by Liz Isaacson
Everyone cheered, and wow, he knew his brothers were loud, but this was bring-the-sky-down loud. Callie laughed, breaking the kiss, and Liam took her by the hand and faced everyone.
Finally.
It was done.
He grinned and hugged his brothers, as well as everyone in her family.
“All right,” Jeremiah said a few minutes later, clapping his hands together. “Lunch will be served in exactly ten minutes next door. Everyone has a place card, so if you’ll kindly make your way over to Seven Sons, we can get these two out the door on time for their flight.”
Liam gave Jeremiah a grateful smile, and he stood back while everyone chatted and laughed and started to go down the steps to the yard. The noise went with them, but Callie stayed.
“Sorry about Skyler,” he said. “Is your middle name even Hart?”
Callie burst out laughing, a snort coming out as she shook her head no. Liam laughed too, and he slung his arm around her waist. “And you just went with it.” No wonder he loved her.
“Well, I knew your middle name wasn’t Ronald, and you didn’t say anything.” She gazed up at him, and Liam just had to tell her again.
“What I said is true,” he said. “I’m in love with you.”
Callie’s fear blipped across her face for a single heartbeat. There. Disappeared. “I know you do,” she said. “Thank you, Liam. For everything.” She tipped up and kissed him, and Liam distinctly noted that she hadn’t said she loved him too. But he didn’t need her to right now. What he had at the moment was enough.
“We better go,” she murmured against his lips. “Jeremiah will be livid if we’re late to our own luncheon.”
“He can wait.” Liam wrapped his arms fully around his wife and kissed her again. She may not have articulated to him in words how she felt about him, but Liam could feel her passion and desire for him in her touch. In the way she slid her fingernails up the back of his neck. In the way she clung to him like she needed him to stand.
And he was willing to be her support, her anchor, her bank account, until she fell for him all the way.
Hours later, Liam kept a tight hold on Callie’s hand as they navigated the Amarillo airport together. The luncheon had been beautiful, and both Liam and Callie had hugged Jeremiah and thanked him profusely. He had enough stew to feed the new cowboys at the Shining Star for a few days, and Liam had put Callie in his truck and then said he’d forgotten something.
Back inside, he’d handed Jeremiah the folder with all the notes. The names. The phone numbers. The dates and timelines for installers and appliance deliveries and yard care.
“Go,” Jeremiah had said. “I can handle this.”
So Liam had gone. They arrived at their gate without incident, and Liam groaned as he sat down. “I ate way too much stew.”
She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. “I’m scared.”
He loved that she would tell him things like that, and he lifted her hand to his lips. “Me too.”
“You? What are you scared of?”
He shrugged, because he didn’t want to admit he was scared she could never love him. “I don’t know. That you’ll hate flying. Hate this honeymoon. Hate the beach.”
“I’m going to love the beach,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Why haven’t you then?” As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn’t. “Never mind. I know why you never went.”
Callie gave him a soft look, those gorgeous eyes broadcasting her forgiveness of his stupid question. The Texas Panhandle wasn’t exactly close to any white, sandy beaches. Not like the ones they’d be able to lie on in Hawaii, at least.
“If you did have the money,” he said. “And all the time in the world. Where would you go?”
“Hawaii,” she said.
“Really? That’s your first choice?”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to see the sheep farms in the highlands of Scotland too,” she said, her face taking on longing expression. “They have castles there too. I love sheep and castles.”
Liam chuckled and tucked her into his side. “Sheep and castles. That actually sounds better than Hawaii.”
“Oh, no, you go to Scotland in the summer,” she said. “Not January. It’ll be freezing there right now.”
“Where should we go next Christmas?” he asked.
“I don’t want to travel at Christmastime,” she said. “I love being home, on the ranch, with all the traditions you guys have at Seven Sons.”
“Yeah.” Liam sighed. “I like those too.” Just the fact that she hadn’t said they wouldn’t be together next Christmas made him happy, and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe that this morning he was single, and now he was married.
