by Rebecca York
“Our girl,” she repeated.
“Yes. If it’s all right, I’d like my name on her birth certificate.”
“Yes.”
“And I’ll have her on a horse before she’s a month old.”
“You’re kidding.”
He laughed, feeling better than he had in a long time. “Well, depending on the weather, of course. And I don’t expect her to sit astride so young. I’ll have her in a carrier on my back.”
Courtney stared at him. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“Nope.” He hugged the woman he loved and closed his eyes, thinking he had stumbled onto everything he’d ever wanted when he’d stopped to help a stranded motorist. He hadn’t known it at the time. He knew it now.
Epilogue
As Riley looked around the rustic environment of Big Sky’s temporary headquarters, he felt his stomach clench.
He’d just dropped a bombshell in Cameron Murphy’s lap. And he was waiting for the fallout.
“So this isn’t just paternity leave?” the colonel asked.
Riley wedged his hands into his pockets, then launched into the speech he’d been rehearsing on his way here from the Golden Saddle.
“I’ve thought it out carefully. Courtney and the baby need me. Edward Rogers was away on foreign assignments more often than he was home. Then he got himself killed in Lukinburg. My wife needs stability—and a husband she can count on. Which means I need to stay at the ranch.”
“I hate to lose a good man. But I understand,” the colonel answered. “And, truthfully, I was prepared to hear you say you were leaving us.”
Riley nodded. “I’m glad it’s not too much of a shock.”
They talked in the colonel’s private office, then joined the other men in the lounge. As they stepped through the door, Riley could hear some of the others ribbing Joseph Brown about his full-blown romance with Princess Veronika. She’d been mortified to find out her brother’s role in the terrorist attacks. But her former bodyguard had made her understand that her brother’s dishonorable actions had nothing to do with her. After several weeks of helping her come to terms with her changed family situation, he’d gotten up the courage to ask her to stay in the U.S.—as his wife. For answer, she’d thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Or so the story went. Riley was pretty sure it was a slight exaggeration. But wedding bells were definitely in the offing.
And many of the other guys were also making plans to get married to the women they’d met on this assignment.
Riley had beat them to the punch, because he’d wanted the world—particularly the upstanding citizens of Spur City—to know that Courtney and Hannah were his.
He was settling into married life at the Golden Saddle.
With Courtney’s approval, they’d invited his mom up from Texas to meet his new wife and help with the baby. She and Courtney had hit it off really well. And they were thinking about making the arrangement permanent.
They’d also hired two new hands—to replace Jake and give them some extra help.
But there were still a few more loose ends he had come to discuss with Big Sky.
He told the other guys he was leaving. They were disappointed. But like the colonel, they weren’t surprised.
Then they got into a discussion about Sheriff Bobby Pennington. The lawman had cut and run after the terrorists bit the dust at the Golden Saddle Ranch. And Big Sky had scooped him up. He was being held for questioning under the Patriot Act. Which meant he wasn’t going to surface anytime soon.
“I hate being out of the loop. What about the prince?” Riley asked.
“He’s still in custody. Even if the feds can’t make a case against him stick, he’s got nowhere to go. He was going to pay the president of a nearby country to take him in. But now he’s barely got enough money to pay a lawyer,” Cook said. His arm was still in a sling from the night of the shootout. But he was on the mend.
Riley snorted. “Good.”
“Since his father’s government fell and elections are scheduled, it looks like democracy is coming to Lukinburg,” Murphy added.
“Yeah, I know the king went under. I wasn’t sure how fast they could get a democratic government going.”
“There’s always been opposition to the king. Once he was out of the way, their exiled leader, Constantine Kirilovich, was able to come back. And the people have rallied around him,” Murphy related.
“Good.”
“I guess you haven’t been keeping up with the news.”
“I’ve been a little busy.”
“Yeah. I can imagine,” the colonel said.
He was about to add something more when the phone rang.
Cook picked it up, and they could tell from the expression on his face that he was blown away by whoever was on the other end of the line.
“You’re not kidding, right?” he said.
The colonel pushed the speaker button, and a familiar voice boomed out. “No. This really is the president of the United States.”
A hush fell around the room.
Without missing a beat, their commander answered, “This is Colonel Cameron Murphy. What can we do for you, Mr. President?”
“I’ve just been informed of the role you played in saving my wife’s life—and in taking down the terrorists working with Prince Nikolai of Lukinburg. You did what the FBI and the Secret Service couldn’t do. And I’m forever in your debt for saving the first lady.”
“We were just doing our jobs,” Murphy answered, looking around the group and giving a thumbs-up sign.
“Well, the U.S. Government offered a special reward for information leading to the capture of the men responsible for the attack on my wife. You and your men will get that, of course.”
The men in the room grinned at each other.
The president cleared his throat. “I’m so impressed with Big Sky that I’d like you to consider heading up a special branch of homeland security.”
Even the colonel blinked when he heard that.
“What exactly did you have in mind?” he asked.
“I’m thinking of a…special task force that goes beyond the law to protect the U.S.”
“I’d need to hear more details,” Murphy answered.
“Of course. And we can discuss them at a later date. Right now I know you and your men are due for some R&R.”
“Yes, sir. Can we get back to you in the next few weeks?”
“Of course.”
The colonel hung up, and everyone sat in stunned silence.
“Well, how do you like them apples,” Clark quipped.
“Sweet,” Riley answered. “The money will be appreciated, and the job offer sounded like a wonderful opportunity for Big Sky.”
“Can we tempt you back?” Murphy asked.
“Afraid not,” he said without hesitation.
He had a new life now, and not even a call from the president of the United States was going to pry him away from the happiness of his new life at the Golden Saddle.
“So are we taking the commander in chief’s offer?” Powell asked.
“Like I told him, we need to think about it. I suggest we don’t make any decisions until we’re fit and rested.” He looked around the room. “And now that Watson’s with us, I want to add my thanks to the president’s. He saw the end result. He didn’t know what we’d gone through to get here.”
There were murmurs of agreement around the room.
“I knew when I assembled this group of men we could do extraordinary things. You’ve all proved it in spades. And wherever we go from here—I know we’ll make the right decision.”
Riley felt choked up. And he knew from the expres sions on the other men’s faces that their emotions were running high.
Walking away from them was going to leave a hole in his heart. Yet he knew he would fill that void with the love he gave Courtney and Hannah—and the love he got back from them. His new life was already different from his old. And while h
e’d miss his comrades in Big Sky, he had never looked forward to the future with such joy and optimism.
Life was good.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Rebecca York for her contribution to the BIG SKY BOUNTY HUNTERS series.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2867-2
RILEY’S RETRIBUTION
Copyright © 2005 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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* 43 Light Street
** 43 Light Street/Mine To Keep
† Peregrine Connection
Table of Contents
About the Author
Books by Rebecca York
Cast of Characters
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Copyright
