Another toast. This time it paid tribute to an ode to tinsel from the Wonder Twins. He emptied his tumbler on that toast. Dear Lord in heaven, your liver is going to hate you, fool.
Joseph stood in the center of the room and lifted his glass. Somehow, Adam’s glass had magically refilled. He snorted into his glass, laughing for no particular reason at whatever Justin, no, Jared… ahh… nope, that was Jacob… had said. There were too many fucking J-men to keep track of when you were drunk. A damn good thing the clinic had beds. They definitely weren’t making it back to the big house tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Keelee drew a deep breath of the clear night air. The moon and stars lit not only the vast expanse of the heavens but also her path to the barn. The day had been filled with fun and laughter. Her nephew Talon added the wonder and delight of a child to Christmas this year. Yet the sheer volume of people congregating in the house had become overpowering and oppressive. Stomping her boots at the door of the barn, Keelee entered her peaceful place, her sanctuary. The outside dogs lifted their well-fed heads from the straw bedding, tails thumping madly. Keelee walked into the stall that housed the happy animals and dropped into the soft, warm straw bedding. She allowed them to maul her with tongues and tails, giving each of the animals scratches and pats. After an animated and frantic greeting, the dogs settled down and curled up next to her.
Keelee lay back against several hay bales that insulated the stall and breathed in deeply. So much had happened in the last month and she was blissfully thankful. Yet sometimes she felt overwhelmed. The pure adoration of her animals helped to calm the swirling mental images that still sent terrifying tremors through her. She’d seen the psychiatrist Adam had asked her to talk to. He’d been kind and supportive. Keelee could tell Adam and the doctor had a good relationship, but for her, coming to terms with the way Clint had ripped her sense of safety away wasn’t going to be fixed by talking to a stranger.
She heard the sound of the latch on the side door snicking open. The metallic click froze her in mid-stroke of her collie’s coat. The dog lifted its head, sensing her fear. A low, menacing growl emanated from the animal. “Get too much for you up there?” Her father’s voice stilled the animal’s warning immediately. Keelee shrugged as Frank strode into the stall and took a seat beside her in the straw.
“I hate to admit it, but yeah.” She blew out the response in a long sigh.
“You okay?”
Keelee lifted a shoulder in a halfhearted effort. “I guess I expected all this… whatever this feeling is inside me… to, I don’t know… leave?”
“Caught you prowling the house in the middle of the night too often these past couple weeks. What happened on the mountain still haunts you.”
“Yes and no. I wake up sometimes. Scared.” Scared Adam would leave. Scared Clint would come back.
“And because your man is sleeping in the clinic it’s worse.”
Keelee nodded and lifted her shoulder again in that weak shrug. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Yeah, you’re tough. I can’t believe I’m saying this, and your mom is probably groaning from heaven, but tell him to sleep at the house with you. I know you meet up to be with him. Maybe then you can get some sleep and that’ll let me get some rest.”
A soft chuckle escaped. “You know I love him, right?”
“Yeah. A person would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see that.”
“He’s been all growly and protective since… Made me promise not to leave the ranch without him.” Keelee gave a rough chuckle. “I don’t think he realized if Clint wanted to get to me, he’d ride in or catch me in the pastures.”
“Not gonna happen. With Clint? Legally, Guardian’s hands are tied, so your man called in favors to keep eyes out for him. Guardian is doing a ramp up here and that means more people, more eyes. Listen to Adam. Do as he asks.”
“But why didn’t he tell me?”
Frank gave his ‘well, that was a stupid question’ grunt.
Keelee laughed softly. “Right. That’s what men do.” She bumped her dad with her shoulder. “He’s a good guy, daddy.”
Another grunt in agreement. Keelee chuckled quietly. Frank Marshall, the most eloquent man on the face of the planet.
Frank rubbed his dog’s ears, his calloused hands remarkably gentle. “Everyone is getting ready to exchange gifts.”
