Chapter Fourteen
Sarah couldn’t wait to get out of the mountains, and she knew Daniel felt the same way, thanks to their bond. Though Jason wanted them to come down to The Agency headquarters for a round of interviews and debriefing, Daniel quickly vetoed that idea explaining that he and Sarah were both mentally and physically exhausted from their ordeal, plus Adam was all alone back at Rosie’s. It was a good thing Jason understood, plus, Thoralf had promised to stay and finish the cleanup and debrief in their stead.
They picked up Adam back in town. The relief on the teen’s face was obvious as they entered Rosie’s, though he later claimed that it was allergies that made his eyes water, and he certainly was not crying.
“God, I can’t wait to get in bed,” she sighed as they neared the house.
“Me neither,” Daniel said, but wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“Eww,” Adam groaned. “Gross. I think I’m going to hurl some mango tango peach pie all over your upholstery. Please keep it down tonight, I don’t want to hear what my sister sounds like when she’s banging.”
“Language!” Sarah warned.
Daniel laughed. “We’ll try to keep it—oh, fuck me.”
Adam snorted. “Nice mouth you got there, Rogers. Careful your mate doesn’t wash it out with soap.”
“Daniel?” Her head cocked to the side as he muttered something unintelligible. “What’s wrong?” she asked as they pulled in front of the house. The car stopped, and he cut the engine. “Why aren’t you going into the driveway? Adam needs—oh.” There was another vehicle parked in their usual spot. Actually, it was the same kind of minivan they were using, only in blue. “Are you expecting guests?”
“Not really.” His hands flexed and un-flexed around the wheel, then he let out a sigh. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you guys.”
“Introduce us?” But Daniel had already slipped out of the driver’s seat.
“What’s going on?” Adam asked from the back seat.
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Are you okay back there? Need my help?”
“Nah, I can get out on my own. You go ahead and see what’s happening.”
Sarah got out and jogged over to where Daniel stood next to the other minivan. The driver’s side door opened, and a tall man stepped out, snakeskin cowboy boots landing on the asphalt, his face obscured by a Stetson hat. When he lifted his head, she found herself staring into a pair of silver-blue eyes. “Hello there, pretty lady,” he drawled. “Or should I call you, daughter-in-law?”
“Hey, Pops,” Daniel greeted. “This is a surprise.”
Pops? Sarah looked from their unexpected visitor to Daniel, then back again. Except for the weathered skin and thick white mustache, the older man held a close resemblance to Daniel.
White bushy eyebrows drew together. “Not as surprised as we were when we heard the news.” His words held a touch of reproach, reminding her of the tone she used on Adam when he was a kid and had done something naughty. “I know it’s our choice to live off the grid and avoid the damned news like the plague, but still, we had to read about you saving the vice president and bein’ married in the supermarket tabloids while we were out grocery shopping.”
“Sorry about that, Pops,” Daniel said, shuffling his feet. “I meant to call you guys and explain, but things have been too busy.”
“Too busy to give us the good news?”
Sarah whirled around at the sound of the new voice. The rear door of the blue minivan was already open, and the ramp extended as another person rolled out, stopping inches from her. “You must be Sarah,” the man in the motorized wheelchair said, his teeth white against his tanned skin. “I’m Thomas Rogers, Daniel’s dad.”
“Nice to meet you, Thomas” she said, taking the hand offered to her.
“And that’s my mate, Beau, Daniel’s other dad.” Thomas chuckled as he cocked his head at Stetson man. “From the look on your face, I’m guessing my son hasn’t told you anything about us.” He raised a brow at Daniel.
“Not intentionally,” he said defensively.
“I hope they’re good reasons, son,” Beau said.
“I’ll explain everything to you guys, I promise. But first, you should know, she’s my mate too,” Daniel added. “And we just bonded.”
A wide smile broke across Thomas’s face. “Mates? That’s fantastic.”
