by April Zyon
“I figured you’d say that. Damn it, woman, why do you have to be so practical?” Taking her hand, he led her into the house. Dropping the bags, they walked toward the many voices and found everyone hanging out in the sunroom off the kitchen on the north side of the house.
Alison held onto Joshua’s hand, and when they were facing all seven women, she squeezed his hand tighter. “Hi, Mom,” she said with a slight wave. “I’m afraid that we are going to have to impose upon the Carvers for a short time.” She winced at the look on her mom’s face and asked the other ladies, “Would you all mind leaving? I really hate to ask that of you, but Joshua and I need to talk to our mothers alone, please?”
“Pish, posh,” his mother said, standing up. “Ladies, stay put. We’ll just take our children into the kitchen. I see some glasses that will need refilling shortly so I’ll pull another round out of the fridge while I’m there.”
Josh sent Alison a look and, when his mother, Theresa, snapped her fingers, she tugged him along on the woman’s heels. Alison’s own mother was right behind Josh on their silent journey to the kitchen.
“Alright, Joshua, what did you do?” his mother asked as soon as the door was closed behind them.
“Me? Why the hell do you assume it’s me?” he asked.
“Boy, watch your language with me,” Theresa snapped.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s actually me,” Alison admitted. She looked to her mom and reached out to take her hand with her free one. “Mom, I’ve had a stalker since my shoot in Bali,” she said softly. “It’s been getting progressively bad as time has gone by and now it’s gotten even worse.” She licked her lips to take a moment, watching the play of emotions over her mother’s face. “He broke into my car in town, and then into our house. The sheriff and deputy are at the house along with Rhys. So…” She gulped. “We can’t return home for a time. It’s just not safe.”
Kristin Hollister pulled her daughter into her arms and held her tight. “You should have said something, baby. This has been going on for nearly seven months and you haven’t said a single word. Why?” Pulling back, her mom stared at her with concern.
“I didn’t want to worry you. At first, I brushed it off, and then everything with Dad and…” She sighed and hugged her back. “But now it’s gone beyond what could be considered just the tactics of a madman. I’m so sorry, Mom.” The tears were falling. She couldn’t have stopped them if she had tried.
“Oh, baby, you should have just told me. I know it’s been tough with your father’s passing,” Kristin whispered in a choked tone. “But I will always be there for you, sweetheart.”
Alison could feel Joshua rubbing a hand up and down her back gently. He stayed silent as she and her mother had a moment.
“I know that you will.” She clung to her mother for several moments. When she pulled back, she wiped her eyes and nodded. “Oh, and Josh and I have finally stopped dancing around each other and decided that we need to be in each other’s lives as more than friends. He kissed me in front of the sheriff, the deputy, and Rhys. I wanted to tell you before you heard it from everyone else.”
“About bloody time,” Theresa muttered, rolling her eyes. “Now maybe Sue Ellen will finally stop pestering me about when my kids will settle down.”
“Go easy on her, Mama,” Josh said. “She is a heck of a lot older than you, and her son did live in her basement until he was nearly forty-five. You’re already well ahead of her on that one.”
“Good point.” His mother nodded slowly. “So, when are you two getting married?” “That, right there, would be our cue to get out of sight,” Josh said. He took Ali’s hand in his and tugged. “Later, parental folks.” He pulled her out of the kitchen quickly.
Alison laughed and followed Joshua out of the room. She wrapped her arms around his waist when she finally stopped to stand with him. “I can’t believe that your mom said that. Doesn’t she already have most of her kids married off with grandkids on the way?” She listened to the beating of his heart and sighed. “Goodness, I finally feel as if I am home when I’m in your arms.”
“Where have you been, honey? The only one that got hitched was Brant and they never had kids. Thank the good Lord. That witch he married made his life a living hell. God only knows what she would have done to any kids they had. Nope, we’re all single and fancy free, much to her eternal despair.”
