His To Claim (The Westmoreland Legacy Book 4)

by Brenda Jackson

* * *

  As Mac watched Teri glide through the water, he realized he had forgotten just what a skilled swimmer she was. She looked good and he was fighting every part of his desirous body. He’d done several laps and now just preferred hanging back while she did hers.

  Her body was perfectly arched as she progressed through the water, moving her head from side to side as she concentrated on her strokes.

  It dawned on him then how relaxed she appeared, so carefree. Today she didn’t have to be the mommy in control or the wife in demand. She could be Teri. It had been years since he’d seen her this...at peace. It was then he blamed himself for a lot of things. For not recognizing that she needed downtime. As her husband he should have taken her away somewhere, and often. Just the two of them.

  They could have not only stimulated their minds but talked about a lot of things that bothered them. Parents needed “me” time, and he could see that now. She’d held a part-time job at a library for a couple of years now and he’d never even asked how she liked it. Mainly because he hadn’t wanted her to work. He now saw just how unfair that was to her.

  “I enjoyed that, Mac.”

  He blinked, realizing Teri had swum over to him. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed her approach. “I’m glad you did.” He pulled himself up over the edge and then reached his hand to help her out, as well.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” He stepped back since standing too close to her could affect his self-control. “No towels, so we’ll have to air our bodies dry.”

  “And risk catching pneumonia?” she asked, ringing the water out of her hair. “Do this.”

  He lifted a brow. “Do what?”

  “This.” She then demonstrated using her hands to wipe off excess water from her body and doing it in such a way that her palms appeared to act as a sponge.

  Mac doubted Teri had any idea how turned on he was getting just watching her rub her hands all over herself. It was a definite turn-on, which was something he could do without right now. Not to call attention to his growing erection, he followed her lead and saw her technique was working. “How do you know about this?”

  She chuckled. “Nothing top secret here. Just one of those ‘mommy knows it all’ things.”

  “I see.” And in a way, he was at least beginning to see. It wasn’t that he hadn’t appreciated her role as the mother of his kids before because he had. However, he would admit he’d never been privy to those ‘mommy things’ and just how good she was at them before now.

  He didn’t say anything as they put their clothes back on and he didn’t try to be discreet in watching her.

  He’d said he wouldn’t touch her; he hadn’t promised he wouldn’t get his fill of admiring how her body looked.

  “I’m hungry now.”

  He smiled. “Tuna and water again. This time with peaches.”

  “I’ll take it. My grandparents used to say beggars can’t be choosers.”

  He laughed. “That’s funny. My parents would often say the same thing. Come on, let’s eat.”

  * * *

  Sheriff Corilla smiled appreciatively. “I can’t thank you men enough for what you did. I doubt little Larry Johnson will be wandering off again anytime soon.”

  “We were glad to help, Sheriff,” Bane said. The little boy had been found alive and well, although hungry, and had been returned to his parents. “Now we could use your help.”

  “Certainly. What can I do?”

  “This is our former SEAL team member, Nick Stover. He was able to pinpoint Mac’s location.”

  Sheriff Corilla lifted a brow. “You did?” he asked, shaking Nick’s hand.

  Nick nodded. “Yes, and that’s where I need your help,” he said, clicking on his laptop, which immediately flared to life. Within seconds an aerial view came on the screen. “Based on the latitude, longitude and altitude I’ve documented, Mac’s location has been pinpointed to this area.”

  “Information you’ve documented?” Corilla asked, rubbing his chin. It was obvious he was trying to figure out just how Nick had managed that. But they figured he knew it was something for which he wouldn’t be getting answers, so he turned his attention to the laptop screen.

  “That’s Martinsville,” he said. “It’s a mining site that’s been deserted for over five years now. I had my men check out the area and they said the tornado ripped through there pretty bad. Since the place has been deserted we had no reason to hang around.”

  “Evidently Mac and Teri were in the area and sought refuge in one of those mineshafts. That’s where we’re headed,” Coop said.

  “We figure there’s a lot of debris in the area, so my four brothers are on their way with heavy equipment and machinery to help plow our way through,” Flipper added.

  Sheriff Corilla nodded. “You’re going to need it. There are three shafts there, within several feet of each other. And according to my men, the windmill came down in that area and several trees were uprooted and landed on them, as well. I don’t know which one your friend and his wife might be holed up inside, but I’m hoping it’s not this one,” he said, pointing at the mineshaft on the right.

  “Why?” Viper asked.

  Sheriff Corilla glanced over at him. “It contains a pool of water, a hot spring, so to speak.”

  Bane lifted a brow. “We have several of those on my property in Denver. Why would that pose a threat?”

  “Because it’s a spill-off from McKevor Lake and I understand that the runoff from the lake is blocked with fallen trees and limbs acting like a dam, impeding natural flow. That means the water has nowhere to go.”

  Nick stared at the sheriff. “You believe there will be flooding in the area?”

