Chapter Nine
“I didn’t expect you back here today, Dad?”
Gray had thrown himself into work at the rig, working an extra shift and staying at base camp instead of driving home to his townhouse just outside of Rudolph.
Nina had left yesterday.
“I wanted to see those production reports so I thought I’d come out here and get them instead of waiting for Monday,” his father said.
John McKinnon was an older version of his sons, standing tall and working hard despite the fact that he’d left working onsite at the rigs years ago. He was still strong as an ox. But the white color of his face, gave Gray pause.
Worried, Gray stopped what he was doing and walked over to his father. He handed his clipboard with the production totals to him. “Are you feeling okay, Dad?”
“Sure,” he said, taking a quick glance at the report Gray had just handed him. “I think we can take in a little more crude from the number six…” His father stopped talking and placed his right hand on his left arm.
Panic filled Gray. “Dad?”
As his father gasped for breath, Gray grabbed him to keep him from falling to the ground. Easing him down, Gray turned as Tessa and two of the roughnecks on the platform ran towards them.
“Call 911! I think he’s having a heart attack!”
* * *
Family was the most important thing in Gray’s life. It had been like that for all the McKinnons, from his immediate family to his cousins. In their darkest times, they were there for each other as much as they were there for the laughter.
There had been a lot of laughter over the years. But there had been pain, too, starting with what they thought was the loss of his eldest cousin, Wade, when he was thought to have been lost during a tsunami in Somoa years ago. Prayers had been answered and Wade had returned home to a family he didn’t know he’d had. Logan’s prayers had been answered in different way by getting a second chance at love after his wife, Kelly, died of cancer. Now Logan and his new wife, Poppy, were expecting a baby together.
And then there was Gray’s brother Ian. Gray recalled just how broken Ian had been when he’d returned from the military as an amputee, wanting to die because he couldn’t imagine how to take that next step to live as a wounded man. With the love and support of family, Ian’s world had turned completely around. Now he had a family of his own, a big brood of kids and a woman who he adored beyond measure.
Gray looked around the waiting room of the hospital and saw his kin matched up with their significant others, knowing they each had a shoulder to lean on during this crisis. His father might die. The possibility of that had never occurred to Gray before tonight. John McKinnon was too strong. But Gray couldn’t get the image of how frail his father looked when he’d collapsed on the platform out at the rig.
Everyone in the family had been called. His uncle Don was on his way over to the hospital with his aunt Kate. Gray tried to be there for Grace, who’d fallen apart as soon as she’d heard the news. Despite that, she was glued to their mother’s side, trying her best to be strong for her.
“Where’s Dad?” Luke asked, racing into the waiting room. His mother jumped to her feet and went to Luke.
“He’s in surgery,” his mother said, sobbing. “I finally got in touch with Julian. He was out in Oklahoma. But he’ll be back as soon as he can get a flight.”
Luke pulled his mother into an embrace and took charge as Luke always did.
Gray paced the floor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He didn’t know what he had expected to see. Nina didn’t know he was here at the hospital. She was halfway to California by now, if not already there. It wasn’t fair for him to call her and expect…what? That she’d change her plans and come back for him? She’d made her feelings clear.
They’d made love. No, they’d had great sex, as Nina had put it. But to Gray it had been more than just sex. She thought that they’d taken comfort with each other as a way to break free of the past. It wouldn’t be fair of him to drag her back into another crisis.
“I’m going to get a cup of coffee,” he said to his mother as she held on to Luke. “Does anyone want anything from the cafeteria?”
After getting a list of things to bring back to the waiting room, Gray walked to the elevator, pushed the down button, and waited for the doors to open. Once the elevator arrived, he stepped aside to allow the people who’d ridden it up to get off. He then got in himself and pushed the button for the ground floor where the hospital had a cafeteria. Leaning up against the cool metal wall of the elevator, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the tidal wave of emotion he’d been feeling since seeing his father fall.
The elevator bell rang, indicating he’d reached the ground floor. The doors opened with a rush of fresh air that bathed his face. He walked off the elevator quickly, not looking at the faces of people stepping on. It wasn’t until he felt the firm hand on his arm that he looked up and saw Nina.
Seeing her beautiful face was like manna from heaven.
“Why didn’t you call me when it happened?” Nina said, pulling him into her embrace.
It had been what he needed. And now that Nina was in his arms, Gray didn’t want to let her go. A flood of emotion bubbled up his throat and threatened his composure. He finally knew what that feeling of coming home felt like. Nina was in his arms now and it was the only home he ever wanted.
“I knew you were on the road,” he said. “How did you know about my father’s heart attack?”
“I called Tessa to find out if Dusty Surprise was doing okay. He was still limping yesterday morning when I left and I was afraid to leave him. Tessa told me what happened out at the rig. I was almost to Nevada when I turned back.”
He placed both hands on her face and looked at her. The dark circles under her eyes showed that she hadn’t slept. She’d driven non-stop to get there.
“You shouldn’t have driven tired like that.”
She shrugged slightly. “I know. But I…needed to get here.”
“I’m glad you did. I’m so glad you’re here. But you shouldn’t have risked it.”
