A Father's Quest

by Debra Salonen

  “Ah…now, that’s more like it,” she said, her gaze fixed on his groin.

  Jonas wasn’t the shy type but there were things he’d planned to tell her before they got this far into making love. Like how much he loved her and couldn’t imagine going through the rest of his life without her and that she was the only woman in the world he wanted in Birdie’s life and would she marry him. Please? But none of those things made it anywhere near his mouth once her mouth lowered to taste a different part of him.

  Remy wanted to savor this moment forever. She wanted to laugh and squeal with triumph and shake her fists in the face of Fate. He’s here. He’s mine. We’re together. And the best way she could think of to seal the deal was the one thing she’d never been brave enough to try with him in high school.

  She held his body in her hands and gently ran the tip of him back and forth across her cheek, her nose, her other cheek. She inhaled deeply before letting her tongue touch and taste.

  His muscles tightened, his breathing sped up. He was turned on to the max even before her mouth closed around him. She heard his low, gruff moan. She tested his response to her teeth and almost smiled. She loved the power it gave her to pull back, suckling the way he had at her breast.

  “Oh, geez, Remy, stop. No. Yes. Wait.”

  She knew exactly what he meant. She stopped, but only long enough to put her body where her mouth had been. She guided him into her and settled against him, feeling an instantaneous reward. Tiny shivers exploded from the inside out. She lifted her hips in shallow, dipping circles, drawing upward until he cried out for her and anchored her hips with his hands, driving them both to that explosive point beyond this plane of existence. Once, twice. Again. At last.

  She sank against him, their bodies still connected, their hearts racing as their breathing slowly began to return to normal. She closed her eyes and let herself simply enjoy.

  Beautiful. Fabulous. Perfect. The words seemed too mundane to describe something so…dreamy.

  She might have stayed there forever, but a soft whim per a few minutes later made them both startle fully awake and present. “Birdie?” Remy asked, rolling to one side.

  “Uh-huh. I’d better check on her.”

  He pulled on his army shorts and left the room.

  Remy used the time to freshen up in the adjoining bath. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, seeing a well-loved woman.

  Jonas was sitting on the end of the bed when she returned.

  “Is she okay?”

  He nodded. “Fine. If I touch her arm, her shoulder, she stills right away and drops back to sleep. I think she needs that reassurance that I’m here and I’m not going to leave her.”

  She sat beside him and put her arm around him. “You’re a good dad.”

  He swallowed. “Thanks. Speaking of fathers…did you get a copy of the DNA results?”

  “This morning. No surprise, right?”

  He took her free hand in his with a solemnity that made her heart rate spike. “What?”

  “I want to be related to you, Remy. By marriage. Will you marry me?”

  She kissed him on the lips—a sweet kiss filled with promise. “Someday. When Birdie’s ready. I can wait. I’ve waited this long.” A thought hit her. “And Jessie is announcing her engagement this coming weekend at a big party in the Black Hills. We can’t rain on her parade, so to speak.”

  His eyes lit with laughter and he pulled her into his arms, rolling them both backward. “The party. I almost forgot. Leonard offered to give us a lift. In a business jet. He’s in charge of security. Shall we go? Jessie might hunt us down and hurt us if we don’t. Remember her threat?”

  He put one hand over his groin and wiggled his eyebrows. Remy laughed and kissed him. “Well, since you put it like that, there’s only one thing I can say. Sentinel Pass, here we come.”

  EPILOGUE

  “HAVE A GOOD TIME AND stop worrying about stealing your sister’s thunder, Remy. Jessie is going to be dancing on her crutches the minute she sees you,” Leonard said, his tone the voice of authority.

  Remy believed him. She did. Jess would be ecstatic to see them. And pulling off this sort of surprise seemed like a minor miracle, but Remy still felt some misgivings. Partly because everything happened so fast. Her new job, her dream-consulting business, her as-yet undisclosed engagement. Well, they’d told Birdie—and Miss Charlotte. And Leonard.

  “Thanks, Leonard. For everything. We’ll see you at the street party later, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Now, go rub shoulders with the stars of Sentinel Passtime. I need to check out my command post at the Tidbiscuit Café. Man, can that woman make a mean biscuit and gravy.”

