by Lara Lacombe
“I’ll be there soon,” he said. “Can you wait a little longer?”
Maggie smiled, picturing his face. “I’ll wait for you forever, if that’s what it takes.”
Epilogue
Mac’s house. Two weeks later...
“Congratulations again!” Knox said, pulling Maggie against his broad chest for a hug. “I can't wait to have you as a sister-in-law!”
“Thank you,” Maggie said, smiling up at him. Thorne had told her how Knox had fired the shot that kept Wes from killing Mac. She’d always liked Knox Colton, but the fact that he’d saved Mac and Thorne from certain death had tipped that like over into love. She turned to his new wife, Allison, and stepped close to hug her. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Allison said. “Not only are we thrilled to welcome you to the family, but this guy is dying to see the new foal.” She ruffled Cody’s hair affectionately as the boy bounced on his heels.
“I heard you delivered it,” he said excitedly. “Was it gross? Was it really messy?”
Maggie laughed. “Your aunt Jade gets most of the credit, but I was there, yes. And yes, it was pretty messy.”
Cody grinned, his blue eyes twinkling. “Cool.” Then he darted away, making a beeline for the table of hors d’oeuvres. Knox followed with a knowing sigh, trailing in his son’s wake.
“So how are you feeling?” Allison asked. She eyed Maggie up and down, taking in the deep purple of her dress. “You look amazing—I love your dress. It's the perfect outfit for your engagement party.”
“Thanks,” Maggie said, smiling at the compliment. She nodded at Claudia, who was standing a few feet away talking to Jade. “It’s one of Claudia’s designs. She made me a few maternity dresses as prototypes for a new line she’s thinking about launching.”
“The girl has talent, that much is clear,” Allison said. “But you’re the reason the outfit really shines. You’re practically glowing, and it can’t all be from the pregnancy hormones.” She leaned forward a bit, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Are you going to show me the ring, or do I have to beg you to see it?”
“Oh! I thought you’d already seen it!” Maggie held out her hand for inspection, and Allison clasped her fingers, turning her hand this way and that as she oohed and ahhed.
Maggie smiled at her reaction. Thorne had proposed a few days ago, and she hadn’t taken the ring off since then. She knew she’d have to eventually, but it was still so new she couldn’t bear to part with it, even for a moment.
The large pearl gleamed warm and lustrous in the afternoon light streaming in from the window. Green sparks flashed from the halo of emeralds surrounding the stone as Allison moved her hand. She touched the braided gold band with her fingertip, humming to herself. “It’s gorgeous!” she said. “I just love it!”
“Me, too,” Maggie replied, grinning. She’d once wondered what kind of ring Thorne would choose if he ever proposed to a woman. Now she knew, and it exceeded her wildest dreams.
The man in question sidled over and put his arm around her shoulders. “My ears are burning.”
“They should be,” Allison said. She gestured toward Maggie’s ring. “You did a fabulous job.”
“Well, I do try,” he said modestly.
“So are y’all going to live here, or will you be moving to the city?”
“We’re staying here,” Maggie said. She wrapped her arm around Thorne’s waist and gave him a squeeze. Maggie knew he was worried about how she’d take to life on the ranch, but she’d explained to him in no uncertain terms that her home was with him, wherever that may be. Ranching and horses were in his blood, and she wasn’t about to ask him to give that up. Besides, she rather liked the idea of their baby growing up on the ranch.
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get bored?” Thorne had asked her. “Life out here is very different from what you’re used to.”
Maggie had laughed. In her short time on the ranch, she’d been anything but bored. “I’m ready for a change,” she’d said. “Besides, I have to keep an eye on Rose and her little one. I’d miss them if I wasn’t around all the time.”
“Is that the only reason you want to stay?” He’d looked down, appearing suddenly shy.
Maggie had tipped his chin up with her finger until he met her eyes. “Thorne Colton,” she’d said. “You know I love you. And that means I love all of you—the total package. This ranch and these horses are a part of you. I could no sooner take you away from that than fly to the moon.”
His eyes had filled with emotion and he’d embraced her, his relief palpable. “We can try it out for a while, see if you like it,” he’d said. “And if you don’t, we’ll move into town. I just want you to be happy.”
“Stay with me, then,” she’d said. “That’s all I need.”
“We’re building a house not far from Mac’s,” Thorne said now, pulling Maggie’s thoughts back to the present conversation. “The foundation has just been poured. We’re hoping it’ll be ready before the baby arrives.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Allison said. There was a crash from the direction of the table, followed by a startled yelp. Allison winced. “Please excuse me,” she said. “I believe that’s my cue.”
Thorne and Maggie watched her walk over to a contrite-looking Cody, who was standing over a dropped plate of food. “Think our little one will have that much energy?” she whispered.
