Lainey thought about how she would be perceived if she allowed Tim and Spence take her as their mate. The worry that filled her about how the family would accept them was very real. This family was close and loving. Spence and Tim would not be able to survive if they were ostracized from it and Lainey was determined to make sure that that didn’t happen.
Lainey had not been surprised by the way this family pulled together to help Melanie and Luke when their daughter Mary Grace had been born and Melanie had slipped into a coma. Gracie and Deuce had stepped forward to take care of Robbie and Mary Grace, but every one of the McKade brothers and the women who loved them, had helped during that very difficult and upsetting time.
“Okay, Melanie,” Luke said softly, drawing Lainey’s attention. “I trust your gift.”
“Thank you, Luke,” Melanie whispered. “When we go to bed tonight, there’s going to be a lot of touching, sweetheart.”
Luke’s smile was instant. He completely ignored the laughter that surrounded them. Reaching out, he took Melanie’s hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles lightly.
“It’s a date, honey.”
“Melanie has the ability to see the future?” Marc Blackstone asked his cousin John, his dark eyebrows lifting in surprise.
“Yeah,” John answered without hesitation. “She’s seen some amazing things, and we’ve all had to protect her from the narrow minded people of the town who have been cruel to her.”
“Have you seen the future of all of the members of this family, Melanie?” Marc asked, looking around at the group before him. His unique brown eyes with small flecks of gold in them viewed all of them with surprise.
“I have.”
Marc faced her stoically. “Have you seen my future?”
“Yes, Marc,” Melanie told him, smiling. “But you don’t need me to tell you what you’ve already seen in your own dream.”
Marc nodded abruptly. He knew his dream had directed him to come to McKade land to find the woman who would become his mate and the little girl he would have to protect. He had already met Madison Allen and her daughter Cooper. As much as his head held him back, his heart ached to grab hold of the family who was destined to be his.
“You’ve seen my dream, Melanie?” He crossed his massive arms over his chest and viewed her, trying to judge her worth.
“I have. Don’t second guess it, Marc. You’ve been given a rare glimpse into your future. Don’t push it aside. You have to do what you’re meant to do,” Melanie warned him. “If you hesitate, your little girl will be taken from her mother.”
Marc nodded, his long, black hair swaying slightly as it fell to his waist. It fell forward over his shoulder as he turned to face his cousin John. His soft brush of it against his arm made him think about the little girl he had recently held while she ran her fingers through the length of his hair. She had been such a sweet little thing who trusted him completely. He couldn’t let her down.
“Don’t just concentrate on saving that little girl,” John warned him gently. “You have to save her mother, too. She needs you, Marc. And I know you need her.”
“I don’t need anyone,” Marc denied John’s words immediately, his tone defensive.
“You know, Marc, you’ve always been a stubborn man,” John told him, his silver gray eyes boring straight through him. “You’re strong and capable and can take care of yourself, but I’ve never known you to be a liar. Until now.”
Gracie settled her hand on Marc’s forearm, pulling his attention toward her. “Don’t miss out on the future you deserve because you’re stubborn, Marc. I’ve known Madison since we were kids. She’s a really nice woman who has had a really rough time. She has a lot of love to give. She would be perfect for you.”
“May I hold Mary Grace?” Claire’s strained voice cut through the silence.
“Come here, Claire,” Jake spoke up, patting the empty chair beside him that Claire usually occupied. “Let me help you.”
Claire looked at the youngest McKade brother who had captured her heart from the time she had met him in the hospital after the severe truck accident he had been in had nearly killed him two years before. She had been drawn to him by some miracle, and she hadn’t left his side for his entire hospital stay.
Her empathic abilities often overwhelmed her when the emotions of the people around her swamped her and overloaded her. She had felt the pain Jake had been in as he had been lying in that hospital bed, but when he had opened his eyes and looked at her, she knew he was something very special to her. Jake had called her his angel, and they had formed a connection that was a miracle for her. When she had touched him, she had felt such a sense of peace and protection, she had nearly fainted with relief.
