“Want to tell me what you’re doin’ kidnapping Sadie?” Lincoln yelled. “And don’t hide behind her.”
“He didn’t kidnap me.” Sadie tilted her chin. “I came with him and I’m perfectly fine.”
“Liar,” Lenny said. “I saw it happen.”
The rest of the men crowded the splintered frame. Pieces of the former door lay scattered on the ground.
“Regardless,” Sadie said. “I’m handling this.”
“You’re handling this? You’re handling this?” Lincoln asked stupidly. “Do you get kidnapped every day now?”
“Of course, I don’t. But Derek and I managed to talk and work out our issues. Unlike some people.”
Yeah, he got it. He was an ass for staying away. She’d sent him a not-so coded message.
He pointed between Sadie and Derek. “You mean the issue of him kidnappin’ you?”
Derek stepped out from behind Sadie, hands up. “Please don’t kill me. I just wanted her to talk to Pamela Ann for me.”
Sadie crossed her arms. “Some men want to work out their problems. Instead of walking away.”
“I thought he did walk away.” Lincoln jutted his chin toward Derek.
“Pamela Ann kicked me out, Lincoln.”
“Whatever.”
Derek tossed his hands up. “I don’t want her datin’ some doctor! Can you blame me? If she just gives me half a chance, I’ll make her…proud of me again.”
The tender and gentle expression dialed all over Sadie’s face would have been enough to tell him she’d fallen for Derek’s dog and pony show.
But if that weren’t enough, she put a hand to her heart. “You can do it, Derek.”
Sadie, trying to save the world again.
God, he loved her.
“I want him to get out of here.” Lincoln gestured to Derek.
“He’s stayin’ put,” Sadie said.
“No, he’s leavin’.”
“He doesn’t have to!”
Derek, whose head was jerking back and forth between them like viewing a ping pong match, spoke up. “Sadie? I want to go.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, then.”
He ran out of the cabin.
“Good choice,” Lincoln said to his retreating back.
“You can go now, too,” Sadie said, nodding toward the door. “I’ll get Daddy to fix that and send you the bill.”
“I’ll be the one to fix that door and I’m not goin’ anywhere until you listen to me.”
She slid a look at the open entryway. The November breeze blew a few leaves inside. Lincoln followed her gaze to see Lenny, Riggs, and the rest, openly staring. Didn’t even bother looking away.
“I told y’all I didn’t need your help. Thank you, anyway, I know you meant well, but y’all can go now.” She shooed them away with one hand.
They turned almost as a cohesive unit, but Lincoln stayed rooted to his spot. “Still not goin’ anywhere.”
“Oh, you are so maddening! From the day you took me to the hospital, I told you, I don’t want to be another burden to you. Another person you feel like you need to look out for. Protect. I can take care of myself, Lincoln Carver.” She stomped her foot and turned her back.
“I never doubted it.”
“Then why are you still here?”
He shrugged. “Maybe I want to take care of you anyway. Is that a crime?”
“But why?”
The words he’d never said out loud to anyone other than his grandmother, brother, and sister wanted to come out in a sudden rush. But he wouldn’t say them to her back. They were too important, and he realized before he said them, that they would change his life. Forever. But he felt ready now, ready for all that came with that fierce commitment. Because of her and the way she’d loved him first.
He took two steps toward her and turned her around to face him. Gripping her shoulders tightly, ready to beg, he said, “Because I love you.”
She froze, arms at her side, eyes rounded. “W-what did you just say?”
“I love you, and don’t sound so surprised. You already know this. I love you, Sadie. I have loved you since the day you fell, and I thought I’d killed you. I love how brave you are. I love that you don’t give up on anyone. Not even on me.”
Her hand flew up over her mouth, then slowly lowered. “I thought maybe I’d been wrong.”
“You’re not wrong. You have great instincts about people and even if it’s extremely frustrating and sometimes dangerous, I love that you want to help everyone in the world.” He tugged her into his arms. “I love the way you look at me, making me think that I’m everything you’ll ever need. It’s pretty addictive. I didn’t even know I wanted that, until you showed me.”
With that she wound her hands around his neck, and he lifted her to him. She wrapped her legs around his hips.
Her breath hitched. “You said I’d be better off without you. That could never be true.”
“I hope not, or I’m tellin’ you, I’m sunk like a rock. I won’t be good to anyone if you ever leave me.”
Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in his neck. “Oh…Lincoln. I do love you.”