He snorted. “Oh, yeah. Most definitely.”
A knock sounded on the door behind him. Maggie glanced up to see Thorne’s frown. “Are we expecting anyone else?” As far as she knew, everyone was here. Knox and Allison were helping Cody clean up his mess, Claudia and Jade were talking in the corner with her parents, and Leonor and her fiancé, Joshua, were talking to Mac.
“Not as far as I know,” he replied. He moved to the door and Maggie followed.
Thorne opened the door and froze, his body going stiff as he saw who was on the other side. Maggie glanced over, bracing herself for the worst.
But the man that stood on the welcome mat didn’t appear threatening. He was tall and muscular, with close-cropped dark brown hair. He wore a patch over his right eye, giving him a rakish, almost piratical, air. A few angry-looking red lines extended beyond the patch, but they didn’t detract from his looks. He was a handsome man, one who probably turned a lot of female heads.
Thorne’s breath gusted out. “River!” He took a step forward and threw his arms around the man, hugging him tightly. His half brother looked a little stunned, as if he hadn’t been expecting this reaction.
“It’s good to see you,” he said. His voice was gravelly, and Maggie got the impression he didn’t do much talking.
Thorne released his grip and leaned back, giving River some space. “Where have you been? We’d heard you’d retired from the Marine Corps, but we didn’t know where you were.”
“Yeah," River said ruefully. "Turns out I'm too banged up to fight anymore." He gingerly touched the patch over his eye. "Thought I'd come home for a while, but I stopped by Austin first to see Wes while he waits for his trial to start."
"Are you okay?" It had to have been difficult for his brother to see his father behind bars.
River smiled, the expression transforming his face. "I'm better than okay. Turns out, Wes doesn’t actually think he's my father. Can you believe it?"
Surprise rippled through Thorne, followed quickly by acceptance. "Unfortunately, yeah. Livia didn't lack for lovers."
River nodded. "That was my reaction, too. I'm getting a DNA test done to confirm it, but hopefully I'll get lucky and have at least one parent who isn't a criminal."
"I'll keep my fingers crossed."
River turned to Maggie. "We're being rude. I apologize, ma’am.”
“Hello,” she
said.
Thorne shook his head. “I’m sorry. I forgot myself. River, this is Maggie, my fiancée. Maggie, this is River. He’s my brother.”
River’s eye widened at the word fiancée, but he offered his hand for her to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss.” He cast a look at Thorne. “I’m glad to see you’ve found someone.”
“You and me both,” Thorne said. “Come inside—your timing is actually perfect. We’re having our engagement party. The family is all here.”
River shook his head and took a step back, almost as if he was afraid of joining them. “Oh, no. I can’t.”
Thorne frowned. “Why not?”
River shuffled his feet, clearly uncomfortable. “I came here to apologize to Mac. For what Wes did. But I'll come back later. I don’t want to interrupt your party.”
“Nonsense,” Thorne said. “Don’t go. Everyone will be so excited to see you.”
River hesitated, and Maggie could tell he wanted to run. “Please stay,” she said. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “Just for a few minutes, at least.”
He nodded slowly, and Thorne and Maggie stepped out of the way so he could enter the house. “Only for a moment,” he murmured as he brushed past them.
Thorne walked his brother into the den while Maggie stayed behind to close the door. She waited a moment while Thorne announced River’s arrival, smiling as the Colton siblings shrieked with joy and surprise to see him again.
Thorne caught her eye and hung back as River was pulled into the room. He walked over to slip his arms around her waist. “Thank you for that,” he said softly.
“For what?”
“For convincing him to stay. We’ve all been worried about him. Hopefully he’ll be in Shadow Creek for a while. I think he needs help.”
“Then we’ll make sure he gets it,” she said.
Thorne shook his head. “You are too good to me,” he said, dropping his head to kiss her softly.
Their embrace was interrupted a moment later by Cody, who danced around them like a puppy. “Uncle Thorne! Can we go see the baby horse now? Uncle River said he wants to see it, too.”
Thorne laughed and nodded. “Okay. Just let me get your aunt Maggie something to drink. Then I’ll take you both.”
“I want to come with you,” she said.
“Are you sure?” He slipped his hand into hers. “You wouldn’t rather rest a bit?”
Maggie shook her head. “Nope. I’m sticking with you, cowboy. Now and forever.”
“Forever sounds good to me.” Thorne lifted her left hand and pressed a kiss to her ring. Then he grinned, a twinkle entering his light brown eyes. “All right. Let’s try to get those new boots of yours broken in.”
* * * * *
If you loved this novel,
don’t miss the next thrilling romance in
the COLTONS OF SHADOW CREEK miniseries:
COLD CASE COLTON
by Addison Fox,
available in June 2017
from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!
