Luke smiled and looked down at his son. He loved seeing the happiness that filled his child. He also loved being the one his son wanted to look like and be like. He knew that all of the men there who were sharing in Robbie’s birthday celebration were good men that were worthy of his son’s respect and admiration. Luke hoped Robbie would become the same upstanding man that John, Tim, and his brothers were. He had a very good feeling that Marc Blackstone could be added to his list of honorable men. Marc already felt like one of the family.
“Here you go, Robbie,” Gracie spoke up, handing him another wrapped present. “This one is from Aunt Claire.”
Robbie tore at the package and held the present gently. It was a one hundred piece puzzle of three horses running under a full moon near a lake that shimmered with blue and pink sparkles.
“Aunt Claire, it’s so pretty,” Robbie whispered, the awe in his voice pulling at all of their hearts. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, Robbie,” Claire told him, sitting down on the floor next to him, reaching up to touch his head gently and stroke his hair tenderly. The sense of peace and happiness that filled her soothed her heart and emotions. “This puzzle has a lot of pieces. You have to be a pretty smart puzzle wizard to put this one together.”
Claire smiled down at Robbie, knowing he would have absolutely no trouble piecing together the puzzle. He was such a smart little boy. He had also been gifted with his mother’s ability to have visions of the future, but Robbie didn’t seem bothered by it once he had understood what it was he was experiencing. He had been worried when he had seen his father falling off his horse and injuring his shoulder, but he was calmed when Melanie had taken the time to explain the gift she had passed down to her son. Claire was glad that Robbie was now comfortable as part of this very special family who had such amazing gifts. It seemed as if every one of them would pass their psychic gifts to their children.
The sudden thought of a baby that belonged to her and Jake filled her mind. She covered her belly with her hand and closed her eyes, concentrating on the new life that would belong to Jake if he would ever take his head out of his ass and realize that he could find complete happiness with her. She thought about the beautiful baby with blue eyes and black hair that she would have, knowing the McKade genes would dominate their children’s looks, and she was honest with herself in admitting that she would be very glad that they would. Jake was a handsome man who would be a wonderful mate and father if he would just allow his heart to open to her.
She looked up and saw that Jake was watching her, his gaze concentrating on her hand as it covered her belly. Her instant reaction was to pull her hand away, but she forced herself to remain calm and not move. Maybe if she gave him something to think about, he would come around and give their life together a chance.
When he looked up at her and met her eyes, she knew there was no hope. He may have need in his eyes, but she also saw his determination to remain distant. He shook his head and looked away. That pissed her off. How dare he tell her that he wasn’t interested? She had already told him that she didn’t want anything to do with him. Despite her secret desires, she was not about to cave on her decision.
All that would result from her giving in and having hope would be for her to be crushed once again. Her heart couldn’t take that, and her empathic ability would overwhelm her to the point of debilitation, causing a crushing sadness to fill her. There was no choice. She had to remain firm.
It was time to move on. She had already spoken to Deuce and Gracie about it. Despite their objections, she was determined to do what she knew would be best for her. She would make her plans tonight as soon as the party was over. She had to have everything in place so she could find a new place to live and work until she was finished with school. Then she could move anywhere and be able to take care of herself. Jake McKade wasn’t going to occupy any of her thoughts or dreams ever again.
“Here, Robbie, open mine next,” Becca said as she scooted off the couch to sit on the floor beside the little boy.
“Becca, be careful of your hip,” Rafe cautioned her, reaching out to help her settle.
“I’m fine,” Becca told him curtly, shrugging her arms to get him to let go of her.
Rafe straightened and stepped back, looking down at her. “You’re stubborn, Becca,” he told her gently.
“Yeah, I am,” she agreed. “But we’ve already agreed that it’s not your problem. Here, Robbie. Hope you like it, honey.”
Robbie accepted the present and smiled up at her. The box was a pretty good size, and it took Lainey, Becca, and Claire to steady it for him while he ripped at the wrapping paper. “It’s so big, Aunt Becca!”
Becca just smiled, doing her best to stay balanced as she held the present. She hated that her hip gave her such trouble sometimes. She hated needing help. She hated being in pain. And she hated that Rafe only showed concern for her because of her hip. She didn’t want his sympathy or his help. She wanted his love. She wanted him to rip the clothes from her body and make passionate love to her. Her face flushed with embarrassment at her own thoughts, and she fanned her face lightly with her hand. Looking up, she saw Claire watching her and smiling.
“Claire, shush,” she whispered in exasperation.
Claire only smiled. “Don’t worry, Becca. I know exactly how you feel.” She looked at Jake briefly before she returned her gaze to Becca. “We both have the same problem.” Her voice was quiet enough so that only Becca heard her. She was not about to let their shared frustrations become something everyone was aware of.
“Sickening, isn’t it?” Becca whispered, focusing on Robbie and admitting to herself that there was no point in thinking about what wasn’t meant to be.
“I have to go to my room,” Claire spoke up softly, the pain that filled her too much for her to stay in the presence of the man whose emotions she could feel as if they were her own. “Good night, everyone.”
“Are you okay, Claire?” Becca whispered, leaning toward her.
