“Hope, I have to say that you are a vision of loveliness. I’m glad to see that you like my present. I wasn’t sure about the color, but it sort of called to me from the shop.” It was black and I had to admit that it was very slimming.
“If I do say so myself, Avery, you look very handsome.” He bowed and I curtsied and then he took my arm and we went back out to the very horse that he had brought me here on.
“I don’t want you to think that everybody is staring at you. If they are, it means that they are jealous.” I knew that he was just trying to prepare me for the accusing eyes “Besides, I really don’t think that you care what other people think. You do what you want and be damned what the consequences are. You take risks. You’ve shown me in these last few days that you’re not like most women. You don’t have that same mentality to serve them like a king. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everything that you do, but it took a little bit of getting used to to see you wielding that axe. Is it wrong to say that I found that quite exciting.” I slugged him on the arm and he winked at me knowingly to let me know that he was just pulling my leg.
“I think that’s the reason why I love you.” This was first time that I had said it out loud. I had already admitted it to myself, but now it was out there for him to hear as well. He stopped at the horse with his hands on the reins. He turned and looked at me with those same piercing blue eyes. “I mean, I’m…I’m…oh hell, I don’t know what I mean.” It was an awkward silence, until he took my hand and he got down on the ground.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Hope. I think that I felt the same way from the moment that I saw you. It was like love at first sight. I didn’t know that something like that existed. The more that I got to know you, the more that I wanted to know more. I want you to have this and I want you to wear it with pride. It belonged to my mother and I think that she would want me to give it to you.” The ring was like a revelation that I had found love in the most unlikely of places.
“Avery, I don’t know what to say.” I stood there staring at this ring and the way that it was shining like a brilliant sun. “This is, so unexpected.”
“Hope, you really don’t have to say anything. I just thought it was high time that we finally admit our feelings. I guess I was scared that you didn’t feel the same way. Had I known, I probably would’ve said it the moment that I put my hands around you on the horse.” I guess my woman’s intuition was on the Fritz. I really had no idea that he felt like that and he had somehow hid his feelings. I guess nobody really knows what somebody is thinking, unless you ask.
“Of course, Avery, I will marry you. You have been nothing, but kind. At first I thought that this was just going to be a matter of convenience. I think I let my loss blind me to what was standing right in front of me. I’d never wanted to replace my husband with anyone. I don’t think that I could ever do that. I do think that I have room in my heart for more than just one love of my life. He’ll always have a piece, but now I have found another to settle down with and be happy.”
I felt like screaming it to the world and then he kissed me. It wasn’t like he had asked permission. He had done it in the spur of the moment, spontaneously with a sense of urgency that came from knowing that he would regret not at least trying something like that. It caught me off guard and my eyes were wide with surprise, as his hand went around and held me at the small of my back. I finally closed my eyes and immersed myself into it like a warm bath. His arm surrounded me and I never wanted it to end. He finally let go and helped me up onto the horse. I was a little speechless and I was still having difficulties with getting my breath back.
As we rode into town, he whispered into my ear “I hope that I didn’t do anything to ruin the moment. I just thought that the best way to make our love complete was to seal it with a kiss. I never want to make you feel uncomfortable and if I did, I apologize.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Avery. I’m glad that you did it.” We arrived at the church and I knew that this was where we would say our vows in front of a town that probably wouldn’t be able to look at me.
I stepped through the doors and he guided me to one of the pews on the left side. We sat down and listened to the sermon, but for the most part we just couldn’t keep our eyes off of each other. It was like we were dating and I was sure that people could see that this was not just any mail order bride situation. This was different and we had found something that a lot of people would search a lifetime to try to find.
After the hour was up, we filed out of the church and this woman came over to me “I just want to congratulate you.” I thought that she was talking about the ring on my finger, but then she put her hand on my belly. “I’m sure that he or she will be very healthy.” I was stunned and I stared at her and then at Avery. His eyes showed confusion, but then a sort of recognition came alive.
“I’m sorry.” I ran from the church, running, until I couldn’t run anymore. I was bent over and holding onto a tree near a pond on the outskirts of town. That was not the way that I wanted to tell him, but the cat was out of the bag. I heard the slapping hooves and I had a glance back to see Avery had somehow tracked me down. I didn’t have the strength to go on, so I was just going to have to face this head on and hope for the best. He jumped down and he walked over, while biting his bottom lip.
“There was no need to run off, Hope. You could have told me and I would have understood. This doesn’t change anything. I mean, it does, but it doesn’t. I still love you and I will be honored to be a part of your family.” I wasn’t expecting him to be, so nice about it and then the tears began to fall. I wasn’t sad. In fact, I was overjoyed to the point that I couldn’t hold it in. I’d never been so happy that I was crying tears of joy. I think my emotions were all over the place. “I have to admit that I was a bit shocked. When you ran off, I realized that I didn’t want to be without you. It doesn’t matter if you’re pregnant with Hank’s child. I want you in my life and what I said to you before still stands.” He put his hand on my shoulders.
