A Bride for the Texas Cowboy

by Sinclair Jayne

  “Yeah. Probably should have left that part out.”

  “You think?”

  He searched her eyes. She was laughing at him. Laughing. He smiled back. “Yes or no. Tell me quick because my knee is still not one hundred percent, and I’m afraid it will give out, and you won’t want to marry me because I’m too gimpy.”

  “I can’t,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You haven’t even shown me the ring yet.”

  He swore and opened the teal velvet box. “Oh, there’s also a truck in the deal. A red one.”

  “Let’s focus on one thing.”

  Cat, always the practical one—reeling him in when he was about to rocket over the head of his horse. He opened the box. “I love you, and if you hate the ring, don’t let it be a deal breaker. I can choose another. Or you can choose it,” he said seized with anxiety. What if she hated it?

  “I love it,” she said, her voice awed.

  He took the ring out of the holder and slipped it on her ring finger. It felt sacred. It felt right.

  August stood and pulled her into his arms. “I missed you,” he whispered, kissing the top of her ash-blond curls. “You have no idea how much.”

  “I think I do,” she said, gazing up at him. “I missed you, too. It hurt too much to be in the room without you, and the longer you stayed away without talking to me about what was really going on made me feel like I didn’t belong here, like you and your family weren’t my family.”

  “You are my family, Cat. You have always been love and family to me. I was too immature to realize what I had, but even when we split up, I never felt it was forever. I could never imagine my life without you in it.”

  He kissed her then. It was a sweet kiss. Tender and full of promise.

  “I want you to move into the master suite with me,” he said. “I don’t want to spend a night alone unless one of us is traveling. And I think we need a limit of how long we are apart. Three days.”

  “A week,” she said, her gray-green eyes sparkling. “I’ll need a break from you sometimes.” She smiled, teasing him even in the midst of all the emotion swamping him.

  He slipped his arm around her slim waist. “Now I want to go show you off to my soon-to-be sister-in-law and nephew and brother. And then I want to take you to bed to show you how much I love you and how much I’ve missed you.”

  When they opened the sliding glass door, the smell of oatmeal raisin cookies tickled their noses.

  “Go check in with Axel; he’s doing something in the entryway with sharp implements and no explanation,” Cruz greeted them both. She looked at Cat’s finger and then whooped. “Let me see.”

  August kissed her cheek and then the ring on her finger. He still held her hand, clearly not wanting to let her go.

  “Go help your brother,” Catalina urged. “I think it’s important.”

  Cruz smiled and mouthed thanks. Catalina walked over, her hand outstretched to show off a little.

  “Beautiful,” August heard Cruz breathe reverently.

  August went to the entry hall and saw Axel pulling nails out with a screech using a crowbar. For a moment August just stared, and then he saw another crowbar, which he grabbed and attacked the other side. Within minutes, the plywood was off the front door, and the door was open for the first time in years.

  Axel picked up the sheet of plywood and hurled it into the front yard. Then he walked through the door and sat down on the front step of the porch with his crowbar, breathing heavily. There was plywood propped against the wall and a gaping hole in the ceiling where there used to be a blown glass chandelier his parents had bought during their one trip abroad to Italy and Germany.

  August sat beside Axel and put his brother’s crowbar down. He stared blankly out across the front yard to the road that led down to the stables and bunkhouses.

  “Why’d you nail it shut?” He finally asked the most obvious question, the one he’d never asked his brother because—he’d admitted to himself years ago—he didn’t want to know the answer. He’d been scared. Still was. But he’d moved home and started a business on the ranch because he wanted to be with his brother. He wanted to be a family again. And he didn’t want Axel to carry all the burdens.

  The night settled around them. He heard Cruz and Catalina talking and Diego chiming in. The first batch of cookies was coming out. He heard ice cream mentioned. Yes, please.

  “You don’t need to worry about eating beef,” Axel finally said. His voice was lower than usual. Heavy.

  “What?” Not at all what he expected.

  “Beef. Your heart. You’re probably fine.”

  “What? You got X-ray eyes?”

  “No. I’ve been pretty blind,” Axel said.

  And they sat some more.

  “Dad hanged himself. On the chandelier.”

  August jolted. He forced himself to not speak. To give Axel time for once to finish his thoughts.

  “He called me home one day when I was on the tour. I didn’t want to come. I had to ride in the finals Saturday night and then get in my truck and drive all night, but he insisted. Said it was important. So I did. I drove all night. If I’d stopped for coffee like I wanted, Anders would have found him when he headed out to school in the morning.”

  “Jesus,” August breathed.

  “I cut him down. Broke the chandelier. Put him in bed.”

  “Like you used to do when we were kids.”

  “You knew?”

  August nodded, ashamed that he’d never helped his brother.

  “I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want Anders to know how Dad died. That he’d left us just like Mom had. We’d already had so much gossip about our family over the years I think the doctor and sheriff took pity on Anders and maybe me so he said heart attack. The coroner knew, obviously, but for the most part it was hushed up. We buried him next to mom, Aurik and Grandpa. No ceremony.”

