“Am I getting married?” Dr. Anna demanded. “Or what?”
Chapter Nineteen
Ray watched his brother still as he beheld Dr. Anna in her form-hugging wedding gown. White fabric skimmed Anna’s body, the skirt widening below her knees to show frothy stuff underneath as she marched down the porch steps. Kyle stared at her, entranced, the stunned disbelief that he actually got to marry her evident.
Lucy dashed out of the house behind Anna. “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.” She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Look away, Kyle.”
Kyle drew a breath, his slack jaw tightening. “Screw that.” He surged forward past the crowd and Anna’s ladies trying to stop him and took Anna by both hands. “Come on, baby. We’re starting this thing.”
Anna flushed, her happiness showing in her glow. Ray watched them flow into each other as they walked, heads together, Kyle grinning to Anna’s laughter.
Kyle needed someone to love him hard, and Anna needed Kyle’s easy support. Nice that they’d found each other at last.
The wedding guests drifted toward the folding chairs set up in front of the arbor, excitement and anticipation in the air. Hal, looking out of place in a dark suit, went to Lucy in her bridesmaid’s gown and offered his arm. Lucy, flushing, took it.
Yeah, that was going somewhere. Good. Lucy needed someone strong who liked her for herself.
Karen headed straight for Jack without compunction, rising on high-heeled tiptoes to kiss his lips. Instead of looking embarrassed, hard-edged Jack smiled, slid his arm around Karen, and led her away.
Drew lingered, and finally, she and Ray were alone, shaded by the big live oak Jules had tried to hide under. Even the tree hadn’t liked him.
“Gotta wonder.” Ray gestured at the guests taking seats as Kyle and Anna separated, Anna moving to the back and hugging her father who would walk her down the aisle. “Did all these people come to see what we’d done with the B&B, or to make sure Kyle marries her?”
“Both.” Drew smiled.
Something in her had changed in the last ten minutes. Ray saw a new strength, a confidence that had come from ripping her brother-in-law a new one.
She stepped closer. “So, you love me, do you, Ray Malory?”
Ray’s face heated, but he wasn’t ashamed. “Sure do.”
“It’s just … you’ve never said it before.”
“I haven’t?” Ray thought back through the months, weeks, and days since he’d met Drew. “I fell in love with you a while back. I think when you dumped drywall compound all over me at Fuller’s store.”
“I think that’s when I fell in love with you too.” Drew’s voice went soft. “When you told me not to worry and helped me bring all the stuff home. I thought I’d never met such a beautiful man.”
“Too bad we didn’t know,” Ray said, his voice as quiet. “We were both too scared to say anything. I didn’t want to push you, just wanted to see what happened.”
“Same here.” Drew nodded wistfully. “I was afraid you’d vanish the minute we started talking about a relationship.”
“I was afraid you would. I wanted you in my life so bad, I didn’t want to drive you away. Maybe that’s why I never said the words. They were in my head, but I worried what would happen when they came out of my mouth.”
“I told you.” Drew’s red lips curved. “Remember? That day after we caught the vandals? I called you My Hot Cowboy and then we made amazing love.”
“I remember.” Every part of Ray’s body remembered. “Why do you think I was so quick to get you in that bedroom?”
“You liked your new nickname?”
“The most beautiful woman in the world had just told me she loved me.” Ray took her hands and pulled her close. “I love you, Drew. I should have said it before, so many times. I was still scared of losing you, I guess. But to hell with that. I’m going to say it now, every day. That okay with you?”
“I think so. Okay if I say I love you too?”
“Yeah.” Ray cupped her face. “You say it as much as you want.”
He kissed her. Ray tasted the new self-assurance in her, felt it. Her lips were soft, pliant, and yet strong—she’d always been strong. Drew moved her hands down his arms to his waist, then, the tree shielding them, to his backside.
“Ray Malory,” she whispered as the kiss ended. “Will you marry me?”
Ray jerked, heart beating wildly. He stepped back, gazing, shocked, into her beautiful, serene blue eyes.
“Oh, hell no.”
Drew’s softness vanished in an instant. “No?” she repeated numbly.
“I mean yes.” Ray cupped her shoulders. “I mean … You aren’t supposed to ask me. I had it planned for after the grand opening. Taking you to Chez Orleans, maybe a drive afterward to the river under the stars. Telling you I want to be with you forever, and giving you the velvet box with the ring. I already have the ring—safe at home.”
Drew stared at him, stunned, her chest rising with a sharp breath. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found words. “So, you were going to—”
“Propose, yep. Pop the question. I was waiting until all this craziness stopped, no weddings, no grand openings. Just the two of us.”
