His To Claim (The Westmoreland Legacy Book 4)

by Brenda Jackson

  Being here at this ranch had helped soothe her mind and she didn’t regret coming here, although she did miss the girls. There were so many activities to enjoy, and yesterday she’d even helped with the branding of the cattle and participated in a roundup. After today, she would only have four days left here and then she would return to Virginia, to her daughters and to wait for Mac to come home.

  Mac.

  Lately things hadn’t been so great between them.

  They seemed to argue more when he returned after being away. She didn’t think it was related to PTSD; it was just a case of two strong-willed individuals not always agreeing on certain things. It was so hard for him to understand that while he was away, she was both mom and dad, and when he returned it wasn’t easy for her to relinquish one of them. Usually by the time she did, he was gone again. Why was it becoming a vicious cycle that seemed to threaten their marriage to the point where she’d begun feeling that she was taken for granted?

  There it was again.

  Questions with no answers. Problems that needed solving.

  She wanted, for the time being, to clear her mind of all of it and to recall a time when she didn’t have any worries. Or at least not too many—for even back then she had been trying to decide how she would run a ranch without her grandparents. But all those years ago she had been a young girl who’d met a man she knew was meant to be a part of her life and she a part of his.

  As she stood there sipping her coffee, her mind drifted back to that time...

  Ten years ago

  Less than an hour after her friend LaDorria had introduced them, Teri had known Thurston McRoy was a take-charge kind of man who was military through and through.

  In addition to being breathtakingly handsome, he was also incredibly charming and outrageously kind. She’d discovered just how kind when they’d left the rodeo and they’d gone, along with LaDorria and Lawton, to this bar-and-grill for food and beer. He’d opened doors for her, pulled out chairs and hadn’t tried taking control of their conversations.

  He hadn’t come on too strong, yet he’d managed to overwhelm her just the same. She had discovered he was someone easy to talk to, someone who had the ability to make her feel comfortable around him. It seemed LaDorria and Lawton had intentionally left them alone by staying on the dance floor. But she hadn’t minded. It was during that time that she’d gotten to size him up. To see how he treated people, from the waiter who took their order to the busboy who’d come to clear off their table. He’d treated everyone with respect and gone out of his way to make their servers feel appreciated.

  Although she had enjoyed that night with Mac, she hadn’t been certain he would want to see her again. He’d asked for her phone number at the end of the night, but that didn’t particularly mean anything. She’d long discovered that some men didn’t care about dating a girl who not only loved horses but who was an ace on the back of one. Then there was her skill with a rope and her expertise with barrel racing. They preferred women who were all class and sophistication. Ones who wore expensive gowns rather than jeans and a Western shirt.

  It didn’t take long for her to see Mac wasn’t that type of man. He had followed up their date with a number of phone calls. Her ability to rope a calf didn’t bother him and he’d even said he liked how she looked in a pair of jeans. He’d told her that although he wasn’t an expert on a horse like she was, he could ride and enjoyed riding because his grandparents owned a horse ranch.

  Then there was the night he’d surprised her and shown up at one of her rodeos in Montana. She had won her competition that night and had felt good about it. After the rodeo she had seen him waiting on her, dressed as a cowboy with a Stetson on his head. She had found herself even more attracted to him and had offered no resistance when he’d taken her hand to lead her over to the SUV he’d rented.

  “Where are we going?” she asked him when he opened the vehicle’s door.

  “I’m taking you somewhere to celebrate your win. You looked fantastic out there and you did an awesome job.”

  His words had made her feel good. Pretty darn special and she felt even more special in his company.

  They’d had a lively discussion on their way to the restaurant for dinner. He’d told her more about both his grandfathers and how their time in the military had made him desire a military life of his own. She knew when his maternal grandfather had retired he and Mac’s grandmother had purchased a ranch in Florida.

  “I’ve never been to Florida.”

  He glanced over at her strangely when he brought the car to a stop in the restaurant’s parking lot. “You haven’t?”

  “No. I heard the beaches there are beautiful.”

  He nodded. “They are, but then, Texas has beautiful beaches. I remember spending the weekend in Galveston one year.”

  She’d been tempted to inquire who he’d spent the weekend with but hadn’t. Instead she said, “I bet you had a lot of fun.”

  “I did,” he said, grinning over at her.

  During the walk to the restaurant’s door he told her more about himself and the more she got to know about him, the more she liked him. That night had pretty much established how things would be between them. She had accepted that he’d opted for a career as a navy SEAL and she knew any woman in his life would have to live with that choice. Since she’d been seriously considering selling her ranch, the idea of having a life with him, which would include traveling around the world, intrigued her.

  When he invited her to Barcelona, she’d said yes right away, and those two weeks had been a game changer. She’d seen just what life with Mac would be like. As he showed her around Spain, she’d fallen in love with him. She had been a virgin and the night they’d made love for the first time was something she would never forget. He had made it special for her.

