He pulled up around the house and back in front of the barn. Turning off the engine, he just sat there, enjoying the peace and calm of the early morning. He could hear birds singing, and just looking at the house and barn filled him with satisfaction and gratitude.
If he had his way, Savannah would eventually be the woman of the house.
He climbed out and walked around to the back of the horse trailer. Opening the door and lowering the ramp, he led the black horse down first. “I’ll be right back for you,” he promised the mare and closed the door.
He patted his gelding, and led him into the pasture. “This is your new home, buddy. We’re going to have a lot of good times here.”
While the horse walked in leisurely and seemed to examine his new surroundings, Sam returned to retrieve the chestnut mare that he’d been letting Savannah ride. Once both horses were in the pasture, he put his foot on the bottom rail, his arms on the top rail, and leaned in. Deep satisfaction filled him. Finally, his horses were in his own pasture in his own yard of his own home. He could hardly be happier, especially knowing what he had planned for today.
He heard a vehicle and turned. There were two trucks and a car moving up the driveway. Zeke honked and waved and Sam smiled. His moving helpers and accomplices had arrived.
Behind the horse trailer, Sam’s father pulled up. Both families would be helping him move in.
How would Savannah react? He’d planned a splashy proposal, but then realized that wouldn’t be her style. She was all about family and home, so he would include both.
Zeke strode toward him and bumped his shoulder. “Hey, man. Today’s the day and you look nervous.”
He must be more nervous than he’d thought if Zeke could tell. “What gave it away?”
“The furrows above your brows, dude. Relax. My sister doesn’t bite.” He laughed. “Any more.”
Sam shook his head. “You’re not reassuring me.”
Zeke put an arm around Sam’s shoulder. “Sam, it’s me. Your soon-to-be brother-in-law. We’ll be brothers for real. And I’m telling you that she’s going to say yes. She’s crazy about you.”
“Tell me the truth, bro. When you warned me off of dating her at first, were you trying to get me to date her? Using reverse psychology?”
Zeke laughed. “I figured that would get your interest. I’ve thought for a long time you and she would make a great couple.”
“So, you really are a freakin’ matchmaker?” Sam stared at his buddy.
Zeke squeezed his shoulder and released his hold. “I prefer the term concerned brother.”
“I just bet you do, you big meddler.”
Zeke laughed again. “Selena’s in your dad’s car so Savannah won’t see her too soon.” He’d invited Savannah’s best friend, who had driven down from Lubbock yesterday and stayed at Sam’s parents’ home last night. “Good.”
“How much stuff do you have to move in?”
Sam grinned. “I paid movers to deliver the few pieces of furniture I had out here. I want this day to be all about this romantic gesture.”
“You’re such a sap,” Zeke said.
Sam glanced over and drew in a sharp breath. “She’s here.”
“Chill out. She just thinks she’s helping you move in. Relax.”
“Like I can do that.”
Sam nodded. Savannah caught sight of them, raising her hand and smiling. She had the most beautiful smile ever.
Zeke called out, “Hey, sis. Come on out and check out the horses. Sam already brought them over.”
Coming up to them, she gave Zeke a side hug, and Sam a real hug.
She was so beautiful! It struck him right in the heart, and he was sure he was making the right move.
“Looks like you’ve got quite a moving crew. Did you buy more furniture or something?” she asked.
“Something like that.” Sam smiled down at her. “Come on over and see the horses. They look really good in that pasture, just like I pictured the first time you showed me this house.”
He took her hand and they intertwined their fingers.
“Ahhh,” Zeke said. “How sweet.”
“Shut up,” Sam and Savannah said in unison, then laughed.
The group began to gather along the corral fence. His family. Her family. Friends. Team members.
He couldn’t imagine a better place to do it.
Savannah stood on the bottom rail and looked over at the horses. “Ahhh. They look beautiful there.”
Zeke stood on Sam’s other side and nudged him, grinning.
Sam grinned back. It was time. He patted his pocket.
“Savannah?”
“Yeah?” She turned back.
“I’ll need you to step down now so you don’t fall and hurt yourself.”
She tipped her head, but said, “Okay.”
Once her feet were firmly on the ground, he knelt down on one knee.
Her eyes widened.
Savannah stared at Sam, down before her. Was he doing what she thought he was going?
Her heart thudded.
He looked up into her eyes, and said, “Savannah Jackson, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Of making this house you found for me into a home for us?”
Happiness filled her. “Yes, yes, yes!” She slipped into his arms as he rose, wrapping her tightly against him. His lips found hers and it was a moment before the catcalls around them broke the moment. They smiled at each other.
He set her down gently and pulled a box from his pocket. “I hope you like this. If not, we can choose a different one.”
He pulled out a beautiful ring, with one large square princess-cut diamond in the center with a halo of smaller diamonds lining its edges. “I love it,” she whispered.
