Rocky Mountain Home

Rocky Mountain Home Page 38

by Vivian Arend

  She didn’t speak but she nodded.

  “I don’t feel alone anymore,” he declared.

  “I’m glad that you’re back with your family. That you and Joel are good friends again.” It was easy to be happy for him. A little as if she’d been waiting for the rain to stop falling, and their patience had been rewarded when a beautiful rainbow appeared.

  He cupped her chin in his fingers. “It’s not just them. I mean, I love them, and I’m glad to be back and accepted, and I’m never going to be so foolish to throw all that away again, but it’s not enough.”

  She didn’t understand. “How can it not be enough?”

  Jesse took a deep breath “I can’t do this without you.”

  “Do what?”

  “Anything. I’m nothing without you, Dare. Even with all of my family’s love and support, you made the biggest difference. You’re the one who, in spite of everything I did wrong, kept seeing the good in me. The good things I could do if I stopped doubting and stopped thinking about myself, and started putting myself out for others.”

  Her throat grew tight at the emotion in his eyes, and the seriousness of what he was sharing.

  “I wouldn’t have seen it if it wasn’t there,” she insisted.

  “Maybe.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “Or maybe it’s there, because like a seed with the potential, you’re the one who helped it grow.”

  She was about to reassure him that he was a good man when he went down on one knee in front of her, and her heart leapt into her throat.

  His grin was back. That one-hundred-percent cocky-bastard, sexy as sin, flirtatious, irritating and addictive Jesse who’d won her heart from the first moment he’d walked into the bar.

  He caught her hand in his. “Darilyn Hayes, soon to become Buckaroo’s mom. As much as I love that you’re carrying my baby, that’s not why I want to marry you. I want to marry you because you own my fucking heart. I want you in my life because I love you until I’m stupid with it, and I need you to say yes so that no matter where we are, I’ll always be home.”

  Every part of her from her toes to the top of her head was ready to shout. “You love Buckaroo?”

  He leaned in close, talking to her stomach. “She’s talking about you, kid. I think she’s avoiding the question, but to get this straight, yes. I love you. Boy or girl, I don’t give a damn. I’m going to count your toes and fingers, and kiss every one of them, and tell you every day that I love you, even when you’re driving me around the bend.”

  Dare fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

  Jesse wasn’t finished. He rubbed his hand over her in a gentle caress. “You just be quiet for a bit, though. Your mama is ignoring a very important question, and I need to give her my full attention.”

  As if in answer, Buckaroo shifted position, the motion rolling the surface of her belly.

  Jesse laughed, kissing her bump before looking up at her with laughter in his eyes.

  She dragged in a shaky breath. “If I wasn’t already in love with you, that would have sent me over the edge.”

  “Kissing your belly?”

  “Talking to our baby like he understands every word you’re saying.”

  “Buckaroo’s smart. Like you said, our baby.” Jesse rose to his feet and curled a hand behind her neck. “I mean it, Dare. I swear as long as I’ve got breath in my body, I’ll be there for you. I’d wrestle death to keep you safe.”

  She was going to be a blubbering mess if he kept this up. “Jesse…”

  He kissed her, lips so soft and tender against hers before pulling back just far enough to give her a saucy wink. “I didn’t hear a yes yet from those sweet lips of yours. You gonna marry me for all the right reasons?”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Dare teased.

  Bright laughter rumbled up from deep in his chest. “You’re trouble today.”

  “Today and every day, isn’t that how you like me?”

  He leaned closer. “Say yes.”

  “But I want to marry you for the sex.”

  Jesse laughed out loud then touched their foreheads together. “Tell me yes, woman.”

  Dare cupped his face in her hands. She spoke from the depths of her heart, and the only words she had to say, pretty much said it all. “I love you.”

  “I know.” He winked at her indelicate snort. “Dare.”

  No more holding back. No more teasing, because the truth poured out of her heart and very soul. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. Not because Buckaroo needs a daddy, and not because your family is so damn awesome. Not because marrying you means I get to be around Vicki and Joel, who fit into my world and my heart very nicely, thank you.”

  He waited, love written all over his face.

  She reached up on her tiptoes and whispered against his lips. “Yes, because you’re home to me too.”

  Chapter Thirty

  They didn’t make it back to the rental.

  They didn’t even make it to the truck before Dare swore.

  Jesse had a hand around her waist, and he didn’t think she’d slipped. “Did you twist your ankle?”

  “No.” She glanced up, eyes wide. “I think you need to take me to the hospital.”

  “Now?”

  Dare nodded, then made a terrible face. “Oh, hell. Okay, this is not going to be fun.”