I put my hand on his and put my head back against his chest. I could hear his heart beating and I knew that just from being in his arms that I would never want to be anyplace else.
“I hope you mean that, Avery and that you’re not just saying that to make me happy. I would never want to put you in a position that you would feel uncomfortable. I know that a lot of guys would not accept the fact that I was pregnant with a child that wasn’t theirs. I knew that there was a reason why I fell in love with you. “You’re not only kind and compassionate, but you have a way of looking at things that is different from anybody else. It’s your willingness to accept me for who I am and a willingness to accept this baby that makes me fall in love with you all over again.” He put his hand further down, until he was putting it on my belly.
“Hope, you have a life inside of you and that is not something that I take lightly. Your obligation is to him or her and I will do everything I can to protect it and raise it with the kind of values that I grew up on. You and I will be his parents, but he will always know that his father loved him, even though he didn’t get a chance to meet him or her.”
“Avery, I don’t know Y, but I believe it’s a girl.” He hugged me and he helped me back on the horse. We were on our way home to be a real family. “She really doesn’t know how lucky she is.”
“What you mean by that, Hope?”
“I mean, he has a devoted mother and two fathers. You’re going to raise her with me and Hank will be looking down from heaven with a smile on his face. I know that he’s watching and he couldn’t be happier for the both of us. We found you, or maybe you found us. It really doesn’t matter how we found each other.”
We soon married and a few months after that my baby girl was born. I could see Hank’s eyes looking back at me. I knew that I would always carry a piece of him and now his legacy would live on through another.
I was worried that Avery may not be a man of his word, but I found t
hat he was the best father that I could ever ask for. I saw him holding that baby girl and the love that I saw in his eyes could only come from the bond of father and daughter.
“Avery, I want to name her Henrietta.” He understood the meaning behind it and he knew that I was just giving Hank his rightful place in her life. He smiled and nodded. He held my hand and I knew that my family was complete.
THE END
Ordered by a Cowboy
Chapter One
The sharp crease of Greyson’s custom tailored slacks broke perfectly across his pristine black loafers, and he brushed his fingers across the pressed material with irritation. He fully understood that most of his business dealings required this sort of attire, but it felt more like a costume. He preferred his denim jeans and polo shirts since his retirement from the camouflage fatigues and combat boots. He was much more at ease on the back of his favorite horse than in the leather armchair in the boardroom. Nevertheless, this was where his life had led him, and he certainly was willing to forgo a few afternoons of discomfort for the lifestyle that his empire had afforded him.
Once the board meeting had concluded, Greyson shook the necessary hands and clapped compulsory shoulders, and made his way out the door as politely as possible. After just a few days in the city, he was ready for the wide open spaces of the ranch he called home. On his visits, he always managed to stop by his favorite Italian restaurant as well as take in the occasional show, but mostly he was ready for his housekeeper’s homemade chili, his favorite pair of jeans with the hole at the knee, and his life companion.
Greyson had made it to forty and remained completely unmarried; however he spent every free moment with his fawn-colored pit bull, Daisy. His housekeeper, Ms. March, would just shake her head at him and repeat under her breath, that Mr. Greyson needed a woman’s touch, not a dog’s. He had come close to marriage twice in his lifetime, but both of the women had pulled back at the last minute, leaving him gun-shy of commitment and mostly lonely. The casual encounters were enough to keep the needs at bay, but it did little to warm his bed at night. He had hidden hopes of a family, but had put them on the back burner for so long, he had almost written it off completely.
One of the indulgencies that he had given himself was the small private jet, and he would be hard-pressed to ever fly commercial again. While his was not the most luxurious model available, it was most assuredly better than trying to cram his muscular 6’6” frame into even the nicest commercial first class seat. And, as a man with a healthy appetite and a love of food, he loved being able to order anything that the catering company would delivery. The size of his homestead even allowed for a small runway and hanger, making the airport a thing of the past altogether.
Greyson yanked off the silk tie, and tossed his suit jacket over one of the plush seats as he dropped his body into the other one. He could still remember his former C.O. giving him a hard time about his physical size.
“You’re supposed to be a Green Beret. How could you ever sneak up on anyone with feet that big?”
Greyson grinned down at his feet as he slipped them out of the loafers and stretched his legs out as he passed a palm over his buzzed scalp. He leaned his head back and closed his dark brown eyes. He had ideas about catching a nap during the several-hour flight, however within minutes, the flight attendant was at his elbow offering him food and drinks. He smiled up at the young blonde woman and nodded his consent. She left for a few moments, and returned with a double Scotch on the rocks, a plate of Caprese salad, a small platter of fruit and cheese, and a bowl of shrimp cocktail.
“When you’ve finished Mr. Clark,” she drawled in a soft Texas accent, “you just let me know and I can bring out your dinner.”
