by Vivian Arend
Her eyes shone brightly as he paused to open her car door. “I love you, Mr. Coleman.”
“Love you too, Miss Beth.” Daniel stepped against her, pulling her into his arms to kiss her. The sweet rightness of her there, his family, his sons, who were all making smooching noises and laughing…
It was where he had chosen to be, and he couldn’t be more grateful for what he’d been given.
23
Dana hated to admit it, but she missed Mark. It might’ve been only a short time since he’d returned to Rocky, but for the past month she’d woken each morning wondering what he would do that day to make her smile.
But even as well as things had been going, him assuming they would be together down the road? Him assuming anything—
That was a no go. She was actually kind of proud of herself for having spoken up the way she had.
Since she’d kicked him out, however, there’d been constant reminders of how much their days had become tangled. Every time she looked into her yard, it seemed he was there. Working with Rafe outside the barn. Delivering animals from Gabe and Allison’s—Dana’s oldest son and Mark riding confidently into the yard with the ranch dogs barking enthusiastically as they helped herd sheep into the summer pens.
Mark, stripping off his sweaty and dirty shirt as he stopped at the old hand-pump outside her garden plot. His lean yet muscular body far too mesmerizing as he soaked his head and torso then casually dried off.
She was torn between giving Blake a stern talking to for scheduling Mark near her or baking her nephew a cake for keeping the man close enough to ogle.
Add in her grandnephew’s meddling—still, Robbie had been the only one bold enough to come out and say what the entire clan seemed to be thinking. Give the man another chance.
It’s what she truly wanted. But she would bend, not fold.
So a couple of days after Lance’s graduation, Dana sat in the local coffee shop and waited for Mark to arrive. They needed a solid conversation on neutral territory to get things straightened out.
As she fidgeted with her coffee cup, other thoughts whirled. While she wanted this relationship to work, she was still afraid. That wasn’t his fault, but if she couldn’t move beyond hesitant friendship, she needed to let him know sooner than later.
Someone slid onto the bench seat across from her. Dana glanced up with a welcoming smile to discover her brother-in-law George. “Oh.”
His lips twitched. “I know. Wrong brother.”
It wasn’t right her cheeks flushed so hot, so quickly. “George. It’s always good to see you,” she said honestly.
“You too,” he said, waving off the waitress who had come forward to offer a mug and the coffee carafe. “I won’t stay long. I know Mark’s on his way. He had to stop at the seed mill to pick up something for Blake.”
She eyed George. “What’re you doing here?”
He placed both palms flat on the table and took a deep breath. “At the risk of being told to mind my own business—”
“Oh, dear. Conversations that start that way rarely end well,” she warned.
His nervousness vanished as his grin widened. “Right? Sally would’ve told me to stay out of it. But then again, afterward she would’ve slipped in behind my back and come to you on the sly.”
George’s wife had been gone for over twenty-five years, but Dana could picture it plain as day.
Dana eyed her brother-in-law closer. He too had experienced sadness and loss over the years. He’d ended up raising three girls by himself. He’d had help from his sisters-in-law, but he’d been fiercely independent for the most part.
“I still miss her,” Dana admitted.
“Me too,” George agreed. “I’m finally working to be the dad to our girls Sally would’ve wanted me to be. I get to see all four of them regularly—you heard that Lisa is expecting in October?”
Dana nodded.
George made a face. “Okay, getting to the point, I think you deserve to be happy.”
Well, that was easy to agree to. “Thank you.”
“I think Mark can make you happy.”
She wanted to laugh. “He has a lot of champions,” she informed George. “From my grandnephew, to my sisters-in-law, to my children, to you.”
George looked pleased. “Good. That means I’m not the only one in your targets, then.”
This time she did laugh before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “Why do you feel you have to tell me this?” she asked in all seriousness. “Do you all think I’m not able to figure out what’s right for myself?”
George reached across the table and took hold of her hand. Like a brother, like a friend. His words were a low rumble full of concern and caring. “I think you spent a lot of years doing what was right in spite of how much it hurt. I want you to be able to do what’s right and have it result in happiness. But knowing what that feels like might be hard after so many years of being brave.”
A shiver went through her, and she sighed heavily. “I hear you. It was hard,” she confessed, “but I don’t regret staying with Ben.”
“We all regret not helping him more, and that’s on us,” George said seriously. He nodded and gave her hand a final squeeze. “We won’t interfere unless you ask, but we all hope the path forward is nothing but sunshine for you.”
“You never see a rainbow if it never rains,” Dana pointed out. “But thank you. See you at the Canada Day celebrations?”
“I’ll be there with flags on,” George promised.
He was walking out the door when his brother walked in, the two men pausing for a brief hello before Mark sauntered toward the table.
Looking the man over was enough to give Dana a thrill. Mark wore faded Wranglers over well-worn cowboy boots, his strong thigh muscles pressing against the fabric. A hint of a black T-shirt peeked out from under his red flannel shirt, and as he sat opposite her, he placed his cowboy hat on the seat then dragged a hand through his hair to straighten it.
