by Vivian Arend
“Wanted to let you know something.” Jesse popped up a portable table and began pulling lunch fixings out of the cooler.
“About the job?”
“Yeah.” Jesse stopped, shaking his head. “Toughest damn decision we’ve ever had to make, and yet in the end, so simple.”
Everything in Blake tightened. “Oh?”
Before Jesse could speak, his phone went off. He blinked in surprise, hauling it out of his pocket even as he glanced up at the sky. “We have reception up here?”
Joel’s phone went off as well, and suddenly Blake had a bad feeling.
Or maybe a good one because Jesse’s eyes were widening as he took the call. Joel had abandoned his fishing gear beside Matt and was running hell-bent for leather toward where their picnic was arranged.
Jesse hung up, eyes a little on the wild side, but a huge grin in place. “Dare’s in labour. I gotta go.”
Panting heavily, Joel arrived. “Vicki just called. Dare’s—”
“We heard.” Blake went to aim them both toward Jesse’s truck then paused. “Either of you capable of driving without going off a cliff?”
“Where are my keys?” Jesse demanded, hands digging in his pockets frantically. “And hell yes, I can drive. Now where are my goddamn keys?” he shouted.
Joel swung the key ring in question on a finger as he winked at Blake. “I stole them when we got here. We’ll be okay.” He danced away from Jesse, who made a quick grab at his hand. “Nothing doing. Dare made me promise to take care of you. Said something about how she doubted you could keep it together this time. Let’s go.”
By the time the twins were driving away, the rest of the family had gathered ’round, shouting good wishes after them.
“Isn’t it early for the baby to arrive?” Lance asked with a hint of worry.
“Babies usually arrive when they’re ready,” Blake reassured him. “Except if it’s really inconvenient. Then they’ll come early or late, depending on what causes the most chaos.”
Lance blinked. “Babies don’t really do that.”
“No, they can’t deliberately do it. But in any family, there’s at least a couple stories like that.” Mike turned his grandson toward the lunch. “Your aunt had one of those oops babies. Lisa, from Whiskey Creek.”
“Tamara,” Matt corrected him. “Lisa’s still expecting.”
“Right. Tamara.” Mike nodded then grabbed a plate and pushed it at his grandson. “Either way, we’ll hear soon enough from Jesse and Dare. In the meantime, we should carry on with our day. There’s extra fish to catch now that Joel and Jesse aren’t tangling up our lines.”
They still had a big group with the seven of them. They laughed and shared stories, and Blake treasured time with his immediate family.
But having the twins gone only emphasized that knot in Blake’s gut. He wanted Jesse to do what was right for him and Dare, but what he wanted even more was for Jesse to stay close.
Jesse and Joel had been gone for four hours. The rest of the Six Pack fishermen were closing in on the time to pack it up and head home. The picnic had been tucked away, and the group was out on the dock casting a few final times.
The instant his phone buzzed with a text message, Blake hauled it out. They must’ve all been on high alert, because every other Coleman standing with him did the same, peering down eagerly to read the announcement.
Jesse: Dare is doing great. We are very excited to announce the arrival of a healthy baby boy. Ryan will be ready for visitors tomorrow morning.
Tension slipped away, at least part of it. “Good to hear,” Blake said sincerely. “Although I hope, for his sake, he offers a little more detail when he messages the ladies.”
“Bigger than a breadbox doesn’t cut it?” Matt grinned.
“Dear God, don’t say things like that in reference to the size of babies. It makes me hurt,” Mike said with a groan.
They were nearly packed up, headed for their doors, when their phones went off again.
“Here come the details,” Daniel suggested.
Only the message made them all stop before shouts rang out, echoing against the mountain behind the lake.
Jesse: Dare is still doing great. We are very excited to announce the arrival of another healthy baby boy. Royce would very much like his Grandpa to drop in to say hello. He’ll see the rest of you tomorrow.
