I dropped to my knees in front of her. “We’ll figure it out. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You can trust her, kid,” Sam said. “She’s never let me down.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I sat on the porch lazily, pushing the swing and cupping a glass of sweet tea as I looked out at the Texas field.
In the distance, work was taking place. A new house was being built that would have a red barn like Noah’s momma’s.
I’d bought some of Mrs. Roth’s property. She’d seemed eager to have new blood hanging around. She was a woman like me. Family wasn’t just from blood; it was in our hearts.
This new change wasn’t just for Ford and me. The house we were building held promises of a new life together with rooms filled with people who needed me just as much as I needed them.
I rested my hand on my belly as Noah took a seat next to me. “I think you all are going to like it here.”
I glanced at him, and he lifted his brows toward the kids in the distance learning to play baseball.
“I’m not even a mom to one yet. How am I going to be a mom to all of them? I’m going to suck at this.”
“You’ve never failed at anything in your life, Dr. Bray,” Noah said.
I swallowed around the knot forming in my throat. “I don’t know how to be a mom. Hell, I don’t even know how to be a wife.”
“One day at a time, and you’ll have help,” Noah said.
“I think this may be my ultimate test,” I answered honestly.
“She’ll do fine,” my sister, Gigi, said from across the porch. “She’s got all of us and your mom.”
“And me,” Justice said, hanging on the railing like she was about to fall over.
My sister and Grant would live in one house in the distance, and Ford and I would live in the other. We’d raise not only our babies together but these new wayward ones that needed us just as much, if not more. I understood them as they understood me. They had my blood. We were bonded in a way that made sense to us. Even if parenting didn’t come naturally, Ford would keep me grounded, and Gigi would be nearby. I had everything I could possibly need. I twisted the engagement ring on my finger, knowing soon a wedding band would rest there too.
“You sure you won’t stay?” I asked Noah.
The porch turned silent, and Justice glanced in his direction as the screen door opened. Noah’s brother, Pete, stepped out.
“Noah doesn’t know how to stay in one place,” Pete answered and took a seat next to Justice, tossing his arm around her shoulder. “But now he has a reason to come back. If nothing more than to check on how we’re raising Justice.” He glanced out into the yard. “It’s good she’ll have some siblings nearby that understand her.” Pete looked toward me. “And good role models to look up to.”
That must have been the nicest thing he’d ever said to me. “That was kind of you.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Pete said.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I chuckled. “So, what’s going to happen to the rest of the team?”
“We’ll rebuild and reassemble,” Noah answered.
“Who will be hunting for you?” I asked.
His lips twitched into a grin. “I don’t know yet, but I have a few people in mind.”
Ford, Carson, and Grant were headed in our direction. Ford, looking fine in jeans and a T-shirt, wiped the sweat off his brow. His transformation was now complete. Who knew it would take buying property in Texas to make it happen?
Grant had commandeered a cowboy hat, looking right at home in these parts, and poor Carson’s face was turning bright red from the heat and jarring sun.
“We’ve got it all figured out,” Ford said, stepping up on the porch.
“We marked the spot for both houses,” Carson said and shook the spray paint can. “Now, all you have to do is build.” He glanced over his shoulder, resting his foot on the step. “Oh, and the big circle is a pool. You’re going to need one of those out here for sure.”
Ford leaned down and kissed me, and Noah moved out of his way so he could sit. Mrs. Roth stepped out with a tray of glasses of lemonade. The woman had uncanny timing. She grinned as she passed around the refreshments. She handed both Gigi and I a package of crackers.
Ford rested his arm on the swing behind my head. This was the way life was meant to be. Surrounded by the people I loved, the people I cared about.
The others broke out in conversation as I leaned into Ford’s fingers, stroking my shoulder. “You look happy.”
“I am happy,” I answered as Ford kissed my temple.
“We can look forward to helping these kids and becoming a family now that we’ve fulfilled our obligations.”
Not all of them. “How’s your mom?”
“On the mend and finally in remission.”
My eyes widened in excitement, and I smiled. “You serious?”
“Yeah. It seems you gave her something to fight for. No way she’s giving up before she sees me settle down and give her a new grandbaby.”
My heart seized as tears filled my eyes.
Ford smiled. “Don’t cry.”
“It’s just the hormones,” I lied.
“You suck at lying,” he teased and kissed me with promises of my very own happily ever after.
I hope you all enjoyed Lucy’s books.
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About the Author
Kate has lived in Florida for most of her entire life. She enjoys a quiet life with her husband, Michael and two kids.
Kate has pulled all-nighters finishing her favorite books and also writing them. She says she'll sleep when she's dead or when her muse stops singing off key.
She loves creating worlds full of suspense, secrets, hunky men, kick ass heroines, steamy sex and oh yeah the love of a lifetime. Not to mention an occasional ghost and other supernatural talents thrown into the mix.
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Other Books By Kate Allenton
ALL AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED
BENNETT SISTERS
Intuition (Book 1)
Touch of Fate (Book 2)
Mind Play (Book 3)
The Reckoning (Book 4)
Redemption (Book 5)
Chance Encounters (Book 6)
Destined Hearts (Book 7)
BENNETT DYNASTY
Rotten Apple (Book 1)
Pay Dirt (Book2)
Down & Dirty (Book 3)
Hard To Hold (Book 4)
Sour Layer (Book 5)
Train Wreck (Book 6)
THE OTHER BENNETTS
Controlled Chaos (Book 1)
THE PHANTOM PROTECTORS
Reckless Abandon (Book 1)
Betrayal (Book 2)
Untamed (Book 3)
Guided Loyalty (Book 4)
CARRINGTON-HILL INVESTIGATIONS
Deception (Book 1)
Deadly Desire (Book 2)
SOPHIE MASTERSON SERIES/ DIXON SECURITY
Lifting the Veil (Book 1)
Beyond the Veil (Book 2)
Veiled Intentions (Book 3)
Veiled Threats (Book 4)
THE LOVE FAMILY SERIES
Skylar (Book1)
Declan (Book 2)
Flynn (Book 3)
Reed (Book 4)
Landon (Book 5)
Alexis (Book 6)
Gabe (Book 7)
Jackson (Book 8)
LINKED INC.
Deadly Intent (Book 1)
Psychic Link (Book 2)
Psychic Charm (Book 3)
Psychic Games (Book 4)
Deadly Dreams (Book 5)
CREE BLUE PSYCHIC EYE
Dead Wrong (Book 1
)
Deadly Vows (Book 2)
Dead Famous (Book 3)
Deadly Ties (Book 4)
Deadly Bliss (Book 5)
Deadly Flirtations (Book 6)
THE HEX SISTER MYSTERIES
Witch Unleashed (Book 1)
Witchy Trouble (Book 2)
Witch Bait (Book 3)
Witchy Warning (Book 4)
Witchy Past (Book 5)
Witch Hunt (Book 6)
TIME SWEEPERS
Time Watch (Book 1)
Time Keepers (Book 2)
FRACTURED MINDS SERIES
Stalked Justice (Book 1)
Killing Justice (Book 2)
Hunting Justice (Book 3)
Stolen Justice (Book 4)
Hacking Justice (Book 5)
Broken Justice (Book 6)
Guarding Justice (Book 7)
STAND ALONE READS
Maid of Honor
New Year’s Negotiation
Hell Bound
Mystic Tides Box Set
Mystic Luck Box Set
Mystic Kiss Box Set
Karma
Hard Shift
Not My Shifter/ Sinfully Cursed
Guarding Justice (Fractured Minds Series Book 7) Page 13