And check out these suspenseful titles in
Lara Lacombe’s DOCTORS IN DANGER miniseries:
DR. DO-OR-DIE
ENTICED BY THE OPERATIVE
Available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!
Keep reading for an excerpt from
A STRANGER SHE CAN TRUST by Regan Black
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A Stranger She Can Trust
by Regan Black
Chapter 1
Carson Lane hesitated in the hallway, the rack of clean pint glasses growing heavy in his arms. Only a few strides separated him from the sea of humanity singing along and cheering the band blasting from the Escape Club stage. This persistent slip and slide of nerves through his gut was ridiculous. Not one person out there would notice him. The longer he stalled, the more attention he’d gain from the bartenders who needed the glassware.
His knee ached, and the muscles in his thigh burned as he struggled with the extra burden. He’d worked a full first shift today, substituting on a Philadelphia Fire Department ambulance, and though his body begged for a break, his mind wasn’t ready to rest. For more than eight months, only exhaustion brought him any peace. His current choices were clear: walk into the heart of the club or walk out and keep going. He had to choose, to do something, or he’d drop the glasses and have a bigger mess to clean up along with the unwelcome questions about his fitness.
Pivoting, he pushed through the swinging door with his shoulder and back. The path memorized, he averted his gaze from the faces in the crowd. People were oblivious to the risks and pain that could be the end of any one of them at any given moment. Official “managed” risks and protocols hadn’t kept his best friend and partner on the ambulance rig alive when they’d answered the call that would be her last.
Every day that he woke up and hauled himself out of bed, he wondered why it had been her and not him. So far, no one had ever given him a decent answer.
Unless faced with a crisis, people had a tendency to ignore the precious, fleeting nature of being alive. As a paramedic, he dealt with the frailties and miraculous resiliency of the human body through every shift. He’d loved his job, despite the occasional sad ending, right up to the shift that had changed everything with an irreversible finality.
William, the bartender working this end of the bar, made room for Carson to stock the clean glasses. “Just in time, man.”
With a nod, Carson completed the task of restocking, picked up the racks of dirty glassware and headed back to the relative quiet of the kitchen. Only an hour until the last set for the band and last call for drinks. He could make it. Had to make it.
In the back of his mind, he heard the echo of his partner’s voice urging him to get over his current mental roadblocks. “Mind over matter” is what she’d say about now, and shove his shoulder. “Gotta do the job.” Sarah Neely hadn’t been known for her tact among the PFD emergency medical personnel, only renowned for her competence and compassion with their patients.
Carson set up the next rack of dirty glassware and pushed it into the dishwasher. He decided she just wouldn’t understand how much of him had died along with her all those months ago. 254 days ago to be exact, and the terror and memories remained raw and painful. Perpetually caught at the edge of that nightmare, he scrubbed his hands on his apron, confused when his palms didn’t leave bloody trail
s on the white fabric.
“Carson!”
He wheeled around to find Grant Sullivan, owner of the Escape Club, leaning into the kitchen doorway. “Sir?”
“I need a word.” He tipped his head toward his office. “Come on back.”
“Sure thing.” Carson untied the apron and left it on a hook by the kitchen door, then followed Grant down the hall. The man’s stocky build and easygoing outlook belied his quickness and boundless energy. At his boss’s gesture, he eased into one of the two chairs facing the desk. The office was quiet, only the dull throb of the band’s bass carrying through the floors.
“How did things go today?” Grant’s brown eyes were bright with anticipation. “On your PFD shift, I mean.”
“Smooth and normal shift,” Carson replied, hoping his relief at the easy question wasn’t too obvious.
Grant nodded, his thick salt-and-pepper eyebrows dipping low with his frown. “And the knee is holding up?”
“Yes.” Carson forced a smile. “Feeling stronger every day.” It was a small fib. The bullet had passed through his thigh, just above his knee, causing all kinds of damage to muscles and connective tissue along the way. He’d resumed walking three weeks after the surgery, but the pain had leveled out around week eight. Contrary to the physical therapy consensus, the motions never got easier. Mind over matter, he thought, as Sarah’s face flashed through his mind.
“I got a call from Evelyn today. She says she’d like to get you back on the schedule full-time.”
“She said as much to me,” Carson admitted, more than a little surprised his PFD supervisor had spoken with Grant. As a former cop, Grant’s connections with first responders in the city went deep, but it still seemed like a stretch.
“So, why do you keep hanging around here?”
Carson fidgeted in his chair, well aware Grant understood the complexities of recovering from bullet wounds. The blow to his confidence in his skills and his faith in the human condition were more significant obstacles than the aggravating pain lingering in his knee.
