“Do you want to close your eyes?”
“Nope. I’ll take it head-on.”
He blew out a breath. “Your choice.”
The first inkling should’ve been the run-down signpost at the entrance and unkempt land around it, not to mention the barely traveled excuse of a driveway. Her mouth dropped more open with each roll of the tires as they got closer to the home. She spoke through a dry mouth, or tried to speak. “Um…”
Tanyon cruised to a slow stop as tires crunched stones. She opened the door. Waited. Then strode to the front of his truck and bent over with her hands on her knees, laughing like a fool. “What in the hell is this dump, I mean place?” He sat behind the wheel straight-faced. Was he afraid she’d hit him if he got out? Karis wiped her tear-soaked eyes from laughing and hiked back to the driver’s side. She opened his door and leaned in, gazing at his handsome face, his recently cut hair again, and those sexy eyes with to die for lashes. He pressed his lips tightly together, but in her mind, she saw how they parted to kiss her. “Um…”
“I knew you’d be speechless.”
Yeah, she’d lost her voice for sure.
“Are you mad I spent money on this?”
“Well, it’s too bad Max sent food since there is nowhere to cook.”
He stepped out. “You don’t know for sure.”
She took another gander at the landscape surrounding the deteriorating hunk of one-hundred-year-old plus bare wood and rusty nails he called a home. “I’ll give you this much. The backdrop is beautiful, but I’m pretty sure there is no fridge let alone electric.” Karis dare not mention a bathroom. However, she had no choice in the matter. “I’m going to pee my pants if I don’t find a, a toilet or hole in the ground.”
Tanyon took her arm and escorted her around to the passenger side. “Get your doubting yet perfect ass in there.”
Humph. She got in all right. He got in his side and turned the key. Thinking it over, she grasped his forearm. “Wait. Where are we going? Honey, I’m not doubting you. This will be n-nice…one day. I can pee behind…” She glanced around to the bush beside the house. “Over there if you check for snakes and scorpions first. Oh, but that overgrown prickly pear cactus is awfully close.”
“Yeah, it looks like a javelina has been chewing on one of the cactus paddles. Come on, I’ll get you to a fricking bathroom.”
Oh? “Over there is fine. We can eat lunch and decide later what to do with the rest of the food. Why not sleep in the truck bed? It won’t be the first time we’ve tumbled around back there.”
“Have you no faith in me, woman?” He dropped it into gear and rolled his eyes.
Squeezing his arm and now squirming so she didn’t wet her pants, she added, “Don’t leave. Let’s investigate.” Near the bush to start.
He shook his head at her.
Karis hooked her seat belt as he drove around the pile of yuck. No, she hadn’t meant yuck. It would be magnificent one day.
Leaning on the console, she propped her cheek on her fist. Close to a half mile down the rutted path and around a curve, she straightened her shoulders. “Mr. Outlaw, I’m close to slapping you damn hard. Damn hard.”
“Don’t do it.”
“Dare me!”
“Bend over in front of me like you did back there, and I’ll slap your ass. Damn hard. Damn hard.”
“Hey! Don’t do it. What in the hell is this place now?” He chuckled and Karis slapped his arm. She opened the door to get out.
He came up behind to wrap his arms around her shoulders. “You slapped me.”
“Your big bicep can take it. What is this place?”
“The Two-Plus Homestead.”
“Two-Plus?”
“Yeah. Why use a number when we don’t know how many kids we’ll have?”
Karis pivoted in his arms and smiled. “You got a kick out of this, didn’t you?”
“A little,” he said with a smirk. “Nah, a lot. Let’s go inside. This, woman, is our Sedona home. We’ll tear the other one down or leave it to fool people, like I fooled you. Hah!”
She shoved him in the chest. “Give me the key before you lose it. Why did Bob sell this place?” She rushed up the two steps to the expansive front porch.
“It belonged to his daughter and son-in-law, but he had a job transfer to Virginia not long after moving in. The day we checked out Joanie Girl, I spotted this along the trail and inquired of it when Levi and I went back to pick her up. I did some financial finagling and here we are.”