  They had talked a lot, as well. Mac had told about his parents’ interracial marriage and how dedicated they’d been to making it successful, remaining partners in all things. That was the kind of marriage he wanted for himself. One filled with love and commitment. She’d known that was the kind of marriage she wanted for herself, too, one where divorce would never be an option. The kind she was raised to believe her own parents had found, and the kind she knew her grandparents had shared.

  Those had been the best two weeks of her life and before she left to return to the United States, he’d asked her to marry him.

  Not seeing any reason to have a long engagement, they’d gotten married a month later and she had no regrets.

  * * *

  Teri brought her thoughts back to the present. Lawton and LaDorria had gotten married a year after Mac and Teri and they were still together, living in New Mexico with their two kids. Lawton had gotten out of the military and had gone to work for the FBI. LaDorria had expanded her love of photography and opened her own shop. Teri and Mac heard from them from time to time, and she always looked forward to the Christmas photo card they sent each year. They always looked so happy. So perfect. She didn’t want to think about how things weren’t so photo perfect with her and Mac.

  Placing the coffee cup aside, she moved toward the bedroom. It was time to get dressed for her daily morning ride on Amsterdam.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, Mr. McRoy, but your name is not on the registration. Until Mrs. McRoy gives her permission for you to be added, we can’t give you a key to her cabin.”

  Mac forced back his anger, trying to understand the man’s position. He knew the rules were due to security measures, which he should appreciate. After all, for all the staff knew, he could very well be an ex-husband intent on doing bodily harm to his wife. That wasn’t the case, although he would admit his anger had only grown on the flight here. It had been his fifth flight in less than twenty-four hours. His fifth flight since his commanding officer had told the team they were free to go home and, unless there was some type of international
crisis that required their SEAL team to go into action, they had the next six months on leave.

  It was six months all of them needed after their last operation. Because of the success of their mission, Americans would be able to sleep safe at night, and to him and his teammates, that was what truly mattered. But for him the battle wasn’t over whenever he returned home. Those were the times he had to fight to reconnect with Teri. “That’s fine,” he finally said, seeing the man’s features relax. He knew the clerk had expected an argument and a part of Mac was raring to give him one, but what would have been the use? “Do you have any idea where she is so she can give me permission?”

  “We tried calling the cabin and she’s not answering, so we can only assume she’s out riding. I believe she does that every morning.”

  “Does she come here for breakfast?”

  “No. She’s in one of the cabins farthest away, one with a stocked kitchen.” And then, as if realizing he might have provided too much information, he added, “That’s all I can tell you. I left Ms. McRoy a voice-mail message. If you’d like to sit over there and wait, I’m sure she will be returning my call shortly.”

  “I’d rather wait outside. That way I can walk around a bit to stretch my legs. Can I leave my gear here while I do?”

  “Yes, sir, you can.”

  Mac handed his duffel bag to the man before turning to walk out the door. He stepped out on the porch and drew in a deep breath, appreciating the moment of breathing in good American air. He’d been in Libya too long and was glad to be home. Only thing, he wasn’t home. It wasn’t even close enough to home to suit him. Getting on another plane within a few hours after getting off one hadn’t made his day or his night, which he was yet to have. He hadn’t slept in over thirty hours.

  Glancing around, he saw the changes that had been made since the last time he’d been here on his honeymoon. There was a spanking new barn that was a lot bigger than the last one had been. Even the main ranch house had gotten a face-lift. It was three times the size it was before. He’d noticed the sign that read Under New Management the moment he’d walked into the place.

  He was about to step off the porch when his cell phone rang. Recognizing the ringtone, he pulled the phone out of the back pocket of his jeans and clicked on. “Yeah, Bane?”

  “You know the routine, Mac. You didn’t touch base with any of us to let us know you’d gotten home.”

  He released a frustrated breath before saying, “I’m not home.”

  “Why the hell not?” That question came from another team member, Gavin Blake, whose code name was Viper. That meant in addition to Viper and Bane, Mac was on a call with the other two team members he was close friends with, as well: David Holloway, whose code name was Flipper, and Laramie Cooper, whose code name was Coop.

  “Because when I got home, I discovered Teri was missing.”

  “Missing? What do you mean Teri was missing?” Flipper wanted to know.

  “And your answer better be good, Mac. I hope she hasn’t finally taken enough of your BS and left your ass,” Coop added.

  Mac rubbed his hand down his face. He didn’t need his teammates to remind him that at times he wasn’t the easiest man to get along with. “Will the four of you calm down?” Leaning against the porch post, he then told them what he knew. At least what his parents had told him. Which hadn’t been much.

  “And you haven’t seen her yet?” Bane asked.

  “No. I haven’t been here but a few minutes. She’s out riding and since my name isn’t on her registration, they won’t tell me which cabin she’s staying in or give me a key.”

  “That’s understandable,” Viper said.

  “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  “Calm down, Mac,” Bane warned.

  Now they were the ones telling him to calm down. “I am calm. I haven’t hit anything yet.”

  “And you won’t. Listen to what Teri has to say. She must have had a good reason for taking off and leaving the kids with your folks,” Coop was saying.

