TRISTAN’S DESTINY
BONUS BOOK #1.5
A short Novel
Double Dutch Ranch Series:
Love at First Sight #1.5
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
http://www.maryjdresselbooks.com
Copyright
Tristan’s Destiny is a work of fiction. Canyon Junction is fictional. Names, characters, places, and incidences either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
DISCLAIMER: The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms or accidents that may require diagnosis or medical attention.
Smashwords Edition
Tristan’s Destiny Copyright © 2014 by Mary J. Dressel
First Digital Edition 2014 United States of America
Publisher: Teel Blue Books
Edited By: Creative Manuscripts
Cover Design By: Dawné Dominique
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, scanned, distributed, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, either now known or in the future, is forbidden without the express written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
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Books by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Double Dutch Ranch Series:
Love at First Sight
Cowboy Boss and his Destiny
Tristan’s Destiny - Bonus Book #1.5
Heartbreak’s Reward
Bull Rider Series
Howdy, Ma’am, #1
Hey, Cowboy, #2
Dedication
~For Margaret (Maggie)
Author Note: Tristan's Destiny is a “bonus book” and takes place directly after Cowboy Boss and his Destiny ends. This book contains spoilers regarding that book if this one is read first.
Chapter 1
Spending the night at the Double Dutch Ranch last night, Nora came out of Tristan’s shower clothed in nothing but a robe. Tristan waited in the bedroom chair near the window that looked out over the Sonoran Desert. Crossing the room toward him, a warmth embraced her as she gazed upon him. The dirty flannel shirt, bit of scruff on his chin, and messy hair added to his charm, yet she ignored the smidgen of barn smell. “Good morning.”
Tristan lifted a brow and did a once over, beginning at her toes—not stopping until their gaze connected. The gleam in his eyes was enough to make her nerve endings tingle.
“Good timing on my part.” He rose from the chair. Tristan sauntered to where she stood, untied the belt on her robe, and as if he wanted her for breakfast, slipped his hands to her waist. They glided to her bare back, lowering before returning. He eased the robe off her shoulders and there she stood, naked to his gaze.
It took every bit of strength she had to grasp his hands. She dropped her head back, seduced by his sensual caresses. That’s when his lips took over, weakening her even more.
He fisted the hair at the back of her head, holding her while his lips sought hers. “Don’t you remember I’m a morning person?” he mumbled with his lips still against her mouth.
“Tristan, honey, I have to go help your mom. Let me earn my keep.” She breathed out a big sigh, and in fact, didn’t want it to stop at all.
“Don’t worry, I’m making sure you pay the bill right now.” His fingers slid over her abdomen and lower, but he knelt to press his lips against her belly. “You were right when you told Destiny there was a little bump here.” Lips followed his hands to her breasts where he teased with warm, wet kisses.
She pressed her palms against his chest. “I have to get dressed…”
Tristan leaned back, piercing her with a questionable stare. “Are you serious?”
Mmm! “I can only take so much of this. How about later?” Those words weren’t easy to get out. Oh, yes she wanted him. Always wanted him, but this wasn’t the time.
“So much of this?” His fingers softly tickled with expert caresses, touching her in places she enjoyed. Tristan lifted her face with his other hand and licked his lips in a way that made her knees wobble.
In a quickening breath, she whispered, “I’m losing, a-aren’t I?”
“Yep.” A sexy glint in his eyes spoke of being naughty. Tristan removed his flannel shirt then unhooked the button on his jeans. With his t-shirt half off, he froze in his spot…
Destiny’s fingers scratched on the door. “Daddy, Uncle Jase needs you.”
“Dammit…” Tristan huffed out in a lowered voice. “My brother has awful timing.” He shook his head as if to clear it, pulling his t-shirt back down. “Tell him I’ll be right there, Des.” Picking up Nora’s robe, he draped it over her shoulders. “You were saved this time.” He turned to go into the bathroom.
“Saved?” Nora narrowed her eyes. She put her thumb and forefinger together. “I was this close…to…well, you were winning.”
Tristan came out of the bathroom drying his hands. He buttoned his jeans before putting on his hat. “I’ll catch you later.” He picked his shirt up from the floor and exited.
***
Nora met Tristan at the bottom of the stairs that evening as they were about to follow through with their plan. “Hi, sweetheart, you were late getting in tonight.”
“How much longer before dinner?” he asked. “Damn, it was a busy day. In addition to repairing damage to the barn plus doctoring a sick horse, I just got back from showing the builder the property. He thought it all looked good, but he suggested starting the foundation farther west.”
Lordy, his cologne smelled delicious and she wanted to inhale him in. Hugging him, she pressed her lips against his neck. “Not very long. You smell wonderful.” Taking a half step back, she asked, “Farther west will still be okay, right?”
“Thanks. I didn’t smell good earlier.” He took her hands from around his neck. “A straight on view of the Superstitions if I do make the change. Do you have a minute?”
