by Ann Roth
“You mean dating?” her cousin said.
“Something like that.” Her voice seemed to grow stronger with each word. “You’re my cousin and you’re family, and that means a lot. But I can’t sit by quietly and let you countersue Sly. He’s a good man, an honest man. He values all cattle too much to harm them.” Sly was so surprised that he had to sit down. He joined the beers on the step.
“For you to vouch for him this way, you must know him pretty well,” Tim said.
“I do. Besides my dad, Sly Pettit is the best man I’ve ever met. I would trust him with my life.”
Realizing his jaw had dropped open, Sly shut his mouth.
“That’s quite a statement,” Tim said.
“It’s the truth. I wouldn’t fall for a man I couldn’t trust.”
“You’re in love with Sly Pettit.” Carpenter sounded shocked. “Is he aware of this?”
“Not yet. I know in my very bones that he would never poison an animal. Well, maybe a mouse or a rat. I’m asking you to please drop your counter lawsuit.”
“You’d side with him against me?” Gruff Tim Carpenter sounded like a hurt kid.
“I’m not siding with anyone,” Lana said. “I don’t believe you poisoned his cows, either. Sly would realize that, too, if you would just sit down with him and talk. Before he sued you, he tried to do that, but you wouldn’t give him the time of day.”
“Pettit never wanted to talk. From the get-go, he came at me with accusations.”
“Then it’s all the more important for the two of you to talk now. The sooner, the better. Otherwise you’ll never get to the bottom of this mess.”
“You’re comin’ at me with a damn lecture, just like Michele. Don’t get me wrong, I love your mother, but her lectures give me a headache.”
“I’m not my mother, and I’m not lecturing you.” Lana sounded indignant. After a pause she said, “Well, darn it, maybe I am. I’ll think about that later. What matters is that I’m here for a good reason. You and Sly are both hardheaded, and this lawsuit business is out of control. Someone levelheaded has to intervene. That would be me.”
Him, stubborn? Sly barely stifled a loud snort.
But he had to admit that Lana was right. His head was as hard as the concrete step under him. Instead of approaching Tim Carpenter as someone who could help him find the answers he sought, Sly had accused, tried and found the man guilty.
In jumping to conclusions, he’d created a world of trouble.
Tuesday night he’d done the same thing with Lana, brushing off her suggestion that they talk. He’d been suffering mightily ever since, and guessed that she had been, too.
But even hurting, she was here, fighting for him because she loved him. She loved him.
Sly thought he might love her, too. No, he knew—he did love her.
Accepting and admitting this blew him away. He should have been scared, but wasn’t. The truth was, he didn’t feel half-bad—except when he realized he’d almost lost out on a lifetime with Lana.
What a damn fool he’d been.
He stood, brushed off his butt and grabbed the beers. Making no effort to be quiet, he strode up the steps. Neither Lana nor Tim was speaking, and Sly figured they’d heard his footsteps.
He knocked, then without waiting for an answer, stepped inside. The shock on Lana’s face was comical, but this was no time for laughter.
“I was starting to wonder if you’d ever show up,” Tim said.
“I’ve been here for a while now. Hold these, will you?” Sly handed him the beers, then turned to Lana. “Did you mean what you said? Do you really love me?”
“You were eavesdropping?”
Unashamed, he nodded. “I didn’t expect to find you here tonight, but I spotted your car next to Tim’s truck. He left the door open, and I wanted to hear what you were saying.”
“You heard it all?” she asked, looking wary.
“I heard what matters—that you believe in me.” Needing to touch her, Sly clasped both her hands and pulled her to her feet. “That’s awesome—you’re awesome.”
Holding back none of his feelings, he kissed her thoroughly.
When he pulled back. Lana wore a dazed expression. “I love you, Sly.”
Smiling, he gently brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Don’t fall over when I say it, but I love you, too.”
Tim growled. “If you two don’t quit with the mushy stuff, I swear, I’ll bring the hose in here and spray you down.”
Sly and Lana laughed.
Not about to let go of his woman, Sly sat down in the armchair and pulled her onto his lap.
“I can’t believe you’re sitting in my cousin’s living room,” Lana said. “What are you doing here—with two beers each?”
“Sly’s here because I invited him to come back,” Tim said.
“Come back?” Lana echoed, confused.
Sly nodded. “I was here this afternoon, when Tim and I patched up our differences.”
“Hold on a darned minute.” Lana slanted her cousin a look. “You let me go through my whole spiel about how stubborn you and Sly both are without once mentioning that you’d already settled things?”
“I wanted to hear what you had to say,” Tim said. “And it wasn’t quite settled, but it is now.”
“Will one of you please explain what’s going on?” she asked.
Sly caught her up on what he knew, then turned to Tim. “I’m guessing Sheriff Dean called.”
“About an hour ago. It took a while for him to find Pitch and get him to talk, but he finally confessed. It’s just as I figured—he set us both up.