He smiled and slipped it on her finger. She raised her hand to study it, loving the way it caught the light and glittered. Then she turned it around for the people around them to see, and leaned into her ... fiancé.
He wrapped an arm about her waist.
She spotted a familiar figure. “Selena?”
It was! Her friend pulled her into a hug. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I think you’ve got a keeper this time.”
“Me, too,” Savannah said with a happy laugh.
Soon, family and more friends swarmed them, admiring the ring, congratulating them.
His grandfather kissed her cheek. “Welcome to the family, Miss Savannah.”
“Thank you,” she said. Looking around at her family and friends, this circle of love, she felt gratitude for them all. Especially for Sam.
16
Epilogue - And Your Sense of Mischief
One Year Later During the Next Off Season
The local reporter whistled when he caught sight of the horses, while the cameraman kept rolling.
Savannah smiled, while Sam asked, “You like horses?”
“I do,” the man replied.
“You need to go riding with us before you leave.”
“I might just take you up on that kind offer.”
Halfway through an interview, Sam had led the way outside to his favorite sight in all the world: the two horses he’d had before plus three new ones.
Sam reached out and pet his black gelding, who whickered softly.
The reporter regained his interviewing skills, and turned to Sam. Lifting the mic to his mouth, he said, “Hey folks, I’m sure you heard that one of our bachelors got married last year. So sorry, ladies. He’s now taken.”
Savannah smiled. He was more taken than anyone realized. In a good way.
The interview lasted another twenty minutes, after which both the reporter and cameraman were glad to climb into the saddle. Sam took them for a short ride. Then they thanked them both, gathered up their equipment, and left.
“That went well,” he said.
“It did.” She nodded. “They didn’t ask very intrusive questions, though.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, like whether my ex
has a twin.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good thing, right?”
She nodded again. “Or like who is your favorite ex-girlfriend.”
He chuckled. “Softball questions all around.”
She watched the horses for a moment, then said, “Or when you’re expecting your first child.”
“What?”
She turned to him and smiled.
His eyes widened. “Really?”
She nodded again. “Really. I can show you the pink lines, if you’d like.”
He shouted out in joy and wrapped her in his arms. “How far along are you?”
“I’m going to the doctor next week to find out.” She sighed happily.
“I’m so happy.” He swung her around, then stopped and set her down carefully. “Oops, I don’t want to hurt you or our baby.”
“You’re not hurting us. Swing us around again.”
He looked concerned.
“Really,” she said, so he did.
When he set her down this time, he kept her close, looking down at her. “I didn’t think I could love you anymore, but every day you prove me wrong. And now there’s another person to love, one who might have your eyes and your smile.”
“And your stubborn streak,” she teased.
“And your sense of mischief. This is so great. How long have you known?”
“I lost track a little, but when I realized, I started looking back through my calendar. I’m guessing I’m about two months along. Which also explains why I’ve been having such weird cravings for chicken and shrimp and M&Ms.”
He looked happier than she’d ever seen him, and her heart was filled with joy.
“Are you happy about it?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Me, too. This is going to be amazing. There are so many things I want to share with our child.”
“Like playing football?”
“Only if it’s a boy. Maybe Aunt Katie can teach a girl how to cheer.”
She hugged him close to her, then leaned back, tipping up her head to look into his eyes. “So, I guess Zeke kicking you out did turn out to be good news after all, didn’t it?”
He wrapped her more securely in his arms and whispered, “The best ever.”
If you’d like another Waco Wrangler story, please let me know at BooksByHeatherHorrocks @ gmail (dot) com.
If you’d like to read more of my signature heart-warming clean and funny romances, check out these series: Chick Flick Clique, Christmas Street, and Moonchuckle Bay.
Thank you!
If you enjoyed this book, a 5-star review is the sweetest gift you can give me. I always read your comments and do my best to learn from them. Even a quick “it was good” helps tremendously. Please click here to leave a review.
GET A FREE BOOK!
If you’d like to receive emails announcing my future book releases, just click here to push the Magic Button. I promise I won’t share your email address and I won’t send a flood of emails. I’ll just let you know when I have a new book ready for you to read or I have significant exciting news (for example, when a book becomes an audiobook).
CONNECT WITH ME.
Heather Horrocks Author on Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn. If you’d like to be on my Street Team and become an official Scathingly Brilliant Reader, click here.
DID YOU SEE ANY (GASP!) ERRORS OR TYPOS?
Though this book has gone through numerous edits, by myself and others, including two professional editors and numerous beta readers, we are human. If you spot any errors or typos, please email me at [email protected] and let me know! I want my books to be as clean as possible, both in content and in format.
THANKS AGAIN...
For your time and interest, and for telling your friends about my books. If you’d like to know more about my other books, that section is just a page or two away.
Happy tales, Heather Horrocks
www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Author’s Note
I searched and didn’t find a real estate company in Texas named My Sweet Home Real Estate, but if there is, well, all I can say is you chose a great name!