  More secrets Axel had held on to. Alone. A habit in their family. A bad one. He internally whispered another vow to be honest and open with Cat about his plans and his concerns and feelings.

  “Don’t do that again,” August said flinging his arm around his brother’s massive shoulders. “Don’t hide things from me.”

  “You don’t do it again,” Axel said without rancor.

  “Deal. And definitely don’t do it with Cruz.”

  “Already lost her once by keeping everything I felt and wanted too tight. I’m not stupid.”

  “I am. I effed it up three times with Cat.”

  “You always were the slow brother,” Axel mused. “But I was helped along because Cruz favors very pointy boots. Scary. Love that in a woman.”

  “Me too. Cat carries a knife and other sharp implements,” he said fondly. And then something occurred to him.

  “The East Barn.”

  “Grandpa. I found him too. I was trying to find if one of the barn cats had had her kittens yet. I didn’t really understand what I was seeing and Dad didn’t explain but—” Axel broke off.

  “So we busting that door open tomorrow? Just shining a light on all this pervasive darkness?”

  “First thing.”

  “Think the East Barn will be a great place for a wedding?”

  “You like to spit in the wind,” Axel said, but his voice lacked heat.

  “Okay, pinkie swear. Don’t kill yourself or I’ll kill you and haunt you forever.”

  “Not sure it works that way, but what the hell?” Axel linked pinkies with him, and August’s heart was full to bursting.

  “Now let’s go eat some cookies and stop this damn bonding.” Axel stood, hauling August with him.

  Damn, he’s serious strong.

  They walked through the door together just as Cruz and Catalina and Diego joined them in the entry.

  “I think we need to go chandelier shopping,” Axel said drily, looking up at the ceiling. “Only don’t even think about getting one of your designers to choose it.”

  “No, we’ll choose it together,” Aug
ust agreed quickly.

  “How about all four of us?” Catalina suggested.

  “Don’t you mean five of us?” Diego chimed in.

  Everyone laughed and August pulled Catalina close and whispered in her ear, “I hope that soon it’s the six of us.” He slid his hands down low on her body. “That would make life just about perfect. But whatever’s in store, I can’t wait.”

  “Me either,” she whispered back.

  “And we’re starting right now. You, Catalina, are going to be my bride.”

  Epilogue

  End of June

  “You look so beautiful.” August snuck up on Cat who was making last-minute preparations in the East Barn and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on the bare skin of her shoulder. He kissed her neck. “I want to tell everyone today.”

  He splayed his palms over her still-flat abdomen.

  She laughed. Probably at the beautiful comment because she was in her usual jeans, boots and a tank and no matter how many times he said it, she still would give him a quizzical look as if she thought him a bit crazy. He was. For her. And it felt good. Right in a way nothing else ever had.

  “No.” She leaned back against his chest and sighed. “It’s too soon.”

  “It’s almost the second trimester,” he tempted. “And we’ve heard the heartbeat at two appointments now.”

  “Yes.” She smiled dreamily.

  “And we agreed no more secrets from each other or family.”

  “But it’s our wedding day because someone—” she covered his hands with hers “—didn’t want to wait until after harvest.”

  “I waited way too long, Kitty Cat.” He pulled her elastic out of her wild curls so they spilled down over her shoulders and let the band roll over his wrist. White today. Yesterday’s had been pink. “And I was being practical with my choice,” he defended. “This was Anders’ window to come home for a wedding since he is going to be some big shot at the Last Stand Rodeo next weekend and he had a two-week break from competing so of course Axel had to grab the same wedding date. A double wedding,” he groused although he was secretly rather thrilled that Axel had asked if they could have a double wedding in the East Barn with Anders and Diego representing both of them.

  “Still competing with your big bro.” She turned in his arms and stood on tiptoe to nip his jaw.

  “Probably always will,” he admitted and smiled at the woman who held his whole world in her small hands. “Besides, I won. I have you. And soon we will have our firstborn. I beat Axel on that,” he added smugly.

  Cat reached around and pinched his ass as he’d suspected she would.

  “He adopted Diego. The paperwork was finalized this week, and we had a big family party along with the rehearsal dinner last night at the ranch so technically you didn’t beat him because Diego is now a Wolf and the first of the next generation.”

  “I will have to cede that to Axel, then,” August said, pretending to think about it. “But we’ll have the first daughter.”

  She laughed. He loved the sound of that. He often said outrageous things just to see her eyes flash and change color or to hear her full-throated laugh.

  “And maybe we’ll have the first set of twins.”

  “Stay on your horse, cowboy.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Let’s focus on this baby first before you start planning for number two. It’s not a race.”

  “True.”

  He and Catalina looked around the barn.

  “It looks magical,” she said noting the fairy lights strung throughout the barn, the bouquets of flowers strategically placed, the stacked hale bales for atmosphere and others for seating along with white chairs arranged in a semicircle. “Simple. Country. Texas. But with a hint of whimsy,” she pronounced. “And the brisket the caterers are preparing is making my mouth water.”

  “Maybe we can see if anything is ready to sample,” August suggested, feeling his own stomach rumble as he’d been too nervous and excited this morning to eat breakfast. And too busy to eat lunch.