“Can’t take it anymore,” Claire answered briefly, knowing Becca would understand. Standing, she made her way out of the living room to escape into the sanctuary of her room.
Robbie’s squeal of delight made them all smile. “Thank you, Aunt Becca! I wanted to have my own tools for a long time!”
“You’re welcome, honey. Come on. Let’s try out all the tools.” Becca reached out and helped to untwist all the wire ties that held the toy tools to the bench. She just knew Robbie would love this gift. The real sounds that emitted from each tool as he used it were going to be a great surprise. She was looking forward to seeing Robbie’s reaction when each sound manifested itself.
Once all the tools were released, Becca reached back to grab onto the couch to help hoist herself up from the floor. She was nearly even with the couch cushion when her hip seized, and she couldn’t help but cry out in pain as she fell to the floor. Before she made contact with the beautifully polished hardwood floor, she found herself scooped up into Rafe’s strong arms and hauled against his chest.
“That’s it, damn it,” he muttered, turning and carrying her out of the living room, up the stairway that led to the second floor bedrooms, and down the hallway.
“Put me down, Rafe,” Becca demanded. “You don’t have the right to do this.”
“Shut up, Miss Becca,” he told her, his voice calm and in control as he whispered the words into her ear.
“I will not shut up,” she snapped, seething as he walked into his bedroom and placed her gently in the middle of his bed. She tried to roll off and stand, but his hand immediately covered her belly and pressed down gently to prevent her from leaving his bed. He held her in place, his blue eyes flashing with heat.
“Don’t move,” he demanded, his voice filled with anger.
Becca froze, looking at Rafe through new eyes. She had never seen him so emotional. The cool, distant, unemotional Rafe that she was used to was nothing like the man who stood before her now. He turne
d around, walked toward his bedroom door, slammed it closed and locked it before returning to the bed.
“Don’t say one word,” he warned her.
She watched him warily, not speaking. She couldn’t if she had tried anyway. He had stunned her so much that she was unable to form any sound. When he climbed up onto the bed and lay beside her, she nearly passed out from the pleasure it gave her when his arms surrounded her and he held her tightly against his chest.
“It’s time we had a serious talk,” he told her calmly, leaning forward to kiss her lips gently.
* * * *
Lainey watched as Rafe carried her twin sister up the stairs. She turned to look at Spence and Tim in shock. The smiles on their faces made her smile as well.
“Looks like Rafe has reached his limit,” Spence told them all softly.
“Looks like it,” Deuce agreed. “All of you’d better think very hard about claiming your mates before you lose them.”
He looked at Jake and Marc as they sat on the large couch, his blue eyes intense as he tried to convey the importance of his words. Neither Jake nor Marc flinched under his stare. He was impressed by their stoicism. He was also saddened by their stubbornness.
“Not your business, Deuce,” Jake told him calmly, rubbing at his left thigh to ease the pain he felt every day of his life since his accident.
“You’re right. It’s not,” Deuce agreed. “But Claire is my business, Jake. And you’re hurting her every day. I can’t let that continue.”
“I’m not hurting her. I’m staying away from her.”
“Same difference,” Deuce said slowly, taking a moment to calm himself. He was thankful when Gracie reached out and held his hand. He needed her calming influence right then. “Jake, she’s decided to leave us.”
“What makes you say that?” Jake asked, his words clipped and angry.
“She’s talked to Gracie and me about it.”
“When?”
Deuce shrugged. “What does it matter to you, Jake? You’re staying away from her.”
Jake stood slowly, rubbing his thigh absentmindedly. “We’ll see about that,” he said more to himself than to Deuce. Moving slowly because of the pain in his left leg, he walked out of the living room with determination. He made his way into the kitchen to go to the bedroom behind it that Claire occupied in the McKade home.
“Marc, you need to understand that Madison deserves to be pursued as a mate by a man who will love and desire her with honesty and sincerity,” Gracie cautioned Marc with a soothing voice. “She deserves a good future with a man who will commit himself to her.”
Marc nodded abruptly, unwilling to speak on the matter. He had done his best to avoid this conversation with John and Jamie. He wasn’t about to open up to Gracie in front of the rest of the McKade family.
“You need to make a decision, Marc,” Deuce added, his voice firm. “Don’t do this halfway. It’s not fair to Madison. It’s not fair to you. And it most certainly is not fair to that beautiful little girl of hers.”
Marc cringed at the mention of Cooper. The little girl had already stolen his heart. She was such a sweet, trusting little thing. And if he were to be honest with himself, Madison’s sweet smile and beautiful eyes haunted him every waking and sleeping moment of his life from the moment he had the dream about her, until the day he had met her and had spoken to her. She was so innocent and held no guile whatsoever. She hadn’t flirted with him. She had spoken to him as she would a new friend. She was kind and sweet and he was already under her spell. Only his stubbornness was keeping him from pursuing a relationship with her. He knew he had to put his past behind him, but he also knew that knowing it and doing it were two completely different things. He knew it, but he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it.
