Return of the Last McKenna (Harlequin Romance)
Page 17
“I do.” He and Riley had dragged Finn down there and surprised him with Ellie, all in hopes of spurring the two to work it out. Which, clearly, they had. “Thank you, Ellie.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You’re a smart woman,” Brody said.
She laughed. “Well, be sure to tell Finn that.”
“I think he already knows.”
Ellie smiled, the same private smile that Brody had seen on Riley, Stace and Finn. The smile of someone deeply in love and happy as hell.
She gave his arm a gentle tug. “Come on, Brody, have a glass of wine with your family and have a little faith that it will all be okay.”
He headed out of the library and into the hall with Ellie. “You do know I’m a doctor, right? Faith is a hard commodity to come by in a world of tests and logic.”
“I know. But you’re also an Irishman and if anyone trusts in luck and faith, it should be you.” She gave him a grin, then stepped away and waved toward the front door.
Brody turned. Kate stood in the doorway, wearing a T-shirt, shorts and running shoes. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on her skin. To Brody, she’d never looked more beautiful or desirable. He caught his breath.
“I’m sorry for just showing up, but…” she bit her lip and gave him a tentative version of a smile, “does that offer for a family dinner still stand?”
Joy burst in his heart and he closed the distance between them in a few short strides. “Yes, every Sunday. Two on the dot,” he said, then let out a gust. “Oh, God, Kate, I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”
“I got the package.” She reached in her pocket and held up the keychain. It tick-tocked back and forth on her finger. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She turned it over in her palm, and dropped her gaze to the small green leaves. “When I got it, my first instinct was to do what I’ve always done. To run from the risk and the fear. And I literally did just that.”
“I can tell.” He grinned. “But you still look sexy, even after a run.”
“I thought running would help me forget,” she said, “but all I did was look for you. At every turn, at every stop. I didn’t want to run around the reservoir. I wanted to run to you, Brody. And so…”
“You did.” If happiness were a meter, Brody’s would shoot off the charts. “I’m glad.”
“You were right. I was scared. When I was a kid, I was the one who had to be the steady rudder for Andrew. And he worried about me. The two of us, taking care of each other. Our parents fought all the time and it was just…chaos. I didn’t want my little brother to worry or get scared, so I became the practical, dependable one. I let him dream big, and I kept my feet firmly on the ground. Then when he died, it shook me badly. So I did what I do best, and kept those feet cemented in place. I thought if I did everything the same, no surprises, no risks, I wouldn’t have to experience that kind of loss or pain again. But I was wrong. Because in the end, it cost me you.”
“I’m still here, Kate.” He brushed a tendril of hair off her forehead. “And I always will be.”
“When you told me you’d fallen in love with me, all I could see was this big cliff and you standing beside it, asking me to jump with you. I got scared and I ran, instead of doing what I should have done.”
“Which was…?”
She smiled and winnowed the gap between them, lifted her arms to wrap around his neck and raised on her tiptoes. She pressed a kiss to his lips, then drew back. “That.”
“Much better than walking away.” He tightened his hold on her, then kissed her back. God, he loved this woman. Loved her smile. Loved her smarts. Loved everything about her. “Much, much better.”
“I got scared, because I fell in love with you, too. I found a hundred reasons not to be with you, because I couldn’t believe that a man like you really existed. One who could light fireworks inside me and at the same time understand my deepest needs.” She tangled her fingers in his hair and her eyes shimmered with emotion. “A real hero.”
He glanced away. “That’s not me.”
“It is.” She drew his face around until he faced her again. “You saved my brother. And you saved me. You put everyone else ahead of you and you took the risks no one else wanted to take. That’s a hero to me.”
He still disagreed about the real hero here, but if the woman he loved saw him as one, he wouldn’t argue. To Brody, Kate was the heroic one, determined and smart, the one who had saved him from an empty life. He cupped her jaw, and ran a thumb along her chin. “I love you, Kate Spencer.”
A smile burst across her face, bright as the sun. “I love you, too, Brody. I think I fell for you the minute you brought that silly basket up to the counter for your grandmother.”
He chuckled. “I was too distracted by you to make a smart buying decision.”
“Good thing.” She grinned. She held up the key ring again. “You know, there’s only one thing this ring needs now.”
“What?”
“Keys to a second location. As soon as I get home, I’m calling that realtor. There will be a Nora’s in every town, or at least a lot of them.” She laughed.
“And I’m thinking of taking on a partner for the practice, so I can keep treating people here in Newton, but also step up my mission work.”