Beau slapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations, son. I told you, you were gonna find your mate one day.”
“What’s going on?” Adam asked as he rolled toward them.
“Pops, Dad,” Daniel began. “This is Adam, Sarah’s brother. Adam, these are my dads.”
“What’s up?” Adam asked.
“Nice to meet you, son,” Beau said, walking over to him and giving him a vigorous handshake.
Thomas reached over and took Adam’s hand once Beau let go. “Hello, Adam. Lovely to meet you. I’m glad to see you’re making use of our other van.”
“Oh cool, thanks for letting me borrow it,” he said.
“Come on, let’s head inside,” Thomas suggested. “And you can tell us about the wedding.”
They let Adam and Thomas lead the way, with Beau opening the front door so the two of them could roll up into the house.
Things clicked into place in Sarah’s brain as she watched Daniel’s parents. The van. The ramps and ground floor bedrooms in the house. The ADA-accessible trails in the mountains. How did she not notice these things?
They went inside, following the trio into the kitchen, stopping at the doorway to give Adam and Thomas room to maneuver. Beau was already rooting around in the fridge.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Daniel whispered to her as he took her hand and threaded his fingers through his. “Beau is my biological dad, and my mom died giving birth to me. They weren’t mates, but they loved each other just the same. He was devastated when she died. We moved here from Texas when he got the job as a ranger. He never had a relationship after her because he was busy raising me, at least not for a couple of years. One day, while he was on patrol, he meets this hot-shot lawyer whose car broke down in the mountains.”
“That’s an amazing story,” she said. “They look like they’re still so in love.” She had seen it in the way the couple had looked each other, and how Beau kept his hand on Thomas’s shoulder, or how Thomas’s eyes tracked his mate wherever he went. It all made sense now, somehow. Why Daniel was the way he was, knowing these two had raised him.
“What are you two doin’ over there, standing around like a pair of lost calves?” Beau called as he put a six-pack on the table. “Git your asses over here and sit down.”
“I love what you’ve done to the house, Daniel,” Thomas said as they sat down. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Daniel said as he accepted a beer from Beau.
“So, did you know she was your mate right away?” Thomas asked. “Did your grizzly tell you?”
Daniel chuckled. “It sure did. And as you can tell, she couldn’t wait to put a ring on it.”
“Hey!” she protested, slapping him on the arm. “That’s not what happened. Er, at least not from what I can remember.”
He smirked at her. “Well, let me tell you what I can remember.”
The rest of the night proceeded with much merriment as they ate, drank, told stories, joked, laughed, and let Adam have one sip of beer. Eventually, as the hours passed, Thomas and Beau declared that it was time for them to retire.
Later, when everyone settled into their rooms, Daniel pulled Sarah into the empty living area.
“I like your parents a lot,” she confessed. “They’re good people.”
“And they like you too,” he said. “So …”
She frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Well … I wanted to wait until I got a ring to ask you this but—” He got down on one knee. “Will you marry me, Sarah Mendez?”
“Marry you?” she chuckled. “We’re already married, silly. Aren’t we
doing this in the wrong order by the way? Getting married, sleeping together, then falling in love?”
“I guess so.” He got up and kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Maybe one day, when we’re old and gray, we can look longingly at each from our wheelchairs, surrounded by our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and finally I’ll work up enough courage to introduce myself formally and ask you on a real date.”
“Be still my heart,” she said, rolling her eyes as she placed a hand on her chest. “Well, until that time, how about we just head upstairs and screw like rabbits?”
He chuckled. “Whatever you want, baby doll.”
Epilogue
Two weeks later …
The party in the ballroom of the Blackstone Grand Hotel was in full swing with the speakers blaring tunes the DJ played, champagne and food free-flowing, and the dance floor packed with guests. Some people might have called it a wedding reception, but the real wedding that brought together the bride and groom had taken place months ago in a little wedding chapel along The Strip in Las Vegas. However, the happy couple, along with their family and close friends from Blackstone and Nevada, did hop over to the courthouse that morning to have a vow renewal of sorts and exchange rings.
