Texas Strong

by Jean Brashear

  “Are you okay?” With her free hand, she stroked his jaw.

  “Yes. No. We can’t open Ruby’s Dream, Scarlett, not now. I can’t have it jeopardizing you again.”

  He could practically see the temper rearing up in her, all steam and snap, and he wanted to cheer. Here was his lady love, all five foot three of her, rising to the battle. “I’m fine now, Ian. And I promised Nana.”

  “First of all, you’re not fine. You nearly died, Scarlett, only days ago.”

  “Nearly two weeks—” she protested.

  Georgia quit suckling and let out a cry as tension filled the room.

  He backed off. “I’m surprised at how thrilled I am that we’re arguing,” he said and couldn’t help grinning. “But it’s not good for either of you for me to be making you tense.” He stroked Georgia’s head and bent to kiss his woman’s stubborn, beautiful mouth. “We can discuss it later.”

  “Or not.” How she managed to glare and yet smile he wasn’t sure.

  “I won’t risk you, not ever again, and that’s that.” But as he saw her starting to wind up again, he held up his hands. She was a foot shorter and a hundred pounds lighter, yet she was more than his match. “I love you insanely, even when you’re unhappy with me.”

  She scowled. “Don’t even try to charm me when you’re being a Neanderthal. You’re not the boss of me.”

  “I know what I know.” When her brows snapped together more fiercely, he knew they weren’t finished with the topic. For now, though, he would distract her. “I may have good news for you. We have a chance at going home tomorrow.”

  Her head whipped up. “Really?”

  He nodded.

  Her eyes filled. “Oh, Ian, I miss Sweetgrass so much. I can’t wait to get home.” She smiled down at the baby once again nursing so lustily. “And I can’t wait to show her off.”

  “Pretty sure nearly everyone in Sweetgrass has been here to visit,” he observed. When Georgia gave a little greedy snort, he laughed again. “She’s going to wind up my size if she keeps eating like that. What a little pig she is.”

  Scarlett beamed. “Isn’t it great?” She looked back down and traced Georgia’s tiny perfect ear. “You might have had a rough start, sweetheart, but you’re catching up, aren’t you?”

  “She’s like her mama,” he said softly, bending to kiss Scarlett’s hair. “Small but fierce.” Then he took Scarlett’s mouth in a kiss that deepened with his love, his fear and the profound gratitude that was behind every breath, every thought.

  They would have this out later.

  And he would win.

  Love her beyond logic though he did, he was never going to let Scarlett’s valiant spirit risk her life, ever again.

  The work day was preceded the night before, Chrissy discovered, by a sort of family reunion—the term family being used loosely to mean practically everyone in Sweetgrass along with a whole bunch of what turned out to be Gallagher cousins, plus a number of friends.

  Including Josh Marshall and, unbelievably, the country mega-star, Walker Roundtree. Josh was even more gorgeous in person, and Walker Roundtree was the same. And Brenda had been right: Josh’s older brother Quinn was more stunning yet.

  Just then Josh—how could she possibly call him by his first name?—walked over and introduced himself, as though his was not one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

  “Don’t mind her,” Spike said from beside her. “She’s gone mute from your awesomeness.” An evil grin spread. “Why don’t you take off your shirt and see if she’ll faint?”

  “Ignore her,” Josh said to Chrissy, taking her hand when she couldn’t seem to make it work on its own. “Spike is a pain in the butt, but we put up with her for her flaky pastries. You have a name, I’m guessing?”

  “I—” Chrissy’s voice was a croak, and she frantically tried to clear it. “Um…”

  “Leave our girl alone, hotshot,” Mackey said, strolling up and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Chrissy’s new to town, and she’s a great waitress we can’t afford to lose, so take your awesomeness somewhere else.” Mackey snorted and shook his head.

  Chrissy swallowed. “Um…” Having yet another hot guy close wasn’t helping. “I just, uh—” Vaguely she gestured toward the diner’s kitchen. “I should—”

  Josh crossed his eyes and let his tongue loll from the side of his mouth while he scowled. “That better?”