“I talked to my lawyer. First thing in the morning, he’ll contact yours. He doubts that either of us is likely to get any restitution from Pitch. He’s broke—he’s always broke. But he’ll probably spend a few years in jail.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Sly said.
Carpenter nodded. “From now on, if we have issues with each other, let’s talk them through.”
“You have my word on that.” Sly tipped up Lana’s head and kissed the tip of her nose. “So do you.”
“All this talk has made me thirsty.” Carpenter reached for the bottle opener on the coffee table. “Have a cool one with us, Lana? There’s a glass in the kitchen.”
“Um, I can’t.” She looked at Sly. “We should tell him.”
“Before your sister or your parents or Dani?”
She nodded. “After watching us get all mushy, it’s the least we can do. Okay with you?” When Sly nodded, she glanced at her cousin. “Do me a favor, and don’t contact the family for another forty-eight hours.”
Carpenter seemed surprised by the request, but shrugged. “I guess I can do that. What’s this about?”
Before making their announcement, Sly and Lana stood up. She threaded her fingers with his, and he nodded at her to do the talking.
“Sly and I... We’re expecting a baby.”
Her cousin almost choked on his beer. “Say what?”
Sly nodded. “It’s true. The due date is early January.”
“That’s not long to wait,” Carpenter said. “Congratulations, you two. It’s a damn good thing we settled this cattle business.”
He shook hands with Sly and patted Lana’s shoulder. “I know how difficult your parents can be, Lana,” he said. “If you want me to be there when you give them the news, I’ll vouch for Sly.”
“You’d do that?” Lana smiled at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a nice guy?” Standing on her toes, she kissed her cousin’s cheek. Even his ears turned red. “Your offer means a lot, but Sly and I will do it together.”
Chapter Twenty
“I haven’t been to the falls in ages,” Lana commented as Sly drove down Rive
r Drive early Saturday morning. “This will be fun—even if you did wake me up at the crack of dawn on my day to sleep in.”
Remembering exactly how that had gone down, Sly gave her a heavy-lidded look. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
“Only because waking up to your kisses is a lot more fun than an alarm clock.” Wearing the glow of a woman thoroughly loved, she smiled.
Sly grinned at her. Neither of them had slept much last night. They’d been too busy making love and talking. In the wee hours, Sly had come up with the plan for a picnic breakfast at the falls, followed by visits to Lana’s sister and Dani.
He was happier than he’d been since... He couldn’t recall ever feeling this fantastic. He enjoyed having Lana in his bed and didn’t think he’d ever grow tired of waking up beside her.
The very idea would have terrified him a few months ago. Today he felt like the luckiest man alive.
They headed into Prosperity Park, where woods and acres of manicured lawn surrounded the falls. “There’s the gift shop where Kate works,” Lana said. “Too bad it’s so early. Otherwise we could stop in and visit her.”
Sly wanted Lana all to himself for a couple of hours, which was why he’d suggested the early-morning picnic. “We’ll catch her another time.”
“Who should we tell first—my sister or yours?” Lana asked as Sly drove past walking and hiking trails, toward the falls.
“You remember how swamped Big Mama’s is on Saturday mornings, especially during tourist season. Let’s talk to your sister first, then drive over to the restaurant and grab Dani for a quick break. Why don’t we finish up by stopping in at your parents’? I’d hate to spring the baby on them during my first Sunday dinner.”
A week ago, the suggestion would have upset or worried her. Today, she looked calm and assured. “This afternoon it is.” She glanced at the clock on the dash. “It’s seven-thirty, and Liz is sure to be up. I’m going to call and make sure she’ll be home later.”
By the time Lana finished the call to her sister, Sly had parked in the large lot near the falls. Picnic basket and blanket in hand, they took the pathway that led to the falls, sauntering past beautiful flower gardens. As Sly had intended, at this early hour they had the place to themselves. Birds twittered in the trees, and playful squirrels chattered and chased each other. In the distance he heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfall.
A quarter mile later, the path curved sharply south, revealing a stunning view of the falls.
The sight of the steep rocks jutting several dozen yards up from the earth and the powerful cascade of water spilling over them in a thick curtain of spray never ceased to amaze Sly. He and Lana both stopped to take in the sight.
“This view always takes my breath away.” Lana’s chin tipped up and wonder filled her face. “How beautiful they are.”
As Sly gazed down at her, warmth and tenderness flooded his chest, and he silently swore to do everything in his power to make Lana happy. “You’re the beautiful one,” he said. Then he kissed her.
Because they were in public, he kept it shorter and lighter than he would have preferred. Regardless, she was flushed and breathless when he pulled away.
His passionate woman.
The love in her eyes humbled him, and he was sure that life didn’t get much better than this.
A safe distance from the reach of the water’s spray, they found a flat, grassy place perfect for a picnic. Sly spread out the blanket, and Lana helped set out the food Mrs. Rutland had prepared for his weekend alone. Sly planned to introduce his woman to his housekeeper in the very near future. Mrs. R was going to like Lana. His crew, too.