“I understand if you don’t want to discuss this right now,” Deuce offered, his voice softening somewhat. “But you need to know that life doesn’t wait for us to be ready. Madison will move on. You will lose the opportunity to bond with her and her little girl. They will have a future without your protection or your love. How’re you going to feel when you find out that Madison has lost her daughter to whatever cruel force you were cautioned was coming for them in your dream? How will you live with yourself if Cooper is taken away from her mother? Can you honestly say that you don’t have any feelings for that little girl or her mother, Marc?”
Marc stood slowly, his massive frame filling the room. He had always been a powerful man, but he felt less than the weakest babe at the moment as he thought about losing the chance to have a woman and child who belonged to him. Walking through the living room and going to the front door, he opened it slowly, reaching out to take his tan cowboy hat off the hat rack. Turning back to face the room full of people, he hesitated, knowing that they all waited for his answer. He looked at each face and knew that they were there to support him. He also knew that they truly cared about Madison and Cooper.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” he told them sincerely. “I appreciate your concern.”
He stood tall as he filled the doorway. There was no question that he was a strong man—a proud man, but he knew he had to push that aside. With one last nod, he settled his hat firmly on his head, turned, and left the McKade home, closing the door carefully behind him.
“He’ll do the right thing,” Melanie spoke up after a moment. “I’ve seen him with Madison, their daughter, and their son.”
Gracie smiled and reached out to tug on her sister’s long strawberry blonde ponytail. “Of course you did.”
“Mommy, can I play with Unca Marc’s little boys?” Robbie spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.
“You saw Uncle Marc’s little boys, Robbie?” Melanie asked her son, smiling at the way the gift her son had inherited from her was giving them insight into Marc’s future.
“Yes, Mommy. I like them. I saw three boys that played with me,” Robbie told her. “I saw three girls, too. They were playing with Mary Grace and Cooper.”
John chuckled to himself. He looked at Deuce and saw the smirk on his best friend’s face. Looking at the rest of the family, he saw that they held equally surprised and satisfied expressions on their faces. He shook his head and pulled Jamie closer against his side, settling his hand on her growing belly. The rest of the family remained silent, but he was not about to let this revelation go by without commenting. The grin that split his face was broad as he thought about his serious and quiet cousin.
“Oh, how the mighty have fallen!”
Chapter 9
Spence tugged on Lainey’s jacket, closing it securely against the brisk night air. Fall was coming early and he worried that their mate wasn’t warm enough.
“Stop, Spence,” she told him, laughing as she pushed his hand away. “I can zip my own coat.”
“I know you can, kitten,” Spence answered her, smiling as he pushed aside her hands and pulled up on the zipper to close her coat all the way up to her chin. “It’s getting cold out. The nights are going to be pretty nasty now that the seasons are changing. I’m not taking a chance on you getting sick.”
“I won’t get sick,” Lainey protested. “Geez! Tim, tell him to stop hovering.”
“Not gonna happen, Lainey,” Tim refused. “Spence is right. You have to keep warm. I don’t want you to get sick either.” He looked at Spence and winked as he saw the smile on his best friend’s face. All Tim could think about was keeping Lainey healthy so she could carry their baby without any worries. He and Spence had talked about it all the way home from the diner. If they had their way, she would conceive tonight.
“You both are being overprotective goons,” Lainey muttered.
“No, we’re not,” Spence said quietly.
“Yes, you are.”
“No, Lainey. We’re overprotective mates,” Spence corrected her.
Lainey had no reply to that. The realness of the situation suddenly hit her. They were on their way back to the home she would be sharing with her two mates. The th
ought made Lainey’s heart beat double time. She had never been so nervous in her entire life.
This is really going to happen.
The excitement she was feeling was offset by her nerves, but there was no denying that she wanted this to happen. She wanted Tim and Spence to claim her as theirs. She wanted to be mated to them and have a future with them. The men were right when they said that the three of them just fit each other. They truly did. Lainey never wanted to be without either one of them. She couldn’t choose between the two of them, and she realized now that she would never have to. They were both hers.
“You’re thinking pretty hard there, kitten,” Spence told her, tugging on her hand to stop her as they walked toward their home.
“What’re you thinking about, honey?” Tim asked her as he stepped around to stand in front of her.
Lainey smiled, loving that the two of them never let go of her hands. The responding smiles that the men gave her made her protective instincts kick into gear. They were worried, but her smile had reassured them. She was glad. She wanted them to have confidence that she was ready to commit to them one hundred percent.
“I was just thinking that the both of you are mine,” she told them honestly, glad to see that the tense way they held their bodies as they waited for her response eased with her words. “You’re both mine forever, right?”
“Yes, kitten,” Spence whispered, closing his eyes and taking a calming breath before opening them and looking down at her with a relieved sigh.
“Tim?”
“Lainey, I’ve always been yours,” Tim told her softly. “From the time we were kids, you’ve held a special place in my heart.”
“But you don’t think about me as a kid now, right?”
“Hell, no!” Tim nearly yelled. “You’re all woman, Lainey. Our woman.”
“Good.”
Spence laughed and reached out to embrace her gently, pulling her against his chest and hugging her tightly. “Sweetheart, if you only knew what you do to us,” he whispered against her temple.
Claiming Lainey [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 11