While they would have been happy to have a simple dinner somewhere to celebrate, the dads of the groom insisted on a real wedding reception. “When else am I going to be able to plan something like this?” Thomas had asked. And so, Daniel and Sarah relented.
“Finally,” Daniel said when the upbeat tune faded into a slow, romantic song. “I’ve been waiting all night for this.” Rising to his feet, he offered her his hand. “May I dance with my wife, please?”
Sarah, looking absolutely radiant in her short white dress that made her bronzed skin glow and with her caramel hair down in waves past her shoulders, stood up and took his hand. “Of course.”
He led her to the middle of the dance floor, holding her close against his body, marveling at the way they fit each other so perfectly. But then again, everything about them fit perfectly. Brushing a kiss to her cheek, he inhaled her scent. Her arms wound around his neck, and those velvety brown eyes looked up at him with pure love that didn’t need to be said out loud, not when it hummed through the bond they shared.
Joy fluttered in his chest, and his grizzly, too, preened with happiness. The mate bond between them grew stronger each day, a fact that brought him and his animal much delight, as well as real contentment.
For most of the song, it was like they were the only two people on the dance floor. But once the song faded to its final notes, the DJ put on a classic jazzy song with a faster rhythm. Though she tried to let go, he only held her close. “One more, please?”
“We can have any many as you want.”
“I hope you’re ready.” He stepped back and took her hand in his, leading her through the steps of an old-fashioned swing dance. Pops had insisted he learned to dance when he was younger, as he thought it was an important skill. She laughed as he spun her around and dipped her low, and applause broke behind them.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” she said.
“The things you don’t know about me might still surprise you,” he said.
“Daniel, Sarah!” came an excited voice behind them. It was Darcey, Adam rolling up next to her in his new motorized wheelchair. “That was a great dance set. I didn’t even know you were going to do that.”
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, Darce. Are you having fun?”
She nodded, her waves of white blonde hair bobbing around her. “Everyone’s been great and … it’s weird being around so many people like me.”
“That’s great, Darce, and how’s the move?”
“One more trip back to Vegas in the morning and we’re done,” she said.
“Thank God,” Adam groaned. “I’m so glad to be out of that town.”
“Looking forward to the fall?” Daniel asked. Adam would be attending Lucas Lennox High when school started back, but for now, he was enjoying his summer. They’d all been going up for hikes in the Blackstone Mountains, and next weekend, Daniel would be taking him up on a boy’s only camping trip with his parents and a couple of his friends.
“Yeah, yeah,” the teen said. “Ugh, can I go back up to the suite now? This party’s so boring, and everyone’s so old.”
Sarah chuckled. “All right. Go on ahead.”
“Later,” he said and he drove away.
“Go straight to the room!” Sarah called. “And don’t even think about going through the mini bar!” But Adam only answered with a dismissive wave.
“Do you want to dance, Darcey?” Daniel asked.
“Um, maybe later?” She wrinkled her nose. “I think … I think I need to go somewhere …” Turning on her heel, she dashed off.
Sarah frowned, then shrugged. “She’s been acting weird all night.”
“I’m sure she’s just feeling excited and unnerved being surrounded by all these shifters.” Daniel had only met his sister-in-law twice before tonight, and she hadn’t told him yet what she was. However, he had detected feathers in her scent, so he suspected she was some kind of avian shifter.
“Congratulations, man.” Gabriel had come up behind them, tugging Temperance along. “And great party.”
“This place looks amazing,” Temperance said as she glanced at the decorations and table settings around them. “I can’t believe your dad only needed a couple days to get this all done. Our wedding is months away, and I still don’t feel like it’s enough time.”
“Well, you could get it over with and do what we did,” Daniel suggested with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Temperance’s face brightened, “That sounds like a—”
“Nuh-huh,” Gabriel said vehemently. “No, we’re not going to Vegas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but my sisters will kill me if we elope.”
