“He’s smiling,” Josh said. I had to look, and, sure enough, it did look like Sarge was smiling, but really, he was panting.
“Should I touch him now?” I asked.
“Just his chest.”
“Okay.” I reached out in a slow, steady motion and touched his fur, letting my fingers sift through the black and tan coat. After a few moments, Sarge nosed me. Mac nodded at me to stop and he pulled the dog away. I got up and backed away.
Suddenly, the dog gave a whine and I turned in the direction that caught his attention.
Colt and Cassie.
Sarge whined louder. Mac corrected him, and, once he settled down, he let him loose. The dog streaked across the yard and circled Colt and Cassie, but they acted as if he wasn’t there.
“Why are they ignoring Sarge?” Josh asked.
“See how he’s muzzle-punching Cassie to get attention? We’re trying to eliminate that. He may be well-trained, but he also knows to test boundaries.”
“So is he staying at the ranch permanently?” I asked. Though I was still wary of the dog, Mac said the canine had a calming presence for Josh and vice versa.
“If Carter is sentenced and faces prison time, we’ll probably keep him. His trial won’t be for another two months,” Mac said.
“Who’s at TAC?” I asked when the newcomers were upon us.
“Lucas and Trent.”
Cassie pranced to my side and grabbed my arm. “I got you a wedding dress.”
“Why?”
“Uh, because you’re getting married?” My sister looked like I’d sprouted two heads.
“Wait.” I glanced at Colt. “You said we were just going to sign the document.”
“You still have to vow to cherish, love, and obey.” He waggled his brows.
“I don’t think there’s an obey part.” I glared at Colt, who returned it with a sexy smirk. “I’m sensing a conspiracy here.”
I shook my arm from my sister and folded both over my chest. “I’m not wearing a frilly dress.”
“But you’d look like a princess,” Olivia gushed.
“Oh, loosen up. It’s a nice dress, not a gown,” Cassie chided me. “By the way, we invited your bounty hunter friend.”
“Frances?”
“Yup,” Cassie replied. “Trent said she’s been haunting the halls of the sheriff’s department, demanding to know where you were.”
“I’ve only talked to her once since Porter whisked me off and I don’t think I was very convincing then.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she’s a pushover,” Cassie said.
“You know this how?”
“She stopped by TAC a week ago,” my sister replied. “I’m pretty sure she dropped by the diner too.”
I turned to Colt. “Did you know this?”
“Yes, but you were so focused on the twins, I didn’t want to distract you,” he said. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d be going back to fugitive retrieval, right?”
“Maybe not immediately, but I may want to pick up a job every now and then,” I said and got irritated when Colt’s face darkened. “The point is, Montgomery, I want the decision—whether to quit my job or not—to be mine, not a foregone conclusion.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” Colt growled.
I glanced at Josh. He was beside Sarge, stroking his head. He looked at us, but his face wasn’t troubled at all.
“I got the kids,” Cassie said—her message clear. Talk it out. “How about that, kiddos? Milkshake?”
“Sure,” Liv said, then frowned. “But I wanna see Mama put on the dress.”
Everyone reacted to Mama, I swore Cassie’s lower lip trembled and the annoyance on Colt’s face disappeared.
“Colt isn’t supposed to see the dress,” Cassie pointed out. “Let them have their grown-up conversation and see if we can convince your mom to put it on later.”
My daughter appeared to consider this before she agreed.
Mac took Sarge from Josh as Cassie led them away.
Colt and I were left staring after them. There was a moment of charged silence before I felt his gaze shift to me.
“I don’t want you to be away from the kids for weeks.”
I turned to look at him and raised a brow. “The kids?”
“And me, dammit!” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I want you to be my wife in every way.”
“Are you expecting me to be a rancher’s wife and have food on the table every night?” I asked, half in jest, half seriously. “Because I can tell you now, that’s not gonna happen.”
“With your cooking skills …?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you putting me to work at TAC then?”
