“He won’t come within a hundred yards of this place. Not with me and my brothers here with you all the time. Don’t worry about him anymore.”
“But that’s it, Travis. You can’t be with me or Tabitha all the time. Tabitha starts school in a couple of weeks. Are you going to be with her every minute of the day? What if I need to go into town, or there is a problem here at the ranch that requires all three of you? You can’t put your lives on hold to protect me and Tabitha. We have to be able to live, Travis. You have to be able to live.”
“I will take care of everything. Don’t you worry about it.”
“Damn it, Travis! I’m not your responsibility.”
“The fuck you’re not! You are the mother of my daughter, the woman I love, and soon to be my wife very shortly. The fuck it isn’t my right, I have every goddamn right to take care of and protect what is mine,” he shouted.
Emma sat, stunned.
She didn’t blink as she watched the man who had just professed his love and demanded marriage. She didn’t know whether laugh, cry, or get angry. Thinking maybe it was better to be nice than rip him a new ass for assuming, she replied with a coy smile, “Uh, Travis, don’t you think you should have asked me, instead of telling me what I am going to do?”
“Asked you what?”
“To marry you, you blockhead,” Tucker said, walking into the room with a cup of coffee for him and Emma. She loved looking at Tucker. He was glorious, a beautiful specimen of a man. She watched as he sauntered toward her, with his jeans hanging low on his hips, his bare feet and his gloriously naked chest. She smiled when he kissed her forehead, handing her a cup. Sitting next to her, he leaned his head on her shoulder, as if pretending to still be tired. “You know, Travis, I wonder how you ever managed to get a girl to go out with you.”
“Same goes for you, Tuck. What was it you said to Missy Carlton? Oh, wait, I remember. ‘How about you and I, ya know, whacha’ think?’ What a real Romeo you were,” Travis said, smiling.
Offended, Tucker responded, “I’ll have you know that not only did she go out with me, I even made it to second base, butthead.”
“Yeah, well I got the home run.”
“What!”
“All right, with that, I’m going to start breakfast.” Emma smiled, getting to her feet. Walking over, she reached up and kissed Travis’s cheek. “I’ll be waiting for that question. Till then, I am not your responsibility.” With that she turned and left him standing there, furious.
“Emma, wait,” Travis said, catching her arm. The warm pads of his fingers dug into her upper arm, not hurting her, but holding her tightly. His touch had always aroused her, sending sparks running through her veins.
She turned slowly, looking into his sensual eyes, seeing the man before her for the very first time in her life. Travis Quinn had always been the stronger of the brothers, so sure of everything, yet reserved, almost holding himself back from everything and everyone, even her. Yet there were times when she saw the true man inside him, and he was soulful, determined, and scary. With Travis, Emma felt things more, especially when his attention was solely on her as it was right now.
Staring at the man before her, Emma felt as if she was drowning. He held her captive within his gaze, only seeing her, the woman she truly was. He made her feel beautiful when nothing else could. He was her rock, her friend, her lover, and she loved him with every fiber in her soul. “What, Travis?”
Just then, Tate and Tabitha came running into the room. Hearing her daughter’s laughter made her smile, but she never took her eyes off Travis.
“Tabitha Quinn, you get your butt back here right now. You can’t run around with no shirt on,” Tate shouted, trying to catch the fast little imp.
“Can to, Daddy Tuck do it all the time. I’m gonna be just like my daddy!” Tabitha screamed back, running straight for the bad influence.
“Oh crap,” Tucker responded quietly as Tabby latched on to him.
“You are a young lady! Young ladies do not go around topless,” Tate said, stopping right next to Emma and Travis, who never stopped looking at each other. “Emma, help.” She heard him.
Instead of answering Tate, she said again, “You wanted something, Travis?”
* * * *
Travis Treasure Quinn couldn’t breathe. His whole future was standing right before him, and he was tongue-tied! Everything that had ever mattered to him was in this room, and he couldn’t manage three little words.
His heart ached for the woman before him. Afraid he had lost her so many years ago, he had gone on with life, resolving to never see her again. So when Tucker showed up out of the blue with her and their daughter, his simple lonely world had been turned upside-down, and he had never been happier.
Even with all the chaos around him, Tate frazzled, Tucker laughing, Tabitha wreaking havoc, he was happy, but something was missing.
Emma.
He needed Emma. Never in his life had he thought he would ever need something or someone so strongly, but he did. From the moment she had walked into their worlds, she was it for them. Emma had been so small when he first met her.
Riding her little pony across the field, she had looked like a little angel. He watched as she grew over the years, getting more beautiful and more determined. She was smart, gracious, and loving. When she smiled, light within her soul showed through, radiating all around her. Her laughter was like music to his ears, and when she cared about a person, she wrapped herself around them protectively. She was perfect, and she was his.
Emma was his everything, his reason for breathing. She had him wrapped within her soul, and all he needed now was to seal her to him permanently. The boys had discussed it, and they were all in accord.
He was the oldest, even if by mere minutes. So he was going to be to the one who married the one woman they all loved. All he had to do was ask. Looking at her standing before him, all wide-eyed and hopeful, he knew all he had to do was say the words. Just three simple words, and then she would say yes.