  He didn’t bother to try and change her mind. Just got her into the truck and drove at slightly slower speeds than their trip that summer.

  Dare made a few calls then tucked her phone away. “Wait. Stop at Tim Hortons,” she ordered.

  “Seriously?”

  “You can use the drive-through. I haven’t had supper yet, and if this ends up being a marathon, I’m not eating that damn hospital food. We’ll bring a box of Timbits for Dr. Kincaid.”

  Jesse laughed, glancing over in concern as she puffed through a contraction. “So this is really happening.”

  She linked her finger through his and offered a slightly scared smile. “It really is.”

  In spite of her worries about a marathon, everything from that moment forward turned into a blur. He got them safely into town, grabbed Dare’s requested sandwich and doughnuts, and they were pacing the halls outside the maternity room in a blink of an eye.

  Fine, it took a lot longer than that in reality, but he couldn’t pull the individual moments out. Just snapshots of time that registered hard enough Jesse knew he’d never forget them.

  Like Dare focusing on his face as she relaxed through the last of the contractions. Her eyes fixed on his, anchoring herself in him.

  The endless moment that passed between Buckaroo being a bump-maker and suddenly being there. A living, squirming, crying baby.

  The light in Dare’s eyes as the doctor laid their son in her arms—a son—and she blinked back tears. Hell, Jesse wasn’t too dry-eyed himself at that moment.

  In the moment of calm before the rest of the Colemans began to arrive, Jesse wrapped his arm around the woman he loved. He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “Hey, Buckaroo. It’s good to finally meet you.”

  “He’s beautiful,” Dare whispered.

  “He is, but you’re even more beautiful.” He brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “Thank you for making our son.”

  Dare tilted her head, smile going watery. “Don’t make me cry.”

  “I’m not,” he protested. “I mean it. You did amazing.”

  She leaned into his side, and they stared at the baby’s little scrunched-up face for a bit. Jesse traced a finger over the teeny brow and wondered how the sound of his own heart wasn’t echoing off the walls, it was pumping so hard.

  “He looks like a Coleman,” Dare said.

  Jesse chuckled. “I’ll take your word on it.”

  Then he kissed her, one arm curled protectively around both her and the baby, because there was no way he could separate himself from them right then. He stared down at his family in amazed wonder and knew he was never going to feel alone a

gain.

  Joel and Vicki were the first to arrive, while Jesse was still reeling at the little bit of humanity in his arms.

  Vicki hugged Dare then stood impatiently beside Jesse, waiting for her turn to hold the baby. “Sweet thing. What’s his name?”

  “Joseph Michael. After both our dads,” Dare shared. “We plan on calling him Joey.”

  Jesse looked up into his brother’s pleased expression. “That’s as close as we could get without making you do double-takes every time we call his name.”

  Joel gave Jesse a hug then gazed down in approval. “I like it.” He reached for Joey’s hand, letting little fingers curl around his. “Hey, big guy. I’m your Uncle Joel. I’m the cool uncle, got it?”

  “Take a picture of them, please?” Dare asked Vicki.

  Vicki nodded, snapping a couple before bringing the phone over to show her. “Like them?”

  Dare’s eyes filled with tears. “They’re perfect. Thank you.” Then she motioned toward Jesse. “Go show him.”

  “I can email it to you,” Vicki offered.

  “No,” Dare ordered. “Jesse, you’ve got to look, now.”

  There wasn’t much that Jesse wouldn’t do for her any time, let alone after the past few hours. But when Vicki held the phone in front of him, Jesse’s heart picked up a pace. Dare wasn’t just being sentimental.

  “You see it, don’t you?” Dare’s voice was filled with love.

  He cradled his son carefully as he made his way back to her side. “You’re amazing.”

  “You’ve got the look,” she insisted.

  It was humbling for Jesse to realize how much this woman meant to him. Being with Dare was the best gift ever, and every day it kept getting better. Even tired as she was from bringing their son into the world, even now she was making sure he was happy and cared for.

  To point out a fear he’d had could be wiped clear. He was proud to be a daddy. He didn’t deserve either of them, but hell if he was ever going to give them up.

  He looked down at the woman he loved, and the little bit of perfection they’d accidentally made and realized all the lonely, broken pieces inside were fixed and better than new. “I love you so damn much, Darilyn Hayes. You are my fucking world. You and Joey.”

  Then he kissed her. Right there, as the door opened and his parents and other family poured in, he kissed her with everything in him.

  Jesse Coleman was home.

  Epilogue

  It would’ve been nice if as soon as they’d realized how much they loved each other everything was perfect from that moment on.