“Hell no,” Colt muttered. “Trent already has trouble keeping some of the guys in line when it comes to Cassie. I can’t have every single man who comes through that door falling in love with you.”
“You’re giving too much credence to my charms,” I laughed.
“Believe me, babe. You have no idea.” His eyes tracked over my face. “You’re exquisite.”
“I smell like horses.”
He stepped closer and inhaled me. “You smell like wildflowers and sunshine.” His arms wrapped around me, drawing me into him as he pressed his mouth against my temple. “And you taste like peaches.” He kissed me. “With a hint of sticky sweet and salty candy.”
“Hmm.” I pulled my head slightly away to look at him. “Which taste exactly are we talking about?”
A deep chuckle vibrated through his chest. “You know which one I’m talking about. You’re sexy as fuck. You try to tone it down by wearing shapeless shirts or pulling your hair in a ponytail—which doesn’t work by the way, because all I wanna do is nibble down your neck all the way to between your thighs. I know what you look like naked and spread out for my eating.”
“And you’re saying that’s what I look like to other men? A walking vagina?”
He scowled. “I don’t want to even think of other men imagining you that way. I’m possessive as fuck, okay? I can’t punch every dick who looks at you wrong. That wouldn’t be good for business.”
I sighed. “We kind of went off-topic about my job.”
“You really want to do this bounty hunting business?”
“Colt, I don’t know yet,” I said honestly. “If I can get clear and free from the potential of the spindle poisoning my brain, then it will depend on how much you and the twins need me. And who knows? I might love my role being lady of the ranch. I might not even want to be away from you. What got my hackles up earlier was the way you said it. Like you assumed I was just giving it up.”
“Sorry,” he muttered. He hugged me even closer, my soft curves pressed against his hard muscles. “Guess I have to work harder to convince you not to leave us even for a single day.” He expertly maneuvered me so I could feel his erection. We hadn’t had sex since the prior Saturday evening.
“You’re going to bribe me with sex?” I laughed into his shirt.
“My dick is very convincing.” He smirked.
“You’re very cocky.”
“I am.”
“Oh my God, it’s really gone to your head.”
“Are you going to deny I know how to service my woman?” He nipped at my ear.
A fire sparked below my belly. “All right, no getting me worked up. We agreed not to have sex until Saturday.”
He groaned. “That was a dumb idea.”
I was beginning to think the same, but still. “It’ll heighten the anticipation.”
“Babe, I’ve waited for you for over thirteen years, I think I’ve anticipated enough,” he growled.
“It’s only a few more days.”
“Saturday can’t come soon enough.”
I agreed.
25
Colt
Kate wanted a simple wedding, but Colt wanted her to have every detail such an event could have. He had Mac and the ranch hands build an arbor from reclaimed wood and tasked one of M
illie’s employees to take care of the flower arrangements. The diner would cater the food as they had at Matt and Grace’s wedding. Mac had a whole hog roasting in front of the bunkhouse.
Hickory smoke wafted across the ranch and a couple of fire pits were ready to chase away the night’s chill. It was a festive day, a day when John would marry them under the beautiful sunset of an October sky. Because of tightened security, only close family and friends were invited including a few from the sheriff’s department.
There was only so much that could be done in six days, but Colt had dreamed of this day for a long time and nothing was going to stop it.
The day he would make Kate his.
There was no organ music. One of the ranch hands played guitar and Colt just knew the perfect song for his woman. She may no longer believe in fairy tales, it didn’t mean he couldn’t give her one on her wedding day.
As Colt took his place beside John and Lucas at the arbor, he straightened his tie.
“You clean up nice,” Lucas remarked. It wasn’t the first time his best man had seen him dressed up, but his charcoal-gray suit was his best one. Expertly tailored, it fit comfortably across his broad shoulders and chest. What more could a man wish for in terms of wedding attire?
“Thanks.” He grinned.