She would, wouldn’t she?
Oh God, what if she didn’t? He had never thought of that. He just assumed. It had never occurred to him that she could possibly say no. He didn’t know what he would do if she did. When she had arrived, she and Tabby had just engrained themselves into their lives. They just fit, all making it work. She couldn’t say no.
He needed her. He needed her to stay with him, love him. He knew he wasn’t the easiest person in the world to love, but he could try. He would try for her. He just needed to say the words. “Emma…” he began, when Tate interrupted him.
“Tabitha, get over here and put your shirt on!” he ordered.
“No!”
“Little girl, if you don’t put this shirt on, you will spend the day in your room.”
“No!”
“Come on, Tabby, go put on the shirt for Daddy Tate. We were gonna go riding today, remember?” Tucker said, trying to help his brother.
“No!”
“Why not?” Tucker asked.
“I wanna be like you.”
“But I wear shirts,” Tucker said, defending himself.
“Nut uh!”
“Uh-huh!” Tucker replied.
“No,” Tabitha said, sticking to her guns.
“Emma, please! She can’t go…” Tate began, turning to her, and then shut his mouth.
* * * *
Emma knew she was making this harder on Travis. She could have easily put him out of his misery just by saying okay when he mentioned it earlier, but she needed to hear him say the words. Travis was the most closed off of the brothers. He rarely gave his emotions away. She knew he loved her, but he never said it, never. Oh, he showed her in other ways, but just this once, she needed him to say the words. “You were saying, Travis?”
“Emma…I—” he began.
“What’s going on?” Tate whispered, moving over to stand by Tucker.
“Oh…big brother
over there is asking Emma,” Tucker informed him.
“Now!”
“Yep.”
“Has he asked yet?”
“Yeah, but he failed. He ordered her first.”
“I told him that wouldn’t work.”
“Would you two shut up?” Travis shouted.
“Just trying to help, brother.” Tucker smiled.
“What’s Daddy doin’?” Tabitha asked.
“He is gonna ask Momma to marry us,” Tucker whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Can Momma marry me, too?” Tabby asked, hopeful.
“Sure, why not,” Tucker responded
“Really! Oh goody!” Tabby squealed, running to Travis. Tugging on his pants, Emma watched as Travis looked down at his daughter, “Daddy?” she whispered.
They all watched as Travis bent down to hear what the impetuous little girl wanted. “Daddy, you gotta get down here, like this,” she said, getting down on her knees, and then said, “The prince in Cinderella do it.”
Smiling, Travis followed her lead.
“Now, you gotta look at Momma,” she ordered, but then shouted, “Stop! Wait a minute.”
Tabitha got up and walked over to Tate and Tucker, and pointed to the floor, ordering them beside Travis.
Emma could barely contain her laughter as the boys followed their daughter’s orders, and before she could say anything, Travis, Tate, Tucker, and Tabitha were all kneeling before her.
“Now, we have to look in Mommy’s eyes,” Tabby ordered. Then, looking at her mother, she said, “Momma! Look at my daddies.”
“I am, Tabitha.” She smiled.
“Okay, Daddy, now—” Tabitha began, but Travis stopped her.
“Zip it, short pint.”
Emma watched as the boys all looked at her with love in their hearts and hope in their eyes as Travis reached into his front pocket and took out a golden ring with three large princess-cut diamonds, holding it out for her. “Emma Elizabeth McKenzie, we love you. Marry us?”
Chapter Eight
Fall had arrived when Emma realized that her and Tabitha’s lives had become fully ensconced at the ranch. Since the discussion that had led to the orgasmic night in the barn, it was like everything was as it should be. The boys went about their lives on the ranch, and Emma took care of the house and Tabitha during the day. If Emma didn’t know any better, it was as if the boys liked it that way. Though the brothers never came right out and said what they wanted, she wished there was some clarification. There were no defining lines between them. They all worked as a team.
Since that early morning confrontation with Travis, which led to the most wonderful proposal she could have ever imagined, her life had become a whirlwind. Once the town got wind of their impending marriage thanks to Kelly and Tucker, who could never be trusted with a secret, the town was abuzz.
A month from the date of the proposal, Emma stood in front of Judge Ross, wearing a simple white dress, and said her vows to Travis, with his brothers beside him. Since she couldn’t marry all of them legally, the small ceremony at the courthouse was just to solidify their marriage for the State of Montana, but it was the commitment ceremony afterwards at the ranch that counted.
The legal marriage only took about five minutes, and after papers were signed and filed, they all headed back to the ranch for the ceremony that counted. They arrived to find almost everyone from the town waiting, and as they walked in the front door, they all stood.
Together, with Emma in the lead and the boys following, they walked toward the flower-covered gable that was set up in their living room. There waiting was Abigail Connelly, the oldest living matriarch of Treasure Cove.
At eighty-two, Abigail Connelly stood just under five feet two, and held the room together with just a look. Emma had always admired the woman, who had outlived her two husbands and one of her children. The woman was a rock and loved by the entire town. Emma couldn’t imagine anyone else performing the commitment ceremony. Coming to a stop, Emma smiled at the woman before leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Thank you for being here, Miz Abby.”