Blake casually slipped an arm around his father’s shoulders, because it was clear that his dad was getting choked up. “Well, then, Grampa. Looks like you and me have somewhere we need to go.”
Mike nodded briskly, even as he blinked hard. “Twins. Damn, I had no idea.”
And judging from the expression on Dare’s face when Blake led his father into the hospital room an hour later, joining Marion and Jaxi, who were already there, his sister-in-law was pretty damn proud of having kept the secret.
“You Colemans are a dangerous lot,” Dare said with mock seriousness. “Twins. He got me pregnant with twins. That’s it. He’s cut off.”
Jesse was cuddled up beside her, a baby cradled in his arm, but he paused to kiss her cheek. “You’ve just gone through a traumatic event, so I’ll forgive your poor choice of words. I don’t think you really want to cut off anything.”
She tilted her head and eyed him. “I just pushed out two six-pound footballs. You really want to get into an argument about semantics?”
Jesse winked then curled himself upright and marched toward his father. “I hope you don’t mind we borrowed Grandpa’s name for this one. Figured with my genes and Dare’s, he needed something to give him some solid roots.”
Mike took the baby from his son with a grin of delight. “Your genes are solid,” he insisted. “And your roots as well. Never doubt that.”
Jesse watched his father for a moment, gaze dropping to his son then sliding over to meet Blake’s eyes. “Those roots are important. I know that, and so does Dare. But the best way to grow strong is to be planted in the right spot. We’ve got that here in Rocky.”
They were staying. Blake got the message loud and clear.
Even as his concern vanished on one level, another level of truth arrived. It wasn’t worry but a clear, concise understanding.
His brother staying required as much of a commitment on Blake’s part. All the things he would’ve done if Jesse and Dare had chosen to live hours away would be so much easier to do with them close.
Those family-connecting things still needed to happen. He still needed to make the time.
Blake dipped his head at Jesse before sliding around to where Jaxi waited for her turn to take little Ryan from Marion. Slipping an arm around Jaxi was the most natural thing in the world.
She squeezed him tight. “Have fun fishing?”
“Yep.” He held on as she leaned in closer, head resting on his chest. He whispered, careful to make sure no one else overheard, “You a little bit sad?”
She shrugged but then shook her head. “If it’s right for us to have another, we will. I’m not worried one way or the other.”
“But you’re gonna cuddle everybody else’s babies as much is possible, ain’tcha?”
Her eyes danced with laughter. “Of course.” She leaned in and bumped their noses together. “Same way I catch you sneaking baby cuddles every chance you get. You big old softy.”
Blake couldn’t deny it. He had no objection at all to baby cuddles, toddler cuddles, or the rest of it. Although, dear God, they were going to be heading into the teen years eventually, and that was going to be an adventure.
Although Daniel had managed it, and so had his parents. Somewhere amongst those roots and branches, he figured there was enough wisdom in the Coleman clan to get them out the other side intact.
Still, as he watched Jaxi cradle little Ryan, the look in her eyes made him want to give her everything she wanted. Or at least the things he had some control over.
Maybe it was time to do a little plotting of his own.
25
Ther
e were people everywhere. Far more than Mark expected even if he counted up the number of people in the Coleman clan.
He caught Mike grinning at him, his oldest brother stepping forward to offer a cheery hello. “Don’t worry. There’s a horde, but we’ve got enough food to feed two hordes.”
“Did you import people from Red Deer?” Mark asked as he glanced around.
Mike considered then shrugged. “Not impossible.” He caught Mark in a tight hug then aimed him toward the nearest circle of people. “Canada Day started small, but now it’s a free-for-all. Just wait. Once you build your place, we’ll add you to the list so you can host.”
Mark tried to picture this many people swarming around what was now a concrete foundation on the top of the rise. He shook his head. “Sounds like a plan. I can put them all to work, yes?”