“Oh crap, that’s right. Why in the world was I thinking that they were all married?” It had to be because none of them lived at home. “I forgot all about Brant and the woman he married. She was a nightmare of a woman. I swear that the man had to have had on blinders when he married her.”
“Well,” he said, and shrugged. “She was definitely one person before they married, but the instant they were wed and off living life, her bitch switch flipped. The rest of us kind of took it as a warning to be very careful about who we eventually chose. I always knew you’d be it for me, so I didn’t have any worries. I’ve known you since you were barely out of diapers. I’ve seen all your mood swings and then some.”
Alison blushed and shook her head. “You have been there for me and with me through a heck of a lot of everything. Even when I left high school early to start my career in modeling.” She had still gotten a diploma and even had an associate’s degree in photography, so that was something she was thankful for. “You’ve seen me in my worst of times. The fact that you haven’t run away from me is something huge.”
“Why would I run away from you?” Shaking his head, he let her go, collected the bags, and guided her up the stairs to the second floor. He set her mother’s bag down near the top, out of the way, before guiding her down a hallway. “I don’t know where Mama plans on putting your mother, so we’ll let her know she has a bag up here when we go back down. But you.” He pushed open a door, and urged her through.
She entered his room and looked around. “You pick up your dirty clothes and put them in the hamper.” She knew that wasn’t exactly the best first thing to say to him, but she couldn’t help it. She was used to Rhys who, while living at home, had never once in his life learned how to put his clothes in the hamper unless their mom pestered him for it. “And wow.” She looked around and blushed when she realized that he had all of her magazine covers. “You are a fan.” She hadn’t known that, but then again, she had always loved him and he had loved her, so why wouldn’t he be?
“Of course I’m a fan.” He set her bag on a chair and pushed the door shut before coming her way. He swept his hat from her head and tossed it aside to land on his big dresser with scary accuracy. “I’ve always loved you, Alison Hollister. I knew that you had to do your thing, and this was my itsy-bitsy part to support you. That and you are fucking smoking hot too.”
“Well I’m glad that you think so.” She let her hands move up his chest and wrapped them around his neck. “I have waited all of my life for you. I know how silly that might sound, but I have. I have loved you for the longest time and have waited.” For him, on everything. She truly hoped that he understood what she was trying to say, so that she didn’t have to spell it out for him.
“I know,” he said softly. His arms slid around her to draw her in closer as he lowered his head. “I just never wanted to push you into something if you weren’t ready. You needed to find yourself before I attempted to see if you’d be interested in something more with me. A forever sort of deal.”
“I like that sort of deal. But only with you.” She was chest to chest with him, holding onto him, and loving the feeling of him holding her close. “So what happens now, Mr. Carver? Now that you know I love you every single bit as much as you love me, what do you plan on doing to keep me?” She was teasing him, and she found she really enjoyed it.
“Well, geez, nothing like a little pressure, right? How about this? I plan on showing you each and every day how much I love you. I intend on making sure you know just what a treasure you are. I also intend on proving to you that I can’t live without
you in my life. I might even be persuaded into doing something really big and showy so that everyone in town knows just how much I love and adore you.”
“Well, I happen to love the way that you think, Mr. Carver. And it’s not meant to pressure you. I wanted to know if you were thinking along the same lines that I was thinking. I wanted to know that you were hoping to have the same future that I was thinking of.”
“I’m thinking along the lines of a future where, one day, I can call you Mrs. Carver,” he said with a chuckle. “My Mrs. Carver, of course. Only downside is having to ask your brother for your hand in marriage. I think I’ll need to get some protective gear, at the very least a cup, before facing him.”
Now that was something that Alison hadn’t expected. She should have, but it surprised her all the same. “Well, I think that if you were to ask me that question, I would have to say yes, because I refuse to let anyone else be the future Mrs. Joshua Carver. When I thought you were in love with someone else, I was going to let you go, but now that I know you love me, I’m keeping you forever.”