Temperance pursed her lips. “Then maybe they can do all the planning. And find me a dress, too.”
Sarah reached over and patted her on the shoulder. “Still no luck? That local designer can’t fit you in?”
“No.” Her shoulders dropped as she frowned. “She won’t return my calls.”
Gabriel snorted. “She must think she’s hot shit now, just because she designed gowns for royalty.”
“Gabriel,” Temperance warned. “Don’t say that. I’m sure she’s just busy. I’ll find another gown, don’t worry.”
“Anyway,” Gabriel continued. “I’m gonna go talk to Damon. He’s probably out checking on who’s patrolling the perimeter.”
Damon had insisted on placing rangers on duty around the reception area just in case The Knights or any media decided to crash the reception.
“I told him extra security wasn’t necessary,” Daniel said. “Jason says their intelligence hasn’t picked up any sign The Knights are sniffing around, and the media’s already found their next big story with that celebrity couple and their messy breakup. Tell him and the rest of the guys to come in and join the party.”
“All right,” Gabriel said. “I think I saw him talking to Krieger out by the gardens.”
“And I’ll sit with Anna Victoria and J.D.,” Temperance said. “Later, guys.”
As the other couple walked away, Sarah slipped her hand into his. “Do you really think The Knights won’t bother us anymore?”
“I don’t think they’ll attempt to kidnap me and try to make me hurt anyone,” he said. “But I doubt that’s the last Blackstone will see of them.”
“What about Thoralf? Did he say anything?”
“Not much about his mission,” he said. The dragon shifter had left right after The Knights’ attack on him, but they kept in touch via text. “He did send me a message this morning, wishing us well and apologizing for not being able to make tonight. He’ll drop by for a visit if he’s ever passing through.”
“Good. I—” Sarah frowned.
“What’s wrong?” He sensed hi
s mate’s distress through their bond, as did his bear. The grizzly lifted its block head, nostrils flaring. Turning toward where she was looking, he scanned the room for danger. “Did you see any reporters or any suspicious-looking people?”
“No. It’s Darcey. I think I see her over there.” She brushed passed him, heading toward the exit. He followed her, of course, until they reached her sister, who stood by the doors, her back to them.
“Darce?” She reached over and grabbed the other woman’s shoulder and spun her around. “What’s the—are you crying?”
Tears streaked down her pale cheeks, which she quickly brushed off. “Nothing,” she cried. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s obviously not nothing.” Sarah gripped both her arms. “What’s the matter? Tell me why you’re crying.”
“Did someone hurt you?” Daniel’s voice turned edgy. “Tell me.” His grizzly roared at the sight of the female’s tears.
“No. Not intentionally,” she whispered. “At least I don’t think so … I’m sorry, I have to go. I’m gonna go to my room, I just need to be alone for a bit.” Shrugging off Sarah’s grasp, she turned and darted toward the elevators.
“Damn it!” Sarah chewed at her lip. “What the hell could have happened? She was fine earlier.”
Daniel chewed on his lip. What could have made Darcey cry? Or who? His fingers curled into fists. If he found out who hurt her, he was going rip them into shreds. His inner bear smashed its giant paws together in agreement.
“I know it’s our reception,” Sarah began. “But Darcey …”
“She needs you, baby doll. I understand.”
“I shouldn’t leave you.”
“You can come back down after you make sure she’s okay,” he said then caught her hand, raising it to eye level so they could both look at the gold band encircling her ring finger. “Remember what it says.”
Her lips curved up at the corners. “I’ll never forget it. I don’t think I ever did.”
Daniel had recalled her saying something about the chapel on The Strip sending their rings away to be personalized. On his last trip to Vegas to help Sarah and Adam pack up their apartment, he’d swung by, and sure enough, the rings were ready and waiting for them.
Blackstone Ranger Hero Page 18