Drew’s smile began to blossom again, spreading across her face, her eyes shining with it. “Damn. I ruined it.”
“No, I’d say you told me how you’ll answer.” Ray tugged her abruptly against him. “Gives me more confidence. But if you don’t want the fancy dinner, the drive under the stars …”
“Oh, I’ll take it.” Drew’s smile became a grin of delight. “Tell you what. You answer this proposal, and then you can do one of your own. Who says it only has to be one of us doing the asking?”
“All right.” Dimly Ray heard the wedding’s music starting, knowing he needed to be next to his brother when Anna walked down the aisle. “Well, go ahead. Ask me again.”
Drew rested her fingers on his chest. “Ray Malory. Will you marry me?”
“Damn right I will.” Ray pulled her closer. “I love you, Drew. Love you forever.”
Her answering kiss held joy, Ray’s blood hot with love and need. He ran hands down her back, bared by the bridesmaid’s gown, feeling her supple body rising to his.
The music swelled louder. Drew eased from the kiss, laughing into his mouth. “We’d better get to the wedding before your sisters come and drag us there.”
Ray brushed back a lock of her beautiful, silken hair. “Yeah, my sisters are pushy. But they love you too.” He took her hand. “Ready to go?”
“With you? Sure am.” Drew gave him her sweetest smile. Ray wished the entire wedding and guests would evaporate, or at least freeze in time, while he ran upstairs with Drew and showed her just how much he loved her. Multiple times, in fact.
Drew squeezed his hand, and he read in her eyes that she wanted him too. “Later,” she whispered, and Ray’s body hummed in anticipation.
Ray led Drew out from under the tree, the two of them breaking into a run toward the waiting crowd, who’d turned to watch them with interest. Kyle gave his brother a wide grin and a thumbs-up.
Drew parted from Ray to gather with the bridesmaids, a warm Texas wind springing up to flutter the ribbons tied along the B&B’s porch and the flowers in her hair.
Epilogue
A week later, the entire town returned as Drew and Ray unveiled the newly renamed Bluebonnet Inn Bed and Breakfast.
Drew stood on the shady side porch overlooking the garden and fields beyond. People wandered into and out of the house, allowed into any room today except those already occupied by guests.
The archaeologists had taken up residence. They were a casual bunch, now lounging on the front porch in shorts and T-shirts, happily drinking the iced tea Erica brought them. Even before the B&B had been finished, they’d loved the place, and were grateful for a place to bathe and sleep.
Drew had already been getting calls for reservations, as
the word spread about the lovely restored home in the field of bluebonnets. Erica had named the inn in her rapture at the flowers, and Drew had decided the name a good one.
Ray came out of the cool house and leaned on the porch railing next to her. Together they watched Faith, Erica, and Dominic play a game that involved much running and yelling. So nice that they could be safe and young and oblivious to the darker world.
“Good party,” Ray said in his laconic way. “I’m hearing lots of compliments on the house. I’m trying to look modest.”
Drew wasn’t surprised about the compliments. “You and Jack and crew did a hell of a job.”
“You were a good manager,” Ray said generously. “Telling us what to do like a drill sergeant.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I meant it as a compliment.”
Drew grinned and bumped her body into his. “You are such a shit.”
“You betcha.” Ray continued his scrutiny over the guests milling below. Callie Jones-Campbell wandered slowly by on Ross’s arm, her belly round with their first child—expected in June.
“Ever think about having more kids?” Ray asked.
“Mmm. Possibly.” Drew had thought a lot about it, in fact, though she kept her voice neutral. The idea of holding a child in her arms who gazed at her with Ray’s green eyes was intoxicating.
“Well, I have.” Ray covered her hand with his. “No holding back about what I think this time. I’d love to have kids with you. I’ve even discussed it with Erica. She rolled her eyes, told me she wanted a little brother and that we should hurry up and get on with it.”
Drew laughed softly. “Well, no worrying about her then.”
“Nope.” Ray went silent a moment. “Erica’s a good kid.”
“She is.”
Another pause, while the voices of friends and family drifted to them.
“Then it’s all settled,” Ray said. “I’ll propose to you this Saturday night, we’ll get married this summer, and then we’ll make a baby.”
“You are so organized.”
Ray broke into chuckles. “It’s fun to pretend. How about we let the kid come when it does? We’re going to be busy running this place anyway.”
Ray had never said anything directly, but Drew knew he’d be alongside her every step of the way as she started her new business. With this opening, she’d fulfilled the terms of the trust. Her lawyer had already started the procedure to give her access to the rest of her grandfather’s money.
“That’s true,” Drew said. “Very busy.”