“Yeah, I know, but I thought I’d come down for a minute and reconnect with what I know, who I am. Adam hasn’t let me do chores or anything strenuous for the last three weeks. I think I may be going through withdrawal.”
“Huh. Guess that’s not a good omen.” Frank allowed his German Shepherd to drape himself over his leg. The dog and the man were nearly inseparable when Frank was outside.
“What do you mean, Daddy?” Keelee leaned in and put her head on his shoulder. This was their special place. They’d spent hours in this very spot talking about her mom, Victoria, the ranch, or just sitting quietly enjoying each other’s company free from the demands of a busy ranch.
Frank did a quick glance around the barn. “All this? It’s yours, and Tori’s, but mostly yours. You’ve put your entire life into this place. Spent your youth doing things no young lady should have to do. You didn’t go to college, never been overseas, never been to a real fancy restaurant or, for that matter, had the clothes to go to one. I’ve done poorly by you.”
Keelee bolted upright, bringing the dogs to their feet. Grabbing her father’s arm, she made him focus on her. “What? Dad! When have I ever said I wanted any of those things? I’m not Tori or mom. I’m happiest when I’m working on the ranch. It’s what I know.”
Frank nodded but dropped his eyes, not meeting hers. “Yeah, it’s what you know, but it’s not all you should know.” He cleared his throat and nodded towards the house. “You got yourself a young man that loves you. I finally got me a good woman who is willing to take me on. Can’t quite figure either one of them out, but damn it… somehow we lucked into some pretty good fixin’s.”
The words registered, but they didn’t make sense. “Okay. So we’re lucky. What’s the bad omen?”
“I’ve bought you and your beau’s Christmas present. Had to work a deal with Gabriel to make sure it would work for Adam, but I think I can live with it. Hell, I may be getting the better of the deal, actually.”
Keelee sat forward, frustrated by the cryptic conversation. She nailed her dad with a hard stare. “Would you quit dancing around what you’re trying to tell me and just say it?”
“Well, hell. Here it goes. For your Christmas present, I bought you and your man a cruise.” He lifted his hand off the Shepherd’s head and circled his finger. “An around the world cruise. You’ll be gone for almost a month.”
Keelee flopped back onto the straw, her mind—blown. Around the world. Cruise. A month? A boat? She bolted upright. “Wait, I can’t go. We have a ranch to run.”
“That’s another thing. I’m breaking in a new foreman. That was the agreement I struck with Gabriel. He comes highly recommended and by all accounts is a damned good man.”
“Hiring a… sending me on a… What the hell, Daddy?”
“Don’t cuss. You sound like a ranch hand.”
Keelee groaned at the automatic reprimand. “Really? You decide to replace me and I get fussed at for cussing? Why, Daddy?”
“You and that man need to start a life together. I want to slow down. I’ve got other priorities now, too. If I bring in a foreman, you can have time to be a wife, maybe a mother.”
“Well, that is really presumptuous, isn’t it? I mean, Adam hasn’t even hinted at anything permanent. And if being with him meant leaving the ranch? I don’t know Dad. I just don’t know.”
“Counting those damn chickens before they hatch again and also worrying about feeding, sheltering and butchering them, ain’t you?”
Keelee shrugged. “Can’t help but wonder what the future will or won’t hold.”
“Human
nature, I expect. I want you to be able to leave the toting and hefting to someone else. You’ll still be the boss. I’m here if you need me, but I’m turning the reins over to you. We’ll play it as it is now. I’ll bring on the foreman and I’m hiring Gregg to work full time with Danny. If the foreman needs more help, we’ll hire more men full time. With Gerald and Clint out of the picture, we have to make some changes.”
“Are they out of the picture, Dad? Is Clint really gone?” Her voiced cracked with fear, but she didn’t try to hide it from her dad.
“He’s dropped off the face of the Earth.”
“So we go ahead with our lives like he’s not out there?”
