Michael held a rifle and aimed it at the wrestling men.
“Are you all right?” Josh shouted to Erin, his gaze darting briefly to her.
She gave him a jerky nod and slowly lowered the gun.
“It’s Hugh Carver,” Erin cried over the buzz of adrenaline in her ears and crash of furniture as Hugh and Zane knocked over chairs as they fought. “He came to kill me and destroy any evidence I had of his blackmailing Roy.”
Josh shot her a frown of dismay, then set his jaw as he dove into the fray with his twin.
With Josh’s assistance, Zane soon had Hugh subdued, and Michael stepped over to press the muzzle of the rifle between Hugh’s eyes.
Teeth clenched, Michael grated, “Give me an excuse, you bastard.”
“Dad.” Josh put a hand on the rifle and pinned Michael with a hard glare. When Josh tugged on the rifle, Michael released it, and Zane dragged Hugh to his feet.
Hugh divided a glare among the three McCall men before him, then spat at Michael.
Zane’s father balled his hand and smashed his fist into Hugh’s nose. Stepping back, he heaved a sigh and divided a look between his sons. “Now, let that be the end of it.”
Chapter 18
“Aren’t you going to see Erin off? Say goodbye?”
Zane glanced up from the desk in his office when his father stuck his head in the door, aiming his thumb toward the front of the house. “She’s leaving? Now?”
Michael turned up a palm as if the answer should be obvious. “The case I gave her to work on has been resolved. Her job is done, so she’s going to surprise her family a day early for Christmas.” He jerked his head toward the front hall. “C’mon. Josh says she’s loading up.”
Zane sat in his chair, feeling a bit shell-shocked. Erin was leaving.
Of course, she’s leaving, idiot! You’ve given her no reason to stay.
Last night, after the sheriff arrived to take Hugh into custody and the deputies had taken all the statements they needed, he’d simply told Erin good-night. Everyone had retired to bed, given the late hour and the exhaustion that had quickly settled over each them in the wake of the sabotage mystery being solved, the blackmailer captured. As if the tension of the crimes against his family had been all that held them upright, once removed, they’d all collapsed.
All, that is, but Zane. Zane had believed that with the threat to his family removed, he’d have a clearer mind about his relationship with Erin. And that he’d have time today to sort through his emotions and have a frank conversation with her. He’d been deluding himself on both accounts.
He’d spent the hours until daybreak reliving the terror of seeing Erin on the business end of Hugh’s gun. The ice that had settled in his marrow brought his love for her into stark relief. The possibility of losing her, of her being killed in front of him, had been a nasty wake-up call. His life without her would be bleak and painful. Full of regret.
Zane drew a shuddering breath and gripped the edge of his desk. Death was only one way to lose her. Even now she was packing her car, about to walk out of his life. He was about to lose her because of his own mulish pride and blindness.
Did you really expect otherwise when you’ve been so distant the last few days? Zane’s heart sank. Clearly she had taken her cues from him and drawn the only conclusion she could.
He shoved to his feet, his heart galloping. He saw the truth now. He’d used her deception about her reason for being at the ranch as an excuse to justify pushing her away. But he’d been lying, as well. To himself. He’d held her at arm’s length, built walls around his heart, because his feelings for her confused him. Frightened him. He’d fallen for her so hard and so fast, his logical mind hadn’t had time to catch up. Loving her so deeply meant greater pain if he lost her. Stupid, stupid! In trying to avoid that pain, he’d brought it about.
“And you’re supposed to be the smart one,” he mumbled to himself as he grabbed his coat and hurried outside.
Josh was closing the trunk of Erin’s car as Zane strode out into the ranch yard. He watched her give Josh then Kate and Piper each a hug, and panic beat its wings inside him.
Don’t blow it, he thought as he stepped forward. “Erin.”
She turned to him with a melancholy expression. “Goodbye, Zane. Thank you for your help last night. I owe you my life.”