  “Yes, and try to be understanding, no matter the reason,” Viper suggested.

  “And another thing,” Flipper, the most recently married one of the team, spoke up to say, but Mac stopped him.

  “Hold up. I don’t need you guys giving me marital advice. I’ve been married a lot longer than any of you.”

  “That might be true, but you have a tendency to act like an ass at times, like you know everything,” Coop said. “We’ve been gone awhile. Eight months, twelve days and fifteen hours to be exact. Show your woman how much you miss her, love her and appreciate her.”

  Mac shook his head. “Like I said, guys, I don’t need your advice. I know how to handle my business.”

  “Your way of handling things doesn’t work all the time, Mac,” Viper said. “That’s all we’re saying.”

  Mac rubbed the back of his neck and felt a tension headache coming on. He never got headaches. “Duly noted. Now, goodbye.”

  “Hey, call us later to let us know things are okay,” Bane said.

  Mac rolled his eyes. “I’ll think about it.” He then clicked off the phone.

  * * *

  Teri had returned to the cabin after her morning ride and was about to go into the kitchen to prepare something to eat for breakfast when she noticed the blinking light on the cabin’s telephone. She thought about ignoring it, thinking it was probably the resort manager giving her a rundown of that day’s activities. However, she felt compelled to answer it anyway. Her cell phone was out of range and wasn’t working. What if it was her in-laws trying to reach her?

  Moving quickly to the phone, she picked it up to retrieve the message. “Ms. McRoy, this is Harold at the front desk. Please call me as soon as you get this message.”

  Teri pressed the number seven and Harold picked up immediately. “Harold, you called. Is something wrong?”

  “No, ma’am. There’s a man here who says he’s your husband and has asked for a key to your cabin. Company policy restricts us from doing that. Said his name is Thurston McRoy.”

  Teri’s heart suddenly began pounding hard in her chest. Mac was here? She drew in a deep breath. He must have returned and found she’d left and her in-laws had told him where she was? Had they also told him why she’d taken off? Did he know—

  “Ms. McRoy? Is it okay to give him a key with directions on how to get to your cabin?”

  She swallowed. “Is he there? If so, please let me talk with him.”

  “No, he’s not here inside. He stepped outside.”

  Probably to cool off, she thought. Coming home and finding her gone had probably pissed him off. Coming after her would have made him angrier. Then being denied access to her cabin would have made the situation even worse.

  “I can go outside and get him if you need to talk to him.”

  She drew in a deep breath. Knowing Mac, she figured that would agitate him even more. “No, that’s not necessary. Please give him a key and directions on how to get here.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  When Teri hung up the phone, she drew in a deep breath.

  She wouldn’t have those additional three days alone here after all.

  Three

  Mac saw Teri the moment the SUV rounded a corner off a battered road lined with oak trees. It was in a secluded area and he wasn’t sure he liked knowing she’d gotten a cabin so far from the main house. He didn’t care one iota that the front desk guy had said someone from the office checked on her and all the other cabins every morning when they brought the horses.

  She was dressed in Western attire and leaning against a post on a small porch. She looked good in a pair of jeans that fit perfectly over her curves, a long-sleeved shirt that, to his way of thinking, looked a little too snug over what he knew were beautiful breasts. A pair of riding boots were on her feet and a hat
was covering that mass of gorgeous hair on her head.

  It had been eight months since he’d seen her and at that moment his eyes couldn’t help but drink in the sight of her. Damn. He’d missed her. She looked good but he couldn’t let her looks and how deeply she’d been missed sway how upset he was with her right now. She owed him an explanation.

  But still...

  He couldn’t help the flutter he felt in his heart or the yearning he felt in his soul. They might have their disagreements, some worse than others, but he knew he loved her. Always had and always would. He then thought about those disagreements. Lately there had been a lot of them. Too many. His teammates were right about him and his attitude. He tried working on it every time he returned home but Teri had a knack for making wild decisions about too many things at a time. He always looked at the whole picture. She didn’t. If it was something she wanted, then she would find a way to justify them getting it. Then she would go on the defensive when he questioned her about it.

  Mac didn’t have a problem with her spending money—he just needed her to do so wisely. He remembered his parents’ struggles over money and had sworn when he became an adult that wouldn’t be him. Of course later he learned most of their struggles had been about sacrifices they’d made for him and Kylie.

  Although his parents were pretty close to their own parents, during the earlier years of their marriage, neither liked hitting them up for loans when they’d encountered financial challenges. That wasn’t the McRoy way. They had taught him early in life that if you make the bills, then you were responsible for paying them. That’s one of the reasons he’d learned early to invest his money and had a nice bank account when he’d married Teri. He’d been intent on making sure she got all the things she needed, but not necessarily those things she wanted just for the sake of having them. There should always be money for rainy days, and then he was also focused on generational wealth to pass on to his daughters. Something his parents hadn’t been able to do for him or his sister. So far the stock market had been good and those investments were better than he’d ever imagined.