“Marry me.” Lucas gazed up at her with a shameless tenderness. “Let’s build a life together. As soon as possible. You and me and Gracie.”
“Yes. Oh my God, yes.” She tugged on his hand until he stood and kissed her, then he slipped the ring onto her finger. It caught the sparkles from the globe lights hanging in the tent above them.
“Did you just get engaged?” Jessa shouted from across the tent. She hiked up her dress and ran over, dodging tables and chairs and the few people who were lingering. “Oh my God!” She reached them, out of breath. “Did I just see you on your knee? Is that a ring?”
Her elated yelps attracted attention. Before Naomi knew what was happening, Cassidy and Darla and Jessa were all crowded around gawking at her finger.
“That’s gotta be platinum,” Darla said, eyeing the ring.
“It fits you perfectly,” Cassidy added, patting Lucas’s shoulder with approval.
Ignoring them, Naomi searched frantically for Gracie. Her daughter stood on the outskirts of the circle, her jaw hanging open and her eyes wide.
Lucas seemed to spot her at the same time. He elbowed his way past Naomi’s friends and stooped to a knee in front of her daughter. Once again, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. “Gracie, will you be my stepdaughter? I promise to be the best daddy I can be.” He opened the box and revealed a beautiful heart-shaped locket. “I want us to be a family. I’ll always be there for you, no matter what.”
Blinded by her own tears, Naomi stumbled over to them and sank to her knees next to Lucas.
Gracie reached out and touched the necklace as though she wanted to make sure it was real. “It’s so pretty,” she gasped. Her gaze shifted to Lucas’s face. “You didn’t have to get me something. I’d still want you to be my stepdaddy. That’s what I’ve been hoping ever since Mom almost ran over you on the road.”
Even though everyone had given them some space, they all laughed.
Lucas managed to get the necklace out of the box and clasped it carefully around Gracie’s neck. She touched the pendant again. “Isn’t it so beautiful?” she asked Cassidy. While the women oohed and aahed over Gracie’s bling, Lucas helped Naomi to her feet.
Levi and Lance must’ve finally caught on to what was happening from their post at the bar and took turns shaking their brother’s hand.
“So when is it? When’s the wedding?” Jessa demanded, as though she’d forgotten they were still at her wedding.
Naomi and Lucas looked at each other. “We haven’t really had time to discuss the details,” he said, taking her hands. “But soon.”
“Sooner than soon,” Naomi added.
“How ’bout now!” Gracie blurted. “Papa Luis knows how to do a wedding!”
“Now?” she echoed.
“Yeeessss!” Jessa hissed, the excitement clearly going to her head. “Everything’s still set up for a ceremony! And all of the most important people are here!”
“Except for her parents.” Lucas looked at Jessa like she’d lost her mind.
But…actually it wasn’t that crazy. Naomi turned to him. “My parents would understand.”
Now his incredulous expression targeted her. “You want to get married now?”
Yes. She did. The decision was so simple. She didn’t want to go through months of planning and agonizing over the details. She wanted this man in her life now. Tonight. She wanted him to stay in bed with her into the next morning. And every morning after that. She knelt in front of her daughter. “I know this is fast, Gracie girl.”
“Mommy…” Tears streaked her daughter’s cheeks. “I love Lucas,” she said, grabbing on to his hand. “And I know he loves us. This is the best. Day. Ever.”
That got everyone crying. Lucas lifted Gracie up and caught them both in his strong embrace.
“What d’you think, Dad?” he asked. “You wanna perform one more ceremony today?”
“I’d be honored.” The old man beamed. “’Course you’ll have to go on down to the courthouse sometime soon to get a license and make it official.”
“We can do that next week,” Naomi said, brushing the logistics aside. “All I care about is the ceremony. The friends we have standing with us. And marrying the man I’ve always loved as soon as possible. ”
Excited chatter flitted among Gracie, Jessa, Cassidy, and Darla.
“Oh, this is so exciting!” Jessa sang. “Lance, go talk to the band. See if they can hang out a little longer!” She threw her arms around Naomi’s shoulders. “I can’t believe we’ll share an anniversary! This is the best!”
The women all scattered, talking about musical selections and fighting over who got to be the maid of honor.
Lucas set Gracie on the ground, still looking stunned. “We’re getting married,” he marveled.
Gracie giggled. “We’re getting married!”
Epilogue
Thanksgiving had always been Naomi’s favorite holiday. Don’t get her wrong; Christmas was great, too, but the gifts that came with Thanksgiving had more to do with family, friends, and love than with beautifully wrapped packages.
She bustled around the kitchen of the Hidden Gem Inn, stirring the cranberry sauce on the stove and checking the temperature of the turkey Lucas had brined and put in the oven even before she and Gracie had awakened. Tomorrow they would welcome their very first guests to the inn, but first, they were christening it with a large Thanksgiving dinner in their expansive dining room.
Everyone would be there—Lance and Jessa, Luis and Evie, Levi, Darla and Cassidy, Colton and his long-distance boyfriend, Owen. Even Mark and his family had agreed to come and spend the day with them. He’d been up to visit every other week since the summer, and last month he’d brought his wife and their son to meet Gracie.