“Ready to get hitched?”
“Yeah.” He glanced up at the sky. Autumn’s vivid hues spread from above him into the horizon—blue varnished by vivid orange, red and pink.
It was a perfect evening.
There was no entourage. Kate didn’t want the fuss and Olivia didn’t want to do the flower girl shit either. The twins were seated in the front row. His eyes met Josh’s and the boy gave him two thumbs up.
Christ. Colt chuckled inwardly. Maybe the boy sensed he was a tad nervous. There was a murmur among the seated guests. And then he saw Kate and everyone else faded away.
She was in a cream dress made of lace and antique material. It wasn’t a gown, but it reminded Colt about one of those dresses from the nineteen twenties. Her blond hair was styled in flat waves … he guessed it matched that era. A diamond-studded clip held her hair to the side.
Words failed him.
Matt was giving her away. And as the guitar strummed the notes to “Storybook Love” from The Princess Bride, a stunned look crossed Kate’s face. She laughed or maybe it was a sob … he wasn’t sure and couldn’t tell from her expression because his vision blurred.
When Kate reached his side, he could see her love shine through the tears in her eyes. He thanked Matt and tucked her hand securely to his arm and together they stepped up to John.
To say their vows.
To love and cherish one another.
No matter what came at them, he would protect her and always stand by her.
Their vows were unexpected, but to him they were the most important ones he would make in his life.
* * *
“Let’s get this party started!” Millie yelled.
The diner owner was in rare form. Frequently anti-social and austere despite owning a restaurant, she seemed ready to cut loose.
Colt had Kate wrapped in his arms, her back to his front with his chin beside her temple. They watched the festivities. Folks gathered around the buffet table under the tent. It was informal as could be. There were no staged wedding pictures. Lucas had his fancy camera and was taking candid snaps of everyone.
The twins were hanging around Grace who was seated at one of the tables, Matt by her side.
“I’m surprised Grace hasn’t popped yet.” Kate craned her neck slightly to talk to him.
“Yeah, but I think Matt needs to chill,” Colt said in an amused tone. “He seems to be better around the twins, though.”
“I think Olivia’s charm is working on him, setting him more at ease,” she said. “Those kids are excited to have a baby to fuss over.”
Colt didn’t say anything. The town was definitely lacking the younger demographic. The few couples in Misty Grove who had married eventually moved to Edington when they had children.
“Hey, aren’t you guys grabbing something to eat?” Frances came up to them. “You can’t get her tipsy with nothing in her stomach, Montgomery. Otherwise, it’ll be a sad wedding night.”
Everyone who heard her statement laughed.
“Thanks, Frances,” Kate muttered.
Her bounty hunter friend grinned slyly. “That’s for keeping this hunk of man a secret.”
“It happened too quickly,” Kate defended.
“Come on then. Let’s get you fed, wife,” Colt said.
Wife. It gave him such satisfaction to say that.
“Oooh, looks like your husband is the possessive type,” Frances snickered.
Kate scowled at her friend.
Colt took her hand and was leading her in the direction of the food tent when they spotted a black Escalade pulling in behind the catering van.
Kate groaned and Colt’s jaw hardened.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” he growled when Romanov stepped out. Cam Murphy was with him.
“I’ll take care of this,” Colt muttered under his breath, but Kate gripped his hand harder when he tried to shake her loose.
“No, you won’t—”
“Like hell—”
“We’ll face him together,” Kate told him sternly. “Partners, remember?”
“Let me make one thing clear. When other men are trying to infringe on what’s mine, it’s my job to set them straight.” More like kick their ass.
Kate looked at him dubiously. “Somehow, I don’t think your idea of setting them straight is that diplomatic.”
“Damn straight,” he said under his breath.
“Look—” she started, but Romanov and Murphy were almost upon them.
