by Lane, Soraya
He raised an eyebrow. “Darlin’, I wouldn’t have it any other way. So long as you’re mine and everyone knows it.”
“I love my work, and I want to keep practicing,” she told him.
“Promise to keep doing our insemination work on the ranch and it’s a deal.”
“Damn you, Chase,” she muttered, leaning in for a kiss.
“Baby, you can punish me any way you see fit.”
* * *
“Okay? Just like that?” Chase asked, unable to hide his grin.
“I just didn’t want to tell him without knowing we were going to be a part of your life,” Hope explained. “Long term.”
“So you’ve been waiting for me to propose?”
Chase intercepted Hope’s punch and dodged out of her way, stopping only when a bold voice called out to him.
“Hey! Leave my mom alone!”
Chase jogged over to Harrison, laughing at the boy standing with his fist bunched and raised beside the car like he was about to take him on for play fighting with his mom. His little face looked happy though, mouth stretched into a massive smile as Chase ran and scooped him up, swinging him through the air.
“Hey! Put me down!”
Chase obliged when they were in front of Hope, putting Harrison down and bending so he was on the same level as him.
“We’ve got some exciting news,” Chase said, one hand on his shoulder.
“Are we going to get ice cream?”
Chase laughed. “No.”
“Did you buy me a pony?”
Chase cleared his throat and made a straight face, glancing up at Hope. “Do you want a pony?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm, well, it just so happens that I gave your mom a gift today,” Chase told him, reaching for Hope’s hand. “I gave her this beautiful ring and asked her to be my wife. We’re going to get married.”
Harrison looked confused and Hope dropped to her knees, too, so they were all on the same level.
“Mommy loves Chase a lot, and we’re going to go live with him at King Ranch. In his new house?” She touched his shoulder. “If that’s okay with you.”
Harrison was wide-eyed.
“I might move in with you guys for a couple of months until my place is ready, and by then it might be about time to give you something,” Chase told him. “I mean, since I gave your mom a present, it’d only be fair to spend the next few weeks or so looking for a pony for you. Whadda you say, kid?”
“Yes!”
Chase held his hand up for a high five and received a little body being hurtled against him at full speed instead, Harrison’s arms tight around him.
“Harris, there’s something else we need to tell you,” he said, an unfamiliar nervous sensation passing through him. Chase sat down on the grass, the boy still in his arms. He gestured for Hope to do the same, and he recognized what he saw reflected in her face as the same worry that was coursing through him. He’d never been responsible for anyone else before, never cared so badly about not hurting another human being, about protecting someone from harm. He smiled as he looked down at Harrison. He finally got what it meant to be a dad, to love so fiercely that it hurt.
“Some kids, like me, we had to grow up with a dad who didn’t really love us. Not like a dad should love his kids. But I was lucky, because I had two pretty awesome brothers and a really great mom, just like you. And after she died, my grandparents looked after us.”
“I don’t have a dad either,” Harrison said. “I had a stepdad, but not a real one.”
Chase watched as Hope took Harrison’s hand, and Chase ran his fingers down her back as he took a deep breath and prepared to say the hardest thing he’d ever said in his life.
“The difference between you and me, Harris, is that you do have a dad who loves you. I’m just sorry that you’ve had to wait so long to find out. To have me in your life.”
“I don’t understand.” He looked from Chase to Hope and back again.
Chase smiled at him. “I’m your dad, Harris. And from this day forward, I promise to be the best darn dad in the world. Okay?”
Harrison stood dead still, not making noise, unblinking as he stared at Chase. “You?” he asked. “You’re my dad?”
Chase grinned. “Yeah, son, I am.”
There was silence, none of them saying a word until Harris suddenly threw his arms around Chase again like he’d just received the best news of his life. Tears streamed down Chase’s cheeks, emotion clogging his throat and making him cry like he’d never cried before. He didn’t cry, not ever, but today he was in pieces.
Hope’s arms went around both of them and he leaned over to kiss her.
“Can we all just go home now?” she asked.
“No,” Chase said, clearing his throat a few times and rising with Harris still in his arms. He swiped at his face, getting rid of any evidence that he’d actually given in to his emotions. “I’ve got a deal to close, and you,” he said, reaching into his back pocket for his iPhone and throwing it to her, “need to call Chloe and tell her that you said yes.”
“Chloe knew about this?”
He laughed at the bemused expression on Hope’s face. “Chloe knows everything. That’s just something you’ll have to get used to. Besides, I had to get someone to help me choose the ring.”
Chase strode forward and stole one last kiss, his lips lingering over Hope’s for longer than he’d planned.
“And you,” he said to the grinning boy on his hip, “are gonna have to get used to me kissing your mom. All the time.”
“Gross,” Harrison protested, but he was still smiling.
Chase left Hope and headed back toward the house, waving to the realtor when he saw her. He appreciated that she’d given them some privacy when she must have wondered what the hell was going on.
“You still like this place?” Chase asked his son.
