* * *
Chance couldn’t help tugging on his tie as he walked into the banquet room. He hated wearing them. It seemed so restricting to have something dangling around your neck under the guise of it being some ornamental fashion. He’d take a flannel shirt, a good pair of jeans, and his favorite hiking boots any day. But there were times when more formal attire was required. It might as well be his brother’s fancy birthday bash. In fact, he was in such a good mood, he’d trimmed his beard to a respectful length.
It was an incredibly festive occasion. For someone who wanted to quietly celebrate his birthday, Tate had caved to all the trimmings that could rival the country music awards. Who was he kidding? Isabelle and Leigh could talk Tate into anything short of bank robbery. They could do the same to him too.
A new band Tate had signed to his music label was performing on stage, and the guests were all looking good and mingling. He surveyed the crowd and was not surprised to see the plethora of celebrities who had come out to celebrate with his brother. It was so commonplace now it was hardly noticeable when a music or sports legend walked by him. The image he’d once had of Tate had all but shattered as he spent more time with his extended family.
Leigh said there was going to be a special announcement. He hoped it would be her engagement to Rafe, but he knew it was probably Tate talking about his plans for a new tour, and he was pretty sure Leigh would be touring with him.
Yet this family still held onto the core Southern values that helped them remain grounded. The entire family was at the party, and it was a calamitous scene as usual. Wrangling the kids, joking with each other, and enjoying good food. It was just like a typical Sunday at the ranch but bigger. The ladies all looked beautiful and the men handsome in their suits. It took a good hour just to say hello to family alone. But he enjoyed that time.
He looked at his watch. He’d wanted to pick Shannon up for the party, but she’d insisted on meeting him here. She’d said she had some things to do and she’d just grab a car service to the hotel. He thought they’d get in some snuggle time before the party. Truth was, he missed her. He’d seen her yesterday, but it felt like an eon since he’d seen that bright smile or touched her silky skin.
A very pregnant Anna Beth came over to greet him. “Chance? How are you?”
“I’m good.” He gave Anna Beth a hug. “How are you darlin’? You look radiant.”
“Thank you for saying that with a straight face.” She nibbled on a hot wing.
“I mean it. You have that glow that a woman gets when she’s about to bring something very precious into the world.”
“Aren’t you a sweetheart?” She put the plate down, wiped her hands on a napkin, then gave him a hug. “I have to admit I’m not wearing much makeup tonight.”
“You don’t need it. You look fabulous.”
“I like talking to the men in this family. You all have a way with words that makes a woman feel good.” She rubbed her belly. “Now if only this stubborn little one would come out. That would make me feel good too.”
“Let me give it a try.” He stooped down to her belly. “Hey, little one. I’m your Uncle Chance. Your momma tells me you’re quite comfortable in there and don’t want to come out. Who wouldn’t? You’ve got it made in there. You get to eat, sleep whenever you want, and you feel safe and loved. It’s true, it’s a big scary world out here, but you’ve been blessed to be born into a family that will love and protect you the second you come out. They’ll do everything in their power to make sure you have a good life. And you have a slew of cousins who are going to scoop you up and take you on adventures around the ranch and beyond. By the way, I’m the fun uncle who will love teaching you all about nature and stuff. We’re going to have some good times. We’re all here for you and can’t wait to meet you.”
“Chance.” Anna Beth sniffed. “That was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.”
“It’s just the truth.”
“Feel.” She grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. “The baby is kicking. He or she liked what you said.”
Feeling the baby moving around choked him up a little too. The baby was going to have a good life. The whole family would see to it that the baby was loved and spoiled like the rest of the brood. You couldn’t help getting swept up in the wave of love that came at you when you were around this family.
He’d never thought much about having a family, but so much had changed in the last two weeks. He wasn’t ready right now, but he was open to the fact that he didn’t have to suffer his father’s fate of being a crappy dad. Shannon had taken a crowbar and jimmied open his heart. OK, it wasn’t poetry, but that was how he felt.
“What can I say? Kids like me.” He shrugged.
“Don’t sell yourself short. Not many people can get Mackenzie to eat green beans.”
Mackenzie, in all her cuteness, was a force to be reckoned with, but she was not without reason.
“You’re going to be a great dad someday.” She smiled. “And not because you’re the fun uncle. I’ve seen you with the kids. You have patience, and you’re attentive. You listen to them. Those are great qualities for a parent to have.”
“Uncle Chance!” Tate’s boys had locked on him from across the room.
“That’s my cue to leave.” Anna Beth discreetly tried to hide behind him.
“Why?” Chance replied.
“The kids have been asking when the baby’s coming out, and it depresses me and makes me want to eat.” She bit her lip. “I’ll be three hundred pounds by the time this one decides to make an entrance.”
“Trust me. He or she is ready to come out.” He winked at her. “I have a sense about these things.”
“Thank you, hon.” Anna Beth wiped her mouth with a napkin, kissed him on the cheek then scooted away as the boys came to a full stop.
“Look at the three of you.” Chance whistled. “The McGill boys cleaned up great for your dad’s party.”