  She burst out laughing. “It is, thanks. I’m so embarrassed. Everyone told me just to treat you normally, so what do I do?”

  He gave a mock-frown. “Who told you that? I’m all about the hero worship.” Immediately he shook his head. “Please don’t believe that. One of the things I love about being here is that I can be just…me.”

  Abruptly a small figure launched itself at him. “Daddy!” Josh lifted his son, the smile that wreathed his face making her forget he was a star then, as love suffused his features. “This is Eli. He’s three.”

  “Hello, Eli. I’m—”

  Before she could speak, two more boys raced up to them. “Uncle Josh, there’s a boy over there with Legos. Wanna come see?” One of them grabbed his hand and pulled.

  “Hang on a minute, dudes. Say hello to Ms. Daniels. This is my nephew Antonio, and that rascal is his twin Emilio.”

  “Hello,” she said. “The boy with the Legos is my son Thad. I’m sure he’d be happy to share.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Six.”

  Emilio puffed out his chest. “We’re seven.”

  “Ah. Older and wiser.”

  Josh grinned. “Not always.”

  “Can we, Daddy?” His son patted his cheek, his expression beseeching.

  The man named Sexiest Man Alive looked nothing like a heartthrob then, only a family man whose heart belonged to his tribe. He glanced over. “Would you like to go with us?”

  Abruptly she was just a mother again, talking to a dad. “Sure.” But all the way over, she had this double-image vision of herself, single mom with absolutely no credits to her account, leading Josh Marshall—Josh Marshall!!—across the room. Along the way, they were stopped by several people, and she was introduced to so many gorgeous men, every one of them crazy in love with his wife—

  Was there something in the water here that made Sweetgrass part fairytale and part daydream?

  As they approached the booth where she’d installed Thad while Becky was with her friend Samantha’s mom, she looked around at the crowd chatting and visiting with happy abandon, and she realized that someone was missing.

  Tank was nowhere in sight. Maybe working?

  I’m a bad bet.

  Or maybe only staying away from her.

  “Hi, Mom!” Thad cried out. “Where’s Big Theo? Man, there’s a lot of people here—” He broke off when Josh approached, the twins at his side. “Hey! Who are you?” He had eyes only for the boys.

  “You gonna tell him, Antonio?” Josh prodded.

  His nephew nodded but didn’t speak.

  Irrepressible Thad barreled right into the silence. “I’m Thad. I’m six. How old are you? Do you like Legos?” he asked without waiting for the first answer.

  “Shy kid,” Josh said, grinning.

  “Yeah, I keep hoping he’ll come out of his shell.”

  She glanced over, and one of the twins had already climbed up in the booth. She held her breath, hoping Thad would share.

  With relief she watched him push the tower he’d been building closer to the other boy. “You want to help me build this?”

  Antonio nodded.

  “How about you?” Thad asked Emilio, shoving over a stack of pieces. “Here, this way you can reach better.”

  The boys focused fiercely, Thad chattering and Josh’s nephews listening.

  “Would you like to play, too, Eli?” she asked Josh’s son.

  “He’s more like his mama,” Josh observed. “Doesn’t talk a lot. Elena is a deep, still pool. Have you met her yet?”

 
“I haven’t.”

  “Then come on. Let’s fix that.” He glanced at Eli. “You want to stay or go with us?”

  “With you,” Eli said shyly.

  “Works for me. Boys, I’m taking Ms. Daniels to meet Aunt Elena.” The boys nodded without looking up.

  He took her arm and turned them both. Chrissy glanced back.

  “They’ll be fine. This is Sweetgrass,” he said simply.

  “I’m new here. I’m used to the city.”

  He cast her a look of sympathy. “You have a treat in store. Best thing you could have ever done for your kids.”

  “But don’t you live in L.A.?”

  He shook his head. “I stay there when I have to, but I have a ranch near my brother’s up on the Caprock. I have a plane, and it’s written into my contracts that I can work my shooting schedule around my family’s needs.”

  “Wow.” The perks of power.