Jake’s touch had acted as a buffer between her and everyone else’s emotions. His touch shielded her from the pain and the strong feelings of others. Whenever he touched her, she was completely cut off from the gift she had been given that had often caused her such pain.
“I’m fine, Jake,” Claire insisted. “I don’t need your help anymore.”
She turned away before Jake could see the sadness in her eyes. She would not allow him to see how much him not wanting her as a woman and mate had devastated her. She had been foolish enough to think that Jake might care about her, too. She had even asked him to father a child with her. His refusal had hurt, and her embarrassment was deep. Being close to Jake had helped her to find some measure of happiness—until now. She was not going to depend on him to help her ever again. She would figure things out and keep to herself. She had learned her lesson well. Jake McKade didn’t want her, and she wasn’t going to offer herself to him ever again.
Reaching out, she took the infant that Melanie offered to her and cuddled the sweet child against her chest. Kissing Mary Grace’s head and settling her cheek against the soft black fuzz of her hair, she breathed a sigh of relief as the soft skin of the child touched hers. The purity of the baby soothed her and allowed her to center her thoughts and feelings on the complete sense of calm and happiness that only an innocent child could hold.
Turning, she ignored the empty chair that was beside Jake and took the seat between Becca and Jamie. The McKade brothers’ cousin Jamie was mated to Deuce’s best friend John Blackstone, and she was one of the kindest women Claire had ever met. Jamie reached out and caressed the baby’s soft hair, leaning forward to kiss the newest member of the family.
“She’s so beautiful,” Jamie whispered, turning to look at her mate John Blackstone and smiling. Her expressive brown eyes looked at her husband with complete love. She still counted her blessings for having him in her life. She had fought tooth and nail to deny their mating, feeling that she wasn’t worthy of his love because of her inability to have children. But she and John had been gifted with the miraculous healing of her body, and she was now pregnant with their child. She leaned into John’s touch, loving how he fisted her long, thick hair and tugged on it slightly to tip her head back so she could accept the sweet kiss he offered her.
“She certainly is, cara,” John agreed. He kissed her one last time and pulled away, reaching across the woman he loved beyond reason to tenderly hold the infant’s tiny hand within his. “I can’t wait to hold our baby.”
Jamie smiled and leaned against John’s body as he surrounded her. “Me, too,” she whispered, loving it when John reached around her and settled his free hand on her belly. She absolutely loved when he touched their growing child. It made her appreciate the miracle that she was even able to conceive. There wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t thank the Great Spirit for the miraculous healing that had occurred within her womb that had allowed such a wonderful thing to happen to her.
“Love you, John,” she whispered as he snuggled against the side of her face and kissed her neck lightly.
“Love you and our baby, cara.”
Lainey looked at her sister Becca as she watched John and Jamie with such sadness in her eyes. Her heart ached for he
r twin. She saw the pain in Becca’s unique eyes as she furtively looked across the table at the other happily mated couples. The soft brown of her eyes that held unusual flecks of blue were usually bright with mischief and laughter, but today they were cold and distant. Lainey could see the desolation in those eyes. It hurt to know that Becca was suffering.
Just the fact that Becca wasn’t sitting in her usual spot next to Rafe told Lainey that her sister had kept true to her decision to distance herself from Rafe McKade. Lainey knew Becca loved Rafe with her entire heart and soul, but she couldn’t deal with the hurt of his rejection of her love any longer. When Becca’s gaze moved toward Rafe, taking in his strong body, his ice blue eyes, and his handsome features, Lainey saw Becca’s hurt flare to epic proportions. She watched in silence as her sister fisted the length of her own dark brown hair in her hand and tugged on it before looking away. Dropping her hand, Becca looked at Robbie, focusing her attention on the little boy.
