Lone Star Valentine (McCabe Multiples)

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. He’d sure felt the calling to be one when he was with the little boy. However, refusing to focus on what was no longer possible—if it ever had been—Gannon moved to look at the array of sculpting tools. “For all the good it does me now,” he muttered.

  Harriett propped her hands on her hips. “And here I thought you were never one to compromise on what you really wanted out of life.”

  “I’m not!”

  “Then why are you here in Fort Worth instead of going to see Lily?” she asked in a reproving tone.

  Gannon tensed. “We’re done.”

  “Only if you want to be.”

  Wishing he could share his mother’s eternal optimism, Gannon explained with abbreviated patience, “She doesn’t want to be with me, Mom. Never did, never will.” It had taken him a long time to accept that, but now that he had...

  Harriett studied the vast array of fine clays. “That’s not how it looked to me last week.”

  “That was an anomaly.”

  His mother turned toward him and, looking more skeptical than ever, asked, “So she was just another woman with baby-daddy problems, crying on your shoulder?”

  Heaven help him. “No...” Gannon enunciated flatly.

  “A friend?”

  Gannon paced to the vast windows, overlooking the museum grounds. Night had fallen. It looked wintry and cold outside. “More than that.”

  His mother joined him, taking in the view of city lights. “A lover, then?”

  He stared his mom down, not about to answer that.

  “Then what was she?” Harriett persisted.

  My everything, Gannon thought. My moon, and sun, and stars... And since when had he started thinking like some romantic idiot? He straightened, warning himself to get a grip. “She dumped me on Valentine’s Day,” he reminded her harshly.

  Harriett feigned shock and dismay. “Well, then, if she’s that heartless, you certainly can’t get back together with her!”

  He returned his mother’s look with a deadpan one of his own.

  His mother drew a long, enervating breath. Taking his arm, she guided him to a nearby bench and sat down. “Did I ever tell you what happened the day your father asked me to marry him?”

  Gannon settled beside his mother and shook his head.

  “I turned him down,” she whispered, regret mingling with the heartache on her face.

  This was news. He’d always thought his parents were so perfect together. “Why?”

  Harriett shrugged. “He hadn’t asked my father for my hand in marriage—which was still customary if not exactly required in our day. He didn’t have a ring. It felt very spur of the moment. And he later admitted it was so.”

  “You didn’t think he was serious?”

  “On the contrary. I knew he was. I was the one with the big fears. I had dreams of running off to Paris and being an artiste. I wasn’t sure I was cut out to be a rancher’s wife, never mind help support us by teaching school.”

  “Did you break up?”

  “For about a month.”

  Impossible. And yet... “What happened to get the two of you back together?” Gannon asked finally.

  “It’s simple.” His mother reached over and squeezed his hand. “We finally realized where true happiness lay.”

  * * *

  GANNON THOUGHT ABOUT what his mother had said the rest of the week. By the time Saturday rolled around, he knew what he had to do. So he got in his pickup truck and headed for the town where he had grown up. The place where his heart still remained.

  Once there he made his way to Lily’s small cozy home on Spring Street. To his dismay, he saw several cars in the driveway and her triplet sister Violet coming out of the door, Lucas in tow.

  “Hey, Mr. Montgummy!” Lucas ran forward to give him a big hug.

  Gannon swung the little boy up in his arms. Amazing, how much he had missed him. “Hey there, Lucas,” he said around the sudden lump in his throat. “How you doin’?”

  Lucas beamed. “Good.” Small hands propped on Gannon’s shoulders, he leaned back to look into Gannon’s face. “How you doin’?”

  Not so good without you and your mom.

  But knowing those were grown-up problems, Gannon grinned, admitting, “It’s been a long week, but I’m hoping my weekend will be better.” Gently, he set Lily’s son back down. “What about you?”

  Lucas puffed out his chest. “I’m going on a picnic with my ants and my cousins.”

  Ah, yes, cousins. The rock stars of the younger set.

  “As soon as we catch up with Rose and her little ones, that is,” Violet said. She looked at her watch. Paused. And squinted at Gannon. “Are you supposed to be here?”

  Apt question. “It’s a surprise.”

  For some reason this amused Lily’s sister no end. Still chuckling, Violet shook her head. “Oh, it’s that, all right,” she said drily. “Good luck anyway.”

  He was going to need that and more. “Thanks.”

  “Lucas, say goodbye to Mr. Montgomery.”

  “Bye, Mr. Montgummy!” Lucas waved vigorously.

  They got in the car and drove off, Violet still smiling merrily.

  Wondering what Lily’s sister knew that he didn’t, Gannon continued on to the front door. He rang the bell. Lily opened the door, and her face fell.

  “Oh, no!” she gasped.

  Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for. He put up a hand. “I know I should have called...”

  Her slender shoulders stiffened. She touched a hand to her upswept honey-blond curls. “It really would have been better if you had.”

  Staring into her beautiful turquoise eyes, he stepped closer. “But I wanted to see you.”

  She remained on the threshold, her tall, curvaceous body blocking entry. “You’re seeing me.”