  “Yes, and it’s already started. But what causes grave concern with this particular mineshaft is that because of the spring inside, it will start flooding when the spring overflows, with no warning. Unfortunately, there is no high section within the mineshaft to escape the rising water. It’s happened before, and a couple of unsuspecting miners lost their lives. If you honestly think this is where the McRoys are, then I suggest you get them out as soon as possible.”

  Ten

  “Tell me about your job at that library, Teri.”

  She glanced over at Mac, wondering why he wanted to know more about it when her working there had been a sore point with him. Besides, he’d never before asked her about what she did at the library. Was this his lead-in question before they argued about her keeping her job?

  “What do you want to know about it?”

  “Anything you want to tell me.”

  Honestly? Did he? There was only one way to find out. “I only work three days a week, four hours a day, but I love what I do.”

  “Which is?”

  “I’m in charge of the history section. That’s great for me because of my degree in history. I get to suggest good books to the people who come to the library, about whatever part of history they are interested in. You won’t believe the number of young people who come to the library wanting books on the World Wars, specifically World War II.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “Not sure, but I’m just glad they are interested in it. I believe you can’t fully appreciate your present until you know your past. At least that’s what’s my granddad used to say.”

  “I wish I could have met your grandparents. They sound like swell people.”

  He’d told her that several times before, when she’d told him something her grandparents had passed on to her. “And there’s no doubt they would have wanted to meet you.” Sadly, her mother had died when she’d been two and her father before her tenth birthday, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents.

  They had been the best and when they’d died not long after she’d finished college, within the same year, it had been
hard for her. Selling the ranch they’d loved had been even harder and a part of her felt she’d let them down by doing so. Now she owned it again. Would Mac understand her need to atone for those feelings of guilt? Would he understand that was one of her reasons for doing what she’d done?

  “I’m glad you’re doing something that you enjoy, Teri.”

  She looked over at him. Did he really? If he did, then that was a switch. “Why, Mac? Why are you glad now when you’ve always been resentful?”

  “I’ve never been resentful, not really. I just never understood your need to work outside the home.”

  “And you do now?” she asked, staring at him.

  He nodded. “Yes, I’m beginning to. In a way, it’s no different than my need to do something I love. I wanted to be a SEAL since listening to my maternal grandfather tell me of all the things he did as one. I wanted that kind of life. The adventure. The need to protect my country. Mom and Dad didn’t understand why I would pass on a football scholarship to apply to the naval academy instead.”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute and then added, “The only other thing I needed to make my life complete was something I thought I’d never find, and that was a mate who was willing to put up with it. But then I found you. However, in creating the life I wanted, I failed to realize something.”

  “What?”

  He studied her for a moment. “That you had dreams of your own. Dreams I expected you to forgo for mine.”

  Teri didn’t say anything, realizing this was the first time they’d had a heart-to-heart talk on things that bothered her and that had affected their marriage. Yes, they’d sought counseling, but even then she’d felt Mac had never given those sessions his absolute all. He’d merely been placating her at the time.

  “And do you know what’s obvious to me now, Teri?”

  “No, what?”

  “That you did forgo them. And instead of appreciating your sacrifice, I scorned you every time I returned from a mission for decisions you made in my absence.”

  Teri couldn’t let him take full blame. There were some decisions she could have given more in-depth thought to before making them. But then there were some decisions, like the purchase of the ranch, that, although made on the spur of the moment, had been a dream come true for her.

  “It wasn’t always that way, Mac. Even I admit there were some things I could have done differently.” She paused. It was time to tell him about the ranch. She’d withheld it from him long enough. “Mac, I—”

  “Wait,” he said, holding up his hand. She saw his body go on full alert as he glanced around.

  She glanced around, as well, wondering what had drawn his attention but knew now was not the time to ask. He was in his “ready to act” mode.

  “You hear that?” he suddenly asked, quickly coming to his feet and placing his tuna can aside.

  She strained her ears. “No, I don’t hear anything. What do you hear?”

  He looked at her. “Rushing water. Stay here.” He quickly walked off.

  Rushing water?

  She didn’t like the sound of that. Suddenly an eerie feeling passed through her. No, she wouldn’t stay here. She stood, put her own tuna can aside and went after Mac.

  * * *

  Bane Westmoreland glanced around at what used to be a mining site. It had taken a full two hours to cut through downed trees and plow through all kinds of debris to get there. He appreciated one of Flipper’s brothers for having the mind to bring several bulldozers. If it hadn’t been for that equipment, they would still be miles away from here.

  That tornado had done more damage than they’d thought. Since this was uninhabited land, the devastation in this section of Torchlight hadn’t made the news. Nick had decisively pinpointed the mineshaft that Mac was holed up in as the one with the spill-off. Even though they didn’t have concrete proof, they figured he and Teri were together. Getting them out safely from among all this rubble would be a challenge but they intended to do it.