Leave it to her to think of this, but… “Even with the legal battle going on you bought this? Sounds risky.”
“After we found Nick and got his story, I took the chance, called Bob, and wired a deposit.”
“Oh, honey.” Karis unlocked the door.
Tanyon lifted her into his arms. “Aren’t I supposed to do this?”
“If you want. Better now than when I’m nine months.”
“You’re as light as a cloud. Open the door.”
He released her inside. They walked into an open floorplan with wood floors and beamed ceilings in the living room with a breakfast area with lots of glass to view the red rocks.
She couldn’t close her mouth for a few moments of glancing around. “This is ours?”
“It’s the bank’s, but my name is on the loan. We’ll add you to all the paperwork.”
“I better not quit working.”
“The bathroom is down the hallway. You’re not working in Phoenix full-time, but how lucky, you’ll still have profit coming in. We have a family ranch to run. Remember?”
Karis stood at the dining nook window and nodded, but nature called, giving her no choice but to rush off to find the bathroom. She scanned for scorpions along the way. From inside the full bath with a Native American design trim on the ceramic tile around the tub and shower, she yelled, “I won’t do trail rides or cattle drives later in my pregnancy.”
“I’ll find something for you to do. Ronni mentioned traveling. Are you good at doing the books?”
She washed her hands, shook them dry then rubbed them against her pants. In the great room, she found him at the window in the dining nook. “We have a billing company for the clinic, but my accounting skills haven’t failed me yet.”
“Look around while I get the food inside. See? A fridge and power.” He flashed the lights and gave a cocky grin.
“You’re too damn cute.” Karis roamed through the house. A walk-in laundry room sat off the kitchen. In the great room, she ran her fingers over the wood mantel above a gas fireplace. She imagined Christmas stockings hanging there during the holidays with one wee one, for now. Through the windows, she viewed the landscape from the master suite on the main level. The thought of lightning flashing against the rocks on her first visit to Sedona, stormed through her memory. Chuckling, she left to finish her tour. The bedroom was the only room with furniture.
When he came inside, she strolled up to him. “I’m picturing Christmas here. How lovely it’ll be. I can tell you now, it won’t be easy not to come here more often. The bedroom is beautiful. How appropriate to have furniture only in there, huh?”
Tanyon beamed with a smile. “Yeah. Funny how things work out.”
“Speaking of, I’m aging as we speak. I’m getting too old at thirty-four for many more babies. Now I know what to do with my furniture instead of sticking it in storage. Mine and the kid’s bedroom sets will go here too.”
He nodded. “See how everything came into play? Let’s eat lunch then take a nap, you old thing. We’ll skip using protection until we’ve had enough kids. There are more bedrooms on the lower level with a bathroom and a couple other rooms.”
Enough kids? The man made her weak in the knees. Had he meant a sleeping nap? “A real nap?” He strode over to open the door to the white side-by-side fridge. Ignore her, huh? She handed him food from the cooler.
Tanyon closed the door and positioned his hands on his hips. “I’m taking advantage of the opportunit
y. With the sleep I’ve lost in my life, yeah, a real nap I never get to take. We’ll drive around the property later. Catch a sunset.”
She tossed him a bag of oranges to put in the fridge. “Okay! I can’t wait to see the sunrise too.”
He peered out the window again. “Yeah, your sunrise is what started it all.”
“What? You did this because I wanted a sunrise?”
His brow furrowed. “Don’t you know I’d give you the world if you asked? You came back to me when I thought we were lost. There can be no sunrise in my life without you here to share it with me.”
Her chin quivered. Omigod. “Why do you have to make me cry again?”
Tanyon strutted over, pressing his hand snugly against her back to draw her close. He wiped tears from her cheeks. “You’re stunning with or without tears.”
Sobs came harder. “Pesky baby hormones.”