“Exactly right. Don’t let him hurt you more than he already has. For now, we’ll spend Christmas and New Year’s with our super-sized family. Then we’ll pull in that foreman. He’ll work with both of us. When you get back from your trip, we’ll work you into taking my responsibilities. Your ranch, your call, just letting someone else do the hard stuff.”
Keelee dropped back against the straw again and considered her dad’s words. The idea wasn’t repulsive. As a matter of fact, it was rather freeing. She’d still work the ranch, but not all day every day. A small sigh of relief escaped.
“We’ve talked about this before. When Ember left, you said you wanted to be able to go visit her and Tori. You were the one who put the idea in my head.”
“I know and I could get used to the idea, but, Dad, who are you going to get to handle things?”
“You leave that to me. Gabriel gave me the man and I have a plan.”
“A plan, huh? Care to share?”
“Nope. Not in the slightest. Now let’s get back inside. Act surprised when you open that present, you hear?”
*
Adam paced in front of the kitchen window waiting for Frank to bring Keelee back to the main house. He’d used the time to get everyone he hadn’t talked to earlier on the same page. Suffering a damn hangover from hell this morning had pushed his timeline way off track, but he implemented basic mission protocols to prevent too much stress. He acknowledged the setback, adapted his timeline and overcame the obstacles. Overcame the worst hangover he’d ever had. Stupid of him not to keep hydrated. Holy shit, with the amount of alcohol he’d consumed last night there was a real possibility he could still be drunk.
He paced past the window and slapped his thigh lightly. If the universe would just give him a break, he might be able to pull off this proposal. He paced back and caught the side door to the barn opening out of the corner of his eye. Game time. Adam bolted from the kitchen into the two-story family room and hit the light switch. The massive Christmas tree lit the dark room with a beautiful golden glow. Keelee had kept her mom’s tradition of lighting the twenty-foot spruce with tiny, white, blinking lights and gold ornaments. Adam glanced at the entryway and patted his pocket. He pulled the ring case out of his jeans and took a deep breath. Please God, let her say yes.
Allowing himself a quick reassurance the ring was still in the box, he popped the lid. He had to admit the jeweler Jacob recommended in Georgetown had reworked the ring beautifully. He hoped Keelee felt the same way. At the sound of her voice in the kitchen, Adam flipped the case closed and hid it in his palm as he waited beside the tree.
“I don’t know how you can drink coffee this late.” Keelee’s laughing taunt halted when she entered the darkened room. Her stride slowed and then stopped. Her eyes danced around the room before she stopped midway inside. “Where is everyone?”
At her question, the sound of a soft sigh floated down from the second-floor banister. Adam peered up with Keelee. The entire King family and his brothers from Alpha Team stood at the rail. Keelee’s puzzled expression drifted from the banister to Adam, silently questioning the quiet staging of the room.
Adam walked to Keelee. Damn, his legs were shaking. He almost didn’t make it the three feet it took to close the gap between them.
Adam slowly dropped to one knee in front of her and had to smile. A single tear welled at the bottom lash of one of her lovely blue eyes and trickled down her blushing cheek. Her radiant smile sent his heart soaring.
He took her hand in his, turned it and kissed her palm before he spoke. “Cleopatra Elizabeth Marshall, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. I want to protect you from the world, wrap you in my love, and give you my heart. Because it’s yours, forever.” He lifted the small black leather box and opened it. “This used to be your mom’s ring. I added my love to it.”
He lowered his voice so only she could hear him, “Keelee, baby, please make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”
She bent down and kissed him, her hands cupping his face. When she lifted, she nodded and whispered, “I love you. Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Adam had her in his arms and kissed her hard and deep before the hoard of people held at bay upstairs could descend upon them. Why he ever believed they’d be allowed to enjoy their moment alone, he’d never know.
*
Christmas wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons littered the floor. Jacob had his son on his shoulder. The little guy had lost his bid to stay awake about halfway through the night. A very pregnant Tori leaned into her husband. The small, happy family was exactly what Adam wanted with Keelee.