“We’ll have to take every opportunity to try for a little one.”
Drew’s body heated. “Sounds like fun.”
Again they fell silent, the breeze cooling the soft April air.
Ray put his arm around her, enclosing her in his warmth. “We’re not letting anyone up in the apartment today, right?”
Drew glanced at the windows over the garage, her temperature rising every moment. Out in the garden, Erica shrieked with laughter and chased her two best friends. In the shadows of a big tree, Lucy and Hal Jenkins came together in a long kiss.
“Yeah, I see them,” Ray said, breath warming her ear. “It’s a good thing.”
Under the tree, Lucy’s body was relaxed, the smile she sent Hal when they parted telling.
“The apartment’s off limits, yes,” Drew said. “Since we’re still living there.”
Which meant it would be empty at this moment. No eyes were on them. Ray took Drew’s hand and led her down the porch steps and at a quick walk to the garage. Up the stairs, into the apartment, door closed and locked. Drew let out a breath. Made it.
She took another quick breath as Ray began stripping off his shirt. His gorgeous body came into view, powerful and hard-muscled, tanned where he’d worked in the sun. Drew scrabbled with her own clothes, shivering in delight when Ray helped skim off her shirt, then bra.
They dashed into the bedroom, Ray’s jeans and Drew’s skirt coming off, underwear landing somewhere.
Drew went tight with anticipation as Ray took her down to the bed, his kisses, his touch, lighting everything good inside her. She couldn’t keep her hands off him, stroking his skin, fingers in his hair, kissing his lips.
She let out a groan as Ray slid into her, thick with wanting. Her last coherent thought before passion took her was that she was the luckiest woman in the world. She was in a bed in her very own home, while a beautiful cowboy with intense green eyes made hard and fast love to her.
Outside the window, laughter filled the spaces that had so long been silent, and happiness pushed away the last sigh of sad loneliness.
The house and Riverbend had done the same for her.
Thanks, Grandfather. Drew let the thought drift into the sunshine, then pulled Ray down to her and gave into the fire.
“I love you, my hot cowboy,” she whispered.
Ray’s breath caught. “Love you too, Drew. Sweet angel.”
His words filled all the empty spaces, and Drew was complete.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading!
If you’ve read Kyle’s book (Riding Hard: Kyle) you’ll note that some of the action of Ray takes place simultaneously with Kyle. I thought it would be fun to introduce Ray’s heroine in Kyle’s book, and then show in Ray’s own book what he was up to when he disappeared from that story. Also, I liked looking at Anna’s and Kyle’s courtship from a different perspective.
I hope you enjoyed this stay in Riverbend!
Best wishes,
Jennifer Ashley
Also by Jennifer Ashley
Riding Hard
(Contemporary Romance)
Adam
Grant
Carter
Tyler
Ross
Kyle
Ray
Snowbound in Starlight Bend
Shifters Unbound
Pride Mates
Primal Bonds
Bodyguard
Wild Cat
Hard Mated
Mate Claimed
“Perfect Mate” (novella)
Lone Wolf
Tiger Magic
Feral Heat
Wild Wolf
Bear Attraction
Mate Bond
Lion Eyes
Bad Wolf
Wild Things
White Tiger
Guardian’s Mate
Red Wolf
Midnight Wolf
Tiger Striped
A Shifter Christmas Carol
Iron Master
Shifter Made ("Prequel" short story)
Historical Romances
The Mackenzies Series
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage
The Many Sins of Lord Cameron
The Duke’s Perfect Wife
A Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift
The Seduction of Elliot McBride
The Untamed Mackenzie
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie
Scandal and the Duchess
Rules for a Proper Governess
The Stolen Mackenzie Bride
A Mackenzie Clan Gathering
Alec Mackenzie’s Art of Seduction
The Devilish Lord Will
A Rogue Meets a Scandalous Lady
A Mackenzie Yuletide
Stormwalker
(w/a Allyson James)
Stormwalker
Firewalker
Shadow Walker
“Double Hexed”
Nightwalker
Dreamwalker
Dragon Bites
About the Author
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written more than 100 published novels and novellas in romance, urban fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Jennifer's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have earned starred review
s in Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. When she isn’t writing, Jennifer enjoys playing music (guitar, piano, flute), reading, hiking, and building dollhouse miniatures.
More about Jennifer’s books can be found at
http://www.jenniferashley.com
To keep up to date on her new releases, join her newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/47kLL
Copyright
Ray (Riding Hard, Book 6)
Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Ashley
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All Rights are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
Cover design by Kim Killion
Ray: Riding Hard Book 7 Page 18