“Momma says he we have to try to stay clean until the pictures are taken,” Matt groaned.
“I think that’s a good idea. Once all that picture stuff is over with, you can let loose and have some fun. I bet there’s something we can get into around here.”
“She said we have to act like somebody raised us right,” Owen added, looking at his brother Lucas. “That means you, Luc.”
“Nah uh! Not me!” Lucas replied.
“I think you’re all going to have such a good time tonight, nobody is going to think about causing any mischief.” He bit back a smile. Owen was the first one to go looking for trouble and often found it. “I think your momma just wants everything to go well tonight.”
“The best behavior rule applies to rowdy, adventure-seeking uncles as well,” Isabelle said as she approached with Tate.
“I promised to be a good example for the children.” Chance laughed and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Izzy.”
“Chance, you look so handsome, and you trimmed your beard.” Isabelle touched his face. “You get all spiffy for anyone in particular?”
“Yeah, him.” Chance gave Tate a hug. “Happy birthday, old man.”
“Old man, my foot,” Tate huffed. “I’m still young enough to whip your tail.”
“I see you have a nice tan,” Izzy said to him. “How was Bermuda?”
“Life changing.” He smiled.
Isabelle’s eyes lit up. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“I owe you a long talk soon. I promise,” he replied.
“It’s a date.”
“Speaking of dates. You flying solo tonight?” Tate asked.
“No. Shannon is my date tonight.” He cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, she’s going to be my date for the foreseeable future.”
“Bermuda must have gone really well.” Tate laughed. “Can it be that my adventure-loving little brother is finally ready to settle down?”
“Absolutely not. I’m taking Shannon on this wild ride I call my life.” He wi
nked at Isabelle. “I got you something.” He handed Tate the gift and the card he’d picked out. “I hope you enjoy it.”
“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll enjoy whatever it is.” Tate nodded, then turned to his sons. “Boys, take this over to the present table.”
“They can take the card, but I’d like you to open the gift now.”
“OK.” Tate handed his boys the card and they ran off in the direction of the presents.
“I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I will.” Tate pulled on the bow.
“Because if you don’t, I can exchange it.”
“No need.” Tate squinted at him.
Chance opened his mouth like he was going to interrupt again, but he laughed instead. Call it years of missing out on antagonizing his older brother, but he liked his rapport with Tate.
Tate slowly unraveled the bow, then opened the box. He held up a set of keys that had a key chain attached. It was an Indian motorcycle key fob.
“Are you kidding me?” Tate’s eyes got big. “Did you get me a motorcycle?”
“I sure did. It’s in John Jacob and Teri-Lyn’s garage.” Chance smiled. “I thought maybe we could go riding sometime.”
“I’d like that,” Tate said.
Isabelle frowned. “Good grief. Now they’ll be two of you whizzing around on those things.”
“You wanted us to spend more time together.” Tate kissed her cheek. “I promise to be safe.”
“I don’t know, Isabelle. You could be Tate’s motorcycle momma,” Chance said.
“I could get a cool riding jacket.” Isabelle perked up.
“We could take romantic rides at sunset.” Tate put his arm around her.
“See it’s a win-win situation.” Chance grinned.
He’d taken Isabelle’s advice to heart. He’d been so busy battling past demons and expectations of what love meant that he’d overlooked that he had the power to create the life he wanted. He looked to the door again and was elated to finally see Shannon arriving. But he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw her walking in arm in arm with none other than his father, Joe.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Chance’s jaw ticked. “Why is he with Shannon?”
“How in the world did he know how to contact Shannon?” Tate asked. He looked at his wife. “Babe, did you invite him?”
“It’s your birthday, and I love you. I wouldn’t invite the last person you’d ever want to see,” Isabelle replied.
“He’s been playing hide and seek with Rafe for weeks and decides to show up here tonight?” Chance swore under his breath. It was just like his father to pull a stunt like this.
“He can’t stay. I’m in no mood for Joe’s shenanigans tonight,” Tate seethed.
“Let’s go see what he wants and why he’s with Shannon.” Chance began to charge over there, but Isabelle stepped in his way and put her hands on his arms. “Chance. Before you go over there, take a deep breath. We don’t want Shannon to get the full family feud experience right now.”
Some of the tension left his body. Izzy didn’t want him to look like some raging nut in front of his woman. She was right, but Joe still had to go.
He walked over to them.
“Shannon.” Chance embraced her as he glared at Joe. “Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. You trimmed your beard.” She touched his face. “Nice.”
“Thanks. What’s going on?”
“Sorry I’m so late. It took a little longer to get ready than I anticipated.”
“Joe.” Chance nodded at his father.
“Chance.” Joe extended his hand for a shake. “It’s good to see you, boy. I’m sorry I kept missing you at the job. It’s a busy season for long-haul truckers.”
“Joe,” Tate called out as he approached. “What are you doing here?”
“Shannon informed me that I’ve been holding up some family business. I thought tonight would be a good time to make things right. It’s also a good time to see all of my children.” Joe turned to Tate. “Happy birthday, Tate.”
