by R. J. Groves
She missed Shannon.
If he was happy about having a child with her and he was willing to be with her for real, Jannette would move back in a heartbeat. There was nothing left for her in Perth. She had friends, sure, but she had no doubt that she’d still visit Andie and Harley and that they would visit her. But if he wasn’t happy about it …
‘What if he’s not?’ she said, her heart aching at the thought of what she’d do if he didn’t want her or anything to do with the baby.
Andie tightened her grip on Jannette’s hand, getting her attention away from her thoughts. ‘If that happens, then you come back here and we figure out what to do next. Harley and I might be sisters-in-law, but you’re our family too.’ Andie reached her other hand forward and placed it on Jannette’s stomach, smiling as she did. ‘You both are.’
***
Shannon hadn’t been able to get over Jannette leaving him. Sure, she hadn’t left him for real. They would have had to have a real relationship for that. But she’d walked away from their marriage, and she’d walked away from him.
Even if their marriage was a sham, surely she couldn’t have thought that everything he did was also put on, could she? He tightened the wiring on the loose fence, putting all of his strength into it. He’d been too afraid to tell her how he felt. He’d thought they’d had more time than they did. When really, he should have popped out her mother’s ring and proposed to her for real.
Jannette had always had a special spot in Shannon’s heart—even though they hadn’t seen each other for seventeen years—and damn it, she always would. Feeling spent from the morning’s hard work, he rested his elbows on the fence post and rubbed his forehead. He shouldn’t have let her get away. And he wasn’t just talking about now. All those years ago, he’d known. Hell, he was sure even her mother knew. Why else would she have given him her wedding ring?
And for some stupid reason he’d thought a marriage of convenience would work. But it hadn’t. Not in the slightest. Instead, he’d fallen for her more than he already had, and he’d fallen hard. And she’d still left.
He closed his eyes and groaned. He could still see her baby blues every time he closed his eyes. He could still taste her, smell her, feel her body moving as one with his, hear her sweet voice. It had felt so fucking right. Hadn’t she felt it, too?
He moved his hand from his forehead to rub the unruly stubble on his chin. He had to do something. She’d been gone a month and the only time he’d heard from her was when she’d rung to tell him that her stalker was going to jail and the incidents had all been his doing. He should have told her then. He should have told her to come home, to let him show her the kind of husband he would be. But he hadn’t. He’d waited, feeling like she had more to say. And then she’d cut the conversation short and left him blank on the other end of the line.
Not to mention the fact that Sylvie was furious with him for letting her go.
‘How could you let her leave again?’ she’d said, slapping him on the arm. ‘This was your second chance, you big idiot, and you let her get away. You need to go get her and bring her back home.’
Like he’d needed salt rubbed into his wounds. But she was right on one thing. He needed to bring her back. After years of living without Jannette, she’d so quickly become the oxygen in his lungs and he felt like he was dying without her. A very slow, very painful death. He’d given her space, hoping she’d come around. But he couldn’t bear the thought of being away from her any longer. He’d asked her where she was staying when she’d rung him and she’d said she was staying with Andie—wherever that was. He had to find out. Tay and Joey had both given him their numbers when he’d met them that evening at the restaurant. He was sure either of them could help. But whether they’d want to …
He slapped the top of the fence post, a new determination spreading through him. He had to try. He had to find her. Whatever he had to do to get her back, he’d do it.
He loved Jannette, and legally she was still his wife. He wasn’t going to let go of her so easily. He gathered up his things and scooped himself up onto his horse, heading back to the main house. He’d ring Kenny when he got inside and see if he could borrow one of Kenny’s workers to look after the farm for the afternoon and possibly the next morning. He hated relying on other people, and he’d been calling on Kenny a lot lately. But if all went well, he’d be bringing Jannette home for good. And if not …
Well, at least he’d know.
By the time he got back to the house, his mind was already in chaos with what he was going to say, how he would do it. Would he start by kissing her? Would he straight up tell her he loved her and would she please come home? Or would all thought leave him the second he laid eyes on her?
He took the steps up to the house two at a time, determined to make a rush on it. He had phone calls to make and he needed to change out of his work clothes. He’d pick up some flowers when he got into town, and he wouldn’t rest until he’d found her.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. He skidded to a stop as he came near the dining table, his jaw dropping, his heart pounding in his chest, and he stopped breathing.
Was his mind playing tricks on him?
‘Jenny?’ he whispered.
Her lips turned up in a quivering smile. ‘Hey, Shan.’