Chuckling, he brushed hair over her shoulders. He leaned forward to ever so slowly place a kiss upon her neck. She caressed the side of his face and dropped her head back the moment his warm lips touched her skin. Heat exploded over her body in sweet shards of longing. She liked the sexy part of baby hormones too. Speaking breathlessly and in anticipation, she whispered intimately, “I love you so much.”
He leaned closer. Their gazes never faltered until their lips touched. His eyes closed before hers. He kissed her softly, but their lips parted, mouths opened like a silent bell had given them the que. His kiss took control, dominating her in ways she wanted to be dominated—their tongues connecting—hearts pounding against each other’s in heated intimacy. Tanyon drew her up against his chest, and their mouths separated. She opened her eyes to his panty-melting gaze.
“Do you trust that I’ll give you many sunrises?”
She accommodated his smile with love then pressed her swollen lips against his for another kiss. “With all of my heart.”
“Wanna do lunch and a nap? Maybe not in any order?”
Karis covered her mouth in a fake yawn. She brought her other hand from his chest to cradle her abdomen. “Me and our baby are hungry, but I need to use the bathroom again. Do you think our little pea is a boy or girl?”
Laughing quietly, he clasped her hand and headed down the hallway. “Yep, I sure do.”
∞∞∞
Tanyon kissed her forehead then nudged her before daylight. “You’ll miss it again if you don’t get up. I’m not taking a picture for you this time. I’ll turn on the coffee.”
“No,” she said, grabbing his forearm. “Stay here.”
Tanyon crawled back into bed and drew her into his arms. “I slept good last night. Must be new air to breathe.” He tickled her ribs. “Or the hottie in my bed.”
Giggling, she wriggled to get his fingers away. “Did you say the trail runs behind our place? Do you think Bob will let us borrow a couple horses for riding?”
He glanced toward the window where he’d opened the blinds earlier. “I’ll give him a call. Sounds good. Come on.”
At the window, Karis stood beside him wearing his t-shirt. They had time before the sun came up. “If we have pods, I’ll make coffee with the coffee maker I saw on the counter.”
“We do. We have a bed, a little food, and coffee. What else do we need?” he teased jovially.
She smiled from the doorway. “Nothing.” Before leaving the bedroom, Tanyon opened then closed his drawer.
“Here.”
Karis caught her keys. “One day in the near future, you’re telling me why you’ve hung on to my keys.” She dropped them into her purse. “Were they lost?”
He gazed out the window but pivoted. “They were lost on and off. I’ll tell you now. If I hadn’t taken them, you’d be gone. Don’t deny it. I’d probably be too damn stubborn to come after you. Today we wouldn’t be standing here as man and wife with my DNA growing inside of you.”
She threw her arms around him. “I love you. Thank you for knowing me better than I knew myself.”
“You’re not mad?”
She dropped her arms and sighed. “It depends on how you got my keys. Did you steal them from my purse like I suspect?”
He ran his thumb over the scar on her forehead. “Not exactly. They fell out the night you hit your head on the dash. I knew you’d try to leave. Admit it. If you had, you never would’ve come back. I know you wouldn’t because you had enough of my rotten attitude with good reason.”
She flicked her gaze away. Now, she was afraid to think of the what-ifs, but she couldn’t help it. What if she had left? What if she hadn’t come back for this summer to seek Tanyon’s love again? What if she’d never left him in the first place? What if Rory hadn’t died? Her throat tightened. “I’m ashamed to admit you’re right. How can I be mad when we’re standing here happy because you robbed me?”
He shrugged. “Call it stealing if you want. If so, then yeah, I’m a thief. Isn’t this better?”
“So, so much better.” She cupped her hand around his cheek and smiled. “I’m happy to have back the man I fell in love with four years ago.”
Tanyon grasped her thick hair as it lay against her back. “I can say the same thing, Cowboy.”
Smiling at his insistence at calling her a cowboy, she now took it as a compliment. Karis moved in for a kiss. “Later, your Mrs. will meet you back in our bed. After all, we are on our honeymoon.”
