Ford: 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers

by Samantha Chase

  The grin he gave her was sinful and sexy and so full of promise, she knew opening any other presents would have to wait. And when he stood with her still wrapped around him, and she felt that he was just as turned on as she was, all Callie could think was Merry Christmas to me!

  Epilogue

  The table was overflowing with food, there was music all around and the conversation was some of the best Ford had had in years. Surrounded by the people who meant the world to him seemed a fitting way to get ready to ring in the New Year.

  They had the best and biggest table in the house at The Blue Moon. With Callie at his side, Ford looked around the table and smiled. Over dinner, they had shared their plans for the ranch and for the expansion Ford planned on doing with Garrison’s. His first project as the official owner was the assisted-living facility that his father talked about. He was busy finalizing the sale of the property, and Ford was already working with the architect about their projected timeline.

  Everyone had congratulated them and were excited that he was finally coming home to the one place he’d been running from for far too long. And he had to admit, it was good to be home. Good to be back. And good to be here right now celebrating with everyone.

  Ryder and Bailey had just announced their engagement, and as Bailey showed off her beautiful ring, Ford couldn’t help but notice how happy his cousin looked. The two of them had done more than simply fall in love with each other, they’d healed a town. That was pretty damn amazing in his book. Next up for them was planning a winter wedding.

  Wyatt and Paige were also planning some big things. Tonight, they asked him about getting together for a meeting to discuss plans for the house they wanted to build. All Wyatt had said was that it was going to be big, and Ford was more than up to the task. No doubt there would be wedding bells ringing for them soon too.

  Looking to his left, he heard Adam’s laughter. He had his arm around his wife as he told a story about the last batch of guests they’d had at A To Z Watersports and the weird requests they’d asked for. Beside him, Jane was laughing and it was so good to see them looking so happy and at peace. Adam had to battle a lot of demons to get to this place, and Ford was glad that he’d found the perfect woman to help him with that.

  “My compliments to the chef, Bailey,” Jack called out, raising a glass to her. “Everything is delicious!”

  With a hint of a blush, but a huge smile, Bailey raised her glass in return. “Thank you, Jack. And that means even more to me considering how talented Whitney is in the kitchen!”

  Conversation turned to food and recipes, and while Ford was only half-listening, he couldn’t help but be a little proud of Jack. It was one thing for him to get together with the guys in small doses after all he’d been through in Afghanistan, but to see him now in this crowded and boisterous environment, looking so at ease, was just amazing. As if sensing his thoughts, Jack looked at him and Ford raised his glass in a silent toast.

  There was a round of laughter and Noah said, “Are you kidding, we’re just happy to have a night out with adults only! I never realized how exhausting parenting is or how much I’d miss grown-up conversation.”

  “But you love every minute of it,” Ryder called out.

  “Hell yeah, I do. I just wish Lainey was here to see all of the amazing things Bella is doing,” Noah said, and for a moment, they all grew quiet. Then he looked up and smiled over at Callie. “She was so excited for the Christmas pageant. You did a great job with them.”

  “Thanks, Noah,” Callie said, reaching for her wine glass. “They all worked so hard, and it was a great experience for me too.”

  “You’re a natural in the classroom, Callie,” Teagan said. “Your students love you, the parents love you, and I’ve heard nothing but praise from all of the other teachers too, so…”

  “I appreciate that. I’ve been the assistant and the substitute for so long, it’s been wonderful to have a class to call my own.” She looked at Ford and smiled. “It’s been a good year.”

  “A great one,” he said, and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

  “Oh, did I tell you about the new program we’re going to start at the library?” Harper asked. Callie was talking to Harper, and it was like the two of them were lifelong friends. He knew some of it had to do with their love of books, but he also knew it was mostly because they were both amazing women with kind hearts who clearly had a thing for former troublemakers.

  Well, Ford considered himself to be a former; he still had his doubts about Zane.

  All in all, it had been one hell of a year, and as he looked at the six guys who were like brothers to him, Ford could honestly say it had been a long time coming. They’d all come a long way from the ragtag group they were in detention. It was odd to think how doing something that should have been punishment could actually turn into one of the best experiences of his life.

  “You’re looking like you’re pretty deep in thought,” Ryder said from across the table.

  With a small laugh, Ford took a sip of his wine and shook his head. “Thinking about detention.”

  “Seriously? Now?”

  He shrugged. “Seemed fitting with all of us sitting here.”

  “Right,” Wyatt said, joining the conversation. “All we’re missing is a deck of cards.”

  “I think we need a bet to kick off the new year,” Zane chimed in.

  “Hell no!” Adam said, firmly shaking his head. “No more bets. I’m done. The last bet we had involved—”

  “Dude,” Jack hissed, barely holding in a laugh. “No one needs to know about that.”

  “Know about what?” Teagan asked, grinning as she looked at each of them.

  “Hey, isn’t that Miss Woody over there?” Noah said, attempting to change the subject.