  “Not likely. You’re already breaking the rules by seeing me before the wedding.”

  He laughed. “We are already married.”

  They’d married at the courthouse a few days after he’d proposed, with Axel, Cruz and Diego as witnesses because he couldn’t wait. Cat had agreed, but later she’d also confessed to wanting a wedding with the dress and flowers and music, and she’d been so thrilled to share it with Axel and Cruz. The guest list had grown exponentially because the Wolf family and Clemmens family had been in Last Stand forever, and adding in Cruz’s colleagues and friends, they had had to kick up the plans to refurbish the East Barn to ensure it was ready to host a double wedding.

  There was still some work that Catalina planned to add a touch of elegance—mainly a lush garden courtyard for more intimate events. The hard-scape had been completed out toward the back of the barn where the views were tremendous, but it would take some time for the plants to grow. But for now, August thought looking around with satisfaction, the East Barn looked ready for its debut. Just looking out of the wide open doors where the ranch hills rolled on forever, and the vineyard, heavy with fruit spilled down several hillsides was decoration enough to his mind.

  Not that he’d likely notice anything other than Cat.

  “No more ghosts,” he said slipping his hand into hers because it was time to head back to the house to get ready. “All I can do is sense the future.”

  And later that night after the vows and the toasts and congratulations, he held his wife for the first dance. She looked almost mystical with her large eyes, luminous skin, hair twisted up and threaded with daisies and a simple white, backless dress that had tempted him all night. The music started. A slow, sweet waltz with a lone fiddle from the band starting them out. The lump in his throat nearly choked him.

  “I am the luckiest man in Texas,” he whispered to her although he felt like he was the most blessed in the world.

  “Pretty sure your brother feels the same.” She smiled saucily. “So how are you going to beat that?”

  He caught a glimpse of Axel, skillfully moving with Cruz around the room. He looked down at his bride as if she’d hung the moon and the stars his brother was so fond of watching. August’s heart felt full to bursting.

  “I think it’s okay for us to have a draw on happiness.”

  And he and Cat began to dance.

  The End

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  Thanks for reading A Bride for the Texas Cowboy by Sinclair Jayne!

  Discover your next romance at TulePublishing.com.

  If you enjoyed A Bride for the Texas Cowboy, you’ll love the other books in….

  The Texas Wolf Brothers series

  Book 1: A Son for the Texas Cowboy

  Buy now!

  Book 2: A Bride for the Texas Cowboy

  View the series here!

  Book 3: Coming February 2020!

  Enjoy an excerpt from

  A Son for the Texas Cowboy

  Sinclair Jayne

  Book 1 in the Texas Wolf Brothers series

  Keep reading below or buy now!

  August, seven years ago

  Standing on top of the chute, looking down at the muscular back of the two-ton animal gunning to toss him boots over head into the dirt, Axel Wolf was on top of the world.

  Today was going to be a great day. And not just because he was going to kill his ride on Texas Trouble. Every bull rider had to believe that, or they wouldn’t climb on. Bull riding required discipline, commitment, physicality and a belief that you were going to ride the full eight, even though the odds were stacked against it.

  Axel didn’t count the odds. Today he was on top of the leaderboard, and unless he fell off—which he wouldn’t—he’d win. But that wasn’t why today would be epic. Today was his last appearance at a Texas Pro Rodeo e
vent. He’d punched his ticket to the American Extreme Bull Riders tour—top tier in the world—and was joining up next week. It didn’t get much better than that, and even though it was nearly the end of the season, there was still plenty of time to make a mark and earn some serious money to help send his youngest brother to college.

  The AEBR tour wasn’t the best thing that was happening to him today. Nope. Not by a long shot. Today would mark a new day with his girl. She was here watching and after he won, they were going to celebrate. He’d spent months researching and looking at diamonds before having her ring made. He’d tucked it deep in his pocket. Best good luck charm ever.

  He wanted her to know that he was committed. All in. When she headed off to med school next week, and he joined the AEBR, Cruz Lopez and the world would know that one day she’d be his wife. He didn’t mind a long engagement. In fact, he preferred it. It made sense. She had years of school, and he wanted to ride the tour for at least four or five years before settling down at his family’s Texas ranch.

  Axel was in his zone as he dropped down and tucked his feet back. He ran his rope through his glove, the smell of the resin along with dirt and sawdust and bull settling him even more. He ran through Texas Trouble’s last ten rides again in his head. Breathed in deep and closed his eyes as he wrapped, unwrapped and wrapped his grip again. His mouth guard was in. His helmet was on. He could feel the bull’s muscles shift beneath him, and he leaned up high near the shoulders, centering his body almost on top of his grip.

  One more deep breath and release. He opened his eyes, staring directly at the indent between the bull’s massive shoulders. Tonight would be the beginning of the rest of his life. He never thought he’d be a family man. He’d spent so much of his teens raising his brothers. Cruz had changed all that, though not all at once. Her tentative questions about his future goals—did he see himself married, did he ever want children and how many—had scared him spitless. He’d devoted himself to his family, but still, he’d lost them one by one. He only had two brothers now, and they barely spoke to him.