Frances, who looked like she’d already had a beer or two, slapped the back of her hand on Colt’s chest. “I’ll take care of this.” She figuratively rolled up her sleeves and swaggered toward their unwanted guests. If Colt wasn’t so annoyed at the newcomers showing up, he would have laughed.
Kate, for her part, couldn’t hold back and tittered. “Good Lord, Frances.” She hurried to catch up with her friend, tugging Colt along.
“That’s as far as you go, mister.” Frances tapped Romanov’s chest.
“Don’t touch me again,” he warned frostily. Cam had the opposite reaction and had the beginnings of a smile on his face.
“What’s so funny, buddy?” Kate’s friend addressed the older man. She wasn’t tall, maybe five-five, but her attitude certainly made up for it.
“You, obviously.” Cam’s gray eyes moved to Colt. “This one can’t hold her alcohol.”
Frances forgot Romanov and stepped up into Cam’s face. “I’ve only had two beers and a shot of whatever moonshine Mac was serving beside the hog.”
That explained a lot. Mac’s moonshine was potent. Made mostly from coconut, he learned the recipe from one of the Jamaican ranch hands.
“I got her,” Cam said, taking Frances’s arm. She, surprisingly, didn’t object. “There’ve been some developments. Let Aleksey bring you up to speed.”
“Developments in what?” Frances demanded.
“Come on, sweetheart. Why don’t you show me where the moonshine is.”
“I’m not your sweetheart,” she retorted, but she let Cam drag her away.
“Was Cam actually smiling?” Colt asked, baffled.
Romanov grunted.
He stared at the Russian. “I’d expected some courtesy from you to stay away today.”
Romanov winced. Kate squeezed her husband’s hand, but dammit, the other man wasn’t going to play on her emotions on their wedding day.
“We’ve found one of Nikolai’s hideouts,” he announced abruptly.
“What’s going on?” Trent’s voice spoke from behind them.
“We’re causing a scene,” Kate said. “Let’s go to the house.”
As they entered the residence, Colt was still fuming. �
��Why couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“I figured you’d want all news as soon as possible,” Romanov said.
“Bullshit,” Colt growled. “Stop with the fucking excuses.”
Romanov wasn’t looking at him, though, but at Kate with the same longing Colt probably wore for the longest time. He had to come to terms that men obsessed about his wife. If he couldn’t get past that, he’d go insane.
“First.” The man swallowed hard. “I wish you all the happiness.”
“Thank you,” Kate said quietly.
Romanov’s pained smile was brief, then he locked eyes with Colt. “Take care of her. You won.”
“You said you had news on Zorin,” Trent cut in. Colt had briefed the sheriff on his DC trip.
“The Guardians tracked him down to Baltimore. I won’t go into the details, but we were with them to confirm what they found. We missed him by a couple of hours.”
“He’d been tipped off?”
“Cam and I had a feeling we were being followed,” Romanov said. “This whole town is being watched. Do you know every single person out there?”
“Yes. And I trust them more than I trust you.” Colt wasn’t being antagonistic in his statement, but simply stating a fact. “Were you able to retrieve anything useful from Nikolai’s place?”
Romanov blew out a breath. “We retrieved a mother lode of equipment and research documents, but none of them appear to be the Beacon. I haven’t sifted through the files yet. I couldn’t get hold of Porter.”
“The admiral has a couple of ongoing ops,” Colt said. “He’s been known to disappear for weeks, if not months. But trust me, he got your message. He’s simply prioritizing what needs his immediate attention.”
“I need a secure connection with the FSB so I can get started,” Romanov said. “Porter has mentioned your Annex?”
Oh, hell no. And what the hell was the admiral thinking?
“Lucas can help you,” Trent offered. “He’s staying at Matt’s loft now. There’s room for you guys to crash there.”
“You won’t be dragging my brother away early,” Kate warned. “You and Cam can stay. Eat, drink, but I will not tolerate it if you make me or Colt uncomfortable. Got me?”
Unexpected Vows Page 20