His brother laughed then introduced him to the pastor at Dana’s church, who also happened to be Laurel’s dad. Fortunately, it wasn’t that uncomfortable of a conversation considering churchgoing wasn’t Mark’s thing.
When Dana arrived, though, he was grateful that after a short time, she took him by the hand and led him farther onto Moonshine land.
“I shouldn’t steal you away,” she said. “This is a good chance for you to get to know everyone.”
“We’ll wander,” Mark offered. “You say hi to everyone, and that will let me get a chance to make sure I’ve got all the names and faces right.”
Her lips twitched. “I don’t think anyone expects you to remember all of us this quickly.”
“It’s been four months,” he offered dryly before inspiration struck. He leaned in closer. “What do I get if I can name everyone we meet? I mean family only, no random strangers included in the bet.”
Her chin rose in a bit of bravado. “What do you want?”
The answer to that would take far too long. Mark stepped back far enough to look her over.
Her blonde hair hung to her shoulders, her ever-present curls bigger as if she’d deliberately puffed them up. Her bright eyes shone, and she wore a sundress of pale green with embroidery along the hemline. The vee dipping over her breasts stopped high enough to be modest, but the curves under it were full and tempting.
She wore half boots instead of sandals, which was a great idea for a party being held at a ranch. There was a straw cowboy hat in her hand that she put firmly on her head as she offered a cocky grin. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Just thinking about what I want to do to you,” he confessed. His voice came out kind of breathless. He stepped closer. “Just thinking about what I want to do with you.”
She looked at him from under her lashes. “Let’s hope you’re very good with names.”
For the next hour, they wandered. Mark knew the lay of the land well enough. He’d helped build this house as well as the one at Whiskey Creek, when Kate and Randy had decided to set up a home away from where Mike and Marion lived.
He supposed it was like kids stretching their wings, the very thing he wanted for Rafe and Laurel—
Okay, his motivation wasn’t all altruistic. He wanted Dana to be with him.
They said hello to Becky and Trevor again. Mark visited with them on a fairly regular basis, stopping in at the house to see how things were going. The kids—meaning Rafe and Laurel, and wasn’t it odd to be thinking of them as his kids—were with Rachel and Lee. Rachel eyed him speculatively before winking, as if offering her approval.
The newest babies were all there as well. Anna, the RCMP who’d busted him and Dana in the park, wiggled her fingers at them then adjusted baby Ethan in her arms. The veterinarian married to Steve Coleman held her baby girl, Raine.
The gathering also flowed around Jesse and his wife, Dare, each of them carefully holding a small, blue-wrapped bundle.
Dana pulled Mark forward. “I did not expect to see you out of the hospital yet,” she said as she slipped up to squeeze Dare carefully. “Congratulations. And you’re sneaky.”
Jesse grinned. “Had to follow my big brother’s example,” he said.
“Yeah, because your big brother totally carried twins and never said a word,” Dare drawled before lifting her shining face toward Dana and Mark. “This one is Royce, and Jesse’s got Ryan.”
“They’re as adorable as any three-day old,” Mark said honestly.
Dana slapped the back of her hand against his chest, but Jesse offered a wink. “Want to hold Ryan?”
If anything, Mark figured Dana was dying to hold one of the babies, so he sat, and a minute later, both of them were being passed teeny bundles.
Mark looked into the little scrunched-up face, amused and pleased to be able to be a part of his family in this way after so many years of not getting to share the celebrations. “Okay, I lied. This one at least is cuter than most three-day-olds.”
He stayed and chatted for a while, but eventually they rose, heading to grab some food.
En route, they were waylaid by Travis. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Uncle Mark?”
“I’ll grab us places at the table,” Dana offered.
Mark watched her walk away, admiring the sway of her hips. He might’ve been watching a little too closely, because when he turned toward his nephew, the other man was grinning very hard.
“That is one hell of a fine woman,” Mark said firmly, not a hint of embarrassment at having been caught gawking.
“Ashley wanted me to pass on a message,” Travis said, ignoring Mark’s comment. “She’s been working on a painting you might be interested in.”