“It doesn’t matter now. What can I do to help?”
He pulled her into his arms and held her. “You’re here. That’s all I need. That’s everything I need.”
* * *
The moment Nina learned of John McKinnon’s heart attack, she couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough. She’d turned around and just drove on adrenaline and caffeine. They’d waited together in the waiting room with all the McKinnons until John got out of surgery. His heart was damaged, but he’d survived. He had a long road to recovery ahead of him. But he would recover. That alone was enough for all the McKinnons to rejoice.
She stayed a few more days in Rudolph with Ian, helping to babysit the children while the rest of the family visited John in the hospital and made plans for John’s future rehabilitation and eventual return home. When all the plans were made, she didn’t have to break the news to Gray. He knew.
“When are you leaving?” he said, kissing her on her forehead as he held her in a tight embrace.
“In the morning.”
His expression collapsed. “Ian and Abby are coming back from the hospital in a little while. Maybe you can stay the night over at my place.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“You know why. How many times are we going to say goodbye? I can’t do that again. If I leave in the morning, I can just leave. No goodbyes.”
She felt the rise and fall of his chest against her body.
Still holding her, he said, “You’re going to miss me.”
“I already do.”
He didn’t press her and for that she was glad. He hugged her at the door and instead of goodbye, he said, “You’re my best friend, Nina. Always my friend no matter what happens. Come back to me when you’re ready. You know where I am.”
She
cried as he closed the door, but knew he was right. They’d started as friends and nothing was ever going to change that.
She’d stayed in the spare room at Ian’s house, but sleep eluded her. As the darkness in the room made way for the light of the morning, she knew what she had to do. And she couldn’t wait to do it.
* * *
Gray heard the car door slam outside his townhouse. He climbed out of bed and pushed the curtain aside to see who it was. His heart kicked up a notch when he saw Nina climbing out of her SUV.
Pulling on his jeans and sweatshirt, he walked barefoot down the stairs and opened the front door and let her step inside before Nina had had a chance to knock.
“I thought you were leaving this morning.”
She bit her bottom lip as she grinned. “I was. I’d planned on leaving and just driving as far as I could without stopping and then for some reason I ended up here. I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Liar,” he said, his mouth tilting to one side. “You know exactly why you’re here.”
“Would you mind filling me in?”
“Because you remember what we were like together. You want to stay away, but you can’t.”
She sighed quickly. “Okay, I’m human. I can’t stay away from you, Gray. I thought I could but I—”
“You’re so beautiful.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her mouth, drinking as much of her in before she vanished from his life again.
His heart pounded in his chest, drowning out the voices that had been screaming at him all night to go over to Ian’s and convince Nina she was wrong. But now she was here.
When she pulled away from his embrace, he saw the tears in her eyes. “I like it when you say that.”
“I want you to stay,” he said quietly.
“Why? I need you to tell me why, Gray. Because we had good sex?”
He chuckled low. “Well, that’s true enough. But that’s not the reason and you know it.”
“I know why I would stay.”
He smiled. “Then tell me. I need to hear it, too.”
“I made a mistake once. I left and I lost you. I don’t want to make that same mistake again.”
“Then why are you standing so far away from me?”
She drew in a deep breath and touched her hands to his cheek. “Gray, I’m never going to be Jen.”
“I’m not asking you to be. I never asked you to be.”
“She was so sure of herself. Me, I’m…”
“You’re more sure of yourself than you think. You know what you want. You’re just afraid. Well, I’m afraid, too. I’m afraid that if you leave here again, I’ll lose all that is left of my heart.”
“Really?”
“I woke up when you came back into my life. I feel alive when I’m with you. I want to feel alive like that again. I want you, Nina.”
“You’re right. I was running away. But I’m so worried you’re going to wake up one day and realize you got the consolation prize. She was the one you wanted. That’s why I stayed away.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “Jen is my past, Nina. You are my future. What I feel for you is different. Deeper. Maybe Jen and I could have gotten to that place eventually. I don’t know. We were in love. I can’t deny that. And on some level, she’s always going to hold that special place in my heart. Her accident destroyed me for a long time. But I also know that I was hanging on to something for all the wrong reasons. I was searching for something. It wasn’t until you came back into my life that I realized I was searching for my friend.”
She closed her eyes. “Yes, we’re friends.”
“What we have was started a long time ago before I met Jen. It didn’t end when you went away the first time. It was just…put on hold. Life sidetracked us. But you know we’re more than just friends. You’re my heart and soul.
“When my father was wheeled into surgery, the only person I thought about was you and how much I wanted you with me. There were dozens of McKinnons in that waiting room supporting each other. But the only person I wanted was you. My arms ached for you. No one else came to mind. I needed you.”
She swallowed a sob. “That’s why I turned around and came back when I got the news. I told you I’d always be your friend. Nothing is going to change that.”
“I know. I want my best friend in my life forever, Nina. That’s you. I’m asking you.”
“Asking what?”
“Stay here. Stay where we can be together. You’re dug deep into my heart. I want you here with me. There’s no need for you to run away to California for us to figure out what we already know is in our hearts. I mean, what does California have that you can’t get here?”