  All heads turned to look in the direction he was pointing, and Ford did catch a glimpse of their curvy teacher. He’d never say it out loud—especially in front of Callie—but Miss Woody certainly still looked good.

  “Now here’s a familiar group,” someone called out, and when they turned their heads again, it was Augie Kensington they were looking at.

  “Now it’s an official reunion!” Zane called out. “We were just reminiscing a bit about our days in detention. C’mon, Augie! Join us for a drink.”

  Augie looked over his shoulder as if searching for someone, and then looked back at them. “Thanks, but I’m kind of here with someone and I was just going to freshen up our drinks.” As usual, the guy was incredibly polite and smiling but…there was still something about him that Ford just couldn’t put his finger on, and it bugged the hell out of him.

  Just a little.

  “I hope you all have a Happy New Year,” he said, and with a wave, he made his way over to the bar.

  “Even when he’s blowing us off, he’s polite,” Wyatt said.

  “Annoying, right?” Ford asked. “What harm would it have done for him to sit for five minutes? His date could have joined us.”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Noah said. “I mean, it would have been nice to just hang out with him for a bit but…he was never officially one of us.”

  They all laughed at that because while it was technically true, it still would have been fun to sit and talk about their time in detention way back when.

  Bailey stood up. “If you will excuse me for a minute, I need to go and make sure everything’s running smoothly in the kitchen and check on the champagne for everyone to toast at midnight.”

  For another hour, they talked about what the next year was going to look like and laughed and danced and, to Ford, it was a great night. As he swayed to the soft music with Callie in his arms, he told her that.

  “To me, it’s a perfect night.” She snuggled closer to him. “I can’t remember ever having such a fun New Year’s Eve. And it just feels good to hear how many amazing things are happening for our friends—weddings, engagements, new jobs and houses, and soon it will be babies…”

  He kissed her cheek. “
Well, I think we fit into most of those categories too.”

  Her smile was breathtaking when she looked up at him. “Yes, we do. And this time next year, we’ll be talking about all of your fantastic buildings and homes that are going up all over Eagle’s Ridge and the surrounding cities. You’re going to make quite the name for yourself and the company. I just know it.”

  He loved her enthusiasm. “I love you,” he said, his tone serious.

  And her smile bloomed. “I love you too.”

  “I bet this time next year it won’t be Garrison’s that we’re talking about,” he said, his tone still serious. “I think we’ll have a lot more personal news to share with everyone.”

  He didn’t need to spell it out for her, because she knew exactly what he meant. With a nod, she said, “I think that sounds like the perfect time for that.”

  The music came to an end as the bandleader announced that it was two minutes till midnight. Ford and Callie walked back to the table and joined their friends. Champagne was being handed out and everyone was standing and getting ready to count down.

  “One minute!” someone called out.

  There were people everywhere and the noise level was crazy. Ford looked around as all the guys pulled their girls close, just as he did with Callie. “It’s going to be a good year,” he murmured in her ear, and she nodded.

  The room was filled with so many familiar faces beyond the fourteen of them around the table—friends, former neighbors and classmates. Off in a far corner, he spotted Augie talking to a red-haired woman. She had her back facing them, so he had no idea who it was, but had to admit his curiosity was piqued. There weren’t many redheads in town…

  “Ten seconds!”

  They all started to count down, and as the clock struck midnight, Ford pulled Callie in close and kissed her thoroughly—pouring everything he felt for her now and forever into the kiss. When they resurfaced, they clinked champagne glasses with one another, and then all of their friends. It seemed to take forever to get through wishing everyone a Happy New Year before they were able to take a sip of their drinks.

  They all sat back down and some people began moving toward the door. “It looks like not everyone can make it long past midnight,” Wyatt commented.

  Ford almost couldn’t blame them. He wouldn’t mind leaving and taking Callie home and celebrating the new year in a lot more sexier way.

  “As I live and breathe,” a female voice said. “I never thought I’d see this group together again.”

  Diana Woods.

  Miss Woody and…

  Augie??

  Ford knew his eyes weren’t the only ones to go wide at the site of nerdy August Kensington with his arm around Diana Woods.

  “I have to admit, I never had a group in detention quite like this one, and I’m happy to say that I was okay with that.” She winked and waved her fingers at them, and then kissed Augie on the cheek. “Let’s go home.”

  Before they turned and walked away, Augie gave them all a grin that pretty much conveyed just how amused he was by their reaction. “Have a good evening, everyone. I know I will.”

  It took a solid minute before anyone spoke.

  And it wasn’t so much a word as it was a laugh.

  And then another.

  Soon, the seven of them were all laughing hard as Ford said, “Son of a gun.”

  “Just think, if you hadn’t come back home, you would have missed that,” Ryder said, still laughing.

  “Yeah, just another reason it’s good to be home!”