She caught herself smiling in admiration. He was easy on the eyes. He was, in fact, the hottie that Hope had told her—
Oh, dear.
A sharp zing darted up her spine, and Dana played with her empty cup to hide how much she was feeling at that moment. Correction—how much not we should only be friends she was feeling.
“You all coffee’d out?” he asked.
“You haven’t had a cup yet,” she pointed out, thankful for something specific to answer to instead of continuing to drool over his sexy forearms and the firm cut of his jawline.
The jawline on a face that had gone sheepish. “I want to apologize properly, and I don’t want to do it here.”
Dana considered then nodded, leaving money on the table for her own drink.
They walked quietly down the sidewalk side by side before Dana gestured toward the empty playground with strategically placed benches around the perimeter. “Want to sit there?”
“Sure.”
They settled then twisted to face each other. Mark caught her hand, cradling her fingers gently. “You’re right. I was an ass, but—”
“Is this an apology?” Dana interrupted. “Because usually when my kids used the word but, it meant they were about to explain why they had done the thing they weren’t supposed to do that they weren’t really sorry for doing in the first place.”
“I have thought about you for so long.” Mark’s amused tone was also honest and deep, a rumble sliding over her and making her warm to her very core. “In fact, I have been thinking about you being mine for longer than I should’ve, which means I pushed way too hard.”
She couldn’t fathom what he was talking about, even though he had admitted it from the first moment. “You are light years ahead of me,” she pointed out. “I like you. I even—”
She bit back that particular confession, because it wasn’t what was needed right now. Instead, Dana shook her head and focused. “But you need to be patient, because what you want and what I want could be the same thi
ng, but you’ve got to give me time to get there.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Not for the building our house thing, but for not giving you the time to know that building our house is the right thing.”
A laugh escaped in spite of herself. “You are absolutely terrible at this, aren’t you?”
His grin widened, all sweet mischief as if they were about to sneak off behind the barn and he couldn’t wait. “I’m being very patient in some ways,” he pointed out, the innuendo in his deep voice unmistakable.
Oh, boy. The shiver that went through her body was intense and sharp, edgy with need.
Stick to the point. “You need to be patient,” she repeated. “But the other thing you have to understand…”
Her throat closed tight. Just the thought of this confession seemed so wrong.
Mark instantly wrapped an arm around her. “Shhh. It’s okay.”
She shook her head. She spoke quietly, barely above a whisper because it was all she could manage. “I spent a lot of years hoping Ben would find his way back. At times he’d be better, but there were moments that I didn’t do what I wanted, didn’t say what I needed, all in the hopes that—”
She pressed her face against Mark’s chest and let the tears come.
Over the years there’d been plenty of times when things had gotten rough. When Ben had been hard to handle or loud and belligerent. She’d rarely cried.
Crying wouldn’t have changed anything.
When she finally got herself under control and wiped up, Mark’s expression was a lot more solemn than she’d seen until then. “I think I hear what you’re saying. That’s the part that set you off. The not listening. Not giving you a chance to voice yourself.”
“Yes. Because even if it’s to be able to say you’re going too fast, I need to be respected enough for you to hear me. And then we can argue about what speed we go—I have no problems with a good, honest argument,” she said, the words still shaky. “Because fighting means we both get to say what we want. We can come to a compromise if that’s what’s best.”
Mark tipped his chin slowly. “Okay. You know I’m already there, waiting for you to catch up. I’ll also screw up because patience isn’t one of my superpowers.” He pressed his fingers under her chin and stroked his thumb over her cheek, wiping away a final tear. “But I will listen to you. I promise.”
His words were exactly what she needed.
Dana caught him by the shoulders and pulled him forward, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss that heated up far too quickly.
She draped her arms around his neck, stroking her fingers through his hair. His hat tumbled off, unminded. He nibbled on her lips, tongue teasing, their breaths mingling.
When he caught her by the hips and lifted her across his lap, Dana went willingly. The heat of his body lined up with hers as she rested on his strong thighs, kneeling over him.
He nibbled along her jawline and up to her ear, tugging on her earlobe briefly and sending shivers through her. “I can’t wait to speed this part up. I can’t wait to touch you. To make you feel good.”
He adjusted her slightly, and Dana sucked in a quick breath. The hard length under her lay dangerously close to intimate positioning.
Was she ready for more on this level? Her body was one hundred percent ready. Her mind needed a little bit more time. Not to mention—
“Ahem.” A solid cough sounded.
Dana and Mark jumped apart as if they’d been hit with a cattle prod. Sliding to separate positions on the bench, Dana quickly straightened herself while Mark rescued his hat and laid it strategically over his lap.
Standing next to the bench, grinning wildly, was Anna Thompson, the only daughter of the Moonshine clan and local RCMP now on maternity leave. She pushed a double stroller, her two-year-old daughter bouncing with excitement to be released and her newborn baby son swaddled up and sleeping in the back section.
“Auntie Dana. Uncle Mark.” Anna said their names in her best cop voice, before reaching down to let Kasey free.