He frowned at her then rolled his eyes. “How on earth could you possibly think I was ever in love with someone else, Alison? Damn, I practically followed you around everywhere with a raging hard-on and drool cascading from my mouth since the day you got your very lovely attributes.”
“I have no idea, but I honestly did believe that you were in love with another woman, especially this morning before you all but browbeat me to get me to see that you loved me.” She had been so lost and so confused that it wasn’t even funny, but now she was keeping him. Dammit.
“Well, my sweet, a man must do what a man must do. Especially when the love of his life is being so bloody oblivious.” Pressing a kiss to her lips, he straightened up. “Why don’t you grab a quick shower, change into something comfortable for a ride, and we can go kill some time while I check a couple of the herds?”
“I think that sounds like a plan.” She leaned in and gave him another hug. “Dig out another hat for me, would you? That way I’m not stealing yours again.” Although, she loved wearing his hat because it made her feel closer to him. “Oh, and can I have one of your flannel shirts?”
“Of course. You can raid my closet for anything you want. The bathroom’s right next to it.” He led her to the two doors and showed her inside each of them. “I’ll wait for you downstairs in the kitchen. I think I’ll make us a snack and get some drinks. That way we can pick a spot to just relax out there so we don’t need to come back to the drunken book club any time soon.”
“Sounds good.” It would be best for him to be out of the room anyway, less temptation that way. Oh, she wanted him. Alison had lived for twenty-five years and hadn’t made love to a man because she had always wanted Joshua to be her first, and now that she was this close to him and knew that he was as much into her as she was him, it was hard to step away from him. Very hard.
“Don’t be too long,” he said softly. Leaning over, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I love you, Alison. Now, get cleaned up so I can find creative ways to sully you.” He threw her a wink before collecting his Stetson and leaving her alone in his room.
Chapter Five
When Alison had her hair braided and tucked into itself, she walked out into the room she was going to share with Joshua. Dressed in a white t-shirt, one of Joshua’s flannel shirts, and a well-worn pair of jeans, she was as ready for this ride as she could be.
Stepping into her, boots she walked out into the hall and bumped into Joshua, she looked up at him. “Hey you. So, did you miss me?” She was teasing him mostly, but in truth, she wanted and needed to know that answer.
“Yes,” he said with a groan. “You were taking so long, and our mothers cornered me and started peppering me with questions about what was going on with your stalker. They wanted to know if you were safe, what was being done to ensure that this asshole was caught, and what I was doing to keep you safe. I felt like I was being interrogated, for the love of God. I never knew those two women could be so mean, vicious, and evil. We have to get out of here, now.”
“Sounds good.” She moved in closer to him and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long, but my hair wouldn’t seem to work with me and kept tangling as I tried to dry it.” She hated to have wet hair unless she was in a swimsuit, something he knew well. “I’m sorry that they cornered you, but what in the world could they have been pestering you about? Don’t they have their book club here with them?”
“They do, but apparently, they needed more snacks or some other bullshit. They must have heard me in the kitchen and stormed in. Both of them want to know my intentions, when the wedding will be, how many kids we intend on having, whether you’ll keep working, whether I’ll keep running the ranch, and on and on. I couldn’t even answer half of the questions because I couldn’t get an answer together before four more questions were being thrown at me. You know, they look like wonderful middle-aged women without a care in the world, but they are the Devil and Satan in disguise. Shut up, I know it’s the same person, damn it. I’m so confused and frazzled.”
“Don’t be. They will hopefully understand that we need to have time with each other before we could possibly answer any of those questions. Silly ladies need to know that we can’t be rushed.” However, she was filled with her joy as she added, “But if you asked me to run away with you tomorrow, I would. Just saying.”