  Dear Readers,

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed FORD and all of the books in the 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers series!! As a writer, it was a thrill to work with this amazing group of authors, and as a reader, I know that I enjoyed these seven sexy soldiers. Hopefully by now you’ve had the chance to read them all, but just in case you haven’t, you should totally start with Ford’s cousin’s book – RYDER by Barbary Freethy – which also happens to be book one in the series!

  * * *

  In February, I’ll be releasing book two in my Band on the Run series – ONE MORE PROMISE. You can preorder this book now! You’ll be seeing a lot of exciting releases from me in 2018 including two more titles in my Enchanted Bridal series and a brand new Montgomery Brothers book!

  * * *

  Stay up to date on new releases and giveaways by following me on social media and signing up for my newsletter.

  * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from RYDER…

  * * *

  xoxo

  Samantha

  Ryder - Excerpt

  7 Brides for 7 Soldiers, #1

  Barbara Freethy

  * * *

  © Copyright 2017 - All Rights Reserved

  Book Blurb

  When Navy pilot Ryder Westbrook is shot down, his only thought is making it home—to the place he left behind a long time ago. But dreaming about the small town of Eagle's Ridge and going back are two very different things, and upon arrival Ryder finds himself in the middle of another battlefield—an old family feud between the Westbrooks and the Tuckers. To complicate matters, he needs disputed land to start his second career at the local airfield. He decides to enlist the help of beautiful Bailey Tucker, but the chef soon has his senses spinning in another direction…

  The last person Bailey is interested in helping is golden boy Ryder Westbrook. After a painful personal betrayal, irresistible attraction to another man, who is probably too good to be true, seems like a terrible idea. But she also needs something from the Westbrooks, a chance to start over and build the restaurant of her dreams.

  Ryder and Bailey make a simple plan—work together to get what they both want, but what happens when they find out what they really want is each other?

  Prologue

  "We're hit! We're hit!"

  Navy pilot Ryder Westbrook heard the panicked words of his copilot, Michael Valdez, but he was too busy trying to regain control of the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter to reply. They were coming back from a humanitarian mission—having dropped food, water and medical supplies into the rugged and remote villages of Afghanistan—when they'd taken enemy fire.

  They weren't going to make it back to the carrier in the Persian Gulf. They were going to have to set down somewhere, hopefully far from the rebel forces that had just shot at them.

  His heart pounded against his chest, but he remained calm, his training playing through his head as he went through every option to retain control of the twin-engine helicopter.

  Flying was in his blood. The helo had always felt like an extension of his own power, but now that power was crumbling, and he was being forcibly reminded of just how fragile life could be.

  But he couldn't quit. There had to be a way out.

  Unfortunately, his optimism was dampened by the fact that the ground was getting closer by the second, and his crew was depending on him to get them down safely.

  His copilot had a wife and a baby back in the States. Colin Forbes, the sensor operator, was getting married in a month. And he…well, he still had things he wanted to do.

  He had to keep them all alive.

  Searching the ground for a viable landing site, he spotted what appeared to be a flat, open rural area. Not only did he want to protect his crew, he didn't want to hurt anyone on the ground.

  Glancing over at Michael, he saw his friend making the sign of the cross.

  "We're not going to die," he said emphatically, drawing Michael's gaze to his. "Not today. Not this time."

  He could see the hope in Michael's eyes. His friend wanted to believe him.

  Hell, he wanted to believe himself.

  He'd been in tight spots before, and he'd always come out on top. It had been that way his entire life. Growing up in Eagle's Ridge, he'd been the golden boy—the one who set new records, who made things happen, who achieved whatever he went after.

  But this was real life. This was happening now, and he was the only one who could sav
e all their lives.

  In ten years of naval service, he'd never encountered a situation exactly like this. He'd never felt so worried that his number might really be up.

  He shook the negative thought out of his head, squaring his jaw, tightening his hand on the controls, as he rode the bird down to the ground.

  The impact was harder than he'd expected, the helicopter shattering into pieces of fiery metal. And when everything went black, he fought against the idea that this might be it.

  He had more he wanted to do, people he should have made peace with a long time ago, a home that beckoned to him—the Blue Mountains, the Snake River, the people of Eagle's Ridge—a life still to be lived.

  He needed more time… He just didn't know if he was going to get it.

  Chapter One

  "I just need some time," Bailey Tucker said, her hand tightening around her phone as her good friend, Shannon Cooper, asked her for the third time why she'd left New York in the dead of the night without so much as a conversation. "I need things to die down," she added, still cringing at how stupid she'd been.

  She sat down at the table in her father's kitchen, looking around a room that was comfortably familiar but also an uncomfortable reminder of her latest failure.

  She'd left this house eight years ago at the age of twenty. She'd gone to the local community college after high school. Then she'd moved to New York to attend culinary school. Classes and jobs in Paris and Rome had followed, and eventually she'd returned to the Big Apple to work for a brilliant chef and to hopefully take her career to new heights. But this week everything had shattered—her professional life and her personal life.