He smiled and nodded, digging into the beautifully displayed catered dishes. It took a lot of food to fill his large physique and he enjoyed a good meal, whether it was fancy catering or down-home cooking. After his finished off his salad, shrimp, and fruit, she brought out a plate full of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed asparagus. Greyson could not help but noticed how she bent over a little too far when serving his food, giving him quite a view of her full breasts under the flight attendant uniform. He polished his dinner off along with a second tumbler of Scotch, and waved her off when she offered dessert with a glint in her eye. He bit back a chuckle when she slunk away to pout.
He shook his head and smiled to himself as he leaned back into the seat. He had had his share of short term relationships in his younger years, but at this stage of his life, he could not tell who was interested in him and who was interested in his bank accounts. He had determined that it might be easier to just have the short term fun when he had the opportunities, but this young blonde girl was too much even for a fun time on the airplane. It was just those types of indiscretions that landed wealthy men like him in hot water with the press and the board of directors. He was not looking to make waves will either group. There were more discreet ways to have his fun, and it did not involve the 20-something stewardess on his private jet. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep to the hum of the engine, as the plane continued its journey to his home in Arizona and to the empty bed.
Chapter Two
Lilly set down the pair of full water buckets onto the dirt floor and tried not to spill too much. She hardly wanted to make a second trip so quickly after the first. It was nearly a mile round trip from the house to the well and back. She smoothed her unruly dark curls back from her face, and tried to unwrinkle her brightly colored sundress to no avail. Her cappuccino colored skin glowed from the humidity and the exertion, and was still faintly scented from her cocoa butter.
In an ongoing effort to keep their household afloat and tidy, her mother was busy in the vegetable garden behind the house while her two sisters were on the side of the little house washing and hanging clothes. After she tucked the water buckets inside out of the sun, Lilly made her way to the chicken coop to collect the day’s delivery before the rooster had his way.
The island life was not nearly as exotic as mainlanders might think it to be. It was hot and humid most days, required hard physical work just to stay afloat, and there was no getting ahead or getting out. The vegetables and eggs kept them fed and brought in a little cash from the neighbors. The four women of the household spent most of the muggy evenings sprawled out on dilapidated old chairs in front, hoping for a breeze.
Lilly’s mother had tried desperately to marry off the eldest daughter with no luck, had managed to get a husband for the second girl but he had been killed in a mining accident soon after the wedding, and seemed to have given up completely when it came to Lilly, the youngest. The eldest of the girls had found a job in town, working for a tailor, which helped out the family immensely. The older couple that had hired her did not have any children of their own, so the hope was, for both families, that Lilly’s oldest sister would eventually inherit the business. The middle sister was still recovering from the death of her husband but knew that she would eventually need a job or another husband.
Oddly enough, Lilly probably would have been the easiest to marry off. She was not traditionally slender, but her curves filled out her simple sundresses amply, her emerald eyes always flashed hints about her strong personality; and her skin glowed with her enthusiasm for life. She would not have been a quiet and dutiful wife, but she was definitely the looker of the village and a hard worker.
Almost every night, in the still humid air as she curled up on her mat, she considered the possibility that her willful attitude was a detriment to finding a husband, but she was hard pressed to tame her wild nature. She imagined herself to be a caged bird that just needed the right key for the lock. Lilly has asked her mother about the matchmaking service in the city, but her mother shooed her off, reminding her every time that they had no money for such things. It was useless to point out that the right husband could provide for the whole family, that any money paid to the matchmaker could be seen as an investment in the future.
&
nbsp; Lilly was determined to get herself out of the village and out of her life as she knew it. She had no intentions of her future turning out like her mother’s, and her vision would only start to become true if she made it happen herself.
For their dinner, Lilly relit the fire under the stove in the center of the room and put on the large metal pot. She heated up the leftover vegetable soup from the night before and tossed in some extra potatoes and rice to bulk out the vegetables and broth. She tasted it and sprinkled in some fresh grated ginger to perk it up a little. She actually considered herself quite the cook. She was no gourmet chef by any stretch, but she thought that it took a certain talent to make the same meal every night and keep it interesting and appetizing.
In addition to being the creative cook of the family, one of Lilly’s other skills was painting. Her mother shook her head whenever Lilly started messing around with her art, but as long as she paid for the materials herself, no one was going to stop her. Lilly had sold a piece here and there to tourists, and was eager to sell more. It seemed only fair that if she paid or found all of the materials on her own, then she should be allowed to keep any profits they yielded. She was stuck in the cycle of needing to sell more to afford any materials to paint more in order to have more to sell. One of the shopkeepers in the city had made her a different kind of offer, but Lilly never returned to that particular shop, vowing that certain things were not for sell, regardless of how badly she wanted her new life.
After months of scrimping and saving, Lilly finally hitched a ride into the city, and paid a visit to the matchmaker who promised her a better life and a house without dirt as a floor.
Bought By The Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance) Page 35