The breath rushed into him like it was his first breath after almost drowning. She was here, standing beside the dining table in that stunning blue dress she’d worn to Andie and Tay’s wedding. The night he’d proposed. She looked even more stunning now than she had then. And while they’d been mostly in darkness that night, he was sure that she filled the dress even better now. Her breasts looked fuller than he remembered, and it still hugged her body in all the right places. The table behind her was set for two, candles and a single rose in a thin vase the centrepiece. And in her hands, she held two champagne flutes filled with a lightly golden sparkling liquid. Surely his mind was tricking him. Surely he’d fallen off his horse on the way back to the house and was suffering a concussion. How could he have just been planning to go see her and she’d been inside waiting for him? His mind had conjured her up. That was the only logical conclusion. Unless …
He lifted his gaze to meet those baby blues that had been just as clear in his mind as they were now, and he reached for his hat, taking it off and putting it on the hook on the wall. His mind wasn’t playing tricks with him. She really was here. He could smell her sweet perfume and could see the same pain in her expression as he’d just been feeling. But just in case she disappeared any second, he walked slowly towards her.
She must have noticed him glance at the glasses, because she spoke first. ‘It’s ginger beer,’ she said, holding one out for him at arm’s length. Her voice wavered, and judging by the rise and fall of her chest, her breathing was choppy. ‘I know you don’t drink alcohol after all that happened with your dad and your uncle when you were a kid.’ He took the glass and lowered it to the table, her gaze following it as he did. ‘And I wanted to surprise you and I—I thought we should, um’—he took her glass and placed it next to his—‘celebrate. But I get it if—if you don’t want to.’
He brought a hand to her face, cupping her chin, his body responding to the contact. It felt like an eternity since he’d touched her. Since he’d been close enough to breathe her in and feel the warmth of her body mingling with that of his in the space between them.
‘Jenny,’ he said, urging her to look at him.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, her enchanting blue eyes glistening and sending a pang through his chest. He swallowed the lump in his throat, the one that threatened to choke him. Had she been hurting as much as he had? He never should have let her go. Not so many years ago. Not a month ago. But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake a third time. He brushed a thumb over her cheek, and she lifted a hand and rested it on his, leaning into it.
‘Jenny, why are you here?’ It barely came out above a whisper, but no one else was listening, a
nd he knew Jannette had heard it loud and clear.
Her lower lip quivered, her head tipping back to get a better look at him. Her eyes were so worried, her brow furrowed, and he ached to smooth out the creases. She looked paler than he remembered, the light suntan she’d got from working the farm having faded.
‘Shan,’ she said, her voice breaking. A tear trickled down her cheek and he brushed it aside with his thumb. ‘Shan, I’m pregnant.’
He froze, pulling back enough to see if she was serious. Her lips parted with a rush of air, another tear escaping as she waited for his response. She was serious. Even he knew that wasn’t something she’d joke about.
‘Pregnant?’ he repeated, unsure what to make of it.
Sure, he had told her when he’d proposed his outrageous idea that he’d be okay with her having a child if she wanted to. Was that why she’d gone back to Perth? For the treatment? She nodded, bringing his focus back on her beautiful, beautiful face and those baby blues that he knew her child would have. A longing filled him. It wasn’t too late to tell her he loved her, was it? That he wanted to raise that child with her, love him or her like his own son or daughter?
‘IVF?’
He wasn’t sure how long IVF treatments normally took, but he imagined it would be longer than the length of time she’d been away. And why wouldn’t she have told him? He could have been there with her. He could have been the support she might have needed, helped her with everything.
She shook her head, and his eyebrow shot up.
‘M—mine?’
She swallowed, then nodded. The slightest of nods. But boy, it was just as effective as if she’d yelled it. His heard pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears.
‘Are you sure?’
A light laugh escaped her lips, but another tear trickled down her face, her eyes still troubled. ‘Yes, I’m sure. You’re the only one I’ve been with.’
He let his hand fall from her face and he slid into one of the dining chairs and rubbed a hand over his stubbly chin. A baby. Their baby. A little blue-eyed cowboy or cowgirl with sandy hair just like their mama. An image flashed through his mind of their children feeding a new set of calves, smiles on their face. A family.
His family.
‘Shan, please say something.’
Her voice wavered, and she was twisting her hands together when he brought his gaze up to the most amazingly beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on, his eyes lingering at the slightly swollen belly that harboured his precious child.
‘I’m gonna be a dad?’ His voice broke as he said it, his vision growing blurry. He met her eyes with his and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, relief seeming to rush over her and her lips curving into the biggest smile he’d ever seen grace her face.
‘Yes, Shan. We’re having a baby.’
A new level of happiness he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt rushed through him as he rose to his feet, scooped her up in his arms, and planted his mouth on hers, breathing her in, tasting her, and silently vowing to never let her go again. He’d made that mistake before, and he’d always regret it. But now?
Now he wasn’t so stupid.
Her kiss was like the breath of life he’d needed. And her touch was the fuel that kept him going. And her news …
Well.
He was going to be a dad. And he was going to be the best damn dad he could be.
Shannon lowered his wife to the floor, pulling her close, and resting his chin on the top of her head, a hand rubbing over her stomach.
‘Does this mean you’re coming home?’ he said, his voice breaking again with the question.