Harrison nodded, arms around him as they walked. “Yeah, but I like your place, too.”
“Good,” Chase said. “I’m gonna buy this place for you and your mom though anyway, so you always have somewhere to come back to, the place where your granddaddy ranched long before your mom was even born. It’s important to understand your history.”
He doubted the kid cared about all that kind of stuff yet or even really got what he was saying, but one day he would.
“Now it’s time for me to teach you how to negotiate a deal. You up for it?”
“Can we get ice cream after?”
Chase had never laughed so hard in all his life. “Yeah, we can get ice cream afterward.”
He stole a quick look over his shoulder at Hope. She was walking slowly, her hand held out in front of her as she looked at her ring—he knew it would be sparkling like crazy in the bright sunshine. Chase couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he turned back, taking in the mountains still tipped with snow, the dark green of the fields around them. It was a hell of a place to have as a second home, and Hope was going to make one hell of a wife.
Epilogue
“We really need to get downstairs.” Hope stretched out, flexing her toes against Chase’s leg. He just grunted, his lips moving lazily across hers.
“Why can’t we just stay here?” he mumbled.
Hope finally pushed him away. He’d sidetracked her once and if they stayed upstairs any longer it was just going to be embarrassing. “Up,” she ordered. “We can’t pretend like we don’t have guests any longer.”
“Nate can entertain everyone. How about we just stay here?”
“And when our son comes looking for us and finds you doing wicked things to his mommy?”
Chase groaned, releasing her wrist and stroking down her leg as she moved. She’d come back upstairs to find a necklace she’d forgotten to put on, and Chase had ambushed her before she’d left the bedroom. It was only his family and Nate’s friend Sam there right now, but still, she didn’t need them all knowing what her insatiable fiancé had been doing to her.
She
crossed the room and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, sighing when she saw how disheveled she was.
“You need to go back down. I’ll just be a minute.”
Chase appeared behind her, his arms looping around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder as she stood in front of the mirror.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are lately?”
Hope smiled, already finished touching up her foundation and now reapplying her lipstick. “Hmmm, yes. But you can tell me again.”
He dropped a kiss to her shoulder and stepped back, tucking his shirt back into his jeans. “I’ll see you down there, gorgeous.”
Hope finished tidying herself up, retrieved the necklace she’d come looking for in the first place, and slipped her shoes back on. She smoothed down her dress and headed downstairs, excited about finally having all their friends and family over. They’d waited to have their engagement party until the house was finished, and they’d been in a week now. Hope smiled as she looked around—it already felt like home.
“Hey, beautiful,” Chase murmured, taking her hand and grinning, the mischievous look on his face making it impossible for her not to return it. “I was starting to wonder where you’d gotten to.”
“Oh really?” She laughed and linked their fingers. The doorbell rang just as they started to walk, and she pulled Chase in for a quick kiss before letting him go. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, darlin’,” he replied, pressing another kiss to her hand before leaving her side.
“I still can’t believe it, seeing Chase like this.”
Hope turned when Chloe spoke. She took the champagne flute her sister-in-law-to-be was holding out for her.
“You say it like he was an ogre before.”
“No,” Chloe said, her smile infectious, “I say it because he was always so damn hotheaded about not ever wanting to settle down. Then, poof, along you come and he’s a different man.”
“How’s that baby?” Hope asked, turning the conversation away from her and touching Chloe’s rounded stomach. They’d become close over the last couple months, and she loved Chloe like she was her own sister.
“Moving way too much. I can’t believe we’re having a girl.” Chloe made a face. “I’m just thankful it’s not another Y chromosome though. It’s not like there’s a shortage of them around here.”
“Hey, I know exactly what it’s like to carry an acrobat in there.” They both laughed. “And for the record, there’s nothing wrong with any of the Y chromosomes around here, but a little girl will be so nice.”
Chloe giggled. “Honey, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Can I steal my beautiful fiancée away from you?” Chase asked, slinging his arm around her and tugging her against him.
Hope gave Chloe an apologetic smile and followed Chase, pulling away from him only when she saw Harrison running a hundred miles an hour through the house.
“Harris—” His name died on her lips. She’d been about to scold him for running through the house when she saw that he was in pursuit of one of his uncles.
“Ryder’s going to make one hell of a dad, don’t you think?” Hope said into Chase’s ear as they walked.
“Yeah. He’s like a big kid himself.”
The house was filling fast, friends steadily arriving and making themselves at home. They’d invited family, friends, the guys who worked on the ranch—everyone who they cared about—and now it was time to welcome everyone to their home for the first time.
“Are we going to wander around and say hi?” Hope asked.
Chase gave her the smile of his that told her he was up to no good again, his dimple doing nothing to convince her otherwise. He ran a hand through his hair, dark locks that she’d convinced him to leave unruly and slightly too long.
“I think I need a glass of champagne,” Chase said, stealing a quick kiss before leaving her for a few seconds and returning with a flute the same as hers.
“Chase, what are you up to?”