Nora released a pent up sigh left over from this morning’s short-lived escapade. “Sure.” She followed him down the hallway to the office. Inside he closed the door and pressed her up against it. Holding her face between his hands, he kissed her softly. “We’re about to tell my mother we’re adding a grandchild to the family. Don’t stand too close to her. She’ll go wild.”
She grasped his wrists. “A happy wild, I hope.”
“She’d fill this house with grandbabies if the three of us boys gave them to her.” Tristan kissed her again. “I can’t wait for her to start on her baby…Dane.”
“You guys are so bad about teasing your little brother.” Nora snickered. “Maybe she’ll get him hooked up with my friend Roxanne. She’ll be here for our wedding.” She peered off to the side. “That means Dane needs to be here though. I wouldn’t mind getting Roxanne fixed up. B
etter yet, I wish she’d move back to Canyon Junction.”
Nora went into her own head a moment, reflecting on her hellish life growing up in this small town. “Thanks to Roxanne and her family, growing up here was a lot easier for me after my dad died. They helped me get through the rough times…you know, with the issues I had with my stepdad.”
“I’m glad she was here for you, but as far as Dane being here, that’s probably not going to happen, darlin’.” Tristan took a deep breath. “Are ya ready? I’m starved.”
“When aren’t you starving?” She teased, staring lovingly into his eyes—her mind in a spin. She was more fearful of telling her own mother, but still worried about how Judy would feel about her afterwards. Nora had to admit she was a little embarrassed to have gotten pregnant so soon into their relationship. But then she thought of the facts…she was having Tristan’s baby.
A baby. Their baby. She was to become a mother. It was never in her future plans until she spotted this frantic cowboy running around a big, black truck. Everything changed from that moment on. The warmth of his arms surrounded her with love, passion, and she absorbed him right into her soul.
Tristan released her. “Let’s go.” When they entered the kitchen, Judy stirred something in a big pot that smelled delicious with a combination of garlic, onions, and turkey. Jase had pulled a beer from the fridge.
“Mom?” Tristan stood near the table.
Judy turned away from the stove. “Yes, what is it, son?” She set down the wooden spoon she had in her hand. Her boyfriend, Martyn, put the salad fixings in the refrigerator and stood beside Judy.
“I think you better sit down.” Tristan called to his little girl who was getting into her barn boots to meet her cousins on the porch. “Come here, honey.”
Nora gulped, not sure now. She clutched his arm. He put his hand on Destiny’s shoulder as she stood in front of him.
“Oh, I bet you’ve picked a date for your wedding,” said Judy, taking a seat on a bar stool at the counter.
“Well, kind of,” said Nora, trying to keep her hands from trembling. “We’re aiming for around Valentine’s Day, not the actual day though.”
“But, Mom,” said Tristan. “There’s more…”
Jase popped the top on his can of beer, and faced Tristan with a lifted brow as if he knew what was coming.
Tristan whispered into Destiny’s ear. He told her it was time to let go of the new secret. Here it comes. Nora braced herself against him.
Tristan said, “Destiny has news to tell y’all.”
She clapped her hands together. “Grandma, guess what? I’m gonna be a big sister.” She cranked her neck back. “Nora’s having a baby.”
Nora held her breath, not expecting the secret to come out in such a rush, but it was great the way Destiny’s big, blue eyes lit up when she looked back at Nora.
Jase stood. “Well, I’d say we could open another bottle of champagne to celebrate, but in your present condition, Nora, we better stick to soda. Congratulations!” He eyed his brother. “Damn, that was fast, Trist. I mean, you just got engaged.” He took a big drink from his beer can. “Wow, talk about excitement. Not sure I can take all this.” Jase gave a hardy laugh. “A new niece or nephew.” He stepped toward Tristan and pushed his shoulder. “Been busy, little brother.”
“Jase, you can start by putting a dollar in the kids’ cussin’ bank.” Judy raised her arms. “I’m so glad I came up with that idea. By time the kids graduate, they’ll be able to pay for college…but…a baby.” She pressed her hands against her lips in steeple like fashion. “You two are having a baby!”
The look on Judy’s face said it all. Nora relaxed.
Judy hugged Destiny. “You’ll make the best big sister there ever was, my little sweetie.” She stood in front of them. “I’m so happy for all of you. Y’all are good at keeping secrets.”
Jase’s kids ran in the door and Destiny blurted it out to them.
Tristan raised his hands out in front of him. “It was a secret to me, too, until yesterday. I didn’t know when I asked Nora to marry me.” He pulled Nora close. “I’d say we’re having a great new year. February for a wedding…” He turned to Nora. “Around July or August for a baby?”
She nodded as her hand went to her belly. “Yes, summer.” She couldn’t prevent her eyes from misting.