She looked up at him, her eyes dark with passion, and a smile playing at her lips. ‘Do you still want me to stay?’
A rumble started at the base of his throat as he cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes, losing himself in them. ‘I want more than that. I love you, Jannette Adeline Hopkins. I always have, and I always will.’
Her smile grew wide, another fresh tear rolling down her cheek. ‘I love you too, Shannon John Hopkins. So very much.’
He closed the distance between them again, kissing her slowly, revelling in the feel of a new life between them. Their misunderstandings and hesitations forgotten. And this time they really did have all the time in the world.
His wife.
His child.
His family.
He had to be the happiest man alive.
Chapter 20
‘Okay, where is she?’
Jannette smiled as her husband searched the crowd around them. It was their anniversary, and instead of celebrating quietly, they’d decided to have a vow renewal—for real, this time. For most who were attending, the idea of renewing their vows after only a year seemed strange, but for their nearest and dearest who they’d confessed their sham marriage to, the sentiment made perfect sense.
She looked down at her ring finger, a plain wedding band sitting alongside her mother’s ring. As she had on her wedding day, she wished her parents were there. But even though they weren’t, she and Shannon still had so many people who were sharing their moment with them. On the other side of the room, she could see her best friends talking to some of their guests, Andie’s pregnant belly just starting to show and Harley gleaming with the glow of a newlywed. They looked just as much at home here at Tanner Station as they did back in Perth. Jannette supposed it wasn’t so much the location that was home, but who you were with.
She peered around the room and spotted Shannon making his way through the other half of the room. She smiled. Home, indeed. Shannon had become her home the second she’d bumped into him after helping that distressed cow give birth to Clarabelle. And if she really thought about it, he’d been her home before she’d left for the city as a fresh graduate. When he’d left for his studies, the farm hadn’t felt right for her.
Yet somehow, they’d found their way back to each other, and the farm had become home again. He’d become home. Her thoughts drifted back to her stalker who was now sitting in jail where he belonged. If it weren’t for Salvatore stalking her, Shannon might never have proposed a marriage of convenience. And she might have lost her chance with him. But fate had a mind of its own. And for once, she was glad to be tied up in its schemes.
Jannette headed in the direction of her husband, pausing briefly when Sylvie’s twins tugged on one of her arms each. She glanced down at the handsome little boys. She and Shannon had bought them both an Akubra hat for Christmas, and now they wore them with pride.
‘‘Scuse me, Aunt Jenny,’ Xander—she could only tell because of the embroidered X on the band around his hat—said.
‘Can we have some more cake?’ Zeke said, a Z on the band around his hat.
‘Yeah, and more jelly?’ Xander added with another tug to get her attention.
‘I don’t see why not,’ Jannette said, shooting them a wink. ‘Just don’t let your mother see, okay?’
The two boys gave each other a mischievous look and made a run for the table where a buffet of food was gathered, stealthily ducking and weaving behind guests and furniture. Jannette smiled, then startled as she heard Sylvie’s voice behind her.
‘I’m gonna get you back for that one day.’
‘Oh, I know.’ Jannette smiled at her sister-in-law, her grin widening when she saw Shannon’s eyes light up as he approached.
‘There’s my girl,’ he said, reaching for the three-month-old baby in Sylvie’s arms. ‘Hand her over.’
Sylvie rolled her eyes. ‘I swear this boy can’t let her out of his sight for a second. Shan, if you’re this bad now, just wait until she’s a teenager bringing boys home.’
Shannon’s eyebrow flicked up as he glanced at Jannette, then back down to the beautiful little blonde girl in his arms, whose eyes were still yet to decide if they wanted to be green or blue. ‘Well, I might just have to bring out my shotgun, ain’t that right, Addie? Except this time I reckon it’ll be loaded.’ He glanced up again, shooting a wink towards Ja
nnette before wandering off to showcase his baby girl.
Jannette’s heart couldn’t have felt fuller. Little Adeline Jade Hopkins—Adeline after Jannette’s mother, and also her own middle name—couldn’t have asked for a better father. She watched on as Shannon brought Addie over to Robbie and Jarrod, who were both glowing with happiness. Robbie’s move had been good for him, and his injuries had improved a lot. He’d visited often over the months, especially once Addie had been born. Even Jarrod had been a much more regular visitor once the baby came. She’d never seen such a doting uncle or cousin. They were almost as bad as Shannon.
As if feeling her gaze on him, Shannon glanced at her again from across the room, the green in his eyes dark, and she felt that intensity between them that she felt whenever he looked at her like that. The one that sent a ripple of pure desire coursing through her body and her toes curling at the mere thought of his touch, his kisses. The one that promised a night to remember. A life to remember.
Well.
It seemed Addie wasn’t the only lucky gal in this family.
Thanks for reading Say You’ll Be Mine. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you liked this book, here are my other titles; Save The Date and Be My Valentine.
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