by K. C. Crowne
“Yes, we’ll be right out.”
It was like my mother didn’t want to leave. She couldn’t stop staring at me and crying. She blew me a kiss and said, “Love you,” before stepping out into the hallway. My heart was full and happy. I hadn’t had a happier moment, even when I graduated from law school earlier that year. Nothing could compare to this - having my family and loved ones gathered together to celebrate Jack and me.
“I think it’s showtime,” Isabelle said, guiding the other girls toward the doorway.
I was the last one out in the hallway, and my father was standing there, waiting. As my mother had predicted, he lost it. In all the years, I’d never seen my father cry the way he did when he saw me. He was choked up and couldn’t even speak when I walked over to him and took his arm.
After a few moments, he managed to choke out, “You’re beautiful, sweetheart. Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you, Dad,” I said, giving his arm a squeeze. “Are you ready for this?”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to give away my little girl, but, well, I guess you’re not a little girl anymore.” I could hear the sadness in his voice, but he smiled. “I’m very proud of you, Cassie. You’ve grown into an amazing young woman.”
All those years of never feeling good enough for my father were simply a distant memory. Knowing that my dad was proud of me meant more than I expected, and I teared up just as we turned down the hallway to the chapel.
Liberty First Presbyterian was the church my parents had married in years before, so it only felt fitting to have our ceremony there as well. I heard the music playing, and I knew my bridesmaids were walking down the aisle. That’s when I saw my little boy in his suit, lined up with Zoey. My mother was helping them walk down the aisle.
Owen saw me and held up his hands. “Mommy!”
He rushed over to me, and even though we only had a second, I picked up my son and hugged him tightly. He looked so stinking cute in his little suit. I hadn’t even realized they made them for children as young as him until we went shopping.
“It’s time for Owen and Zoey,” Mom whispered.
I placed Owen on his feet next to Zoey, and my son smiled up at me.
My mom took the little ones down the aisle. I could see them from where I was standing. Zoey was so distracted that she forgot to drop the petals until my mother whispered something to her. She grabbed a handful and dropped a bunch to the floor at once.
I covered my mouth to hide the giggling. Everyone in attendance chuckled too. It was just too darn cute.
Then the music changed, and my heart raced. I knew what it meant.
“Ready, sweetie?” Dad asked.
“Yes, of course.”
We walked into the church, and I saw Jack at the end of the aisle. Our eyes met, and it was like there was no one else in the church. He smiled at me, and I smiled back as the tears fell down my cheeks.
I’d never felt so much joy as in that moment, knowing that we would be together forever and that our little family was safe.
Jack was surrounded by his brothers - Graham was his best man, while Mason, Elijah, and Samuel were standing next to him. The men were now working together, and they’d given Jack a steady job working for their security firm. They were growing closer than ever. I knew they would play a big part in our life - and be around Liberty a lot, even if some of them weren’t sure they were going to stay.
I was happy for Jack. All his life, he’d been alone, thinking he only had Madison. Now he was surrounded by people that loved him. Including a wife and son.
And while he didn’t know it yet, another baby was on the way.
My father released me, handing me over to Jack. The two men nodded and shared a smile. My dad had tears in his eyes, and I swear, so did Jack.
I had never felt so loved in all my life.
When the time came to say, “I do,” the words felt so natural and right.
And when Jack kissed me, he whispered the words, “I love you,” against my lips.
And just like that - we were husband and wife.
Our family was together, and all our dreams were coming true.
Did you enjoy Cassie and Jack’s love story? Great news! This book is part of a series, called Mountain Men of Liberty and for a limited time, a boxset that includes books 1-4 is discounted from the standard price of $9.99.
Take advantage of this limited time savings, and check out my boxset here.
I’ve also included a sneak peek of my bestselling Cowboy series, Rainbow Canyon Cowboys. Check out the sneak peek in the next section!
Taboo Cowboy (Preview)
Molly is too young. Too innocent.
And she's pretending to be my son's girlfriend.
It's a real shame how her sweet curves challenge this cowboy's code.
When my son comes to visit the family ranch, he brings Molly along.
A pretty little temptation my son tries to pass off as his girlfriend.
But I know one thing's for certain: My son doesn’t chase women.
Molly’s a tiny little thing... especially next to me.
She’s adorable. Big blue eyes. A sassy mouth.
And blonde hair I want to wrap around my fist.
I try to keep a tight rein on my untamed need.
But I want to have her. Taste her. Mark her as mine.
I have to be Molly’s first. And her last.
But can a gruff cowboy like me tame the queen of manicures and designer bags?
One things for certain...
When danger threatens Molly and our unborn baby...
I vow to prove the love in my rugged heart.
Molly
“Please don’t tell me you have a picture of your penis in here.” I asked, jokingly.
“I plead the fifth.”
I laughed before pulling up the text from Christopher’s dad.
“Hi, Christopher. Wanted to see when you’ll be arriving home. Let me know.”