  The impressive black van pulled away and disappeared behind the Sentinel Pass volunteer fire department. Half a block ahead was the spot Remy remembered all too well. Her sister had nearly fallen to her death after a maniac had sabotaged her stunt. Luckily, Cade had been there to catch her.

  “Looks like something’s happening over there,” Jonas said.

  “Is that a dinosaur?” Birdie asked, pulling Remy to walk faster. “Can I ride on it?”

  “That’s Seymour, the town’s mascot. The girl sitting on it is Shiloh—Cade’s daughter. And there’s Jess,” she exclaimed, fighting back a smile because her sister’s lime-green halter dress clashed something fierce with the dinosaur.

  “Cool,” Birdie said. “She’s pretty. But you’re prettier.”

  Jonas looked at Remy and winked. “I agree.”

  “Come on, you two. I think it’s starting.”

  They were still making their way through the people milling about when a sudden shriek of joy and surprise filled the air. “Remy,” Jessie yelled at the top of her lungs. “You came. You big sneak. I hate you. Wow. I can’t believe you pulled this off.”

  Remy looked at Jonas. He smiled and let go of her hand so she could weave through the crowd. Jessie shoved her crutches at Cade the second before Remy reached her. “You came,” she cried again. “I love you, Rem. Thank you so much. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. I really can’t believe you’re here.”

  Jonas reached them a moment later, Birdie safely hoisted in his arms. Jessie gave him a hug, too. “Good job, Jonas. You brought her and I didn’t even have to threaten you with great bodily harm. Way to go.”

  Cade stepped in to hand Jessie her crutches. “You promised the doctor you’d be good,” he reminded her, before shaking hands all around. “You must be Birdie,” he said. “My daughter, Shiloh, has been dying to meet you. Do you want to check out Seymour the dinosaur?”

  She nodded vigorously causing her adorable new bob to dance with abandon. Taking Birdie to Marlene’s House of Beauty for her first haircut had been one of the most beautiful, full-circle moments of Remy’s life. They’d sniffled a little, laughed a lot and gabbed with the stylists, who had talked Remy out of going short. Ultimately, she’d settled for a just-past-the-shoulders style that seemed smart and grown-up—totally befitting her new, professional image.

  Remy felt a tug on her heartstrings. Everyday, she noticed the little girl blossoming, becoming more outgoing and sure of her place in the world.

  Jonas set her down. “I’ll be right here, sweetheart. Have fun.”

  “Remy,” a familiar voice exclaimed. “You’re here. That is so cool. Jack. Come see. Remy’s here.”

  “Kat, this is Jonas. Kat is Jessie’s future sister-in-law. I worked for her husband, Jack,” she said, looking around, then pointing at where she spied the man. “Over there standing with Mac and the boys. How are you, Kat? Ready for school to start?”

  Kat’s grin broadened. “You won’t believe this. After all the time and effort it took to get my teaching credential, I didn’t even apply for a job.”

  “Why no—” She didn’t finish the question. The answer was in Kat’s eyes. “You’re pregnant.”

  “Yep. For real,” she added, although Remy didn’t know what that meant exactly. “Jack is
over-the-moon excited. Even his mother’s happy.” She gave a small sigh that said a lot, then she spun around and dashed toward the dais. “I forgot. I’m supposed to bring this microphone to Libby.”

  Jonas leaned close and asked, “By Libby, does she mean Libby McGannon? Wife of Cooper Lindstrom?”

  Remy nodded.

  Jonas looked impressed as he faced toward the podium. After a couple of seconds of controlled chaos, a woman whose face regularly appeared on magazine covers held the mic to her lips and said, “Hi, everyone. It’s me, Libby. Thank you all for coming. It’s high noon, so let’s get this show on the road.”

  A thunderous response made Birdie hop off the dinosaur and run back to her father. Jonas hefted her to his shoulders, then put his free arm around Remy. Remy noticed Jessie watching and was gratified when she saw her sister grin.

  “Cooper? Where are you? Give Gannon to Morgan and get your much-photographed behind up here.”