He just shrugged, giving her a sexy wink that made her belly swirl with anticipation. She hated the way her body reacted to him sometimes; even when she was trying to be angry with him, she couldn’t stop thinking about stripping him naked to see his gorgeous, big, muscled body.
She watched in horror as he slipped her ring off her finger and used it to tap against his glass repeatedly until he had everyone’s attention. The jazz music that had been playing just loud enough to be heard stopped, and suddenly everyone had turned toward them. Chase smiled as he placed the ring back on her finger, held her hand up, and kissed it in front of their audience, then turned back around.
Hope had no problem talking to a room of people at a veterinarian conference, but standing as the center of attention, surrounded by people they knew and loved, was all of the sudden overwhelming. She kept her eyes trained on Chase, amazed all over again at his confidence. He could have charmed the pants off every girl in the room, she was sure of it—right now he was his dazzling, sparkly-eyed, handsome-as-hell self—and she knew there was no way she could ever resist him. She’d fallen hook, line, and sinker and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I just wanted to say a few quick words to thank you all for being here tonight,” Chase began, smiling at the crowd gathered listening to him. “This was originally going to be a plain old housewarming party, but as you all know things have changed a little in my life lately.”
Laughter rippled through their guests and Hope found it impossible not to join in. What had happened between them had been painful at the time, and they’d kept the actual details completely private between them and Chase’s brothers, but everyone standing in their home right now knew they’d rekindled their romance after a long separation.
“I wanted to take this moment to tell this beautiful woman standing beside me how much I love her,” Chase continued, turning to face her, his eyes locked on hers as he spoke. “Once upon a time I was too proud to admit just how much, but thank God I came to my senses. She’s the love of my life and I’ll shout it from the rooftop if I have to.” He cleared his throat, smiling at her. “And not only has Hope made me happier than I can express, she’s also helped us to establish a promising organic beef venture. Thanks to her, we now have all of our new heifers in calf, so tonight is a double celebration.”
Hope shook her head, tears brimming as she listened to him. It was all too much, hearing what he had to say to everyone.
“So I’d like you all to join me in a toast,” Chase said, giving her another toe-curling wink before turning back to their friends and raising his glass high. “To Hope, my beautiful bride-to-be, and our son, Harrison. I couldn’t imagine my life without them.”
“To Hope!” everyone called out, raising their glasses.
Chase turned back toward her, taking her hand in his and holding his glass out to clink against hers before taking a sip.
“To us,” he murmured.
“To us,” she repeated, sipping her champagne as she stared at the man she’d loved longer than she could remember.
“Mommy, can I have more lemonade?”
Hope laughed as Harrison tugged on her leg, completely oblivious to what was going on around them. Chase bent down to scoop their son up, hoisting him up into the air and then letting him settle on his hip.
“Do you know how much I love you?” Chase asked Harrison.
Hope bit her lip as she watched them together, trying not to laugh at the expression on Harrison’s face.
“Hmmm, this much?” he asked, holding his little arms as far apart as he could.
“All the way to the moon and back,” Chase told him.
“Now can I have more lemonade?”
“Sure, kid. You go tell Uncle Nate that I said you can have it, okay?”
They both watched as Harrison ran back through the house, a blur among the adults in the room.
“He’s a great kid,” Chase said, drawing her into his arms.
“And y
ou’re a pretty great dad,” she replied, standing on tiptoe to so she could kiss him, her arm around his neck as she pushed her body against his.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he murmured, kissing her again before pushing her away.
“Why?” She faked a frown.
“Because unless you want our friends to see me throw you over my shoulder and march you upstairs to our bedroom like some kind of caveman, you need to ease off.”
“Ah, Chase,” she said, running her hand down his muscled arm. “Just one of the reasons I love you.”
He slung an arm around her shoulder. “You can toy with me later, woman. Now it’s time to go be social.”
She walked with him, their bodies pressed together as one as they made the rounds, clinking champagne glasses and chatting. It had taken five years and a whole ton of heartache along the way, but she finally felt like she’d found her way home.
Hope glanced down at the massive diamond on her finger, hardly able to believe that by the end of the year she’d be Mrs. King.
“You okay, baby?” Chase asked.
Hope pressed an impromptu kiss to his cheek. “You betcha.”
Can’t get enough of the King brothers?
A Lot Like Love
The first in the sizzling hot King Brothers series!
Chloe has no intention of falling in love, especially for a cowboy. But when she meets gorgeous rodeo star Ryder King, it’s almost impossible to be immune to his charm. And when she finds out he’s a gambler, she knows for sure that he spells trouble. But there’s something about Ryder that keeps drawing her in, and when she realizes how easy it would be to blackmail him and have fun with him, she can’t resist.
Texas playboy Ryder King is more successful at riding rodeo than playing poker. He just bet his third of his family’s ranch – and lost – and he needs to find a way to get it back, fast. So when he finds out that gorgeous, sassy Chloe is the daughter of a card shark, he decides to show his hand, and ask for her help. But there’s a catch…