Pure happiness filled him, and he felt content for maybe the first time in his life. Liam had always been wanting for something. The education. The next big job. The huge contract that said he was the best in the country at what he did. The woman.
And right now, he had it all.
“That’s us,” Callie said, standing up. “I think they just called us.”
“Did they?” Liam glanced around, and sure enough, their flight had started to board. “Yep.” He reached for her bag and gestured for her to go in front of him. She walked with purpose, never missing a step. Anyone looking at her would never know she’d never been on an airplane before.
She found their seats and gazed at them. “This is amazing,” she said while Liam put her bag in the overhead bin.
She had a childlike look of joy on her face, and he asked, “Do you want the window or the aisle?” already knowing which she’d pick.
“Window.” She slid into the seat, and Liam sat beside her. He knew the novelty would wear off, but he sure did like it when she squealed and gripped his hand as they took off, and the nervous vibe that hit him when they landed in Los Angeles.
“One more flight,” he said. “And then we can hit the beach.”
“Are we really going to do that?” she asked. “I’m exhausted.”
“Me too,” he admitted. “So maybe we save the beach for tomorrow.”
They boarded. Took off. Flew across the ocean, which was new for Liam too. Landed on the island of Oahu. Everything was a shade brighter than in Texas. The blues were bluer, the greens greener, the white sand almost blinding.
He collected all of their baggage, got their rental car, and loaded everything up. By the time they arrived at the luxury resort he’d booked on the North Shore, the sun was starting to go down on the island. Which meant in Texas, it was way past his bedtime.
His heart started pounding after he checked in. They only had one room. Remember the rules, he told himself. Remember the rules.
He was not going to pressure Callie. He’d made sure this room had two beds so he could have his own. He was too tall and too broad for a sofa bed, but he’d called—twice—to make sure he the room had two beds.
Callie had fallen silent, and Liam wondered if she was reminding herself of the rules too. Maybe she was just tired. She was still beautiful and vibrant as they got off the elevator on the highest floor in the resort.
“Oh, Liam,” she said. “Look at that.” She gazed out the window at the glorious sunset, the sky an array of gold, orange, yellow, red, and pink.
“It’s gorgeous,” he said, taking a moment to experience God’s hand on Earth. Gratitude moved through him that he’d been brought to this point safely. “Come on, sweetheart,” he said. “We’ll have this same view in our room.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I paid for an ocean-view room.” He nodded her down the hall, and she keyed them into the room. Sure enough, the sunset shone right into the room too, and Callie dropped everything she was carrying to go stand at the glass.
“I just love it,” she said.
Liam dropped everything in his hands too and let the door slam closed behind him. Because there was only one bed.
“This isn’t ri
ght,” he said, causing Callie to turn from the window.
“What’s not?”
“Our room,” he said. “It should have two beds.”
Callie looked around as if she was just seeing the rest of the room now. Everything inside Liam ached. How was he supposed to explain to the front desk clerk that he needed a room with two beds for him and his wife?
“I’ll call them.” He swiped off his cowboy hat and set it on the TV cabinet. He started for the phone on the side of the bed closest to the window, but Callie stepped in front of him.
“It’s fine, Liam.”
He paused, even the most glorious sunset in the world unable to distract him. “It’s fine?”
She looked up at him, those eyes so wide and so full of fear. She slid her arms around his waist and pressed into him. “I’m in love with you too.”
Liam couldn’t believe what she’d just said. His brain felt like it was smoking it was moving so fast. He wanted to ask her to repeat it. He wanted her to lay out her evidence. A dozen different thoughts screamed through his mind, the loudest one saying, Kiss her, you idiot! Kiss her now!
So he did that. She kissed him back too, and Liam had never felt anything as wonderful as being loved by a good woman. “I love you,” he whispered, running his hands through her hair.
“I love you, too.”
And suddenly, Liam didn’t need a room with two beds. This one would do just fine.