Patting her hand gently, the old woman smiled. “You sure you want these troublemakers? Why, I remember when they were causing so much trouble for my poor Jonathan, their pa had to take a stick to their hides.”
Emma just smiled and looked at them, all three of them. Travis stood proudly…her rock. She could always count on him to be there, to take care of whatever life threw their way. His strong sense of family and friendship was one of the things she loved most about him. Always first to volunteer, Travis was the head of the family. As the oldest he was there to give the final word, and she wouldn’t change a single thing about him. She knew how hard it had been for Travis to show his feelings that day he proposed. To bring attention to himself went against everything in him, which made the proposal so much more.
Next in line was her Tucker, her laughing, fun-loving, trickster Tucker. Nobody could ever be upset, angry, or sad with Tucker around. He could find something funny about any given situation, make light of it and have everyone laughing within minutes. Tucker was also her lover of life. Nothing seemed to get him down, but on the flip side, he was her protector. He could be laughing one minute and viciously protective the next, giving his life for those he loved dearly, and he, too, was all hers.
Finally, there was Tate, the last of the brothers, but by far the tallest. Standing close to six foot six, Tate was just a big ole teddy bear. Quiet and reserved, he hardly ever said much. He preferred solitude to company. He loved with his whole heart and fought with all his might. Tate was her soul. From the very beginning, he had woven his way into her heart, and never left.
There had been many times over the last seven years when sleeping at night she would close her eyes and think of Tate, reaching out with her heart, hoping and wishing that they could touch. All of them were in her mind, in her heart, and in her soul. She couldn’t imagine living life without them.
Smiling, she turned back to Miz Abby. “Yes, ma’am, I’m sure.”
“Good girl. Knew it was gonna take a strong woman to lasso these boys,” she began, then looked at the congregation that had invaded her home and said, “All right, ya’ll, she knows what she wants. Better get this going before she changes her mind.”
With that, Emma married all of her men.
* * * *
Emma was coming out of the grocery store, her arms loaded down with bags, when she felt him. Quickly turning, she dropped one of the bags and screamed.
“Sorry, Emma. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just thought you might like some help,” he offered in the silkiest Southern drawl she had ever heard, as he picked up the contents of the bag. When he was done, Emma watched as he stood.
He was tall, very tall. Dark hair that curled at his shoulders was under a black Stetson. A firm, square jaw gave enhancement to his high cheekbones, piercing black eyes, and his broad shoulders, which looked like if he even thought of moving a muscle he would rip his shirt. His narrow waist was accentuated by the championship rodeo belt. He had long, firm legs encased in a dark pair of Wranglers, topped off with a black set of Tony Lamas. Basically, this man was 100 percent, without a doubt, the total package, and to make matters worse, he was her cousin.
Her face immediately flushed.
“You okay, Emma?”
Coming out of her stupor, Emma hastily responded, “Yeah, I’m fine. You sure did fill out, Jeff. You’re not that skinny, geeky kid anymore.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not so bad yourself. A far cry from the pigtails and braces, I remember. So now that I can’t call you metal mouth anymore, want some help with those?” he asked, pointing to the bags.
“Sure.”
Walking together toward Tate’s truck, they arrived when Emma let out a gasp. “What the hell?” All four of Tate’s tires had been slashed. Fear invaded her veins, sending a shiver down her spine. Dropping the grocery bag on
the ground, Emma quickly spun around, checking everywhere she could see. She knew it had only a matter of time, and now her time was up. He had come for her. She had no place to hide. No place to run, nobody. She had tried to warn the boys, but Travis said not to worry about anything. She had wanted to believe him, needed to trust him, but there was just something about this guy that she couldn’t shake.
Her mind reeling, Emma began compartmentalizing what needed to be done, from Tabitha to the boys. She had already been to see Old man Jacobs, Treasure Cove’s one and only attorney, so the issue of Tabitha was taken care of. Other than that, she really had nothing. With the assistance of Jacobs, she had made a will. Everything was to go to her daughter, with Travis as the beneficiary. She knew that would upset Tate and Tucker, but she figured since Travis was the oldest, even if only by four minutes, he was the one to take care of the legal matters.
She couldn’t go home and lead him straight to her daughter. Tabitha had to come first, always.
“Emma, you okay?” Jeff asked.
“Jeff, can I ask you a favor?” Emma said, thinking quickly.
“Sure.”
“Call Tate,” Emma said and watched him nod his head yes. “Let him know about his truck. I have to take care of something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know yet,” she said cryptically. “Please, tell him about his truck.” She dialed a number into her cell phone which she had grabbed from her back pocket. Before Jeff could say anything, he overheard Emma. “Yes, I’m in the parking lot of the Piggly Market. Can you send someone quick? Uh-huh…Thank you, I’ll be here.”
“Emma, if you’re in trouble let me help you,” he offered, reaching for her. Emma looked up into his eyes, and for one second she thought she saw fear, but that couldn’t be. What would he have to be afraid of?
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