“I’ll accept it, for today.” He smiled. “And I’ll be back, every morning for coffee, until you change your mind.”
For the first time in Brody Wallace’s life he saw something he never thought he’d see in Woodrow Boone’s eyes. It looked a hell of a lot like respect.
Chapter Seventeen
The morning of the Monarch Festival was bright and crisp. After sneaking in a riding lesson every chance they got, Cal was ready to ride. Brody and Click were confident her boy would have a grand time riding in today’s cattle drive. And, to make certain, they’d offered to ride with him—even though it was a traditional Boone event.
“You sure you’re ready?” India asked Cal, for the hundredth time.
“I’m sure.” Cal nodded, dressed in his parade finery, complete with chaps and a new hat.
“You sure look like a cowboy.” She tapped the rim of his hat.
“I can ride like one, too.” He grinned up at her.
“All right,” she said, leading him out to the corrals. She caught sight of her father on the far side of the holding pen. Men of all ages milled about, laughing and joking in the cool morning air.
Click waved Cal over, Tommy already saddled and ready for the short ride through town.
“Gotta go, Mom,” he said, running toward Click.
And Brody. Her heart turned over at the wink he sent her way. The last few weeks had been different. He didn’t hide the way he felt about her anymore—instead he went out of his way to show her just how special she was to him.
Stolen kisses. Holding hands. Flowers. Notes and texts.
But he hadn’t visited her bed.
He wanted to. She could tell when their kisses lasted too long or his hold grew a little too impatient. Every time he’d back off. And it was driving her out of her mind. She ached for him. Missed him.
And loved him.
If he said it again, she might just come clean. She was tempted—more than tempted. But loving him didn’t change the way their families felt about each other. Or the drama their children would have to endure if they did try for something more.
Cal’s wave drew her back to the present. He sat atop Tommy, smiling for all the world to see. Her father included.
She held her breath as her father nudged his horse across the corral to Cal, Brody and Click. It was too far away to hear what was being said, but none of them looked tense or upset. Nope, there were smiles all around.
Her father was proud.
Cal was prouder.
“You ready to go?” Scarlett asked. “Looks like the menfolk have things under control here.” She laughed.
They drove into town to set up the booths for the festival. Once the cattle crossed Main Street, the festival officially began. There’d be funnel cake and lemonade, bobbing for apples, Old West reenactments, face painting and butterfly-themed arts and crafts galore.
She set up the Butterfly Kissing Booth. Her two hours were early, so that should cut down on any too-drunk festivalgoers hoping for a real kiss, but still... She didn’t like the idea of kissing unless it included Brody.
As the committee members finished their work, hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies flew overhead. India stopped to stare up at them.
“Wow,” she said.
“India.” Amberleigh’s voice reached her seconds before the little girl was at her side. “Look,” she said, pointing up at the cloud of butterflies.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” India asked, kneeling beside her.
“Pretty,” Suellen said, her eyes wide and her little hands clasped together.
“Lots and lots,” Marilyn added, spinning.
“You need butterfly crowns,” India said. “All fairy princesses at the butterfly festival need crowns.”
“They sure do,” Ramona Wallace said, slightly out of breath from running after the girls. “Nice to see you, India.”
“You, too,” she said. “Come to help make crowns?”
“Of course.” The woman nodded. “What colors?”
India didn’t mind the glue or glitter coating her fingertips and hands when it was all said and done. The girls were laughing, winding pipe cleaners with feathers, paper butterflies and leaves, and adding ribbons and streamers.
Marilyn’s was pink, Suellen’s was blue and Amberleigh’s was green—with just enough orange to show off the butterflies.
“You and Nana,” Amberleigh said, setting to work.
“She’s getting so good with her words,” Mrs. Wallace said. “Guess she finally decided she had something to say.”
India smiled, letting the girls make her an over-the-top crown with every color butterfly imaginable. And extra glitter.
“My,” Mrs. Wallace said, her eyes round. “Don’t you look sparkly?”
India laughed. “Make sure you put extra glitter on Nana’s.”
“Mind if we join you?” India’s mother asked, sitting opposite Mrs. Wallace. “Nice to see you, Ramona.”
“Good morning, Evelyn,” Mrs. Wallace said, smiling. “Looks like a perfect day for a festival.”
“Doesn’t it, though?” her mother agreed.
India shot a look at her sister, but Scarlett just shrugged. “You’ve got crowns, now we need to make wings. So you can fly.”
The girls’ wings were done when the first cows appeared at the head of Main Street.
“Fly this way, girls,” India said. “Watch and see. I bet you’ll see some people you know riding this way.”
The girls flapped their arms, their fabric wings and colorful ribbons blowing in the morning breeze. They lit up when they saw Cal, waving and calling his name. Good boy that he was, he nodded, keeping the reins in both hands. He sat tall in the saddle, Brody on one side, Click on the other. And her father bringing up the rear.
“Daddy!” Amberleigh called, so delighted the other two clapped and squealed, too.
“He’s so handsome,” her sister whispered.
“He is,” she agreed, unable to take her eyes off Brody.
He waved at his girls and blew kisses, his tawny eyes crinkling and full of love. He loved her, too. He’d said so. And, according to Brody, a man’s word was his promise.
“India?” her mother nudged her. “You okay?”
She nodded, unable to explain how right everything was in the moment. “I’m happy, Mom.”
Her mother and sister hugged her tight. Life couldn’t get much better.
* * *
BRODY SPOTTED HIS girls before they saw him. All of his girls, India, too.