I was less concerned with the message, and more with the picture of his dad at the top of the screen. Angling the phone so my best friend couldn’t see, I expanded the picture.
Holy shit! My best friend’s dad was hot!
Butterflies flew in my stomach as I regarded the picture.
Before me was a photo of a built man standing in front of a barn, his arms crossed over a beefy chest as he leaned against the door.
Underneath the brim of his cowboy hat I could make out his rugged features. His eyes, so steely, that they pierced right through me.
The gorgeous man had a wide jaw dusted with stubble, his mouth in a flat, serious line.
I could tell he was tall, built solid as the truck he no doubt drove.
My virgin mind was running wild. I imagined what it’d be like to join him for a ride, just the two of us, under the dark starry Texas night. Window’s fogged up from a night of passion. It was wrong, so wrong.
My best friend’s dad.
And that wasn’t even getting into the fact that he was much older.
But that didn’t diminish my attraction. If anything, it made me wonder what an experienced, older man like that could teach a girl like me.
“Molly, what’s it say?”
“Um, nothing,” I said. “Just wondering when you’re getting in.”
“Tell him not long. But make it sound like me, you know?”
I fired back a quick text, and put the phone down to avoid suspicions from my best friend.
“So,” Christopher said, “with my dad, just sit back and stay quiet. I can do most of the talking. He can be a little lacking in the tact department, and I don’t want you feeling bad if he phrases things in the wrong way or something.
“Keep in mind I’m a big girl who can handle herself around difficult people. No need to worry. Besides how bad can he even be?”
Christopher side-eyed me again and shook his head. “You really don’t understand, Molly. My dad is disappointed in me and I’m sure he’ll b
e looking for any opportunity to make that clear. My career was never good enough for him. He wanted me to work at the ranch like him and his brothers. He tried to talk me out of moving back to city, of pursuing fashion, of pretty much doing anything I love. And he doesn’t mince words. He’ll likely pass the same judgements on you because you’re some ‘pie in the sky’ fashion designer like me.” He sucked in a breath and said, “I don’t think you’ve met anyone like my father.”
“Look Christopher, I get what you’re saying. And all that may be true, but at the end of the day he’s still a human like the rest of us.”
Only super-hot.
“A stubborn-ass cowboy human.”
“Well, you know I have thick skin. I can handle myself; you can stay rest assured I’ve got my big girl panties on.”
Though I wouldn’t mind taking them off around Mr. Silas.
“Also—I know you can be a bit outspoken. You might want to tone it down a bit while you’re here.”
My jaw dropped. “Outspoken? Me!!!?”
“Yes, you,” he chuckled, running a hand over his baby smooth chin. “I know the reason your boss didn’t keep you on after the internship, remember?”
“Well, he was a jerk. And he was wrong. The outfit he wanted to premier at Fashion Week was hideous. And who was right? What did the magazines have to say about it?”
“They agreed with you, yes. It was a God awful ensemble.”
“Exactly. I was merely being truthful, and Stephan couldn’t handle it."
“And also why you need to work for yourself. You’re too hard-headed sometimes.”
I wanted to argue but couldn’t. “Fine, I’ll give you that. You’re right. And it’s why we have to figure out how we’re going to open our own place one day.”
“In a city like New York, one of us will have to win the lottery or find some Wall Street sugar daddy to fund the project.”
“Maybe. Or maybe just know the right people and hustle.”
Christopher and I had been talking for years about opening our own boutique. Christopher and Molly Designs. Or Molly and Christopher. We were still undecided. Our tastes meshed well together. We were both brutally honest but handled feedback well. I had no doubt that we’d work well together.
But like he said, it was an issue of money.
Lots of it.
And, of course, having a name people recognized. But that would come in time, once we were able to establish ourselves. I had no doubt we’d go viral. I was confident in our exceptional abilities and in our designs.
At this point, low clouds hung over us, blocking the remaining sunlight. It was beginning to get dark; we’d spent most of the day traveling.
I knew I should be tired, but I was wide awake and curious about our destination and meeting the cowboy behind the photo. I couldn’t seem to get his striking soulful eyes out of my mind.
The man was a knockout that much was true. However, I hoped that Christopher’s opinion of our soon to be host was mostly biased and partial.
I’d soon find out.
I started to feel butterflies in my stomach again, in anticipation of meeting the hot cowboy in person.
“So, how much longer until we reach the fortress of your childhood?” I tried not to sound too anxious.
“We’re almost there,” he said quietly, the strain returning to his voice.
We turned off the pavement and down a dirt road.
“Holy cow balls, this place is enormous!” I said.
Christopher had told me it was a luxury ranch, but I had no idea what he meant by that. I pictured horses and stables and a lot of open fields.
Christopher had explained that the guest cabins had hot tubs with stunning views, which sounded really nice, but I had no idea what to expect other than that.
We drove for what felt like an eternity down the dirt road.
Finally, the way opened before us, and in the distance, I caught sight of the ranch for the first time.