  Which was good in and of itself, given how much he had missed her. But there were bigger issues to tackle. And those were best done in private. “Can we go inside?” Although he was prepared to grovel now if absolutely necessary.

  “I...” Lily faltered, pink color filling her delicate cheeks. Her teeth raked across her soft, bare lower lip. “You sure you don’t want to do this later?”

  And give her a chance to back out? No way. “Now’s fine,” he said decisively. “Although I would prefer it not be on the front step, where everyone driving or walking by can...”

  “You’re right,” Lily interjected. “There’s been enough gossip about me as it is.”

  Gannon bit down on an oath. “That’s not what I meant.” He followed her inside. Stopped at the big red Happy Valentine’s Day banner that adorned the entire living area.

  He turned back to her, aware the holiday had come and gone seven days prior. Still struggling to understand what was going on here, he asked, “You had a party?”

  “No. I’m going to have one. At least I...hope so,” she finished lamely.

  Gannon blinked. “When?”

  “It was supposed to be tonight,” she said, looking tentatively into his eyes. “If I could get you here.” Her voice trembling in frustration, she swept her delicate hand down her body. “I was also going to be wearing something a whole lot sexier than torn jeans and the paper-thin law school T-shirt I wear to clean house in.”

  His gaze followed the path her hand had drawn, lingering on her long, luscious legs, her trim waist and soft, full breasts, before lifting once again to the delicate womanly beauty of her face. “You look plenty sexy to me,” he rasped, itching to forget the talking and take her into his arms and make love first, last and always.

  Oblivious to his thoughts, Lily pivoted and strode away from him, one hand tucked into the rear pocket of her jeans. “I was also hoping to smell like something other than orange
-scented household cleaner and sweat.”

  Gannon admired the rear view, which was just as comely as the front.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I always did like heat and citrus.” It was every bit as tempting as the freesia perfume she wore.

  Lily stared up at him, scowling now. “Did you really just come here to hit on me?”

  Gannon stepped past a pile of fresh rose petals heaped on her dining room table. “That was one of the reasons,” he murmured, wondering what she planned to do with those.

  Lily’s jaw set. “What were the others?” she demanded in a way that let him know that whatever he said better be good.

  Gannon let his hands slide down her arms and took both her hands in his. Her softness and warmth gave him the courage to go on. “I wanted to apologize for tossing down ultimatums last week and acting like a jerk instead of giving you the time and space you asked for.”

  She grinned at his apt description of his own behavior. “Thank you.”

  She gazed into his eyes a long moment, then sobered and drew a breath, looking as if she had her own well of regrets to draw from.

  She withdrew her hands from his and moved away.

  “But upon reflection, I’ve realized you were right about the fact that we either knew how we felt about each other,” she admitted in a low, querulous voice, “or we didn’t.”

  He swore inwardly, hoping like hell this wasn’t another breakup speech coming on. Especially since her turquoise eyes had started to fill with tears. Yet again.

  Lily inhaled sharply. “And the truth of the matter is, I did.” She lifted her eyes to his. Stubborn. Afraid. Hopelessly magnetic. Her chin quavered even more, but she pushed on. “I just didn’t want to admit it.”

  What the hell? Had he misjudged the situation this badly? He forced himself to hold on. Act as if everything could still be salvaged. “Why not?”

  Lily swallowed, and the tears she’d been holding back spilled down her face. She let out a small heartfelt sob. “Because I was really afraid you might not love me back.”

  * * *

  GANNON GAVE HER a quiet, assessing look. He closed the distance between them and took her in his arms. “Oh, Lily.” He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. Then deeply.

  Still holding her possessively, he lifted his head. Offered a solemn smile. “I’m sorry I ever gave you reason to feel that way. Because I do love you,” he said softly, “with all my heart.”

  Lily’s heart leaped in her chest. “I love you, too, Gannon,” she breathed. “And I have for a very long time. Which is why I would never agree to date you before this.” She leaned into his touch, so happy to at last have the courage to confide in him. “Because it scared me to feel so deeply about someone else.” And she did love him. So very much...

  He swept a hand down her spine, fitting them together, and searched her face, as if he couldn’t quite believe what she’d said. “And now you’re not afraid?” he asked gently.

  She basked in the warmth and strength of him. “Not anymore. Which is why I was going to ask you for a Valentine’s Day do-over. And then propose that you and I embark on a long-distance relationship.”

  He dragged in a breath, cutting her off before she could go on. “Actually, Lily, I’ve decided you were right about me never being happy settling for half of what I wanted, especially when it came to you.” His midnight-blue eyes darkened. “If I’m going to be with you, I have to be all in.” He held her as if he would never let her go. “Which is why I quit my job in Fort Worth this week.”

  Lily blinked. “What!” She knew how hard he had worked to achieve partner.

  “You—and Lucas—are here. My family ranch is here. And, as it happens, with Liz pregnant again—”

  It was Lily’s turn to interrupt. “Liz and Travis are having another baby?” How great for them!

  Gannon nodded. “They need help handling all the business coming their way. So we’re forming a limited partnership.”