Rafe, the third McKade brother, sat silently in his seat, watching Becca with obvious pain of his own mirrored in his eyes. Lainey saw how he looked at Becca and knew that he wanted her to be his mate even if he denied it. She didn’t understand why Rafe was being so stubborn. She just knew that Becca had given up, and she didn’t like seeing her twin so defeated.
She felt Spence’s strong hand touch her thigh and she automatically covered his hand with her own, squeezing it lightly. Tim’s hand soon slid to her other thigh, waiting palm up for her to link her free hand with his. She did so willingly, smiling when both men moved closer to her and pressed her gently between them.
“Are you okay, kitten?” Spence asked her quietly.
Lainey looked at him and smiled sadly. “I’m worried about my sister,” she whispered against his ear, kissing it lightly before moving away.
“Don’t stop,” he told her gruffly, trying to pull her back toward him.
Lainey blushed, pushing him away gently. She hadn’t realized she had been so open with her affection in front of the rest of the family. Turning toward Tim she saw him smiling down at her. The softness in his eyes as he looked at her melted her heart. Without thinking about it, she leaned toward him and rested her head against his neck, kissing it lightly.
She turned to face the table and saw that all eyes were on them. She froze. “Oh, no,” she whispered, pushing away from Tim and sitting up straight in her chair. She pulled her hands free from Spence’s and Tim’s holds, embarrassed to have been caught giving affection to both men. When they tried to recapture her hands, she pushed them away and glared at them.
“Stop,” she muttered angrily, her embarrassment getting the better of her.
“No,” Tim spoke up firmly.
“Damn right,” Spence agreed.
Lainey looked first at Tim and then at Spence, her eyes pleading. “Please,” she whispered.
“It’s time, honey,” Tim told her gently.
“I agree,” Spence added. “Everyone, Tim and I would like to announce that Lainey has finally agreed to be our mate.”
Lainey held her breath. She was afraid to lift her eyes to look at the family she had grown to love. She couldn’t stand to see their looks of disapproval.
“About damn time,” Deuce’s deep voice boomed across the table.
Lainey looked up in shock. What she saw was not what she had been prepared for. Every one of the brothers, as well as Marc and John had wide grins on their faces. The women were looking at her with soft, knowing smiles. There was not one bit of disdain or disgust directed at the three of them.
“About time?” Lainey asked, confused.
“Yes, about time,” Deuce repeated. “Congratulations.”
The table erupted with words of best wishes, and Lainey soon found herself surrounded by the women who hugged her tightly and whispered words of happiness to her. The men slapped Tim and Spence on their backs and shook their hands before coming over to Lainey, hugging her gently and welcoming her to the McKade family.
Once everyone was settled back in their seats at the table, Lainey looked at them in shock. How could they have been so accepting of their mating? It had to come as a surprise. They had to have some reservations about the three of them forming one mating.
“I don’t understand,” Lainey finally spoke up.
“What don’t you understand?” Gracie asked as she smiled at her.
“All of you are okay with the three of us being mated?”
“Of course we are,” Becca spoke up. “We’ve seen how much the three of you care about each other for a long time, Lainey.”
“Don’t you think people will give us a hard time about this relationship?” Lainey asked them all, voicing her fears.
“Do you think I shouldn’t be mated to Jamie because of my Native American heritage, Lainey?” John asked gently. “Because that was a definite concern of mine. I knew that the people in town would hold a prejudice against us the moment I saw Jamie and realized that she was my mate.”
“John, you and Jamie were meant to be together,” Lainey told him honestly. “You’ve known that she was meant to be yours from the time you were fourteen and you saw your vision of her. Don’t even think about the people in town. They’re idiots. All that matters is that you and Jamie have found each other and have created a wonderful life together.”