Chance could tell Tate was gearing up to read him the riot act when Isabelle stood next to Tate and put her hand on his arm. It seemed to calm him instantly.
“Joe. What a lovely surprise,” Isabelle said with a tight smile on her face.
“It’s good to see you again, Isabelle.” Joe smiled.
Chance’s jaw ticked. “Bet you never thought you’d see your kids together.”
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want you to know about each other,” Joe fired back.
“Daddy!” Leigh said as she gave Joe a hug. “What a surprise to see you here.”
“Hey, baby girl.” Joe gave her a good squeeze. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Leigh smiled, then reached for Rafe’s hand. “You remember my boyfriend Rafe, right?”
“Of course, I do.” Joe reached out to shake Rafe’s hand. “I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you, young man.”
“I’m ready,” Rafe said anxiously.
“Where’s Dee Dee?” Chance looked around the room.
“She made a pit stop to the ladies’ room,” Shannon said. “She should be coming in momentarily.”
“Let’s get you situated at a table.” Leigh linked her arm with her father’s. “I bet you’re hungry.”
“I could go for a bite,” Joe answered.
“Sir, if you don’t mind,” Rafe said. “I’d like to have that talk now.”
“You have the look of a determined man.” Joe gave Rafe a good once-over. “How can I refuse?”
“But—” Leigh stammered.
“I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.” Rafe kissed Leigh on the cheek. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“Come on, sis.” Tate held out his elbow to Leigh. “You owe me a dance.”
“I’ll go check on the boys,” Isabelle said.
Chance waited until they were out of earshot before he turned to Shannon. “Shannon, what’s going on?”
“I went back to the trucking company today to see Joe. Again, I was given the ‘he just left speech.’ So, after I had a very stern conversation with the dispatcher, I got his route and jumped in my car and tracked him down at a truck stop fifty miles away. I found him sitting in the restaurant. I sat down, and we had a very colorful chat.”
“A colorful chat?” He folded his arms across his chest. “What did he say to you?”
“I’m getting to that.” She gave him that look that meant he was interrupting before she got to the good part. “After he finished getting his dander up, I told him he needed to have a sit down with Rafe because Rafe was madly in love with Leigh and wanted to give her the world. And Rafe being the decent guy he was, had postponed his happiness to do the right thing, even though technically he shouldn’t give a fig about getting Joe’s approval. I told him Leigh’s love for her father was the only reason Joe was still running on fumes with any of his children.”
He leaned in, drawn into the story. “What happened?”
“He said Rafe probably wasn’t good enough for Leigh and was probably hanging onto her because she’s becoming famous.”
“That’s nonsense. Rafe is a great guy.”
“I told him he was wrong about Rafe. But he didn’t want to hear it.” She put her hand on her hip. “But Uncle John came into the restaurant and set him straight.”
His eyes widened. “John Jacob was there?”
“Yes.” She nodded with pride. “He’d accompanied me to the trucking company, and when we found out Joe was on the road, he agreed we should chase after him and as he said ‘drag his surly old ass back to Texas hogtied and muzzled’ if we had to. He said my love of speeding was going to come in handy, and it did.”
“I’m sure John Jacob being there really spiced things up.”
“Yes.” She sighed. “There’s a lot of history between those two. After they both finished beating on their chests, Joe calmed down, and we all talked.”
“W
hat if they’d gotten into a scuffle?”
“Dean and two other specialists were there.” She smiled. “Anyway, Joe made arrangements to have someone deliver his payload because John Jacob said he’d pay Joe what he was going to earn, and we headed back to town. I wanted everything to go well, so I took him and Dee Dee to get something to wear. After getting them ready, next thing, I know I had just enough time to get here before the party really got going.”
“What were you thinking, tracking down Joe?”
“I was thinking he was pissing me off.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Rafe and Leigh’s happiness was at stake. Rafe is an honorable man. He wanted to do things the right way. He and Leigh deserve to be happy and—”
He pulled Shannon close to him and kissed her. If anyone possessed the determination to get something done, it was her. She was fearless, and he loved her for it.
“You must be Chance,” a strong, authoritative voice said behind them. “Think you can end the lip lock with my daughter long enough for introductions?”
Chance did the best he could to wipe Shannon’s lip gloss off his lips and took a deep breath before turning around. It didn’t help that she was fussing over him by straightening his tie. When he turned around, he saw John Jacob, Sam, and the imposing man that had to be her father.
“Sir. Chance Mc Gill. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand for a shake. No surprise, the older man’s grip was tight as a vise. “I’ve heard so much about you from Shannon.”
“Jack Stanton. I’ve heard a lot about you too,” Jack said.
“Daddy.” Shannon linked arms with her father. “I was thinking Chance could come over for brunch next weekend. Momma will be back from the spa, and you two can look him over at the same time.”
“That’s a great idea, Pumpkin,” Jack acquiesced to his daughter. “We’ll have a full spread and block out the whole day to spend with Chance. What do you say, Chance? Can you pass the Regency fifty-point security inspection? You don’t have a record, do you?”
“Jack.” John Jacob gave his friend a look.
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