Of course it looked nothing like the family Naomi had once imagined for her and her daughter, but she was grateful all the same. Logistics didn’t matter so much when people loved each other well.
Once again, she made her way through the dining room, admiring the beautiful fall decorations Jessa had helped her place—ornate foliage with colorful leaves and miniature pumpkins. A wicker cornucopia overflowing with real fruit sat in the center of the table set elaborately for fifteen. And there was still room to spare. She checked the place settings again, smiling to herself for strategically placing Cassidy next to Levi. The woman claimed to harbor a serious irritation for him, but Naomi had also noticed that her cheeks seemed to get a little pinker whenever he was around.
“This place looks incredible.” Lucas came up behind her, kissing her neck. “And you smell incredible.”
She leaned against his chest. “I think it’s your turkey that smells incredible.” She smiled up at him, still amazed he was here. That they were here together. In their bed and breakfast. They’d moved in at the beginning of October and it had felt like home right away.
“Where’s Gracie?” she asked. Earlier, while she’d kept an eye on their dinner, Lucas and Gracie had gone out to deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need through the local food bank.
“She’s outside playing with Bogy,” he said, giving her shoulders a good massage. He was always doing that, doting on her.
“You might want to call her in here.” Naomi turned to him. “Because we have something to discuss.”
“Yeah?” He drew out the word into a hopeful question.
“Yeah,” she confirmed, not offering him anything else.
He bounded out of the room with a grin and came back with Gracie slung over his shoulder like a giggling sack of potatoes. She squealed as he hauled her up higher in the air, then set her feet on the floor.
“That was fun!” Her cheeks were pink from the cold and the laughter, and her red hair was happily disheveled.
“Your mom has something to discuss with us.” Lucas glared at Naomi as though he didn’t want to wait one more second.
Neither did she. “You know how we’d talked about making the third bedroom an office?” she aske
d, unable to hold back a happy smile.
“Uh-huh…” His eyes got as wide as hers.
“And I said we had to save it for a brother or sister instead,” Gracie reminded them.
“Well, Gracie girl…you were right. We’re having a baby.” She brushed a kiss first across Lucas’s lips and then one on the top of her daughter’s head. “A beautiful little baby.”
“I knew it!” Gracie hopped up and down, clapping her hands and squealing. “We’re having a baby! We’re having a baby!”
“You’re sure?” Lucas looked down at her, completely focused and intent, completely hers.
“I’m sure,” she confirmed. “I took the test while you were gone.” She’d been feeling off for weeks, so she’d bought a pregnancy test, figuring the odds were rather high given the fact that they’d been diligently making up for lost time. In case he needed proof, she held up the plastic stick and showed him the two lines.
Laughing, he threw his arms around her, kissing her forehead, her nose, her lips. As Gracie hopped by, he snagged her arm and pulled her into the hug with them, joining in her song. “We’re having a baby! We’re having a baby!”
The front door crashed open, bringing in a jovial flood of voices and chatter. Their family poured into the room, carting along their savory and sweet-smelling dishes.
Gracie’s voice rose above them all. “We’re having a baby!” she announced, breaking free to skip around the room and give everyone hugs. “We’re having a baby!”
“A baby?” Jessa looked at Naomi as though wanting confirmation.
Naomi deferred to Lucas with a smile.
“That’s right.” He picked Gracie up into those strong arms of his. “Gracie’s gonna be a big sister.”
Gracie squealed again, hugging Lucas tight. “I’ve always wanted a baby! That’s what I asked for in my letter to Santa and he’s giving it to me early!”
A hearty round of congratulations broke out. Luis butted his way through everyone until he could hug Naomi. Then he took Gracie out of his son’s arms. “I get to be a papa again.”
“Let’s break out the bubbly,” Levi added, disappearing in search of glasses.
“You two sure don’t waste time,” Darla said with a smile.
Cassidy was running around hugging everyone. When she got to Levi, she froze. But he wouldn’t let her off the hook.
“Come here,” he said, casting her that charming grin that seemed to work on all the ladies.
Cassidy raised an eyebrow at him as he leaned in for a hug. Naomi had never seen the woman stand so stiff and straight.
“Congratulations, Naomi.” At some point, Mark and his family had walked into the commotion.
“Thank you.” She gave him a hug. After the incident on the trail, she’d given up on resenting him. Life was too short, and Gracie needed as many people as possible to love her. “I’m so glad you could be here,” she said to Mark’s wife Beth.
The woman leaned in to give her a hug. “The invitation means so much to us.”
“Hey, do you want to see my room?” Gracie asked Ben, her half-brother.
“Sure.” He looked up at her with all of the admiration of a little brother and she took his hand, leading him away.
Mark got busy introducing his wife to everyone else.
“When are you due?” Jessa asked, catching Naomi by the arm. “How far along are you? Are you feeling good?”
Naomi laughed. “I feel great. And I know nothing, yet. I just took the test this morning.”
“You’ll have to get in to see the doctor as soon as possible,” her friend instructed. “I know the best OB—”
“Let’s move this party to the dining room,” Lucas called. “Don’t want the turkey to get cold.”
