by Barb Han
Prudence hopped to her feet and ran to Adam. Lawler was there. The lawyer was going to jail. The news seemed to sink in as he confessed that he’d been hired by the Warringtons to make ‘the little problem’ go away.
Would they sign over their rights and walk away now? They wouldn’t need to. She overheard Lawler making the call to his office to place them both under arrest.
She skimmed Adam, looking for signs of injury. Her gaze stopped on his arm where blood pulsed out of his wound. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s a scratch. I need something to tie it off with,” he said. “Stop the bleeding.”
She immediately found a towel in his backseat.
He tied off his arm above the wound, which stemmed the bleeding while an ambulance pulled up, and a pair EMTs came bolting toward them.
“Let’s have a look at that injury, sir,” one of them said. He was young, early twenties if Prudence had to guess. All she could think of was how easily it would have been to lose Adam today. The thought gutted her. Her heart squeezed because in that instant, she saw a different future unfold. One where he was gone and her life was empty.
She couldn’t allow that to happen, not without fighting for the future she wanted. Needed?
Yes, she needed Adam in her life and she had to know if he felt the same.
An EMT went to work on him, but he tried to wave him off.
“She’s injured,” Adam said. “You can work on me when I know she’s all right.”
“It’s barely a scratch,” she said. Her skin burned but she was nowhere near as badly injured as he was. “It’s no worse than playing hopscotch on the playground and taking a fall.”
Adam locked gazes with her and her heart free fell. Butterflies released in her stomach.
“Will you let him finish his job if I come over there?” she asked.
“We can talk about it,” he said.
She walked over to him on his good side and reached for his hand. She told the EMT to go ahead and warned Adam that if he argued she would find a way to make him regret it later.
“Will there be a later?” he asked, with the most sincere look in those perfect eyes of his.
“There will if I have anything to say about it,” she reassured.
Adam leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
“I hate to interrupt, but we need to take you for a ride,” the EMT said.
“I’ve nursed back worse injuries with antibiotic ointment and field stitches.” Adam tried to blow the young guy off.
“How about I go with you?” Prudence asked, tugging on his hand. She caught his gaze and held it. “I need you in tiptop form later.”
Mischief danced in his eyes when he said, “You heard the lady. We’re going to the ER.”
“Don’t let these stitches hold you back from whatever you planned to do to me later.” Adam winked at Prudence as she took the driver’s seat of a ranch truck brought to them by Brax.
She leaned across the cab and kissed him.
Not even the pain medication he was on could dull his senses enough to stop his body from reacting to her soft, full lips pressed against his. He’d been wanting to kiss her all day.
Prudence pulled back first. “Remind me to finish that later.”
“Now’s a good time,” he teased. He was only half joking.
She laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind. But someone has to drive this thing,” she said.
He held back the remark that was ready on his tongue.
“Plus, the doctor ordered rest. You aren’t supposed to get too excited. Remember?” she asked.
“I was hoping you weren’t listening to that part,” he admitted with another grin.
“We have all the time we want, Adam. There’s no reason to rush,” she said as she started backing out of the parking spot.
“Do you mean that?” he asked.
She stopped the truck half-in and half-out and put the gearshift in park.
“Yes, I do.” She kept her gaze straight ahead.
His seatbelt was off in a heartbeat and he practically flew across the seat.
“I know it’s only been three days, but when I met you my whole life flashed before my eyes. I used to think love at first sight was nothing more than hormones but now I know different,” he started, searching for the right words to let her know just how hard he’d fallen for her.
She met his gaze, her eyes were wide, and he saw so much emotion behind those beautiful blues. Her thick glasses couldn’t hide the beauty there. “The same thing happened to me, like a lightning bolt.”
“I don’t know if I’m Angel’s father but I already feel like we’re supposed to be a family. Together. The three of us,” he continued.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Adam,” she said. “What do we do with it, though?”
“Make a commitment right here and now,” he said without hesitation. Knowing she’d felt that same jolt when they’d met spurred him on. “I have fallen in love with you. Hard.” He saw the glittery need in her eyes. “I’ve been around a long time and dated more people than I care to count trying to find something missing in my life. Turns out, nothing was. I’m whole. You’re whole. And I’m a whole lot better when you’re with me. What I’m saying is that I love you, Prudence.”
She brought her hand up to cover a gasp. And then she studied him. Really studied him.
A wide smile broke out on her face as she dropped her hand.
“I love you too, Adam. And I can’t imagine ever loving anyone more,” she said.
“It’s crazy because I thought I missed my chance. That love and a family was going to work out fine for my brothers. But because I waited, I thought I’d somehow missed my chance,” he said. “Until you came along. And then I realized why it had never been right before. Because I hadn’t met you.”
“That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me before, Adam Firebrand.”