Her soft curls tickled his chin as she rose on tiptoe to brush a kiss on his cheek. As she stepped back, turning toward her car, he caught her sleeve. “Erin, wait.”
She glanced up, her eyes full of expectation and...trepidation?
“I, um...” He drew and exhaled a cleansing breath. “I forgive you.”
She blinked. Scoffed a gentle laugh and pulled her arm free of his grip. “Good to know.”
Piper’s groan matched his internal one.
I forgive you. What was that?
Erin climbed into her car quickly and started the engine. With a last wave to the family, she headed down the driveway.
And Zane’s heart crashed to his toes.
From behind, Piper gave him the head slap he wanted to give himself. “Why didn’t you let her know how you feel, Dork?”
Kate added a look of disappointment and shook her head. “You missed your chance, Zane. While Josh’s showing up at my door days after I left the ranch was romantic and all, he could have spared me days of agony thinking I’d lost him.”
Josh strolled closer, one eyebrow raised in disappointment. “Dude...”
Piper gripped his arm. “Get her back here! Tell her you love her!”
“You need a gesture,” Kate said. “Something special to let her know how serious you are, how much she means to you.”
“Oh, yes! A big, romantic gesture!” Piper said, nodding.
“Agreed.” Josh shoved his hands into his pockets and gave him a nod. “She’ll love it.”
Zane frowned. “A gesture? What does that even mean? Like flowers?”
“Come on, Zane,” Piper said, her nose wrinkled. “Flowers are nice and all, but you’re fighting for her heart! Time to think outside the box. Break the mold. Be less...Zane-ish.”
“Less Zane-ish? What the hell does Zane-ish mean?” he asked.
“If it is practical or well-planned or safe...throw that idea out.” Piper gave him the stink-eye. “Your normal is the opposite of the spontaneity that will sweep her off her feet.”
“Great. That’s a big help,” he groused.
“Well,” Kate said and tapped a fingernail on her teeth as she thought. “Is she coming back for mine and Josh’s wedding? You could do something sweet for her there.”
“That’s a good idea!” His sister gushed. “And it counts as spontaneous, considering the wedding is in a week. Anything that gives you less than a month to plan counts as impromptu.”
His sister’s teasing typically rolled off his back. But something about her gibe stuck with him. Not unpleasantly, just...
“Uh, except...” Josh said, twisting his mouth and motioning toward where he’d been helping Erin load her car, “she just told me she wasn’t coming to the wedding. I invited her, of course, but she declined.” The look his brother gave him told Zane he was the reason Erin was avoiding the wedding.
But the seed Piper had planted was taking root, and he ignored his brother’s accusing frown. Slipping his phone from his pocket, he sent Erin a text he hoped was enough to convince her to turn around.
* * *
Erin heard her phone ping with an incoming text. She’d been sitting at the end of the long driveway to the Double M, trying to battle back the sting of tears before she pulled out onto the highway that would take her out of town, away from the ranch, away from the man she’d grown to love.
When she saw who the text was from, she almost deleted it, unread. Even knowing she was about to leave the ranch, the best Zane could do was
tell her he forgave her for her false cover story?
She’d had to leave in a rush or risk breaking down in front of him. Josh had urged her to fight for Zane, and she’d tried to reach out to him. Only to be rebuffed time and again. Her heart could only take so much.
But through the blur of tears, she saw the simple message he’d sent her.
You forgot something.
She frowned. Had she driven off so fast that she’d neglected one of her bags? She supposed it was possible. But returning to the house meant facing Zane again. Her heart was already in tatters. She banged her fist on the steering wheel. Damn it, she didn’t want to drag her crushed soul through the mud again just because she’d forgotten her toothbrush or a pair of gloves.
She eyed the highway, her escape route. Then sucked in a deep breath for strength and executed a Y-turn.