The happiness of Christmas Eve and Keelee accepting his proposal couldn’t extinguish the pain that flared at the sight of his best friend, his wife and their child. His heart ached for the son that should be with him tonight. He couldn’t help wondering if he would ever be able to put to rest the haunting nightmare Bianca had forced upon him.
Keelee’s arms snuck around him as she leaned into his back. Her soft warmth helped to evaporate his melancholy. “They are a beautiful family. That will be us someday. I know it won’t make the pain of your loss any easier. I love you. I’m here if you need me.” Her words were whispered in his ear.
Adam twisted and held her in his arms and kissed her again. The love he felt for this woman, right now, scared him more than his machismo was willing to admit. She meant everything to him. He lowered to her soft, willing lips again. The night had been filled with tender kisses snuck between well-meaning family members’ congratulations and the excitement of Christmas Eve. It turned out Frank Marshall was one fantastic Santa. He’d managed to give everyone a well-thought-out and gracious gift.
Frank grabbed an envelope from the branches of the Christmas tree and cleared his voice. “I have two more things to do tonight. The first is for Adam and Keelee. They already got their Christmas gift. Hope neither of you get seasick.” Laughter erupted from the people lounging casually around the massive family room.
“Guess this would be the engagement gift. This here is the deed to the forty-acre plot of land on the other side of the training compound. It also contains a contract with Simpson Architectural for the design and construction of a new home.” He gave a pointed stare at his daughter when he handed her the envelope. “Now, I ain’t running you out of the main house just yet, but when I make the next announcement the reason for your wanting your own home will be apparent. I hope.”
Adam glanced down at Keelee, who appeared just as confused as he was. The land, the house, and the cruise were too much. Neither had expected anything of this magnitude.
Frank cleared his throat again and put both hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth from heel to toe a couple of times. “I got to admit I was slightly hesitant about the crew Tori brought home. But they won me over.” Frank motioned towards the Wonder Twins, who had Christian trapped between them. “Those two have been the boys I never had.” He nodded towards Chief and grinned. “You, my friend, are a rock, the calm in any storm. I’m proud to call you a close friend, and I love you like a son. Not many have that honor.
“Jacob and Adam, thank you for loving my daughters enough to take them off my hands.” The riotous laughter relaxed the emotionally charged speech.
“My life is
good, but there is a part of me that has been missing for years.” He locked eyes with Amanda, seated between Jasmine and Jewel. “Amanda, I know what we had planned and we weren’t going to say anything for a while, but in front of God and creation, our ten children, one grandchild and adopted families and friends, I think we should make the announcement.”
Adam pulled Keelee closer. The old man had done it. He had already asked Amanda to marry him. He watched as the woman he counted as a mother walked to Frank.
Frank slid his arm around Amanda’s slim waist. The woman was blushing and it was damn near adorable. “After all of you took off from Aruba…” He glanced at Adam and growled, “…and didn’t have the sense to call me to tell me what the hell was going on up here…”
Adam ducked his head and smiled. “It’ll never happen again.”
Frank nodded. “Damn straight it won’t. Anyway, three weeks, two days ago, Amanda and I got married.”
Stunned silence. Adam could have heard a pin drop and then all hell busted loose. A whoop of excitement came from the twins. All the women squealed at once as if set off by a timer. Talon woke with a resounding cry, and everyone swarmed the couple in front of the tree. Mayhem was too tame to describe the scene that played out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Adam lingered at the bottom of the stairs holding Keelee. “Come back to the clinic with me, baby.”
Keelee laughed and shook her head. “No, come stay with me. My bed is more comfortable.” Her eyes sparkled with happiness.
Adam groaned and pulled her closer, finding a warm, soft spot at the base of her neck with his lips. He murmured, “Baby, your old man would kill me if he found me in that room again.”
Keelee ran her hands up his arms and pulled her fingers through his hair at his neck before she whispered in his ear, “He was the one to suggest it. Now, do I have…”
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