My breath caught in my throat.
“Look at you Richie Rich. I can’t believe you grew up here,” I said.
Christopher grew visibly more tense, gripping the steering wheel of the rental car until his knuckles were near-white.
He stared straight ahead and didn’t say a word.
The expanse of land in the distance looked like it met the sky, which was turning eye-catching shades of purples and pinks and oranges. I felt like I was at a southern spa resort.
I could just imagine lounging in a jacuzzi, glass of wine in hand, watching the sun set over the fields.
It all seemed heavenly.
There was a big, metal gate with the name Rainbow Canyons Ranch spelled out in the brass. The gates were closed, but I could see the main house just inside.
Christopher entered some numbers into a keypad and the gates parted. I must have been drooling like a fool in my seat.
“You lived here.” I knew that was Captain Obvious in me speaking, but I still had trouble fathoming that Christopher lived here and never talked about the mansion. He made it sound pretty humble. And while it technically was a cabin, it was a massive one with what appeared to be three stories.
The owner had spared no expense.
“Yep. For a few years before I went away to college,” Christopher said dryly. “Sure, I enjoyed some tolerable memories here, but behind the walls it’s not as great as it looks, trust me. A lot went down in this place.”
Truth be told, I was starting to get why Christopher felt the way he did about the resort.
I couldn’t imagine sharing a place - even one as big as this - with my entire family. It was hard enough to share an apartment with Christopher.
“Christopher, why didn’t you tell me your family was loaded?” I joked as he pulled the rental car into the first available spot next to the house. Our tiny compact Toyota looked out of place amongst the four massive trucks lined up.
I just had to laugh.
“My dad’s family is fairly well-off, yah, but you’ll learn pretty quickly that they’re not flashy, and they don’t live like they’re wealthy. They’re pretty humble about the rich-as-hell thing.”
There was a large pond out front, and the house seemed to be built around it, the flowers and even the walkway twisting alongside, protecting the natural beauty of the water.
I felt like my eyes might be lying, tricking my mind into the ethereal beauty.
“Ready to face the firing squad?”
I shook my head and chuckled. “That’s one hell of a way to talk about your family.”
“I’m the black sheep after all,” he said with a sigh, still not getting out of the car. “This isn’t going to be easy for me.”
“Well, we’ll get through it together.”
I squeezed his upper arm before removing my seat belt and getting out of the car, hoping he’d follow my lead. It took him a few seconds, but eventually, he got out of the car and took a deep breath.
“It still smells the same,” he said, looking around.
“Like clean, fresh air?”
“Like horse shit,” he sneered, but I heard a laugh in his tone.
In the distance, you could catch a whiff of horses, but I had to really focus on that. Mostly, it smelled clean and fresh. Exactly how it looked.
And I thought it was delightful.
We headed for the walkway wrapping around the pond. An oak tree hung above us, its majestic size and glorious greenery eye-catching. By my guess, the place had to be a honeymoon destination.
Off the beaten path, where you could be mostly alone with nature and the person you loved.
It sounded ideal to me.
But what did I know?
My love life depended on the erotic experiences my gay best friend shared with me, and shows like The Jersey Shore.
I grabbed Christopher’s hand and held onto it, unable to hide the grin that stretched across my face. He glanced at me and asked, “Why are you so disturbingly smiley, woman?”
; “I’m just happy to be here. Even if your family is packed with shit tards, I’m still meeting them for the first time and getting a glimpse of your roots, so that’s exciting.”
“Well, I hope they don’t burst your bubble too quick.”
I shot him a knowing smile and blew him a kiss.
Two men started to walk down the front steps of the house. They were tall and burly like Christopher’s dad, one with shaggy, brown hair and the other with a blond tussle on his head and matching beard. They were dressed in rugged jeans and cowboy boots. I could tell right away that they were related – both had the same steely gaze and manly features that I’d seen in the photo.
What made an impression on me was how they carried themselves with strength, taking slow, sauntering steps as if they weren’t worried about a thing in the world.
That and the fact they were both hot-beyond-compare.
Even so, there was still something distinct about that picture of Christopher’s dad.
I couldn’t put my finger on it but, whatever it was, it tugged at me, and made me want to put the image out of my head.
“Howdy,” the first man mumbled.
“This is my uncle, Wyatt,” Christopher introduced. “And the man coming up behind him is Uncle Travis.”
Travis tipped his hat to me.
“You must be Molly,” Travis said, giving my hand a firm shake. “It’s about time Christopher bought a girl home. Must be pretty serious for him to come all this way.”
“Dad summoned me,” Christopher muttered.
Travis and Wyatt chuckled and slapped him on the back, one after the other. Though Christopher was not small by any stretch, his body shook with the force of their blows on his back.
Three others stepped out of the house - one man who was accompanied by a younger woman and an older woman, whom I presumed to be Christopher’s grandma. She was the matriarch of the family and one of the few people he was looking forward to seeing again.