“Thank God. Can I be your man again?”
She kissed him, sweetly and tenderly, giving him the answer he’d wanted.
Epilogue
Six months later
The month of April rushed in, clear and beautiful, and the repairs to the new school were complete. Beulah had scheduled an “unveiling” this weekend so the entire town could come and witness the project they’d all supported.
Sadie arrived early one morning, because Beulah wanted her to see the building before anyone else did. Excitement rushed through her, because both Lincoln and the rest of the crew had carefully kept her from seeing their recent progress.
Last night, before bed, she’d tried to tease a small hint out of Lincoln. Had they completely replaced the wood floor? Rumors said with such extensive work, they may as well have bulldozed the building and started over.
“One hint? Please? I’ll do that thing I do with my tongue.”
“Sorry, baby, you’ll have to see right along with everyone else.” But he’d looked strangely shy, giving her a small smile and avoiding her eyes.
The past few months cemented their love and commitment to each other. That same night, Lincoln had repaired her broken down door. A shame he’d lost his temper, but hey, sometimes love required breaking down a door.
Suddenly it seemed that no one said Sadie’s name without soon after saying Lincoln’s, and vice versa. Jolette Marie came to accept she didn’t have a prayer of coming between them and had moved on months ago.
Her mother quietly came to accept that Sadie would never choose another man, no matter how much money he made, or how many letters followed his last name. Speaking of Judson, he wasn’t seeing anyone, too busy trying to set up the clinic in town. He’d been going back and forth between Stone Ridge and Dallas. Pamela Ann and Derek were back together, Derek enrolled in a twelve-step program, Pamela Ann’s condition. He’d found work with Sadie’s father, on her referral, of course. She would have thought of that earlier, but Derek’s commitment to recovery was key. Jimmy Ray? He was happier and better behaved than ever.
Sadie’s parents were making their marriage work. Her father invested funds from his company’s budget, as a “loan” to expand her mother’s business. When they’d invited Lincoln and Sadie over for a family dinner to announce the unveiling of the renamed “Wanda’s Wicked Jam” marketing plan, her mother beamed with joy. She’d smiled at her husband like she’d met him for the first time. Sadie hoped that one day, they’d get back to where they used to be. Baby steps.
But she understood that not everyone could love a man the way she did. Not with breathless, heart-pounding adoration. And that was okay. She might love him too much some days, in fact, but there was little she could do about that. Sometimes the thought would spring of how different her life would have been if she’d wound up moving t
o Australia and never coming home. Thank God for blessings which didn’t seem like ones at the time. Through a great deal of pain and growth, she’d wound up with the right man. The one she’d loved since she was a teenager.
Sadie walked over to the new school and opened the unlocked door, immediately inhaling the fresh scent of oak wood and dried paint.
She took a step back at the sight before her. A brand-new building, all right, but something else grabbed her attention immediately. Her Lincoln stood in the middle of the room, Ellie hugging his leg, while the rest of her students surrounded him. All wore smiles.
“Hi, guys. What’s this?”
Their little heads turned up to the tall man. He wore his gray Stetson, a crisp white button down rolled to his elbows, and his Wranglers. And that wicked dimpled smile that made her body go limp. In one swift move, he dropped to one knee and unfurled a pink poster board. On it, written in the scrawl of children’s handwriting, were the words:
Would you marry me?
Someone wrote a backwards “e,” so adorable, and she would never forget this moment. Ever.
Ellie came out from behind Lincoln. “Are you goin’ to marry him, Miss Sadie, or what?”
Tears slid down her cheeks, and she stood with a hand clamped over her mouth. Dropping to her knees, she joined Lincoln just as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket.
“Oh, and also, there’s a ring,” Ellie said.
Indeed, a shiny new ring, a diamond oval with a band of two strands of gold twisted together. Far larger, shinier, and more beautiful than she could have ever dreamed.
“Yes, yes, yes!” she said, louder each time, with her “outside” voice.
“Yay!” Jimmy Ray said, leading the claps and cheers. “Woohoo!”
He then proceeded to do his little victory dance, which Sadie allowed him to do every day at the beginning of recess. His parents were back together, but this boy still had plenty of energy.
“Remember when he lassoed you, Miss Sadie? Remember?” asked Bobby Joe. “Huh?”
“I sure do.”
“You fell and hit your head,” Ellie said. “I saw it happen.”