  A second wave of clapping rocked the area but Cooper quickly quelled it once he reached the mike. “Now, now, this isn’t about me.” He gave the crowd a droll look. “Although, come to think of it, we wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t answered a certain beautiful lady’s online ad.”

  He winked at his wife, then turned more serious. “Libby and I are here today for two reasons. First, and foremost, we’re celebrating the engagement of Jessie Bouchard to Cade Garrity. Jessie is one of the coolest stuntwomen on the planet, and don’t let that cast on her leg fool you. She may look harmless but she can still kick your butt. I guarantee it.”

  Everyone laughed, including Jonas.

  “Cade, you told me you’d like to meet the man who bought the climbing tower Jessie swan-dived into your arms from, so…here he is. Shane Reynard and his soon-to-be wife, Jenna Murphy.”

  Two more people joined them on stage—a George Clooney-handsome man with black hair, holding the hand of a beautiful redhead.

  “My heartiest congratulations, Cade and Jessie,” Shane said, giving Cooper a friendly punch to the shoulder and kissing Libby’s cheek. “The tower was a gift to Jenna. We both felt terrible when we heard someone sabotaged your stunt, Jess. But, hey, all’s well that ends with a diamond ring, right? Right?”

  As if on cue, Jessie held up her left hand, flashing her bright, glittery diamond. Remy probably clapped the loudest because she was so happy for her sister. She couldn’t wait for some alone time to compare notes.

  Shane looked into the crowd and made a come-here motion to someone. “Morgan, bring the baby up here. I want to ask Gannon something.”

  “That’s Morgana Carlyle,” Jonas said under his breath.

  “Jessie doubled for her in every show. Cool, huh?”

  The glamorous blonde caused a stir in the crowd as she climbed the stairs—toddler in arms, shadowed by the man Remy had seen earlier. “The man behind her is Libby’s brother, Mac. He stopped to help me when Yota’s tires blew out. He’s a firefighter and a miner.”

  The group crowded around the microphone. The baby reached for his mother, but managed to grab a handful of Jenna’s hair in the process. She let out a little yelp, which caused a giant dog sitting at the base of the stage to give a deep, loud bark. The baby startled visibly and burst into tears.

  Cooper hurried over to comfort his son. He scowled at the handsome, tricolor dog. “Luca, we’ve had this discussion before. Stop scaring my kid.”

  “Your kid started it,” Shane countered.

  Jenna exchanged amused looks with the other women on stage. “Boys, please, a modicum of order and dignity. Just while we finish the introductions.”

  Jenna returned the mike to Shane, who continued, “Thanks, my love. Now, as I was saying, from the beginning, Coop and I knew we wanted Sentinel Passtime to be about more than one life and one love affair. On screen, Cooper and Libby have become the nucleus of a large, diverse, slightly whacko family and community. As the name implies, our setting plays a huge part in the story line and that means getting our Libby out from behind the barred windows of the post office. And because nobody wanted to see Morgana get hurt—” the audience gave a collective cry of horror “—we turned to Jessie Bouchard for help.”

  Shane clapped, which produced another swell of cheers.

  “Jessie,” he said, addressing her directly. “You have been a consummate professional. You’re a dazzling athlete and your public and your profession are going to miss you. Heal fast, my friend.”

  Remy could tell her sister was choked up, but Cade was there to give her a hug, and a moment later, she managed a little bow.

  “I don’t think I asked…have Jessie and Cade set a date?” Jonas asked. The warm whisper of his breath near her ear gave her a shiver of pleasure. “Will it be before or after ours?”

  They’d discussed the timing of their wedding at length, but Birdie wound up picking the date when she told them, “Daddy, do you know what I want for my birthday? A wedding.”

  October.

  The date would certainly fall before Jessie and Cade’s. Would that be a problem? Remy wondered. As she looked at her sister sharing a private moment with Cade, she decided Jessie would be happy for her. Period.

  A sudden commotion to her left brought her out of her reverie. A tall, robust man, carrying a three-story birdhouse made to resemble a Bavarian castle plunged through the crowd, leading the way for his wife or girlfriend, who was carrying an intricately carved pole about five feet in length. “Sorry. Engagement gift coming through.”