Everyone scattered, chatting and congratulating while they carted the many amazing dishes from the kitchen out to the table. After everyone had found their seats, Lucas clinked his glass. “I’d like to make a toast.”
Amazingly, the room quieted.
“To the blessings of family and second chances,” he said, raising his glass.
Everyone echoed the sentiment.
“And to a new baby,” Jessa added.
Another round of cheers went around the table.
“A baby!” Gracie echoed, leading Ben to his seat next to hers. “I hope it’s a boy. No, wait. I hope it’s a girl.” Her eyes grew big. “No! I hope it’s twins! Then we can have one of each!”
“Whatever this baby is, we’ll be grateful.” Naomi rested a hand on the small swell of her belly. This little baby was the resurrection of dreams she thought had died a long time ago. And after losing them once, she understood how priceless they were. Having them back—having Lucas back—was a gift she would never take for granted.
Don’t miss the exciting next installment of Sara Richardson’s Rocky Mountain Riders series, featuring Levi and Cassidy!
Renegade Cowboy
Available Winter 2017
Please see the next page for a preview.
Chapter One
Welcome to Topaz Falls, Colorado
Elevation: 7,083 feet
Cassidy Greer blew past the green welcome sign. She knew full well that she had another two miles before she’d pass Dev’s patrol car, which would likely be stashed off the south side of the highway while he waited for unsuspecting drivers he could slap with a $300 fine. The town had to make money somehow, but, seeing as how it was May, their modest ski hill wasn’t open. During the spring and summer, traffic tickets were the town’s main revenue source.
Right at mile marker 316, she tapped the brakes, bringing her old Subaru’s speed down. She knew pretty much everything there was to know about this town. Living within the same eight square miles for her entire twenty-four years meant there were few surprises in her life.
She knew that, every Tuesday and Thursday, Betty Osterman and her group of blue-haired patriarchs did their morning jog-walks down Main Street, arms swishing, hips swinging while they gossiped about which names had shown up in the latest Police Calls column of the local paper.
She knew that, when she drove past the fire station on Sunday mornings, all those hot volunteers would be in the third bay with the garage door rolled up while they pumped iron, shirtless and sweating. A girl had to get action somehow. It was fair to say she hadn’t gotten much over the past six years. Okay, she hadn’t gotten any. She’d been too busy putting herself through nursing school, working as an EMT, and trying to keep her mother alive. So every Sunday morning, she, along with at least twelve other women ranging in age from sixteen to ninety-three, made sure to take the long way to the grocery store, passing by the fire station nice and slow to keep her lady parts activated. Because someday she might actually have a life.
A cautious wave of excitement rippled deep inside her chest. Someday soon…
Slowing the car, Cassidy took a quick right on Main Street. The town looked the same as it always did. Eclectic shops and small restaurants were all laid out on the cobblestone sidewalks. Nothing had changed, and yet today everything looked different. Topaz Falls had always been her home, but it might not be much longer.
She applied more pressure to the accelerator. She hadn’t seen Dev’s patrol car, and she was in a hurry. She’d just come from Denver. From an interview with one of the most prestigious pediatric nurse residency programs in the country, and it had gone well. Really well. They told her they’d let her know within a month, but the director had given her a smile as she’d shaken her hand. Kind of a silent Don’t worry.
Don’t. Worry.
Easy for her to say. All Cassidy had to do was catch a glimpse of her house down the street and pure, unadulterated worry crammed itself into her stomach so tight she couldn’t find the space to take a breath. Now she knew why she hadn’t seen Dev’s patrol car out on the highway. He was at her little house on Amethyst Street, cruiser parked at an angle, lights flashing.
She floored it down the block and jerked the wheel, bouncing
the car to a stop in the crumbling driveway. “What the hell happened?” she called as she threw open the driver’s door.
Dev stood on the front stoop, his broad shoulders barely stuffed into the crisp navy blue uniform. She’d gone to school with Dev back in the day. He’d always been a man of few words, and true to form, he waited for her to hightail it up the steps to where he stood.
“Got a call from Turnasky,” he said, eyeing the front door like he half expected a serial killer to emerge.
“What did he say this time?” Turnasky was a tyrant who lived in the house behind her. He was always complaining about the leaves from her aspen tree falling into his yard.
“It’s an indecent exposure call,” Dev clarified awkwardly. “Seems your mom’s runnin’ around the backyard without any clothes on.”
That inspired a contemplative pause. Well, shit. This was a new one. “What do you mean she’s running around without her clothes on?” Cassidy demanded, finally shoving past him.
He stayed right where he was on the stoop, poking his head inside the door and squeezing his eyes shut like he wanted to make sure he wouldn't witness anything he couldn’t unsee. “Hell, I don’t know, Cass. Okay? All I know is Turnasky called me and said your mom was jogging around the backyard in her birthday suit and that the little kids next door were standing on the fence laughin’.”
That last part put another kick into her step. She loved little Mellie and Theo. She’d hate to see them move away because of one of her mother’s episodes.
Comeback Cowboy Page 28