Mark paused. “Ashley does good work. I’ll be needing art for the house.”
His nephew’s grin grew wider. “This one might be perfect.”
He vanished before Mark could dig any more information out of him.
Then he and Dana caught up with Mike and Marion for a while, but as they ate, the most curious sensation poked at Mark.
Dana sat against him, comfortable and easy, his hand around her waist. She’d placed her hand on his thigh and was rubbing her knuckles up and down, almost as if she wasn’t aware of the motion.
Only when she wrapped her hand a little farther around his thigh, rising a little higher than usual, Mark barely caught himself before a growl escaped.
She kept on talking, the face of an absolute innocent, and not at all as if she were damn near stroking him right in front of their family.
Mark was willing to take the pain, but when Rafe and Laurel walked past, plates full of food as they headed to join a set of their cousins, sudden inspiration struck.
He leaned in close, fingers sliding over Dana’s hip as he whispered in her ear. “You do realize your house is empty right now.”
She stiffened slightly, her fingers freezing in mid-tease.
“And I seem to remember having gotten all the names right for everyone we met. Which means I get a reward, yes?”
Dana wiped her mouth with a napkin then grabbed hers and Mark’s plates, stacking them and smiling across the table at her brother and sister-in-law.
“We’ll catch up with you later,” she said sweetly, somehow dragging Mark away without looking as if she was hauling him along as fast as she could.
He made it to the truck before giving in to temptation. He whirled her against him, backing her up against the vehicle and pinning her in place with his body. “Please tell me yes.”
“You might need to be more specific,” she teased during the split second before his mouth covered hers.
The kiss was wild enough to get his blood pounding and his entire body tightening with need. When he did pull back, it was to damn near growl, hips pressed tight against her. “I want to take you home. I want to take off your clothes and kiss you everywhere. I want to make you scream my name.”
He eased back, putting enough space between them to see her eyes had gone dark, pupils wide.
“Dana,” he whispered. “I want you.”
Her head bobbed, a small movement but rapid. “Yes.”
Good
answer.
Somehow, they both made it into the cab of his truck, Dana sitting beside him in the middle of the bench seat. Both of them got their seat belts on before he cautiously manoeuvred out of the crowded parking area and headed down the gravel road the couple of miles toward the Angel homestead.
Only once they made it to her house, his attempts to stay slow and in control failed.
It didn’t help that as soon as they walked into the kitchen, she turned and caught the hem of her sundress, stripping it over her head and dropping it over the back of the chair.
“Sweet fuck.” Mark nearly tripped over his own feet as he stopped to stare.
Her chin rose again as if she were gathering courage. “I’m no spring chicken. What you see is what you get.”
“Then I’m a lucky, lucky man,” Mark said, closing the space between them. He trickled a hand over the sweep of her waist and up her side to where her pretty green bra covered her breasts. “Dana, I’m the same age as you and have done far more miles. The map might not be quite as fresh as it once was, but the picture’s all the richer for the details the time has brought.”
He stepped forward, stripping away the layers over his torso and tossing them on top of her dress.
He brought her against him and got ready to listen in a whole new way.
Dana had given this moment a great deal of thought over the past months. She was sensible enough to guess the opportunity for sex would eventually arrive. Hopeful enough the event would be something she could truly enjoy.
What she hadn’t wanted was a series of comparisons or thoughts about what had been. Which meant taking charge in any way she could.
Time, place. The man.
It became very clear very quickly that controlling that last one was futile. Mark seemed intent on putting every bit of preplanning she’d done to waste.
His torso against hers was scalding hot and not nearly enough. Skin on skin, he continued to kiss her as sensations spiraled upward with each touch, each tease on her senses.
He kissed his way along her neck, sliding his hands down her back until he cupped her butt, dragging her closer. The firm length of his erection pressed against her stomach for a moment before he lifted her, placing her on the table.