  “My family is the most important part of my life. L.A. Isn’t good for kids. I take them with me when I’m on location sometimes, but Elena likes her home.” He shot her a quick grin. “And I like Elena.” His tone might be light, but love bathed his features. That he meant what he said was obvious.

  “There she is, feeding Gregory, our newest family member. Our daughter Consuela is two. Last I saw her, Quinn’s daughter Clarissa was shepherding her around.”

  A beautiful Latina woman sat in the corner of a booth, a light blanket over her shoulder.

  “Hey, gorgeous.”

  The woman who’d been gazing at her nursing baby as though he were a miracle turned up her face to the man beside her.

  The love between them could have powered the whole town. “This is Chrissy. She’s new to Sweetgrass. Chrissy, this is my wife Elena, and my sister-in-law Lorie.”

  “Hello,” Elena greeted.

  “How are you?” Lorie asked.

  “Pleased to meet you both.”

  Josh spoke to Lorie. “Her son Thad has invited the twins to play Legos, but Eli wanted to come with me. They’re on that side of the room in the round booth.”

  “I bet they’re in heaven. How old is Thad?”

  “He’s six.” Then her eyebrows flew upward. “You’re Lorie Chandler. I used to watch you—and Josh, come to think of it—on Legends of Love. Wow.”

  The gorgeous blonde smiled. “That was my old life.” A small sadness flitted over her face, and Chrissy remembered then that once Lorie had been the victim of a stalker.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot about—”

  “No worries. That was in the past. Old news. Very old news.”

  “Lorie is a midwife now,” Josh said.

  “Seriously? That’s fascinating. Do you like it?”

  “I love it.”

  “She delivered all our babies,” Elena said. “Too bad you can’t deliver your own.”

  At that point, Chrissy realized that Lorie’s belly was gently rounded.

  Hand hovering protectively over her babe, Lorie smiled. “This is our surprise baby. Number five for us.”

  “Five. Wow. I’m so jealous.”

  “How many do you have?”

  “Two, a daughter, Becky, who’s eight now.” She sighed. “I want a baby. Drat you for making me realize that.” At Lorie’s quizzical look, she explained. “No dad in sight. The kids’ father was no father at all, also good riddance. The only good thing that man ever gave me was my babies. They’re wonderful.”

  “I look forward to meeting them,” Lorie said. “Is it true that Scarlett will be home tomorrow?”

  “That’s the hope.”

  “I’m so glad. We just got into town, so we haven’t been over to Austin to see her yet.” She paused. “It’s a very good thing we’ll all be doing tomorrow. Josh and Quinn built me a wonderful clinic, since we’re even further from a major medical center than you are here. Complications like Scarlett’s placenta previa can be very scary.”

  “Would you like to sit down?” Elena asked.

  Chrissy looked around. “It feels like I should be working.”

  “Not at the family dinner,” Lorie said. “You’re not at work now.”

  “I’m not family either.”

  Elena smiled. “In Sweetgrass, everyone is family. Please….have a seat.”

  Chrissy complied, but as she did so, she was seized by the thought that they were wrong.

  Not everyone was family.

  Tank should be here. And she wondered for the umpteenth time why no one but her seemed to see that.

  The work day dawned bright and clear. Chrissy and her kids were at the cafe early to help Ruby set out food to be served buffet-style for breakfast.

  Spike walked in with a huge tray of pastries, followed by two of Jackson’s geeks, Vinny and Big D, similarly loaded down. Big D—whose nickname belied his skinny frame and lack of height—veered off at the sight of Brenda, and Brenda’s cheeks reddened as he neared.

  Beside Chrissy, Henry stiffened and muttered.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  One tight shake of the head. “Nothing.”

  She glanced from his closed face over to where his eyes glared.

  Brenda. And Big D.

  Huh. How about that?

  “Okay, folks, let’s open the doors. Don’t you be filling your belly first, Harley Sykes.” Ruby slapped his hand off the pastries.

  “Aw, now, Ruby.”

  “Aw now, poor you. You’re just planning to sit and gab. Save the goodies for the working folks.”

  “It’s called live streaming, right, Big D?”

  “That it is, my man.”