I’m not sure an actual real estate broker could accept an offer of lunch before the client chose to sell to a person, but this is my book, after all, and I really like Virginia insisting. She convinced me.
I don’t even know if there’s a Dairy Queen in Abilene, Texas, but, if not, there should be. When they needed to stop for food, that sounded good to me. I must need a snack.
About the Author
Heather Horrocks is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous light-hearted, funny, feel-good books (Moonchuckle Bay paranormal romances, Chick Flick Clique and Christmas Street romantic comedies, Who-Dun-Him Inn and Bad Mothers Club cozy mysteries), and the Women Who Knew and A Patriot’s Guide inspirational books.
Raised overseas for her first seventeen years, she hid under the bed with her mother during a South American coup, waterskied through an oil slick in the Persian Gulf, partied with a Kuwaiti princess classmate at her palace, flew in and out of the blacked-out Cairo airport mere moments before it was bombed during the Six Day War, rode a camel (and ate a camel steak), crossed the finish line first at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park, and walked on hot coals — without getting burned! — at a firewalk workshop!
She loves anyone who can make her laugh, which explains why she adores her witty husband, her funny friends and sisters, Anne George mysteries and Molly Harper romances. She loves to cook for friends, siblings, and especially her children and their families. She and her husband reside in Utah. You can find her online at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com.
Series by Heather Horrocks
Flirty romances and mysteries with love, laughter, a little snark, and a touch of magic!
If you get an error message (We’re sorry. This operation is not currently supported) when you click on any of these, just go to www.HeatherHorrocks.com and click on the series you want.
WACO WRANGLER REID BROTHERS Sweet Romantic Comedies:
Knox, Noah, Sam
MOONCHUCKLE BAY Paranormal Romantic Comedies:
Jingle Belle (FREE here), The Artist Cries Wolf (FREE Amazon, B&N, KOBO) , The Bridesmaid Earns Her Wings, The Director Gets a Grip, The Prince Has a Bad Heir Day, The Fireman Finds His Flame, Elvis Gets His Groove Back, The Hacker Pushes Her Luck, The Contestant Flies Off the Handle, The Dog Designer Ruffles Some Feathers, Cupid Misses the Mark, The Composer Changes Her Tune, The Healer Kisses the Big Bad Wolf, The Gambler Plays Djinn Rummy
MOONCHUCKLE BAY Paranormal Monster Movie Shorts:
The Scientist Takes the Bait (first published in anthology Spell or High Water)
The Librarian From the Black Lagoon
The Fruitcake That Saves Christmas (first published in anthology Spells and Jinglebells)
HUNGRY CAT CAFÉ Paranormal Cozy Mysteries:
The Hungry Cat Café (first published in Hexes and Ohs), Poisonberry Pie
CHRISTMAS STREET Romantic Comedies:
Bah, Humbug! (FREE Amazon, B&N, KOBO), Kissing Santa, The Naughty List, Love on Christmas Street (#1, 2, & 3), and Deck the Malls.
CHICK FLICK CLIQUE Romantic Comedies:
Pride and Precipitation (FREE Amazon, B&N), A Hound Dog Named Elvis, Regally Blonde, A Pink Dog Named Fluffy (formerly titled Puppy Love), My Spare Lady, , A Bulldog Named Desire, Fifty Shades of Greystoke, While You Were Stranded, Romancing the Clone, Davidson and Goliath
WHO-DUN-HIM INN Cozy Mysteries:
Snowed Inn, Inn the Doghouse, Inn the Family Way
BAD MOTHERS CLUB Cozy Mystery Series:
Murder is Misunderstood #1
INSPIRATIONAL:
Women Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Women and Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah
I AM ABLE FABLES:
Suzie Q-That-Stands-for-Wonderful
HISTORICAL WESTERNS:
Violet: Bride of Nort
h Dakota (American Mail-Order Brides series #39)
Colorado Dreams (Rocky Mountain Romances series #7)
OTHERS:
How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini, Old Maid of Honor, Baby Mine
Receive a FREE STORY for signing up for Heather’s New Release Newsletter at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Acknowledgments
Thanks, as always, to my dear friend — and USA Today bestselling author — Diane Darcy, for plotting fabulous books with me!
Thanks to all my readers, from intensive to proofreaders and in between. You’re amazing! Christine Jensen, Katherine Ward, Lori Carson, Rocky Palmer, Shauna Best, and Tabitha Valencic.
Rights & Copyrights
Copyright © 2021 Heather Horrocks
www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Cover Design
Series Logo Design: Deborah Bradseth at Tugboat Design (www.tugboatdesign.net/)
Cover Images: DepositPhotos.com and Istockphoto.com
Word Garden Press
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
All Rights Reserved
This includes the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions.
SAM: A Best Friend's Sister Sweet Romantic Comedy (Waco Wranglers Reid Brothers Book 3) Page 10