She laughed. “Well, right now a place for me to live. If you recall, I’m now homeless in South Dakota.”
“Not if you’re with me.” He opened his arms and then tapped his hand on his chest over his heart. “Your home in here. And anywhere I am.”
She lifted her chin as if she were holding back a flood of emotion, a dam that threatened to break.
Gray dragged Nina into his arms and held her tight. Everything about having Nina in his arms felt so right.
“Stay, Nina. Be with me. I love you. I want you to be my wife. I don’t know if I can stand to lose you again. Let’s find out just how wonderful we can be together.”
Tears fell freely down her cheeks. But the smile on her face said it all. “I love you, too, Gray. So much.”
“I want you in my life forever.”
She chuckled through her tears. “Is this an official proposal?”
“You’d better believe it.”
“Nothing would make me happier, Gray McKinnon.”
Gray had never understood it when people would tell him that falling in love with the right person completed them. And now he understood. He felt complete with Nina in his arms. His friend. His lover. And soon, she’d be his wife for the rest of his life.
The End
Dear Reader
Thank you so much for reading HIS DAKOTA HEART. If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review at your online retailer so that other readers may discover this series. And make sure you tell a friend so they can try it out. Remember, Her Dakota Man, book 1 of the Dakota Hearts series is currently free, so everyone can get a taste of these sexy McKinnon men!
When I started writing about the McKinnons, I didn’t realize how much I’d fall in love with them. As I was writing HIS DAKOTA HEART, I knew I had to bring in the McKinnon parents. But as the story was unfolding, I was shocked when I realized there really needed to be something else that rocked their world. John McKinnon’s heart attack did that. Even though the McKinnons have been through many trials, this event makes the McKinnons stand up and take notice. In the next book, DAKOTA COWBOY, Luke McKinnon is going to trade the courtroom for life on the ranch. In ONE DAKOTA NIGHT, Grace McKinnon is going to come to terms with her divorce and find love in the arms of a sexy cowboy who knows how to treat a woman right. And then, there is the absent Julian McKinnon who has aimlessly wandered and needs the right woman to set him straight in DAKOTA HOMECOMING.
Make sure you sign up for my newsletter http://eepurl.com/xhxO5 so you won’t miss a single release.
I have big plans for 2015! I’ll be releasing a new New Adult Erotic Romance series called the Summer House Series, set on one of my favorite places, Nantucket Island. I’ve also joined forces with two other authors to write a new series called RODEO KNIGHTS. I’ve already briefly introduced you to Jesse Knight in HIS DAKOTA HEART. You’ll be seeing him more in the coming books and then he’ll get his own lady love this fall in HER KNIGHT, HER PROTECTOR, book 1 of RODEO KNIGHTS.
I love hearing from readers so please email me!
All my best,
Lisa Mondello
Bonus Material
Dakota Cowboy by Lisa Mondello
The last thing Luke McKinnon wanted in life was to work at the family oil business. He'd done a good job steering clear
of that by setting up a successful law practice in Sioux Falls. But when the patriarch of the family falls sick, Luke steps in. He's only trading his crisp white dress shirt for a t-shirt and hardhat until his father is back on his feet. He doesn't plan on sticking around. That is...until he meets Tessa.
Single mother, Tessa Rock isn't afraid of hard work. She can hold her own with the ranch hands on her daddy's ranch and on an oil rig. She doesn't have time for a man to mess up her fragile life...until Luke McKinnon shows up on her rig. The handsome lawyer is probably used to having beautiful women draped on his arm. But at the end of the day, it's a miracle if she can get all the dirt and grime out from under her fingernails. The two of them couldn't be more different. But none of that matters. She quickly learns what a fool she'd been to think of Luke as just a lawyer who can help her get what she wants. One night in his warm embrace, and seeing the heart and soul of a man who loves so deeply, Tessa realizes she wants the man...for the rest of her life.
Order DAKOTA COWBOY by Lisa Mondello
Check out all the DAKOTA HEARTS books:
book 1 - Her Dakota Man
book 2 - Badland Bride
book 3 - Dakota Heat
book 4 - Wild Dakota Heart
book 5 - His Dakota Bride
book 6 - Dakota Wedding
book 7 - His Dakota Heart
book 8 - Dakota Cowboy
book 9 - One Dakota Night
book 10 - Dakota Homecoming
DAKOTA HEARTS
Her Dakota Man book 1 of Dakota Hearts
Badland Bride book 2 of Dakota Hearts
Dakota Heat book 3 of Dakota Hearts
Wild Dakota Heart book 4 of Dakota Hearts
His Dakota Bride book 5 of Dakota Hearts
Dakota Wedding book 6 of Dakota Hearts
His Dakota Heart book 7 of Dakota Hearts
Dakota Cowboy book 8 of Dakota Hearts
One Dakota Night book 9 of Dakota Hearts
Dakota Homecoming book 10 of Dakota Hearts
TEXAS HEARTS
Her Heart for the Asking - book 1 Texas Hearts
His Heart for the Trusting - book 2 Texas Hearts
His Dakota Heart Page 10
