discuss the options we have for Ashton coming home from the hospital. There’re talks by the end of the week, and I had a call earlier for confirmation of all those details, but?—”

“You know that’s no problem,” Cole confirmed to me. “I can give him the boring catch-up on all he’s missed. The latest office gossip and things that’ve been happening with the guys…” He continued as Maxwell laughed in the background. “You take as long as you need. Maxwell and I have a couple of things to talk to him about too and what his plans and options are now moving forward with Gratizé Accountants, especially now with the balance of family and his new life.”

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