She smiled. “Both of us, taking risks.”
“Together. The best way to do it.”
She laid her head against his chest. “I agree, Brody. I agree.”
“The best choice I ever made was that basket. And…you.” His heart, no his entire world, were complete now with Kate in his arms. He could see their future ahead, one where she brought smiles to people everywhere there was a Nora’s Sweet Shop, and he healed the sick and wounded in far-flung places. There would be some compromises ahead, making both her business and his mission trips work, but Brody had no doubt they’d find a way because in the end, he and Kate had the same core values. The same goals. To create a world full of heroes. And he couldn’t wait another minute to start on that path. “I meant what I said. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, Kate?”
She drew in a deep breath, then exhaled it with a smile. “Yes, I will, Brody.”
A burst of applause sounded from behind them. Brody turned to find Finn and Ellie, flanked by his grandmother and Jiao, all clapping and beaming their approval. “I only have one thing to say,” Finn said, crossing to his middle brother. “It’s about damned time.”
Brody laughed. “Always direct and to the point, Finn.”
Finn drew Kate into a hug, so tight she squeaked. “Welcome to the family, Kate. The McKennas are a rowdy bunch, so be prepared.”
“For what?” Kate asked.
“For the happiest time of your life.” He clapped Brody on the shoulder, offered the two of them congratulations, then headed for the dining room. “Now let’s eat.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt of The Rebel Rancher by Donna Alward!
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CHAPTER ONE
CLARA HAD HEARD A LOT about Tyson Diamond. Some of it good, a lot of it questionable. But none of the reports had warned her that he was over six feet of sexy cowboy with a break-your-heart smile and a devilish gleam in his eye.
And now he was striding this way as Angela, still resplendent in her wedding dress, waved him over.
Clara wondered if she could say her final congratulations to Sam and Angela and escape before Tyson reached them. She’d managed to avoid him up to this point, after all. She’d been helping his father, Virgil, with his rehab after his stroke, and her off-duty hours were spent helping Angela plan the wedding from the safety of Butterfly House, the transition shelter Angela managed and where Clara currently lived. And Ty had been wrapping up his business up north and spending time with Sam as they worked together running the ranch. Somehow she and Tyson had failed to cross paths in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
Until today.
This afternoon he’d turned up spit-polished in his black suit with his hair just a little messy. Her mouth had gone dry just looking at him. Ty was exactly the sort of man she tried to avoid. Tall, sexy, confident and careless. The kind that ate shy girls like her for breakfast. The kind that girls like her could never resist.
Her heart had taken a little jump and she’d caught her breath before she could even put a thought together. But Ty had sauntered in, all long legs and crooked grins, and there it had been. Whomp. Attraction, pure and simple. Nothing in the world could have surprised her more.
He was still several feet away but closing the gap fast, and Clara felt panic start to bubble, making her chest cramp and her breath shorten. She wasn’t ready to handle this. She felt as tongue-tied as a schoolgirl only with the sobering wisdom of a woman who’d been through hell. Putting the two together only created chaos in her mind. A quick exit was in order. She turned to Sam and Angela and forced a smile.
“I’m going to take Virgil in now, but I wanted to say happy wedding day to you both.” She gave Angela a brief hug. “I’m going to miss you around the house, but you’re going to have a wonderful time on your honeymoon.”
Sam hugged Clara as well. She didn’t feel the unholy urge to pull away and run the way she usually did when faced with someone intruding on her personal space. She’d learned to trust Sam in the weeks leading up to the wedding, especially after he’d stood beside Angela as she faced her own demons.
“You did great today,” he said quietly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “And you look beautiful.”
Heat infused her cheeks at the compliment and at the knowledge that Tyson was nearly upon their little group. “Thank you. Now I’d better get Virgil inside, he was looking tired….”
Sam’s voice cut her off as he looked over her shoulder. “Have you met Ty yet?” he asked. “Ty, this is Clara Ferguson, Dad’s nurse. You’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on.”
Too late. Clara closed her eyes and took a steady breath. She really wished she wasn’t blushing as she turned around, but she could feel the heat centered in her cheeks. Dammit.
Tyson’s jaw sported a faint shadow of stubble and the suit coat hung awkwardly on his rangy frame. But the style worked for him and his dark eyes held a gleam of approval as he looked down at her. His appraising gaze made something curl inside her uncomfortably. What she wouldn’t give for a pair of comfy jeans and a baggy sweater right about now. The sage-green bridesmaid’s dress was far too fitted to her figure and made her feel conspicuous. Compliments were well and good, but she was far more confident when she was in her comfort zone.