Chapter Eighteen
Jeremiah woke before the sun on Monday morning, his back already aching. But he could deal with the pain, because he was going to see Whitney today. Not until the late afternoon, but still.
Today.
He whistled his way through breakfast, ignoring Wyatt’s questions about why he was in such a good mood when they literally had to work themselves to the bone for the next fifteen days.
He arrived at the Shining Star at seven-fifteen for a seven-thirty roll-call meeting. Several cowboys were already there, and Jeremiah started introducing himself around. Liam had given them a tour of the ranch, and he’d made a preliminary assignment sheet as well. Not surprisingly, the Walker brothers were the last cowboys to arrive, and Jeremiah held up his hand to begin.
“Okay, ladies and gents,” he said. “We have a ton to do over the course of the next two weeks. The three-day bathroom guys will be here at ten to start on one of the bathrooms, and we need the floors out by then. So.” He glanced down at his sheet. “I’m putting eight of you on the homestead today. It’s demo day, and we’re literally taking out everything. All the furniture, except the beds. The kitchen cabinets and counters stay. The walls and windows, obvious, but curtains are coming down. Pictures off the walls. Everything. Callie’s sisters will be here in half an hour to make sure we keep what needs to be kept, and our Dumpster should be here in ten minutes.”
He glanced over his shoulder as if the trash receptacle was there now. It wasn’t. “Okay, listen for your name.” He started reading names, glad when they stepped forward so he could give them further directions.
“Cayden, you and Jarrod start with furniture. Blaine, you and Shawn do the same.” He turned to the next person. “Wilson, I want you to start getting everything off the walls. Then I want you on the floor removal crew. Mike, Tanner, and Trey, you’re all on floor demo. I think the front office is already empty. I’d start there while the others get the furniture out of the rest of the rooms. The upstairs bedrooms haven’t been touched in years, so you could also get the furniture down from up there and then start pulling up the old carpet.”
“You got it, boss,” Trey said, and the eight of them moved off.
Jeremiah turned to his cowboys and his brothers. “Liam hired a lawn care service for the front and back yards. They’re going to come in and weed, mow, fertilize, and landscape. But we need cabin demo and then people to start going through barns, stables, coops, all of it. They need to be cleaned out and cleaned up. Outside, inside.”
Jeremiah wanted to cry. He knew what it was like to show up on a ranch that hadn’t been properly cared for, and Seven Sons hadn’t been bad at all. Some broken-down equipment that had been left behind, and a general feel of disuse around the place.
“We’ll take the cabins,” Orion said. “And when we finish there, we’ll come help on the ranch.”
“I guess that leaves ranch clean-up to us,” Rhett said. “Come on, boys. We know how to do this.”
“Anyone else, go with Rhett.” Jeremiah nodded to his older brother, who was striding toward the corner of the house. “He’ll put you to work.”
With everyone on their assignments, Jeremiah waited out front until the Dumpster crew arrived. Liam had ordered two, and Jeremiah signed the paperwork. “We’re going to need you to come get these tonight and bring them back tomorrow.” He looked a the guy. “Can you do that?”
“Yep,” he said. “There’s a hundred-dollar dump fee per unit. And a twenty-five dollar transportation fee.”
“No problem,” Jeremiah said. “It’s demo day.”
The man chuckled and looked toward the house. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Jeremiah was going to need it. As the Dumpster delivery man rumbled away, Evelyn pulled up with Simone.
“Ladies,” Jeremiah said, giving them both a quick hug. “I’ve got people bringing things out already.” He indicated a pile accumulating on the lawn. “Liam said he ordered all new furniture, so I’m assuming we can junk everything.”
“Yep,” Simone said, glancing around. “Did Liam tell you I was doing one of the cabins myself?”
“Oh, right.” Jeremiah spun toward the west fence line. “I sent Orion and my crew out there. I forgot to tell them.”
“I’ll go,” Simone said. “I really want to do it myself.”
