Page 38 of Eco-Activist’s Mountain Men (Mountain Men Reverse Harem #4)

Luke

" C alm down, calm down." Jack’s voice is steady, that old Ranger tone he uses when a situation threatens to spin out of control. He’s got both palms raised, trying to ground an almost hysterical Luna.

"Now… what’s this all about? I didn’t understand a word of what you just told me.

Something about a death threat and a baby?

Take a deep breath, slow it down, and tell us again. "

We’re all gathered in the kitchen at her panicked request. She’d just blurted out some wild, tangled mess about pregnancy tests, babies, and someone wanting to kill her. Even for us, that’s a hell of a trifecta.

"Okay, alright," she says, slumping into a chair at last. At least the restless pacing stops—watching her bounce around was giving me a headache.

She takes one long breath. Then another. Then starts again.

"Okay, so… last couple of days, I was surprised not to have my period, because, well, the pill usually does a great job of regulating things. You can set your clock by it, you know?"

We all nod, though I doubt any of us—four bachelors without a kid between us—have much clue what she’s really talking about. But she looks so anxious, so fragile in this moment, that nodding seems the only decent response.

"Well, I didn’t think too much about it until I started getting headaches. Did all the usual things—Advil, lots of water—but nothing helped. Then yesterday morning, I woke up nauseated. That’s when it hit me… I might actually be pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Eric blurts, his voice way too loud, his face gone white.

"Shush, Eric," Jack cuts in, voice sharp. "Let her finish."

"Yeah, but I knew I couldn’t be—because I take the pill.

" She tosses her hair back, nervous energy all over her movements.

"But then I thought about it… and realized I missed two nights. Both times I’d been unconscious—first when Luke carried me in, then after I fell in the canopy.

So, I counted my pills. Sure enough, there were two extras.

" She fiddles with her hair again, avoiding our eyes.

"When I went into town with Toby, I grabbed a test kit. Did it when I got home and… well…" Her voice breaks. "It says I’m pregnant. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I told you it was safe, I believed it was safe, and now I’ve ruined everything and—" Her words dissolve into sobs.

Toby’s beside her, pulling her into his arms with that easy physical warmth of his. "Hey, Princess, it’s okay. Happens all the time. Lots of women get pregnant. You didn’t ruin anything."

"Yeah," I add quietly, my voice rough but steady. "Pregnancy isn’t the end of the world. Odds are, it’ll be a healthy baby. And I know this much—you’ll be a damn good mother."

"But… who’s the father?" she chokes. "I’ve been with all of you. It could be any of you."

That hits like a log dropped straight into my gut. We all stare—at her, at each other, back again. Obvious, yeah, but hearing it said out loud makes it real. My pulse thuds in my ears. Could be Eric. Could be Jack. Could be Toby. Could be… me.

Toby whistles low, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. "Wait, wait. You’re saying I might be your kid’s dad? That’s what you’re telling me?"

"Yeah." She risks a glance at him, then drops her eyes again, voice small. "That’s exactly what I’m saying."

Toby sits back, running both hands through his hair, muttering under his breath, trying to process.

Then, out of nowhere, Eric clears his throat. "I don’t mind being the father."

We all turn on him. Poor guy nearly wilts under four pairs of eyes but rallies quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I mean it. I’d like to be. I hope it’s me. I’d be proud to be the father of your child, Luna. I told you already—I love you. I wasn’t joking. I meant every word."

And just like that, something shifts. The tension eases. The air in the room feels lighter.

"You’re right, Eric," I say, surprising even myself with how sure I sound. "We’re already five. What’s one more? Six feels as good a number as five. If it’s mine, I’ll step up. If it’s not, I’m still in. That’s how it works."

Her red-rimmed eyes lift. "You mean that? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

She shakes her head slowly. "No. You never have."

"Then believe me now. This isn’t bad news. It’s good news. A reason to celebrate."

"Hell yeah!" Toby squeezes her so tight she squeaks, though she half laughs through it. "This is great news. I’m in too. I like the sound of six. Can’t wait to teach the kid poker. Luke’ll teach it how to be a dumb-ass. He’s a pro at that."

The only one still silent is Jack. We all turn to him. His face is unreadable, like granite. My chest tightens.

"What do you think, boss?" I ask softly. "You okay with this?"

And then, to all our shock, a tear slips down his cheek. Then another. His voice is quiet, almost reverent. "I’ve always wanted to be a father. Never thought I’d get the chance."

"Woohoo!" Toby throws a fist in the air, nearly squeezing the breath out of Luna again. "Then it’s settled. No paternity test. The kid’s ours—all of ours. What do you say, Luna?"

I nod. "Someone’s name has to go on the birth certificate, sure. But if you’re okay with it, Luna, I don’t need to know which one of us it is. Doesn’t matter."

"Yeah," Eric says, eyes shining. "What matters is the baby has us—all of us."

For the first time since she started speaking, Luna looks lighter. Like maybe she can breathe again. Relief flickers across her face—then falters. Her gaze drops to the phone in her hand. Her thumb hovers over the screen, her jaw tight.

"You’re forgetting my other piece of news," she says.

"What other news?" Jack asks, his voice already sharpening.

She swallows hard. "Tim Collier. He texted me while I was out. I only just read it. He’s furious I ruined his plans. He says he’s going to kill me. Tomorrow."

The silence this time is heavier, darker. We all process at once.

Toby breaks it first, shrugging with false bravado. "One guy? Please. We’ve got four of us—and you, Princess. That’s five. I don’t see the problem."