“Then make me the happiest person in the world.”
She gasped a second time as he reached for her hand, taking it in his, and he could feel hers trembling ever so slightly. “Marry me, Prudence. Allow me to spend the rest of our lives getting to know you and proving to you every day that you made the right choice.”
Now it was his turn to be nervous. It was a strange sensation. One he’d never felt before. And yet, with Prudence he figured there was so much more to explore.
“Yes,” she said instantly. “I’ll marry you, Adam. I’ve never been in love with anyone like I love you. And whether Angel turns out to be ours or not, she’ll always be part of our family.”
Adam kissed his future bride, his love, his life.
And one word came to mind…home.
A horn honked, breaking into the moment. Prudence pulled back and laughed. Mischief danced in her eyes—eyes that he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life staring into.
She shifted into reverse and then made her way to the exit.
“Miss Peabody and Hutch will make great additions to the main house,” Adam said. “My cabin isn’t big enough for all five of us.”
“Will your family be okay with us moving in like that?” she asked.
“You saw how few people were willing to go inside now that the Marshall is gone. I imagine we won’t get too much blow-back if we go through the right channels,” he said. “Besides, the only time that place has ever felt like home has been with you, Angel, and the dogs in it. It’s time for a change around Firebrand Ranch.”
Change was inevitable. In this case, it was time to breathe new life into the old place. And he figured his father and uncle had bigger battles to fight.
“I love it there,” Prudence said and that was all he needed to hear.
“Then, we’ll start moving in tonight,” he said.
“What if she…”
She couldn’t seem to finish her sentence, but he knew exactly what she was going to say.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. “Either way, we’ll find a way to have her as part of our lives.”
“You knew her mother best. It’s important to keep her memory alive,” Prudence said from a voice of experience. “We never talked about my parents or my sister after the murders.”
“That’s a done deal,” he said without hesitation. He absolutely planned to ensure that Libby’s memory was alive and well for Angel. “Do you have any pictures of your family to put up in our new house?”
He hadn’t seen any at Prudence’s home.
“In a box in the attic,” she admitted. “I’m not sure why I never took them out.”
“It probably never occurred to you once they were packed away,” he said.
“Then, by all means, let’s bring them out.” Her voice sounded lighter, like the burden she’d been carrying for too many years was lifting.
Adam liked being part of the reason.
“I wouldn’t be against trying to add to the crew when that arm heals,” she said, more of that mischief in her tone.
“Somehow, I foresee a lot of practice in our future,” he teased.
“I’m counting on it,” she said as she pulled up to their new home at Firebrand.
Adam made it out of the passenger seat in time to open her door. He kissed her again for good measure before linking their hands and heading into their new home.
The smell of food wafted down the hallway as they entered the house.
“In all the excitement, I forgot all about eating until right now,” Prudence groaned. “I’m starving.”
“The medicine is dulling my appetite but I could eat,” he admitted, needing to see Angel.
They were greeted by Hutch first with Miss Peabody on his heels.
Prudence bent down to pick up Miss Peabody, who was so excited she was shaking. Hutch nearly knocked Prudence on her backside as he plowed into her.
“Sit,” she commanded.
He did. Adam was still impressed by that trick.
But his heart wasn’t full until he saw their angel. His mother brought a smiling, content baby to them, meeting them halfway down the hall.
Her gaze immediately flew to the patch on his arm.
“I’m so glad you called to tell me what happened to you. I’m still shocked and I knew it was coming,” she said, concern evident in her voice.
“It’s not much more than a scratch,” he said, trying to wave it off like it was nothing.
“That settles it. I’m staying until you’re up and around again,” she said.
He stretched his arms out. He showed her flat palms. The last part might have made him wince, but he was a fast healer.
“How did it go at the sheriff’s office?” she asked, and then added, “Come in first. How rude of me. I thought you might be hungry, so I made meatballs.”
Adam decided not to ask how she’d managed to care for the dogs, take care of a newborn and find the time to make meatballs. Mothers were amazing creatures.
“I thought there might be a legal battle for her with the grandparents. Turns out they don’t want anything to do with her,” Adam said.
His mother whirled around.
“Are they crazy? Or just stupid and mean?” She didn’t bother hiding her shock.
“All three if you ask me,” Prudence said under her breath.
His mother mumbled something in Italian that he probably didn’t want to understand.
“What about the parents?” she asked.
“You might be looking at them.” Adam didn’t go into detail. He didn’t have to. His mother shot him a look that said she was proud of him for stepping up.
“If her grandparents are willing to sign away their rights,” she started in a conspiratorial tone. “I know someone who can play around with her birth certificate.”
Shock didn’t begin to cover Adam’s reaction to his normally straight-laced, by-the-book mother’s statement.