Jase pulled Nora into a hug. “I’m really happy for you three.” He turned to Destiny and picked her up. “You’ll be a great sister.”
“Yep, but now Daddy’s taking me to the barn to see my horse.” She turned to her cousins. “Come on. Joey, you’re already a big brother. Now I get to be a big sister.”
“I want to be a big sister,” said Jase’s daughter Jaelle, following after them.
Jase about choked on his beer. “Probably not going to happen, princess,” he said to Jaelle as she ran out the door. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Tristan and Martyn followed. Judy called for Jase before he went out. “Is Rebecca coming for dinner?”
He glanced out the door, then faced his mom with a far off emptiness in his eyes. “Nope. I’m not sure if she ever plans on coming to dinner again.”
“Oh, honey…”
“Mom, not now. Please.” Jase backed up then went out the door.
Nora was left in the kitchen with Judy. “I’m so sorry for him. I hope everything turns out.”
“Well, Rebecca surely isn’t the woman, or mother she used to be. Something’s not right with her these days. My heart bleeds for my son.” Judy returned to the stove and stirred the soup.
Nora didn’t know how much Jase or Tristan told Judy about Rebecca meeting another man in town a couple months back, so she’d keep her mouth shut. She took a seat, unable to find the words, but she had to know if Judy’s suspicion about her pregnancy was correct. “You knew I was pregnant?” she asked to Judy.
Judy put her spoon down and sat beside her, taking Nora’s hand as it rested on the table. “I had a quick thought.” A softness in her smile—so common for Judy, appeared on her lips.
“How?” Nora asked, wiping a tear away from her cheek, not knowing why she was crying, but it happened a lot lately for no reason.
“I don’t know, honey. Maybe the glow in your cheeks, but I also knew that could be because you were in love with my son. It was a silly assumption.” She did a half shrug. “Or wishful thinking.”
“The day we made holiday cookies, I was so shocked to hear you say ‘maybe you’ll have a baby together’ but I didn’t think you could know. My mom never suspected anything.” Nora peered into space. “But, really, you know me better than she does.”
“I know I blab too much sometimes.” Judy turned the flame down on the turkey soup before giving it another stir. When finished, she removed bread from the oven. She turned to Nora. “You know I’m very happy for all of you. You’ve changed each other’s lives.” Judy’s expression was heartfelt and filled with tenderness. “In turn my granddaughter’s life has changed. I couldn’t be more tickled.”
“Now, I’ll cry.” Judy’s words dug into her heart. Pregnancy sure contributed to her fluctuating moods.
She patted Nora on the back. “It’s part of it, honey.”
“Telling my mother will not be easy, especially since she expected me to be pregnant before marriage. She started on me about getting pregnant way before I knew much about how it was done.” She dabbed her eyes with her shirt sleeve.
“Well, dear, things don’t always go according to the order we think they should. Give your mother a chance.”
“I’ll try not to jump to conclusions, especially since we’re both trying to mend our botched relationship. As long as this doesn’t set us back, we’ll be able to work it all out.” Nora sighed, hoping for the nervousness to subside. Peering out the window, she observed the setting sun. The sky turned coppery giving the area an amazing glow. She stood. “What can I do to help?”
“Well, the bread needs slicing. I’ll toss the salad a
nd we can set the table.” Judy stopped Nora when she headed for a knife. “Tristan mentioned he wanted you to move in early now that you’re engaged. To get rid of your townhouse.” She gave a cordial nod. “You both have my blessing if that’s your decision. After all, Destiny already considers you her mom.”
***
The three of them settled in at Nora’s townhouse that evening. She turned on the TV for Destiny, picked up her phone, and headed for the dining room. Tristan took a seat beside her at the table. “I want to get this over with now. Telling Mom about getting married isn’t what bothers me. She’ll be happy about that.”
Tristan put his hand on her arm. “She’ll get over it all. You’ve been through the worst of it with her. You won’t know until you do it. Besides, you’re on much better terms with her now.”
“That’s true, but…no, none of that negativity.” Nora blew out her held breath. “All right.” She hoped her mom was feeling good enough to even hear this news since her mom was recuperating from pneumonia.
Tristan stopped her before she dialed. “Remember, we can tell her in person.”
“No, not now. I want to get back into our work schedule. We’re so behind on the magazine. Maybe we should skip the January issue in the future.” Nora reflected on her words, knowing she had no business telling him how to run his magazine. “I’m sorry—”
“You might have a great idea. I don’t know how we’ll work around it, but it could work. I’ll give it some thought.” He squeezed her arm. “You’re such an asset to me.”
To hear him say that meant a lot to her, but she’d be more careful when it came to his work. She dialed her mom’s cell phone. “I can do this.” Having Tristan by her side gave her strength. Sandy answered immediately. “Hey, Mom. How are you doing? I have you on speaker phone. Tristan’s here with Destiny.”
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