Despite enjoying a snack in the middle of the night, the long night of lovemaking had made them both ravenous. For a while they forgot about conversation and chowed down. Lana’s hearty appetite was one more thing Sly loved about her.
“Do you think your parents will be upset about the baby?” he asked, smiling to himself as she filched a chunk of his blueberry muffin.
“I won’t lie—I want them to be happy about it. If they’re not, I’ll be sad,” she said. “But I love you and you love me, and no matter what they think or say, that’s the bottom line.”
Sly couldn’t have dreamed up a better reply. He felt as if he’d waited all his life for the amazing woman sharing his blanket.
So what are you waiting for? a voice whispered in his head.
In that moment, he made up his mind. He pushed the plates aside and knelt on the blanket, pulling Lana up to face him. She gave him a questioning look.
“I don’t have a ring or anything, but I’d be...” Suddenly choked up, he stopped to clear his throat. “Lana, I want... Oh, hell.” He was going to lose it.
“If this is a proposal, the answer is yes!”
“No kidding?”
“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her again, with all the love in his heart. When they came up for air, she rested her forehead against his and sighed. “I now have exactly what I’ve always dreamed of.” She moved away from him and sat down again. “There’s only one problem.”
Unable to think what it could be, Sly gave a puzzled frown and tilted up her chin. “We solved all our problems. Tim and I dropped our lawsuits, we’re about to tell your parents about the baby and we’re getting married.”
“I’m talking about the beautiful mural I painted in the nursery. What am I supposed to do with the town house?”
“Sell it or keep it as a rental—whatever you decide is okay by me. Heck, if you want, paint murals in all the bedrooms at my place.”
“Your house is definitely big enough for a family.”
“A whole houseful of kids, if I have my way.” Picturing several little Lanas running around, creating pandemonium, he grinned.
“What if this is our only pregnancy?” she asked, suddenly somber.
“Then we’ll adopt. Either way, I consider myself the luckiest man in the world.”
The love and trust shining from Lana’s eyes filled Sly with sweet certainty that no matter where life took him, Lana would be at his side.
“Come on.” He rose to his feet and pulled her up beside him. “Let’s go share our good news.”
Two years later
“YOU’RE AWFULLY QUIET this afternoon,” Sly said as he parked in front of Lana’s parents’ house for Sunday dinner. “Feeling okay?”
Being a rancher’s wife and the mother of a toddler, not to mention setting up the second day care and finding a capable person to manage it, made for some very busy times, but Lana wouldn’t have traded her life for anything. “I could use a nap, thanks to a certain little someone waking me up in the middle of the night.”
She turned around to smile at their beautiful daughter, Johanna, named after Sly’s mother.
The little girl beamed, her straight blond hair flying as she bounced in her seat. “’Hanna see cousins and Gammy and Gampa.”
“That’s right, sweetie,” Lana said.
“She’s already talking in full sentences, and she’s barely eighteen months old,” he said proudly.
“Smart like her daddy.”
“And her mom.”
Lana and Sly grinned at each other. She leaned toward her husband for a quick kiss. “Have I told you lately that I adore you, Mr. Pettit?”
“Not since early this morning, when you and I, uh—” He glanced at their daughter in the rearview mirror. “When we were in bed.”
Lana was lost in his eyes when Johanna let out an excited shriek. “Cousins!”
Liz and Eric had just arrived, and Connor and Emma were racing toward the car.
Johanna wanted out. Sly lifted her from her car seat in time for her to cousins to greet her. Moments later, Connor and E
mma raced for the backyard, Johanna squealing and toddling after them.
Eric nodded at Sly. “Come on, let’s catch up to our kids.”
“What you guys really want is the chance to check out Dad’s new grill,” Liz teased with a wry smile.
Neither man denied it.
Lana and her sister followed behind, catching each other up on the busy week they’d both had.
In the yard, Lana’s parents greeted everyone with smiles and hugs. Lana’s mother smiled at Sly. “Guess what I found at the specialty store? That microbrew beer you’ve been wanting to try.”
“Thanks, Michele.” Sly kissed her cheek. “You’re the best.”
After two years, Lana still marveled at the warm relationship her mother shared with Sly—better than she would ever have imagined.
Her dad clapped his hands on Sly’s and Eric’s shoulders and steered them toward the smoking grill, where steaks were sizzling. “Wait’ll I show you what this baby can do.”
Some fifteen minutes later, as everyone headed for the picnic table, Lana’s father gave his head an admiring shake. “What a beautiful family we have.”
Lana couldn’t have agreed more.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER COWBOY HERO by Tanya Michaels.
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Chapter One
For Colin Cade, one of the chief selling points of his motorcycle had been solitude. He preferred being alone, making it a conscious choice rather than a tragic circumstance, but that meant a lot of time in his own head. Unfortunately, not even the Harley could outrun his thoughts. Or his anger.