“It’s just demo,” Evelyn said. “Let them do it for you. Then you can put it all back together.”
“Yeah?”
“Liam has a whole flooring crew coming on Wednesday to do everything,” Jeremiah said. “It’ll take them a few days, but yeah. Let my guys tear everything out and put new stuff in. Then you can decorate it how you want.”
“I’ll just go help them,” Simone said. “How about that?”
“Sure,” Jeremiah said.
“And I’ll stay here and make sure they don’t throw out something that Callie will freak out about.”
“They’re just bringing out furniture and stuff,” Jeremiah said.
“Well, she has boxes in every closet in the place,” Evelyn said, one hand resting on her nearly flat stomach. “I’ll just make sure.”
A couch came out the front door, and Jeremiah directed them to one of the Dumpsters. “All furniture, guys. Evelyn will be going through boxes and pictures and stuff. That goes on the lawn right over here.”
He was tired already, and it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning. But demo day was off to a great start, with enthusiasm high for the massive project in front of them all.
“Jeremiah. Jeremiah?”
Jeremiah sat up, realizing that he’d fallen asleep. A groan came out of his mouth as Wyatt called for him again. “Coming,” he said peering over the edge of the loft in the stable. He’d snuck away from the chaos and activity next door just to check on his horses. Fine, and to make sure that Seven Sons was fit for a pretty woman to show up with her camera.
“Jeremiah?” Wyatt asked, entering the barn. He looked straight up at Jeremiah as if he expected to find him snoozing in the loft, among hay bales and old horse blankets.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m up. What time is it?”
“Four,” Wyatt said. “And Whitney Wilde is here. She has her camera.” He looked like he’d run her out of town himself.
“Yeah, I know.” Jeremiah swung his leg over the side of the loft and scampered down the ladder. “I invited her to come shoot a picture for Liam to hang in his new house.”
“Wow.” Wyatt looked as surprised as he sounded. “That’s an awesome idea.”
�
��Thanks,” Jeremiah said. “She’s at the house?”
“Yeah, I left her on the front porch when I called you and you wouldn’t answer.”
Foolishness rushed through him, because he should’ve set an alarm so he didn’t have to be tracked down by his brother.
Thankfully, Wyatt didn’t seem to have any questions about Jeremiah and Whitney’s relationship. Jeremiah did, though.
“I’m meeting with Martin Payne tomorrow morning, remember?” Wyatt asked as they walked back to the homestead.
“Yep,” Jeremiah said though he had forgotten. “Sign us on for a year, Wyatt. I like what they’ve been doing.” He glanced at Wyatt, who just nodded.
“I think we get a discount if we sign a year-long contract,” he said.
“Great,” Jeremiah said, wondering if Liam had thought about pest control for the Shining Star. He didn’t want to text his brother on the first day of his honeymoon. “Ask them if Shining Star has a contract with them,” he said. “And if they don’t, sign them up for a year too, with their fertilization and field-prep formulas.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Jeremiah said. “The photo can be my gift to Liam for the wedding, and the crop-dusting can be for Callie.” Callie had been the first woman Jeremiah had started to trust again after everything with Laura Ann. He loved her like a sister, and he wanted everything at the Shining Star to work out for her too. Probably not as much as Liam—obviously not as much as Liam, he thought—but he could provide pest control for the next year.
“You’re good with the gifts,” Wyatt said. “You always have been.”
“Have I?”
“Always,” Wyatt said. “Remember when I joined the pro rodeo circuit?”
“Yeah, of course.” Jeremiah passed the barn with the huge Texas flag he and his brothers had painted the first month they’d arrived in Three Rivers.
“You bought me a kit with sore muscle gel, painkillers, and a rice bag.” Wyatt chuckled. “I don’t know where you got the idea—probably the Internet or something—and at first, I was like, what is this? But that was the very best gift I’d ever gotten. I still buy and use that arnica gel for my back.” He clapped Jeremiah on the shoulder. “I didn’t even get Liam or Callie a present.”
