Page 3 of Ashton's Mountain Man

“It is when my best friend cries themselves to sleep each night, and I have your son asking me if I know where his daddy is!” West screamed in my face as the group of us stared, slack-jawed, at the revelation.

“What?” I countered, blinking twice as he shook his head. “That’s not possible. I can’t have a son, you’re mistaken. You have to be.” I staggered backwards, nearly knocking all the drinks flying—like I gave a fuck. A hand reached up for my shoulder and held me in place, squeezing gently. I turned to be greeted to Cole’s soft gaze as the tears flooded behind my eyelids. “I…” I choked out. “You’re wrong.”

“Then look at this,” West announced as he scrolled through his phone and finally stopped on an image. “Is that the proof you need?”

I’d never felt so helpless and hurt in my life, so uncertain or unsure of what to do.

One thing was for certain, though. I was angry…

I was frustrated… but I was fucking sure that boy was mine.

I could see from the dimples in his cheeks, the way his smile curved ever-so-slightly—only on the right—and from those deep, penetrating eyes. He was my double.

I had so many questions I needed answers to, and I knew at this moment I was seen as public enemy number one.

The only way I was getting anywhere was by forcing myself back into the situation.

West may have shocked the fuck out of me by his declaration, but he’d possibly done the best thing ever for me. He’d given me a chance.

I’d missed two years of my son’s childhood, and I wasn’t going to miss a moment more.

I slammed my palm against West’s hotel room door and waited until he opened it, in just his boxers. Gulping hard, I tried to ignore the rush of lust traveling through my veins and focus on the reason I was there.

“Get dressed and ready, I’m coming back to Fire Mountain Ranch with you,” I told him in an authoritative tone. “It’s time I speak to Maisie and get some answers.”

“Ashton…” West seethed. His hand on his hip as he dropped his gaze before looking at me, deep in thought. “I could go ahead?—”

“No,” I cut him off immediately. “Talk to Maisie. Prepare her. I understand you have to do what you need to do to protect your friend, but that’s my son,” I bit out quickly. “I’m not going torampage in there and scare him and introduce myself, West. I wouldn’t do that,” I softly said. “But Maisie and I need to talk. She never told me. I had no idea… It was once, and?—”

“I get it, man, but Wyatt…” West whispered, before biting down on his lip. “He’s—they have struggled. I hate—hated you for—” He forced the words out before walking back into his room and leaving the door wide open for me to enter. “Just think how…”

I forgot everything he just said and the way West was about to state how hard the two of them had struggled as his words hit me hard in the chest.

“His name is Wyatt.” I sobbed loudly as I dropped to my knees, making West turn instantly and drop down beside me, pulling me in his arms. “I have a son, man.”

“I know you do.” He kissed the top of my head as another ragged roar left my throat and tears poured down my cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m here for you now. I’m here for you all.”

CHAPTER 2

West

When I first walked intothat bar, I was expecting a fun night of shots, a lot of laughter, and waking up with a hangover from hell the next day after celebrating the birthday of my stepbrother’s partner for the evening. It was the perfect opportunity to not only unwind, but also catch up with the two of them, especially as the time between actual visits could span quite far and an actual telephone conversation never quite hit the mark. After the grind of the week and after having Wyatt for Maisie three nights this week as he struggled through those terrible twos and teething issues, I’d never been so thankful for a night away, to be honest. One thing came true from that initial plan for this weekend—I did end up with the hangover from hell, but the rest of the night became a complete shitshow when Ashton Parks appeared.

The one guy I had hoped would turn back up in Fire Mountain Ranch years earlier and admit his mistake.

The guy who’d once been a loyal friend, but was now someone I despised with every fiber within me. The guy who had destroyed so many lives because he couldn’t deal with his own—running away from the situation, rather than dealing with it.

My best friend, Maisie's, son's father. The guy who was meant to raise and protect him—not disown him.

I was pissed, angry—fucking frustrated was an understatement. I’d lost it at the bar, and now—well, in twenty minutes, Ashton and I will have finished our silent journey together and will be driving up that long mountain before pulling up outside Fire Mountain Ranch, to my place where Maisie will be waiting for me to arrive back from my weekend away. I’d told her I needed to talk and that if she could see if Indie, her colleague and local babysitter, wouldn’t mind having Wyatt a little longer today. I had weighed up what to do originally about the situation but Ashton was fucking right and I hated that fact more than anything in the world—he needed to talk to her and Wyatt needed his dad in his life. It didn’t stop the pang of pain in my chest, though, as I’d been the solo male figure in his life the last few years—the only stable male figure Maisie had allowed to be part of his life, and now everything would change.

I wouldn’t allow him to waltz in and hurt the two of them. I didn’t care if that made me the evil fucker in this scenario, but that little boy was innocent in this… Why should he end up with discord and problems because I casually bumped into his dad and called the fucker out?

Surely…he’d understand that when he was older. Maisie… I don’t know. Ashton, though…fuck him.

“Ashton.” I forced his name out through my teeth, tightening the grip of my hands on the steering wheel as I concentrated with all my might on my vision on the road ahead. “I need to warn you that Maisie doesn’t know that you’re going to be turning up with me.”

I heard his exhale of breath. I knew if I turned my head away from the road, even from a second, his gaze would be thunderous staring back at me—the heat I felt blazing against my cheek at the moment was evident.

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