“What you’re suggesting is illegal,” he countered.
“It’s fudging,” she said like it was no big deal. But an emotion danced behind her eyes that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “No one has to know.”
Adam took a minute to let that sink in.
“Besides, I already can see you would go to the ends of the earth for this child. It’s nothing a loving parent wouldn’t do to protect their baby,” she said like she was done talking about it. She went over to the pot of meatballs and stirred.
End of subject.
Adam made a note to ask more about those statements later. Right now, he didn’t want to break the celebratory mood.
“I have other news.” He looked to Prudence for approval.
She nodded, her smile so big and so warm it could light a hundred campfires.
“Oh yeah?” That got his mother’s attention.
“Prudence agreed to do me the honor of marrying me,” he said as pride filled his chest. There was something else there too. Love, and a sense of home he’d never known before.
His mother’s scream startled the baby.
“I cannot tell you how long I’ve waited to have another girl in the family,” she said as she ran around the island and managed to wrap Prudence in a one-arm hug.
“I love your son with all my heart. And I can’t wait to be part of this family,” Prudence said, and he could tell by the look in her eyes she meant every word.
As he glanced at the baby, he realized that he could hardly wait to make their family official.
His Prudence. His future. His home.
19
Epilogue
“I can’t believe you’re actually a father,” Brax said to his brother Adam.
“Believe me, the news is still sinking in. But I couldn’t be happier about it.” Adam’s grin was ear-to-ear, so Brax didn’t doubt it one bit.
“And now you’re about to get married after swearing off the institution a few months back,” Brax continued. Times were definitely changing.
“To the most incredible person in the world if I do say so myself,” Adam practically beamed.
“I wouldn’t argue how happy the two of you are together. Lovesick puppies with a new baby to boot.” Brax smirked. “One down. Seventeen to go.”
Adam laughed out loud as he jiggered with his bowtie.
“Somehow, I doubt the rest of the Firebrands will be at the altar anytime soon,” Adam said. “I could barely get half the family to show up today.”
“The tension about the will isn’t helping,” Brax said before adding, “what’s the hurry about tying the knot, though?”
“When you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with and you know with one hundred percent certainty in your heart that she’s the one…there’s no reason to wait,” Adam said.
Brax couldn’t relate. But then, he’d never fallen so head over heal in love for anyone.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love that some of my family will be around to witness. But all I truly need is Prudence, the baby, and my best man,” Adam continued like what was happening was perfectly normal.
Strange, because Brax figured his older brother would be the last one at the altar, especially after what happened with Libby. She’d never been right for Adam, and Brax had never once seen his brother look at Libby in the same way he did Prudence.
But the former relationship gave him one perfect daughter and that was something to behold.
Brax tugged at the collar of his shirt, thinking it was a little too tight for his liking.
“Why can’t people get married in jeans and a t-shirt?” he complained.
“I doubt any guy would object to that,” Adam laughed.
Their mother burst through the door at that exact moment, as if on cue. Angel was in her grandmother’s arms.
“You both look very handsome. Good job,” she said proudly as she stood back and took them both in.
Their mother had been acting odd lately, but not today. Today, she
beamed with pride. Or, at least, she did when she looked at Adam. Another emotion Brax couldn’t quite pinpoint was present when she looked at him.
Adam caught Brax’s attention. He made eyes before dusting imaginary lint off his jacket. His brother acknowledged the reference to their conversation before their mother had walked in. Yes, mothers were most likely the reason guys didn’t show up to their wedding day in anything but a tuxedo.
And Brax had no plans to put on one of these for himself anytime soon.
To find out if Brax continues to hold out once he’s reunited with a special someone from the past, click here.
Also by Barb Han
Texas Firebrand
Rancher to the Rescue
Disarming the Rancher
Rancher under Fire
Rancher on the Line
Undercover with the Rancher
Rancher in Danger
Don’t Mess With Texas Cowboys
Texas Cowboy’s Protection
Texas Cowboy Justice
Texas Cowboy’s Honor
Texas Cowboy Daddy
Texas Cowboy’s Baby
Texas Cowboy’s Bride
Texas Cowboy’s Family
Cowboys of Cattle Cove
Cowboy Reckoning
Cowboy Cover-up
Cowboy Retribution
Cowboy Judgment
Cowboy Conspiracy
Cowboy Rescue
Cowboy Target
Cowboy Redemption
Cowboy Intrigue
Cowboy Ransom
Crisis: Cattle Barge
Sudden Setup
Endangered Heiress
Texas Grit
Kidnapped at Christmas
Murder and Mistletoe
Bulletproof Christmas
For more of Barb’s books, visit www.BarbHan.com.
About the Author
Barb Han is a USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author. Reviewers have called her books “heartfelt” and “exciting.”