  The pair scaled the steps, moving toward the front of the dais, while the others spread out. “You artist types,” Libby scolded, her tone resigned. “Are you ever on time?” To the public, she said, “Everyone, it’s my honor to introduce Rachel Grey and Rufus Miller.”

  Remy turned to Jonas. “That’s Rachel,” she exclaimed softly. “I can’t wait to talk to her in person. Her design for my website is unbelievable. This is so exciting.”

  Rachel took the microphone and waved at Jessie. “Hey, you two. I wanted you to know that everyone up here—plus, Char and Eli, who couldn’t be here today because they are on their honeymoon—” she gave a little squeal that made everyone smile “—as well as William and Daria, who are standing in the back, trying to look cool and British…” Heads turned, but Remy couldn’t see who she was talking about. “Anyway, we all went in on this amazing new DreamCastle that Rufus will be selling soon, as well as his totem pole, which, when you look closely at it you’ll see that it combines the stories of both your lives into one.”

  She lifted the pole overhead and carefully passed it into the audience. Cade retrieved it and carried it to his future bride. “Oh, my God,” Jessie exclaimed. “Remy, come here. You have to see this.”

  Remy smiled but stayed where she was. As she guessed, a low chant started. “Speech. Speech. Speech.”

  Cade scooped Jessie into his arms and carried her to the podium. She was blushing like crazy, but Remy could tell she was happy, too. “If we get any more people up here, the stage is going to collapse. We’re talking a true YouTube moment. So, I have one question for y’all. Do you have your SAG cards?”

  Amid laughter and joking, the entire group filed off the dais. Jessie looked at Cade and said, softly, “Alone at last.”

  That drew hoots and catcalls from the audience.

  Shoulder to shoulder, the couple faced the gathering. Remy and Jessie made eye contact. Remy knew her sister was nervous, but she’d always been good at meeting anything that scared her head-on.

  Jonas held his breath, waiting for Jessie to speak. He knew how close the sisters were and he hoped that by coming here today, he’d helped to lay the first plank in the bridge that would unite their two families. He couldn’t wait to get to know Cade and Shiloh better, as well as his future sister-in-law.

  He only half-listened as she thanked everyone for coming. There were more introductions, but he basically tuned everything out until he heard Remy’s name. “And some of you probably remember my twin siste
r, Remy,” Jessie said, gesturing toward where Remy and Jonas were standing.

  “Remy came to the Black Hills a few months back because something told her I was in trouble. That some thing is a bond we’ve shared since the womb. It’s called love.” She smiled at her sister, and Remy blew her a kiss.

  “The best part of having Remy here was she kept me honest. She made me face my fears—especially when it came to admitting how much I cared for our landlord, Cade Garrity.”

  She looked perfectly at home on the arm of the tall, lanky guy in cowboy boots, jeans and white shirt with snaps, not buttons.

  Jonas thought the two looked amazingly perfect together, which made for an interesting conundrum, considering Remy and Jessie were twins and Jonas didn’t look anything like that cowboy.

  He was still marveling over the concept when he heard his name mentioned on the speakers. He looked at Remy for help. “She asked about your intentions.”

  He swallowed hastily. “Oh.” To Jessie, he called out, “I love her. Always have. Always will.”

  Jessie let out a delighted hoot. “It’s about time, Galloway. It’s about frigging time.”

  Jonas agreed. “And, I hate to steal your thunder, but face it, you’re twins. You do things alike. Remy and I are getting married in October. Everyone is invited. It’s going to be at my mom’s place.”

  “Your mom’s house?”

  “Nope. Shadybrook.”

  Jessie burst out laughing. She whispered in her fiancé’s ear, making him grin. He brought the mike closer to his lips and said, “An old folks’ home? That’s original, Remy. I like it.”

  “And, of course we’ll be there,” Jessie put in. “This is the best—” She hesitated a moment then gestured toward the birdhouse and totem pole. “I mean, second-best engagement gift, ever.”

  She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Enough. Enough talking. I’m an action kind of gal, so everybody get a drink and fill your plate while the band sets up. We Louisiana girls are going to show you how to party. To heck with my cast. So, as we say in our neck of the woods, laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll.”