“Really?” he asked in a hopeful tone. “Cause, right about now, I’m all for that. If I didn’t think our mothers wouldn’t string us both up, I’d do it. Of course, if they corner me like that again, we’re eloping. Oh,” he said with his eyes going huge. “I think we just found our way to keep them in line.”
That had her laughing, and she nodded. “I think that you have found a solution. All I know is that I want to have forever with you, it doesn’t matter how we get there.” Moving back from him, she slipped her hand into his. “For now, though, let’s get the heck out of Dodge, shall we?”
“Deal,” he said with a nod. They headed down the stairs, straight outside and around the side of the house. Joshua plopped a Stetson on her head and tweaked her nose. “It’s one of my older ones, but looks good on you, sweetheart.” Picking up a bundle with a couple of blankets rolled tightly, he led her off toward the barn.
“Thank you for understanding what I wanted.” She adjusted the hat slightly and winked. “Now then, let’s get our ride on. Will you grab a blanket roll as well so that if we want to lie under the skies, we can?” She wanted to spend a moment under the sun with him and simply enjoying relaxing. She was freaking out inside. She was able to hide it fairly well, but she was devastated inside that someone hated her enough that they wanted her dead. There was no love in the actions of the mad man that was tormenting her. It was hate, hate because he wasn’t her. Hate because, well, she didn’t know, but she knew that love wasn’t about possession. It was about mutual attraction, respect, and working together to build something more from that initial attraction.
Ali was wound so tightly. She felt as if her whole world was crumbling around her, but she was determined to hold onto it while she could. She had months to accept the fact that she had a stalker, but before the threats left in her SUV, she had been able to brush them aside because she hadn’t thought anyone knew who she was. Not really. However, the leavings in her SUV told the truth that she so desperately tried to hide. He knew everything about her, and that terrified her.
“Absolutely,” he agreed, handing her the bundle. He disappeared deeper into the barn. After a time, he returned leading his stallion and a smaller mare for her to ride. He went straight outside to the mounting block. “Come on, honey, up you go.”
She got into the saddle with practiced ease, and with a lot of help from Joshua as well—well, help in the form of his hands on her ass. Adjusting herself, she gave the mare a pat on the neck and looked to Joshua, appreciating the way that he was able to pull himself up and into the saddle. “Goodn
ess, you look amazing on the back of that stallion.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said as he adjusted his hold on the reins. He took the bundle from her and slipped it into a saddlebag. She noted that he had the bedroll on the back of the saddle. “Ready to go?” he asked her as he turned the stallion’s head toward a trail.
“Very ready. Where are you taking me, cowboy?” She clicked with her tongue and moved her horse up alongside his. “Hopefully far from the prying eyes of our mothers?”
“Damn straight,” he said as they got moving. “I need to check on one of the herds. There are a couple of new calves I want to ensure are still okay. The one looked a little shaky yesterday, so I’m worried. After that we’ll go over to the pond for our snack and a rest. On our way back, we’ll swing by the newest herd just to make sure the hands don’t need us to send anything out with their evening meals.”
“Sounds good to me.” She looked up at him and then asked suddenly, “How are you doing? I know that ten years ago, you were hurt really badly. There are no more rustlers?” She had been beside herself. He had been in a coma and she had sat at his side for three days, refusing to leave him. She didn’t think he knew that, though, and wasn’t about to tell him. “Have you upped how many men you have on the fences and with the herds since then?”
“We have random rotations on the fences, anywhere from thirty to forty men at a time. We’ve been working with your hands to ensure the center line is secure as well. So far we haven’t had any more taken from us, but we had a report the other day that another ranch about three counties over reported several stolen head. The sheriff told me today that the rustlers are starting to move our way, as another report just hit his desk before he hauled ass to your place. They’re coming again,” he said, his face grim.
“I don’t want you to come out here alone again, Joshua. I can’t lose you,” she whispered with fear in her voice. She moved her horse closer and let her leg rub against his. “Promise me that you won’t come out alone again? Even if you bring me with you, I mean it.”