Her gut churned harder with every inch she traveled back up the long, gravel driveway. She could see Zane waiting for her. His tall frame topped by his gray Stetson, his wide shoulders and confident stance sent a bittersweet yearning through her. He was so incredibly handsome, and her heart betrayed her with a painful squeeze. She loved him, but she would move on. She’d have to.
His family was still gathered in the yard, as well, which both surprised her and pleased her. Piper, Michael, Kate and Josh would serve as buffers.
Get in, get the forgotten item, get out.
That had been her plan but Zane was at her driver’s-side door before she’d even stopped the car.
“Thanks for coming back.” He opened her door and reached for her elbow to help her step out.
“What did I leave?”
Rather than answer, he tugged on her arm, encouraging her to get out of the car. “You’ll see.”
“Zane—”
“Please?”
She glanced to the others, searching for a clue to what was going on, but their faces reflected the same confusion that churned inside her.
He nudged her again, his expression pleading, hopeful. “Erin, please?”
Reluctantly she climbed out and met his piercing blue eyes. “Zane, please, don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he urged her to face him. “What if I made it easier?”
Her pulse thumped warily. “What do you mean?”
He dropped to one knee and blurted, “Marry me.”
She blinked. “What?”
Piper and Kate gasped joyfully.
“Next week,” he added.
Josh made a choking sound. “What!”
Zane glanced over his shoulder and sent Josh an apologetic look. “Oh, I guess I should ask if you’d mind a double wedding. I don’t want to steal your thunder, but I thought—”
His sister’s giddy shriek and Kate’s squeals of delight interrupted him.
Erin was numb. Stunned. Her jaw dropped.
“We don’t mind!” Kate called. “It’s perfect! Twins should get married on the same day!”
Josh’s mouth opened and shut without a sound before he stuttered, “Wh-what’s happening?”
Piper trotted up and hugged Zane, nearly knocking him over in her zeal. “Our brother is being un-Zane-ish! Oh, my gosh! This is a wonderful idea!”
He untangled himself from his sister’s embrace and cleared his throat. “Uh, Pipe... Erin hasn’t answered yet.”
All eyes turned to Erin. She was, she realized, staring, owl-like, at the assembly surrounding her. Still blinking. Still gaping. Still reeling.
“Erin,” Zane said, taking her hand, drawing her full attention back to him, “I love you. The last two-plus weeks with you have changed my life. You’ve brought me a happiness and sense of completion like nothing I’ve ever known before. I feel more alive around you, more joyful, more eager to see what tomorrow will bring. What better way to celebrate that than to do something completely out of character for me and get married without overthinking it.”
Erin’s breath left her in a wheeze. “A-are you sure?”
“Never more sure of anything in my life. It feels good. It feels right. Please, sweetheart. I know I haven’t given you a lot of reason to be sure of my feelings. Mainly because I haven’t known how to. Emotions are something that I’ve avoided for years.”
“Your whole life,” Josh muttered.
“Do you mind?” Zane asked, shooting his brother a quelling look. “This isn’t an audience-participation proposal.”
Josh waved a hand toward Erin and took a step back.
When Zane turned back to her, tears filled her eyes. Was this really happening?
Zane studied her face, and his expression grew concerned. “I, um...” Zane drew a fortifying breath and plunged on, as if he needed to say everything in his heart or he knew he’d lose the opportunity.
“Giving in to my emotions felt like...giving up control. Giving power to something I couldn’t manage or steer. And losing control scared me.” He huffed a humorless laugh. “Hell, it still scares me. Figuring out how I felt about you, knowing what to do with those feelings while so much else was going on with the family, wasn’t easy for me. Until you said you were leaving.”
The breath she’d been holding shuddered out of her, and he paused as if to analyze what it meant. She raised her eyebrows, silently asking him to continue. Zane pressed Erin’s hands between his. “And like a light being turned off, I knew immediately the darkness I’d be living in if you left. I knew how much I needed you in my life. You...help me make sense of everything in here.” He tapped his chest. “I’ve been a brooding, business-obsessed killjoy for the last few years because...”