Dana’s cheeks were on fire. “Um.”
“Do you know how many Coleman family members I have caught parked at Heartbreak Ridge? Never mind, you don’t want to know.” Anna continued, her amusement shining clear. “But this is the first time I have ever caught one of your generation fooling around in a public place.”
“Because our generation usually knows how to have a good time without getting caught?” Mark said without a hint of apology.
“Dear God,” Anna said in a long-suffering voice before lowering her volume and speaking like a conspirator. “You might want to move this to a more appropriate location, considering a whole bunch of the clan will be arriving in the next half hour to use the playground.”
Dana rose to her feet, stifling the urge to giggle as Mark stepped behind her and held onto her hips, obviously hiding his erection. “Well, I hope you all have a good time.”
“You too.”
Anna’s laughter drifted over them as Mark caught Dana by the hand and marched them back toward Main Street.
They grinned at each other, but amusing as getting caught was, a major glitch in going forward had just revealed itself.
Mark was living with George. Dana lived with her son and daughter-in-law.
Where could they go if they wanted to take the physical part of this relationship farther?
24
The truck rumbled, engine revving hard as Blake threw her into four-wheel drive and drove cautiously over the rutted road leading to their destination.
“Hell of a good idea,” Travis said from where he was sprawled in the back seat of the crew cab.
Cassidy slapped a hand on Blake’s shoulder and squeezed in approval. “Agreed. And man, did you pick the day right, or what?”
“I’ll take credit for that,” Mike said from where he was riding shotgun. “Blake here doesn’t seem to believe in checking the weather forecast too often.”
“Don’t see the need with the way you and all the uncles spend your day constantly checking for updates.” Blake grinned at his brother and brother-in-law in the rearview mirror. “The instant a cloud appears on the horizon, a text arrives from Uncle Randy, and I know exactly what he’s going to tell me.”
Travis chuckled. “Well, give thanks to the weather gods, because a day off fishing deserves this kind of blue sky.”
“I don’t even care how hot the fishing is, the day off is a win. Plus, it’ll be good to see everyone,” Cassidy added.
“Only a couple of days until Canada Day. The entire clan will be together then,” Mike pointed out.
“Yeah, but this is special because it’s just Six Pack.” Travis bumped a shoulder against Cassidy. “And this import.”
“Cassidy is one hundred percent Six Pack.” Blake met Cassidy’s eyes in the mirror and winked. “Maybe a hundred and ten, considering you put up with Travis’s bullshit all the time. That makes you extra Coleman, or something like that.”
Travis snorted but didn’t dispute the bullshit comment.
The chatter in the truck remained light and entertaining until Blake pulled to a stop beside three familiar vehicles.
Daniel was there, Lance as well, the kid pleased as punch at having been invited to the grown-up gathering. Matt stepped forward, poking Joel over his shoulder about something.
Jesse had lawn chairs set around a fire pit, three coolers lined up at the side of the open space.
“You plan on even getting a line wet?” Travis teased. “Or are you going to sit with your feet up and drink all day?”
“Joel and I can’t decide. Fishing is fun, but catching a nap might be a better use of our morning, considering our days are numbered before the next kids drop.” Jesse settled in a lawn chair, fiddled with something underneath it then leaned back, turning the contraption into a lounger. “God, this is nice.”
Joel snickered. “That was just mean. Now I have to decide if I should tell Dare that you referred to the baby’s due date like a
cow birth.”
“She doesn’t care. At this point, all Dare wants is to be done.”
“Don’t blame her. This summer is going to be a hot one,” Mike said, grinning as he turned to Blake. “At least, according to the Weather Channel.”
Blake caught himself chuckling as he headed to the back of the truck and pulled out his fishing gear.
For the next two hours, he simply enjoyed time with his brothers, his father, and his nephew. An old dock extended into the lake, and a well-defined trail meandered around the perimeter, giving plenty of places for them to shuffle off, usually two at a time so they could cast lines into the water and then chat. Or cast lines into the water then reel in silently, the sheer connection of being together enough.
The morning gave Blake time to appreciate once again how far they’d come. The brothers comfortable with each other, teasing Lance and Mike, although that last one was always done respectfully.
Some things never changed.
Blake was grateful to be able to see how tight the bonds were between them all. It gave him an assurance that if what his father feared most came to be, it wouldn’t only be Blake who would step in and help.
And watching Lance good-naturedly steal his grandfather’s line so he could tie a minuscule fly at the end of the tippet said something about how the next generation would also be there for Mike, no matter what.
One lingering fear came crashing to a head when, just before he broke for lunch, Jesse gave him a shout. “I volunteered you to help me get things ready.”
Blake might have told Jesse to not worry and that the right decision regarding his job opportunity would eventually become clear. He hadn’t realized he’d have his own share of sleepless nights after hearing about the possibility of his brother leaving again.
Whatever Jesse and Dare had decided, Blake swore he would make it work. He’d find a way that his brother and Dare and their kids felt connected and a part of everything happening back in Rocky.