  Everything hadn’t been perfect.

  This was her, after all, Dare thought. Stubborn and determined and not ready to be wrapped up and protected like she was made of spun glass.

  And him. Cocky, arrogant, sexy-as-sin bastard that he was.

  Between the two of them, they were both stubborn enough that they fought on a regular basis, sometimes about the stupidest things. But overall they got along great, and when they didn’t, making up was always a lot of fun.

  Because that they always did—made up. Talked. Just straight up were there for each other, and for the family, because this was who they were. Who Jesse had always been, even though he’d gotten a little twisted for a while there.

  Dare got frequent updates from Ginny who was having the time of her life trucking all around Europe. A certain Frenchman was described in great detail in one letter before he’d been abandoned for a more charming Italian, although Dare wasn’t sure if it was the man or his vineyard that had Ginny’s heart pounding faster.

  Dare missed her friend, but she was happily distracted with a whole lot of new joys to experience.

  Like her first Christmas in Rocky. First Christmas as a family.

  Coleman tradition said Christmas Eve was for the immediate family, and Christmas Day with the larger clan. Boxing Day was set aside for the entire horde together in the twice a year, no-holds-barred event.

  It was incredibly special to spend their first Christmas Eve day with just their little family. Her, Jesse and Joey making the first of many memories as an intimate family.

  But she and Vicki had conspired to make a certain change, and when Joel and Vicki showed up on their doorstep for supper, the joy in Jesse’s eyes made the small modification to tradition worthwhile.

  The next day at the Six Pack gathering, Blake and Jaxi’s home was bursting to the seams as children played, babies were passed around, and packages were unwrapped. Dare counted—there was a total of twenty-six bodies for just the Six Pack gathering.

  No, make that twenty-six plus three because added to Vicki’s pregnancy both Ashley and Hope had announced they were expecting again, in August and September the coming year.

  Blake casually left a card under the tree letting Jesse know he was back to full rights and responsibilities in the Coleman ranch.

  Oh, and the deed to their house.

  But her favourite gift was a picture frame that matched the others she’d admired. The cutout image of a tree had been filled with the picture of her, Jesse and Joey, and it was enough to make her want to burst with happiness.

  That spring after the calves finished dropping and before seeding was done, she added another regular feature to her blog. At Home on Sunset Ridge.

  They’d managed to finish all of the main floor living spaces in the two houses, more than enough room for them to move in. Between the two buildings, Jesse and Joel laid a brick patio large enough for children to play on while adults visited, a fire pit to one side. Joel moved the arbour from the trailer, and Dare held Joey in her arms as she watched the twins work together. She grinned mischievously at Jesse as he held the wooden structure in place while Joel leveled it.

  “Make it solid,” Dare teased. “I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt if it were to accidentally fall over.”

  “Someone would have to be pushing pretty hard to make this move,” Joel said innocently, pulling a snicker from his brother. Joel rolled his eyes as he glanced between the two of them. “Jeez, you guys. Stop it. I don’t want to know.”

  Springtime also brought wedding plans. Dare had discovered something of vital importance that was leading up to one of the biggest memories yet.

  After Joey had been tucked into bed. Dare laid a hand on Jesse’s knee to get his attention as they relaxed together on the couch. “I have an idea. Say yes.”

  Jesse smiled at her with amusement. “Yes.”

  Then he tumbled her into his lap and kissed her thoroughly until her cheeks were flushed and she was gasping for air when he finally let her up.

  Or more correctly, let her breathe, because she’d somehow ended up lying flat on her back with him stretched over her. “I wasn’t finished talking,” she complained.

  His grin widened, and his hands moved in wicked ways over her. Teasing. Stroking. “I already said yes.”

  “You don’t even know what you just agreed to.”

  He shrugged, his gaze drifting down her body. “It’s your idea. It’s bound to be a good one.”

  “It’s my and Vicki’s idea.”

  Not a single flinch—his smile just got wider. “Even better, because that means Joel will be happy too. Go ahead, tell me what we’re doing.”

  “Hosting two weddings. August fifteenth. Here at Sunset Ridge.”

  That made him sit up, still holding her fingers as he brought her back to vertical. “A double wedding?”

  She nodded. “Turns out Vicki’s been putting off their wedding because she didn’t want to have their big day without you around. She hoped at some point you and Joel would be friends again so you could be his best man.”

  Jesse’s face tightened for a moment and he swallowed hard. “I really don’t deserve my family.”

  Dare shook her head. “I really think you do, but I agree they’re pretty special people. So, what you think? You okay sharing our day with Joel and Vicki?”

  He nodded. “That would make it extra special.”