“Exactly,” John told her triumphantly. “And the same is true for you, Spence, and Tim.” He leaned closer to Jamie and kissed her temple lightly. “You’re always going to have to deal with people who think they know how you should live your life. There are always going to be people who will judge you and tell you you’re not good enough or shouldn’t do something. But you can’t listen to them, Lainey. You can’t allow them to ruin the happiness that was destined to be yours. All that matters is that you’ve found your mates and will create a wonderful future together. Nothing is more important than your mate, right, cara?”
“Absolutely, John,” Jamie answered, leaning forward to kiss his lips lightly before turning to face Spence, Lainey, and Tim. “In the short time I’ve lived here, I could see the special relationship the three of you have made. I remember how you used to be together and looked out for each other as children, too. You can’t deny what’s meant to be, Lainey.”
“Lainey, remember when I told you that I had seen your mating?” Melanie asked her, very careful not to remind everyone that she had seen Becca’s and Claire’s futures, too.
“I remember.”
“When I saw the vision of your future, I saw you with Tim and Spence,” Melanie continued. “It wasn’t something I was shocked to see. It actually made me very happy. It makes all of us happy, honey. We want the three of you to have the life that’s destined to be yours as mates.”
“You do?” Lainey asked softly, more than a little humbled by the sincere happiness and acceptance that these wonderful people had for them.
“We do,” Gracie spoke up, reaching up to take Deuce’s hand as it rested on the table. “There’s nothing better than finding your mate and committing yourself to him.”
Deuce’s smile lit up the room as he looked at the woman who held his heart. “I can agree with that, honey.”
“And don’t forget what you promised me,” Melanie cautioned her. “I’ll be expecting payment soon.”
Lainey smiled and nodded. “That’s one promise I’ll be very glad to keep, Melanie,” she said softly. She looked at Tim and then at Spence. “I’m already counting my blessings that my best friends are also meant to be my mates.”
Melanie smiled softly, reaching out to touch her husband’s hand. She was equally blessed that she had mated with her best friend. It seemed as if all of the woman had been given that same gift.
“I can feel the happiness in the three of you,” Claire spoke up, clearly relieved that the emotions she was sensing and feeling were good and loving ones. “You’re very lucky to have men who cherish you and want you as part of their lives. That’s wonderful, Lainey. I’m so happy for
you.”
She looked down at the sweet, innocent baby in her arms, holding her tighter against her as she rubbed her cheek soothingly against the top of Mary Grace’s head. She couldn’t look at Jake. It hurt too much to feel the wall of steel he had forged between them.
“Aunt Lainey, do you want some ‘ronies?” Robbie piped up, offering his spoonful of macaroni to her.
“Sure, Robbie,” Lainey told him, laughing. “I would love some ‘ronies.”
She turned and looked at Spence, smiling widely. “Do you want some ‘ronies, Uncle Spence?”
“I would love some ‘ronies,” Spence told her, leaning forward and kissing her cheek lightly.
“What about you, Uncle Tim?” Lainey asked, laughing lightly.
“Sure. I’ll have some ‘ronies, too,” Tim answered, reaching out to embrace Lainey and pull her against his side. “You know what else I want, baby?”
Lainey turned to face him and smiled, waiting for him to continue. “What do you want, Uncle Tim?” she asked him, reaching up and touching his cheek lightly.
“I want you.”
Chapter 8
Lainey sat on the floor in Deuce’s living room with Robbie on her lap, laughing as Robbie tore the wrapping paper off the gift from Deuce and Gracie. She helped him pull aside the bright blue paper with pictures of birthday hats and balloons to reveal the new pair of cowboy boots and a black cowboy hat.
“My hat is just like Daddy’s!” Robbie called out, obviously thrilled with his gifts.
“We’ll take you for a ride in the morning,” Deuce called out to Robbie, smiling when the little boy turned his face toward him and smiled.
“Can I wear my new boots and hat, Unca Deuce?”
“I think that’s a great idea, buddy,” Deuce told him seriously. “I may not be able to tell if it’s you or your daddy, though. You look just like him.”
Claiming Lainey [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 10