Leaning in to meet her kiss, he whispered with his lips an inch away, his gaze lingering. “While we’re under the covers, later, this thieving outlaw will be robbing you of everything you have all night long.”
She backed away, raising her hands in the air, and grinned. “I’m yours. I’ll continually surrender to you.”
Tanyon warned, “Oh, my love. I’ll capture and imprison you…” He brought her hand to his chest, “here in my heart.”
She had a fluttering in her stomach and tears building behind her eyes. Karis pressed her hand against his heart. “If I escape, I’ll always make it easy for you to catch me. Easier as I grow larger with your child.”
Chuckling, Tanyon captured her hand and kissed her palm. “Later is now.”
Gasping, she yanked them to a halt at the window to view the yellow-gold clouds as sunrise blasted between two rock formations in an instant. The deepened blue-black skies faded into gray—like Tanyon’s eyes in candlelight. Orange, red, and yellow hues—the color of a citrus fruit basket—streaked the sky. Fierce coppery-gold with star-like spikes continued to rise above the horizon. The ground in the forefront outside their window glowed red as the sun rose higher between two cliffs, creating a captivating scene. Standing in awe, she viewed the breathtaking view as the scene gradually lightened. The panoramic setting came to life and brightened with each second.
“There’s your Sedona sunrise. For you.”
“For me?”
He draped his arm over her shoulder. “Yep. As you and the little pea are my best gifts, I give this to you.”
Karis wrapped her arm around his waist as they stood watching the swatches of beautiful colors filling the sky the same way their love for each other had filled their hearts with warmth and passion. She caressed his unshaven face and smiled softly. “Thank you for giving me a second chance… We both thank you. I’ll love you for all of my days with every breath I take.”
Tanyon drew her into his arms and leaned his head against hers. Clouds moved in to bring the magical spectacle outside to an end. “I love you…both.” He whispered, “With those dark clouds, we may get to view another lightning storm.”
“Mmm, that’ll be a good reason to stay in bed.” Her little family stood quietly staring out at today and whatever else the rest of their tomorrows brought to them. Together again at last. This time, and for all time, with a deeper love than she’d ever imagined four years ago—back when she’d known before him, that her heart had already been imprisoned by this cowboy.
*******
Thank you for reading Karis and Tanyon’s story.
Please swip
e forward for more.
Note to Reader
I hope you enjoyed or are about to enjoy the first book in my brand-new series. It was exciting to be a participant in The Common Elements Romance Project and incorporating the five common elements into this book. If you missed them, there is a list of the elements in the Table of Contents. Visit my website for details on the project, my works in progress, and more.
You briefly met Tanyon’s siblings and others on the ranch in this book. Cade Outlaw is the star of book two. Expect his story in 2020.
While you wait for the next book in this series to come out, I have three other series. Swipe forward to see my book list or visit my website.
To stay updated, sign up for my Mailing List. I don’t bombard your Inbox with newsletters, and only send one on occasion with a cover reveal, a new release announcement, contest info, or a book update. If you have a question or comment, please contact me at my website at Contact Mary.
If this is your first book by me, I’d like to thank you for taking a chance to begin a new series with a new-to-you author. If you’ve read my other books, then thank you so much for reading this one too.
If you enjoyed this book, a review is always appreciated. Continue forward for my book list.
Book List
For more on each book visit Mary’s website.
Two-Five Ranch Outlaws
Book 1: Imprisoned in a Cowboy's Heart
Book 2: Coming in 2020
Look for more books in this series
Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight
Book 1: Cowboy Boss and his Destiny
Book 2: Heartbreak’s Reward
Book 3: Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord
Book 4: Lassoing the Last Dance
Book 5: A seasoned romance Early 2020.
Book 6: TBD
Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series
A Double Dutch Ranch Series Spin Off
Book 1: Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas
Book 2: Finding Kimber
Book 3: Hooked by Sundown
Book 4: TBD
Bull Rider Series
Book 1: Howdy, Ma’am
Imprisoned In A Cowboy's Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Book 1) Page 25