He paused, glanced back at his family. “I was terrified of losing the people that I loved. My father’s high blood pressure scared me. Piper’s stalker scared me. Kate and Josh’s accident on the zip line scared me.” He cast another brief glance behind him where Josh stood. His brother, his best friend, looked gob-smacked, but gave a nod of encouragement. Keep going, he could hear Josh saying in his head.
“But the thing that scares me most now is the thought of living the rest of my life without you. Before today, I didn’t know how to tell you what I was feeling, because...I couldn’t really understand it myself. But after seeing Hugh hold a gun on you, I finally realized—”
“Yes,” Erin said, a whisper in the frosty ranch yard.
Zane lost his line of thought. Stared at her dubiously. “What?”
“As I recall you started this speech by asking me to marry you.”
He blinked, his pulse racing, and two heartbeats later his brain caught up. “Right! I—”
“Ask her again,” Josh muttered through a fake cough.
Excitement, joy and a heavy dose of incredulity swamped him. He patted his chest as if searching for a ring box. “I... Oh, I don’t have a ring.” He grimaced then rushed on. “But I’ll get one! Today! I’ll go into Denver and—”
“Just say the words!” Piper said, crowding closer.
Nervous energy pumped through him, and when he raised his eyes to Erin’s this time, the sparkle of tears in her eyes was accompanied by the familiar light of love and happiness that had filled him with warmth from the first day they’d met. He squeezed both her hands between his, cleared his throat and asked, “Erin Palmer, will you make this the merriest Christmas of my life and stay here to celebrate this holiday and every other one together for the rest of our lives?”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, well...no. I can’t do that.”
His heart plummeted and behind him he heard the women groan softly. “But... I—”
Erin shook her head. “It’s just the way you worded it. I’ve promised my parents I’ll be home for Christmas. Since Sean died, having the family together at Christmas has been all the more important. Kelly is flying in and, well...I can’t stay today.”
“G
eez, Zane,” Josh said, laughing, “just spit it out, for cripe’s sake!”
When Zane sent his twin a glare, he saw that his mother had joined the entourage. Piper and Kate had inched closer and were huddled just behind him, their faces expectant. Rather than being irritated with his family invading his space during this momentous event, he grinned. Aiming a thumb over his shoulder, he said, “You see what you’ll be getting yourself into, right?”
“Zane!” his family said en masse.
But it was the antsy look on Erin’s face that spurred him to blurt, “I love you deeply, Erin. Will you please marry me?”
“Finally!” Josh said.
“I will,” Erin said, nodding and dropping to her knees to hug him.
And suddenly more bodies were wrapped around them, squeezing, congratulating and welcoming Erin into the fold. And Zane had never been happier.
Epilogue
Melissa put her arm around Michael’s waist and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She surveyed the small wedding reception, spreading from their dining room into the living room and den. The addition of Erin’s family and a few of her closest friends crowded things a bit, but she was pleased to accommodate them.
“Well, we did it,” Michael said. “Got all three of our children married off to devoted spouses.”
She snorted a laugh and elbowed him. “Married off? This isn’t Pride and Prejudice, and you’re not Mr. Bennet.”
He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.” Nodding toward the living room, where the furniture had been pushed back to create a dance floor, he motioned to the newly wedded couples. “Our children are in love, and all is right with the world.”
Almost all, she thought, but wouldn’t for the world dim Michael’s happiness. Especially not today, her boys’ wedding day. She cut a glance toward Brady, her heart aching for him, knowing how Roy’s imprisonment weighed on him. As hurt and angry as she was over Roy’s betrayal, she ached for the man who had been part of their family for so long. Thankfully, his cooperation with the authorities in building their case against Hugh Carver had helped his lawyer negotiate a plea deal that included a lower-security prison and the possibility of parole down the road. Brady had been named his father’s successor as foreman, and his first duty would be hiring a new hand.
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