“We all did,” Jimmy Ray protested. “And it was my idea.”
“How did you manage this?” Sadie asked, her hands wrapped around Lincoln’s neck.
“The kids asked to help me when I told them that I wanted to surprise you. Oh, and also, they put me through the ringer. Worse than your father, honestly. Interrogated me and wanted to make sure I’d take good care of you. And I will. For the rest of my life.” He took her hand, brushed a kiss across her knuckles.
“We’ll take care of each other. Always.”
Bonus Epilogue
June, one year later
Lincoln woke to a beautiful naked woman splayed all over him, her sweet-smelling hair fanned across his chest. Her arm was slung across his waist, one curvy leg between his two legs. Good thing it was his fiancée. Sadie, also known as the love of his life.
He was one lucky cowboy and he knew it. But damn. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Lucky or not, he was not looking forward to today. His brother would be arriving.
“Baby, wake up.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you know what I have to do today?”
“Make me coffee?”
“Pick Jackson up at the airport.”
“Mm,” she mumbled and then as if just now hearing him, “Oh.”
“Yup.” She shifted and he tugged her into his arms. “Not going to be a fun time.”
Jackson had adjusted to the idea of Eve being maid of honor to his best man. But he didn’t know yet that Eve was staying at the family home, caring for Mima after she’d foolishly broken her arm a few weeks ago.
Sadie sat up straight, her hair mussed. “Today! He’s coming back today.”
Uh-oh. He did not like the expression on her face, filled with hope and anticipation which had nothing to do with him, and how lucky he might get this morning.
“Sadie. We talked about this.”
“I know we did, and I’m not doin’ anything but standing by watching, helpless, as Jackson and Eve are reunited once more.” She smiled and smoothed down her hair. “You can’t stand in the path of true love. No one can. All I’m doin’ is providing the perfect opportunity. They’re going to stand up for us at Trinity Church and when they glance at each other across the altar…”
“He’ll reach over and wring her neck?” He provided helpfully.
“No.” She settled back down into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. “They will realize that could be them at the altar. And that maybe it’s not too late.”
“There’s a little thing you’re forgetting. She ran out on him on the day of their wedding and my brother is not the forgivin’ type.”
“But what if he still loves her?” She propped her chin on his chest.
“There you go getting carried away again.”
“I just want them to be as happy as we are. Remember, you didn’t want to fall in love and get married, either. And now look at you.”
“Yeah, now look at me.” He splayed his hands behind his neck. “Mornin’ sex. Afternoon sex. Nighttime sex. I’m sufferin’ horribly here.”
She thumped his pec. “One-track mind.”
Sadie knew he was kidding. Not that he didn’t enjoy the constant sex, because he sure did, but he loved this woman. He’d do anything for her. Still, he loved his brother, too, and Jackson would be put through enough on this first visit back to Stone Ridge in six years. He didn’t need Sadie to play matchmaker.
No fool, Lincoln saw quite clearly that both Sadie and his grandmother, Mima, were up to no good. Eve was already living at the Carver house, and Mima fully intended Jackson to stay there, too. No one wanted to tell Jackson. Well, Lincoln did, but he figured he’d soften the blow and tell him in person. Today.
“The timing is perfect,” Sadie said. “According to you, and all the tabloids, Jackson is single. Lord knows Eve is single.”
“That hardly matters when he hates her.”
“He hates her because he loves her.”
“How’s that?”
“You can only hate the ones you love.”
“You’re not making any sense, baby.”
“Listen! There’s a fine line between love and hate. Passion drives both sides. And the opposite of love is indifference.”
“Did you read another book?” Lincoln winked.
“Go ahead and laugh. The path to love is never a smooth one.”
“You can say that again.”
“I love you,” Sadie said against his lips. “Did I tell you that today?”
Yeah, he’d never get tired of hearing that.
“I love you back.”
And when his fiancée straddled him with a wicked smile, he forgot all about what he would be doing later today, because at least his day was starting off right.
* * *
Thank you for reading Sadie and Lincoln’s love story and for pre-ordering and/or buying in the first week.
A portion of the proceeds from pre-orders will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Thank you for contributing.
The story continues with Nashville Cowboy, book 2, available for pre-order now and releasing on May 4th.
Built like a Cowboy, book 3, is now available for pre-order and releasing on June 15th.
To keep up to date with all my releases and news please join my newsletter here.
Lucky Cowboy Page 27