Jack frowns, but before he can speak, I cut in.

"Ordinarily, I’d agree. But this isn’t just some random guy.

I did my homework a few days back—looked him up.

He’s ex–Special Forces. Navy SEAL. One tour, then dishonorably discharged.

No official reason given, but rumors say it was over a violent incident with a civilian.

After that, he went into forestry. That’s all I found. "

Eric’s mouth shuts with an audible click. Toby rubs at his jaw, suddenly serious. "Shit. That’s… not good. Jack, what do you think?"

Jack moves slowly. He pours more coffee, stirs it, then leans back against the fridge, thoughtful. Calm as ever, but his eyes are hard.

"Difficult to say," he admits at last. "Could be nothing. Could just be him blowing off steam."

Luna starts to speak, but he lifts a hand, cutting her off.

"But… a guy like that—military trained, violent, immoral—we already know he’s happy to risk lives. If he thinks his back’s against the wall, if he’s decided to blame you instead of himself, Luna… there’s no telling what he might do."

The silence that follows is thick as tar. We all know he’s right.

"So," asks Eric. "What do we do?"

"Not much we can do," replies Jack.

"We could call the police?"

"We could," Jack admits. "But what good would that do?

For a start, they can't really act on an intention.

Police are only useful after a crime. They're not generally much use beforehand.

But in any case, how are they gonna get here?

" He gestures towards the window and the outside world—a world that even two weeks or so later is still busy clearing up after the "storm of the century" snarled its way through the national park, closing roads, flooding towns, and cutting off communities.

"They're still up to their necks in rescuing people and hunting for the missing. They won't have time for us."

I nod. "I agree. We're not going to get any help on this from the authorities. If anything's going to be done, we're going to have to do it ourselves."

"Yes," says Luna. "But what?"

All eyes turn to Jack again. He's the boss. He's also the only one with any military experience. Thank God we've got him right now.

He sips more of his coffee, thinking as he does so.

"There's an old military saying," he starts.

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Good news is that Toby and Luna already went into Martha yesterday and grabbed stores, so there's no need for any of us to leave the Lodge tomorrow, nor the next day, nor several days afterwards, come to that.

We know our own terrain far better than he does, so if he's truly intent on murdering Luna tomorrow… well, he'll have to come to us.

"Eric?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"How many of those wildlife cameras have you got, and can they be set to send live footage to us?"

"I've got four cameras in total, Jack. Two are in use up at the southwestern stand where those eagles are nesting, and there are another two in my bedroom."

"And can they transmit live?"

"Oh yeah. They can send footage live anywhere in the world via the cell phone system. They kinda act like another phone."

"Perfect. We don't have time to go get the two cameras that are already in use. But Eric, I want you and Toby to take those cameras out this afternoon on the quad and go find a good place to monitor the main track and the single track in from the highway, okay?"

"Sure, Jack."

"Yes, bro, no problem."

"Good. Remember, he's special forces, so he ain't stupid. Make sure they're well hidden—oh, and make sure you're not observed yourselves. He might already be in position, for all we know. Try and find a location that sees a good length of each track, so we get as much notice as possible. Got that?"

"Absolutely."

"Sure thing."

"Okay. Good. Luke?"

"Anything at all, Jack, just name it."

"Thanks, Luke, I knew I could rely on you.

You're a big guy, untrained, but intimidating to look at, pretty handy in a fist fight, and not easily phased.

You're on bodyguard duty. Twenty-four by seven.

You don't let Luna out of your sight. Not even for an instant.

Drag your bed into her room so you can sleep there.

Keep the window fastened and locked and the curtain drawn shut.

He's not going to know which room is hers, but best not to take chances.

Anything happens—anything at all, no matter how small or insignificant, you call out, and the rest of us will come running. Got it?

"She won't leave my sight, Jack."

Jack smiles. "I know it, Luke."

"And you?"

"I'll coordinate. Keep everyone in touch, make sure we're all pulling together. Also, I'll open up the firearms cupboard and check over what little equipment we have, make sure everything is in running order, and at hand if we need it. Hopefully, though, it won't come to that."

"What do we have?" asks Luna, her face pale from worry.

"Two rifles, one shotgun. We keep them because it's bear country.

Coyotes sometimes, too. If we go out, whoever goes can take one with them—Eric and Toby, you'd better have one of the rifles with you when you go out this afternoon.

Luke, as bodyguard, you can have the other rifle.

We'll keep the shotgun loaded and ready in the kitchen.

Whoever's nearest grabs it if they spot anyone around who shouldn't be here.

Which of course means anyone except the fie of us. Got it?"

"What about me?" Luna looks up at Jack. I'm the only one with no job to do.

"Yeah, you've got a job."

"Oh? What?"

"Survive."

"Oh."

"That's your mission, Luna, and it's a vital one. Remember, it's not just for your sake. You're carrying a child, so your survival is twice as important."

Jack's final words bring the seriousness of the situation home to us all.

I glance through the window to the world outside, but all I can see is the yard and the buildings, the same as they ever were.

The tops of the pines and larches that stand tall against the sky behind our camp sway gently in the September breeze, and either a rook or possibly a raven is flying east to west, heading God knows where. It all looks so normal, so peaceful.

But I can't help thinking that somewhere out there, Tim Collier is on the move, drawing ever closer to us. Bringing what? Vengeance? Death? The loss of all we hold dear to us? Despite the warmth of the late September sunshine, I feel myself shudder involuntarily under my hoodie.