  “I’m gonna be interviewing folks and explaining what’s going on. It’s a public service.”

  “Like folks on that internet give one hoot about this little town.”

  “Actually, I set up a GoFundMe page for those who want to donate.”

  “Donate what? Everyone who cares about Sweetgrass will be here working.”

  “No ma’am,” Harley said. “Sweetgrass is gonna get famous. When folks hear that Josh Marshall and Liam Sullivan and Walker Roundtree come here, they’re gonna want to come see our town for themselves.”

  Ruby went very still. “Have you lost what’s left of your mind? You know Josh and the rest come here to be themselves. They’re not to be exploited. We all agreed about that.”

  Harley looked downcast. “Aw now, Ruby…”

  “I mean it. You undo that Gowhatsit page, Big D, whatever that means, and you, Harley, either talk about something else or get your bony behind to work like the rest of us. No publicity.”

  “But it would help Sweetgrass grow, Ruby. That’s what you spent years trying to make happen.”

  “Not over the internet! Sweetgrass is doing just fine.”

  “You don’t have enough help, you know that, and with Scarlett gone—”

  “You mind your own beeswax, Harley Sykes, before I ban you from the cafe for life.”

  “Aw, now, Ruby—”

  “Son, you should be home sleeping instead of trying to work,” Gordon McLaren said. “You barely catnap at the hospital. You can’t keep up this pace forever.”

  Ian cast a weary smile at his father. “Thanks, Dad, but we don’t know for sure that Scarlett and Georgia will be released today, and when I left early this morning, the nurses said it would be afternoon at the earliest. Scarlett and I agree that I need to be here to represent our family. Everyone pitched in when Georgia and Scarlett nearly—” Even now he got choked up when he thought of how close he’d come to losing both of them. “What’s happening today is important for all of us in Sweetgrass.”

  “Jackson would have paid for all the work to be done, you know that.”

  “Just because Wiz is rolling in the bucks doesn’t mean that’s how we do things. He’s been amply generous to his hometown, but nobody here wants to be a charity case, especially not me.” Ian glanced over at his father. “That’s not how you raised me.” His dad was a proud man who’d taught him to take resp
onsibility for his own life, and Ian knew it grated on Gordon that after his stroke he couldn’t do everything he once had. Gordon didn’t like leaning on others any more than Ian did.

  “Anyway,” he continued. “Much as I hate to leave my girls, Mom is there, and she’ll take good care of them.”

  “That she will,” Gordon acknowledged. “It was a good thing you did, son, giving your little girl your mother’s name along with Scarlett’s mother’s. Took a big man to grant her that sign of forgiveness.” Gordon clapped Ian on the shoulder.

  Ian stared off into the distance. Forgiving the mother who’d abandoned him as a little boy hadn’t been easy, and he’d resisted until he’d realized that his little Georgia deserved to have as many people in her corner as life would allow. His mother hadn’t expected Ian to forgive her, and God knew he wouldn’t be able to if he spent too much time thinking about how much her leaving had damaged him. He thanked his lucky stars every day that the man beside him had stepped up and devoted his life to raising Ian even when he, too, had been devastated by Sophia’s loss.

  Gordon had been quicker to forgive than Ian, and he’d asked, in his own simple way, for Ian to ease up on her. The surprise of a half-brother he’d come to really like had forced Ian to deal with her, but it wasn’t until that night that still had the power to give him nightmares that he’d really seen his mother as the woman she was, not the specter that had rendered him so unwilling to trust his heart. He’d almost missed out on the miracle that was Scarlett’s love because of that distrust.

  Sophia had stepped up that terrifying night and had been there for them, had remained calm and given Ian strength when he’d been bone-deep scared that he’d lose both the child he’d never expected to have and the woman who was his life’s greatest blessing. In the days since Georgia’s birth, his mother had quietly stepped in to do whatever he and Scarlett needed, being careful not to intrude but always ready to help.

  “I’m trying, Dad. And she’s been great, I admit it.”

  “That’s good, son. Really good.” The expression on his father’s face told Ian that his mother’s decision to stick around meant more to Gordon than simply her help for her grandbaby.