  According to Nick, who was monitoring Mac’s tracker, he’d been pretty active this morning. From the timing and frequency of Mac’s movements they’d concluded he’d been working out. Not surprising, since Mac could be anal when it came to fitness.

  “I checked on him twenty minutes ago and he was in a relax mode,” Nick was saying to them now.

  “That means he hadn’t detected anything,” Coop surmised.

  “That was twenty minutes ago, and he might have figured it out by now,” Viper chimed in to say. “We need to get them out. We’ve seen that lake and the water has to go somewhere. Since it’s not flooding aboveground, that means it will be flooding connecting outlets below. Mac has no idea that’s going to happen.”

  “Or no way to stop it when it does,” Flipper added.

  Bane, like the others, knew the seriousness of what was about to happen. He was about to say something when Nick interrupted. “Hey, guys, I just got a new reading on Mac. He’s on the move and his brain waves are signaling trouble.”

  Bane nodded, his expression serious. “Okay, guys, let’s get Mac and Teri out of there and send them home to their girls.”

  * * *

  Mac rushed quickly to where the pool was located and got halfway when the sound of rushing water increased. When he got to where the troughs of hay had been, he stopped. There was standing water in that area. “What the hell!”

  He quickly moved past the troughs and when he stepped on what had been a solid floor, suddenly the board beneath him collapsed. He broke the fall by grabbing hold of a boulder, the same one he’d sat on that morning. Gripping tightly, he barely held on. There was no doubt in his mind that if he fell he would get swept away in the rushing water below.

  “Mac!”

  He snatched his head upward and saw Teri coming toward him. Hadn’t he told her to stay put?

  “Go back, Teri. There’s a chance the floor might collapse under you. Water is flooding the mineshaft. You need to go back and find a high place and stay there.”

  “And leave you here?”

  “Yes.”

  She frowned at him. “Not on your life, Thurston McRoy!”

  “Teri...” he said in a warning tone. “Please do as I say.”

  “Save your breath,” she said, glancing around. “Hold on, Mac. I’ve got an idea.”

  She had an idea? What kind of idea could she have? Teri needed to get her butt out of there and try to find higher ground, although he didn’t recall there being any higher ground. The thought of anything happening to her had him—

  Suddenly Mac felt a rope tossed around him. He glanced up and watched Teri reviving her role as a cowgirl. Twirling the rope around the air in perfect precision, she then lassoed him in with a second rope that went around his body perfectly.

  Ropes? What in the world? Where did those ropes come from?

  “Pull yourself out now, Mac!”

  He tugged upward and found it was tight. Where had she tied the end of the rope for it to be as sturdy as it was? Knowing the answer would come soon enough, he used the rope to hoist himself back up on solid ground.

  “Mac!” Teri threw herself into his arms and he held on to her tight. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

  He then pulled back but kept his arms around her waist. “Thanks, but I told you to stay back.”

  She lifted her chin. “And I disobeyed. Good thing I did.”

  “Where did the ropes come from?”

  “Some troughs are built with a compartment underneath to hold a rope. I checked and they were there. I hadn’t lassoed in a while but knew I had to do it. I tied the ends around the trough to take your weight when you pulled yourself up.” She glanced around and saw the flooding waters. “What is going on?”

  “Looks like the lake is flooding with the spill-off, which means we need to find higher ground.”
/>   “Is there higher ground in here?”

  He had been afraid she would ask that. He took her hand when more water began flowing in around them at a high rate of speed. “Come on. If there is, we need to find it.”

  * * *

  They were trying to outrun the water and Teri saw they couldn’t. Already the water was waist-deep and just as she’d feared, there was no higher ground. She wouldn’t get hysterical, but they were going to die.

  At least the girls were in good hands and she and Mac were together.

  He’d stopped and was looking around and she knew without him saying that there was nowhere else to go. They were back where they started, which was at the entrance, but nothing had changed and it was still blocked.

  He was still holding her hand and she tightened her hold on his. “Mac, I love you and you’ve been a good husband, and—”

  “We will be rescued, Teri,” he interrupted her to say.

  She lifted a brow. “By who?”

  “The guys.”

  She knew what guys he was talking about. His teammates. Did he really believe that? Or in their last moments of life was he trying to give her hope? “How will they rescue us, Mac?”

  He shrugged as he looked at the blocked opening. “Not sure how, but they will get it done. In the meantime, I need you to stand on my shoulders.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because that will keep the water from getting to you until they do.”

  She frowned, knowing that meant the water would get to him first. “And what about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. Timing is important. We could tread water, but not for long. If the guys can’t save us both, at least they will have more time to save you. Now, let me hoist you up on my shoulders.”

  She shook her head, imagining the weight of her on his shoulders with water steadily surrounding them. “No, I won’t do it.”

  “Don’t argue with me,” he said, trying to lift her up.

  She pushed his hands away, although already the water was nearly up to her breasts. However, she didn’t care. She would not have him risk his life to save hers. “Mac, please don’t ask me to do that. What will I tell the girls?”