  There was a big difference between being a small-town lawyer in rural Texas and a big-time attorney in Fort Worth. Lily studied him. “Oh, Gannon. I can’t believe you’d do this. All your hopes and dreams—“

  “Are right here in Laramie,” he told her gruffly. “You and Lucas are all I want and need.”

  Still looking a tad worried, Lily studied him closely. “You’re sure you’re one hundred percent okay with this?”

  Gannon rubbed a thumb across her lower lip. “Very okay. Especially since my mom and I are doing a house swap.”

  “A...what?”

  “She’s going to be the new artist-in-residence at the Emmett Briscoe Museum in Fort Worth, starting next week. So she’s moving into my flat—which, with all its wide-open space and natural light, is perfect for her sculpting, by the way—and I’m moving back onto the ranch.”

  Lily drew a breath and looked deep into his eyes. “That is a big change.”

  “As you pointed out,” he said sincerely, his voice dropping to a husky timbre, “I’m a guy who’s either all in or all out. And I choose to be all in with you.”

  She wrapped her arms about his neck and rested her head on his chest. “Oh, Gannon, I want to be all in with you, too.”

  “Then it’s settled?” He threaded his hands through her hair and pressed a kiss to her temple. “You’ll be my valentine?”

  The holiday had never meant more. Lily rose on tiptoe and kissed him deeply, evocatively, promising with all her heart and soul, “For now and forevermore...”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  “Do you like this one, Mommy?” Lucas held up a cartoon valentine he had signed for a classmate.

  Lily smiled at her son’s kindergarten handwriting. The letters were sort of off-kilter, but they were in the right order and legible enough to read. She smiled at him proudly. “I think it’s perfect.”

  Lucas stuffed the card into the envelope. “How many more of them do I have to do?”

  She counted the names of his classmates and subtracted the number he had already finished. “Just three.”

  He licked the envelope. “And then I get to help you make cupcakes, too?”

  As class homeroom mother, that was one of her duties. “You do.”

  Gannon sauntered in, looking big and handsome and as sexy as could be. Wedding ring glinting on his finger, he plucked a chocolate kiss from the bowl on the table. “Yum!”

  “Daddy!” Lucas scolded. “Those are for the party!”

  “I know, which is why we should sample them to make sure they’re all okay,” Gannon teased, peeling off the tinfoil. “One for you.” He gave one to a wildly grinning Lucas. “One for Mommy.” He popped that one in Lily’s mouth. “Another one for the new baby in her tummy. And last but not least, one for me...”

  Lucas squinted, thinking. Looking a little like the biological dad he still rarely saw or heard from but acting like the caring, confident father he had since happily claimed as his own. “Daddy, do babies like candy?”

  “When they’re old enough to eat it.” Gannon ruffled Lucas’s hair, then bent down to kiss the top of his head. “When they’re little, they mostly just have milk.”

  “Mommy, how long until the new baby comes?”

  “Not until next September,” Lily said. Within days of her and Gannon’s very first wedding anniversary. “When you’re in first grade,” she explained.

  Lucas nodded solemnly, readily accepting yet another change in his young life. “Well, when the baby gets here, I’ll make him—”

  “Or her,” Lily added.

  “—a valentine, too.”

  “That’s a good idea,” she said, praising him.

  Satisfied, Lucas went back to the final card.

  Gannon pointed to the b
riefcase of work he’d brought in with him and handed Lily a message slip with a name and number. “Another couple agreed to mediation before they head to divorce court.”

  Lily typed the contact information into the computer tablet that kept her organized at her new job at Cartwright, Anderson, Montgomery & McCabe. “I’ll call them and put it on my calendar.”

  Gannon wrapped his arms around her. Hugging her tenderly, he stroked a hand through her hair. “You know, if you keep this up, settling everything out of court, you’re going to put the rest of us out of business.”

  Lily chuckled. “You love it when things can be settled harmoniously.”

  “I do.” His midnight-blue eyes gleamed mischievously. “And you know what I like even better?” He bussed the tip of her nose, and then her cheek. “Being in a joint law practice with you and me and Liz and Travis.”

  “You know what I like?” Lucas chimed in, not to be outdone. He stood on his chair—so he would be nearly on par with them—puffed out his chest, and bellowed, “I like living on a ranch, with horses and cattle!”

  Not long after they had married, Gannon had bought a small herd and hired their next-door neighbor, Clint McCulloch, to care for the herd, while Lily had overseen the sale of her house and the move into his. Now, with everyone well settled in work and school and family life, all that was left was preparing a nursery.

  Well, that and celebrating Valentine’s Day.

  Their second.

  And one of many, many more to come.

  * * * * *

  Watch for the next book in Cathy Gillen Thacker’s

  McCABE MULTIPLES miniseries—

  LONE STAR DADDY,

  coming June 2015,

  only from Harlequin American Romance!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE COWBOY’S VALENTINE by Donna Alward.

  http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin American Romance story.

  You love small towns and cowboys! Harlequin American Romance stories are heartwarming contemporary tales of everyday women finding love, becoming part of a family or community—or maybe starting a family of their own.