“Mr. Diamond,” she said, setting her jaw defiantly as she held out her hand. She could set the tone between them right here and now. Businesslike—exactly the way it should be between her and Virgil’s adopted son.
But it was an utter flop of an attempt. His warm fingers enveloped hers in a strong, lingering grip. A hint of a smile flirted with the corners of his mouth. “It’s just Ty,” he replied, with a voice as smooth and chocolaty as the dark depths of his eyes. “Or Tyson if I’m on your bad side.”
Bad side? Right now she felt as though she might swallow her tongue as she looked into his face. She liked the feel of her hand in his. Where was the old reliable revulsion she’d become accustomed to? The instinctive need to pull away and keep her distance? She knew how to deal with that. This was all new territory, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.
His smile widened and she pulled her hand away, hiding her fingers within the clasp of her left hand. “Right,” she said, her voice shaking. “Well, I’d better get your dad inside. Good night, everyone.”
She couldn’t meet his gaze as she scuttled away, but she heard Sam’s voice and it made her burn with humiliation.
“Go easy,” Sam warned Ty.
“Did I do anything?” There was a hint of defensiveness in Ty’s voice that fit with what she’d heard through the grapevine. That things weren’t as smooth sailing between the brothers as they seemed.
She quickened her steps so she wouldn’t hear Sam’s answer. Everything she’d heard around town was right, then. She hadn’t been able to tune out the snatches of conversation that had reached her ears today. The return of the prodigal Tyson was a hot topic. Unfortunately so was his track record with the ladies.
Tyson Diamond was gorgeous and he knew it. He was also a wild card and Sam’s illegitimate cousin who’d been adopted by Virgil and Molly as a baby. Trouble. He was the last person who should make Clara blush and stammer. She was smarter than that, wasn’t she?
Now he’d hung up his rodeo spurs and was coming home to run the ranch with Sam. With Virgil still recovering and needing regular care, they were going to see each other all the time.
Great. Just wonderful.
Clara helped Virgil get settled, but once she was alone in the quiet house her unease came back with a vengeance, sending tingles shooting up the backs of her legs and making an all-too-familiar weight settle in her chest. It had been a long, tiring day and her defenses were down. That had to be the reason why Ty’s simple handshake had made her react in such an uncharacteristic way. Or maybe it was just weddings. Weddings did tend to make people sentimental and romantic, right? She twisted her fingers. Or stupid.
Either way, it was one day. It didn’t matter a bit if she found Tyson attractive. She had no interest in romance. Not after all that had been taken away from her in the name of “love.” She had her eye set on her goal and nothing was going to divert her from it.
She escaped into the first-floor powder room, sat down on the closed toilet and focused on breathing deeply for a few minutes. Once she’d regrouped she got up, ran some cold water over her hands and carefully touched them to her cheeks, soothing the heat there without marring her makeup. She could do this. She’d come too far to go back to hiding away at the first whiff of disc
omfort. Goodness, a year ago she would never have made it through a day like today. She shouldn’t let something like this rattle her.
She stared into the mirror. “Living in fear is not living. I will not live in fear.”
The words soothed, both from sentiment and habit. She let out a breath and straightened her shoulders. She opened the door and nearly ran straight into Tyson’s chest.
His hands gripped her arms, steadying her from toppling over in the heels she wasn’t used to wearing.
“Whoa,” he said, his low voice rippling over her nerve endings.
Her faced flamed anew, his word choice making her feel decidedly klutzy and horsy. And he was touching her again. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t know anyone was waiting for the bathroom.”
“I was waiting for you,” he replied easily. He squatted down slightly so that he was closer to her height and peered into her face. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her. As though he was trying to figure her out. The less he knew about her the better. And she planned to keep it that way, no matter how often their paths crossed in the coming weeks.
“Waiting for me?”
“You ran off quite a while ago. I wanted to be sure you’re all right.”
“Of course I am.” His hands seemed to burn through the soft fabric of her dress to the skin beneath. She conjured up the polite smile she’d practiced all week in the mirror. “It took me a while to get your dad settled, that’s all.”
Liar, her brain protested, but she ignored it. A warmth ran through her at his concern. Usually she managed to fly under the radar, blending into her surroundings like a chameleon. People usually didn’t notice if she came or went. But Ty had.