They were working the Butterfly Kissing Booth, his girls laughing every time India had to brush her eyelashes across someone’s cheek. Brody was glad they were butterfly kisses. The idea of India kissing another man, even for charity’s sake, didn’t sit well.
“What’s Mom wearing?” Cal asked.
“Looks like a butterfly crown.” Brody smiled. She looked beautiful. And shiny.
“Girls are weird.” Cal sighed.
“They are,” he agreed. “Good thing we love ’em.”
Cal nodded, patting Tanner. “She’s a good mom. You’ll be real lucky if she says yes.”
“I will,” Brody agreed, his own butterflies churning in his stomach. When he’d imagined this, it had seemed easy—and romantic. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Daddy.” Suellen waved. “Butterfly kisses.”
“I’ll take one from you,” he said, leaning forward to accept a butterfly kiss from his daughter. “Now a real one.”
Suellen kissed him hard, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on. “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, too.” He smiled at Marilyn. “I want one from you.”
Marilyn was shy, quickly batting her lashes against his cheek and leaning away.
“No kiss?”
he asked, offering her his cheek.
She smiled and kissed him.
“Thank you, Marilyn.” He looked at Amberleigh. Marilyn and Suellen had fanciful face paint—making their butterfly ensemble complete. But Amberleigh’s face was painted like a dragon. It made him chuckle. “You giving out dragon kisses?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Dino-roar,” she said, smiling at Cal.
“I’ll take one of those,” Brody said. “As long as it won’t hurt.”
India laughed then.
“Careful,” Amberleigh said, kissing him on each cheek. “There.”
“I like dino-roar kisses.” He looked at India then. “But I might have saved the best for last.”
India’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Brody,” she warned, glancing around them. She’d softened toward him over the past few weeks but was still skittish about anything public, knowing the feud, the election and the kids still complicated things.
“One butterfly kiss from you, Miss Boone,” he said, putting his dollar in the jar, leaning forward and offering her his cheek.
She hesitated before brushing her extralong lashes across the ridge of his cheek a good half a dozen times.
“That was some kiss,” he said, smiling down at her. “I like your crown.”
“We made it,” Suellen said.
“You’ve got glitter...all over,” he said, running his fingers along India’s cheek.
Her eyes went round. “Brody.” She stepped back, her cheeks on fire then.
“I think I’m going to buy another kiss,” he said, pulling the envelope from his back pocket and sliding it into the jar.
India frowned, pulling the envelope out. “What are you up to?”
He grinned. “Open it and find out.”
“Yea, Mom.” Cal was grinning, too, his excitement barely contained.
She opened the letter and read the paper inside. Once, then again. “It’s a deed.” She frowned. “To... What is it?”
“Our property, you know, the one the Wallaces and Boones have been squabbling over for the last few decades?” He grinned. “A place for our family. A wedding present from your father and mine. And a truce. As long as you say yes.”
The paper fluttered out of her fingers.
He knelt, fully aware that a crowd had gathered around them and not caring a bit. “India Boone—”
“No, Brody, get up.” She grabbed his hand and tugged frantically.
“Let the boy be,” her father said. “You have no idea how determined he is.”
“Don’t I know it,” Vic Wallace said. “He gets it from his mother.”
Ramona Wallace shook her head.
India glanced at her father, then at Brody’s, her green-blue eyes wide when they returned to him.
He took her hand in his. “You didn’t think I’d let a little family feud stop me from marrying the woman I love.”
She blinked, eyes sparkling. “I love you, too.”
His heart thumped against his ribs, so damn full it was hard to breathe. “Then marry me, India. Make me the happiest man in Texas.” He shook his head. “Whatever you want, wherever we go, we go together.”
She stared at him, the sweet smile on her face enough for him. But, not, apparently, for Cal.
“Hurry up and answer him, Mom. I want a little brother or sister, remember?” And, just like that, every person in Fort Kyle was laughing.
Brody stood and tugged her into his arms. “Still thinking? I mean it, we don’t have to stay—”
“This is home, Brody. Where I want to raise our family. Where I want to grow old with you.” She cradled his face in her hands.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He kissed her, a whisper of a kiss.
“Yes, it’s a yes.” She kissed him. “I love you, Brody Wallace. I always will.”
“And she’s a woman of her word,” Cal said.
“I’ll hold you to it, India.” He smiled. “Every damn day for the rest of my life.”
* * * * *
If you loved this book, look for more in Sasha Summers’s THE BOONES OF TEXAS series:
A Cowboy to Call Daddy
A Son for the Cowboy
Cowboy Lullaby
Available now from Harlequin Western Romance!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE BULL RIDER’S BABY BOMBSHELL by Amanda Renee.
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The Bull Rider’s Baby Bombshell
by Amanda Renee
Chapter One
Call Jade.
I can’t do this.
Please forgive me.
Jade Scott read her sister’s note for the tenth time since arriving in Saddle Ridge. Almost an entire day had passed since Liv had vanished, leaving behind her month-and-a-half-old triplets. Jade would’ve arrived sooner if there had been more flights out of Los Angeles to the middle-of-nowhere Montana. She’d ditched the godforsaken town eleven years ago and had sworn never to return. But her sister’s children had annihilated that plan. Especially since Jade had been partially responsible for their existence.
“I didn’t call the police like you asked, but now that you’re here, I think we should.”
“No!” Jade spun to face Maddie Winters, her sister’s best friend and the woman who had taken care of the children for the past twenty hours. “As soon as we do, Liv’s labeled a bad parent and those girls go in the system.”
“Nobody will take them away with you here.” Maddie checked to see if there were any new messages on her phone. “I’m really worried about her.”
Jade scanned the small living room. A month ago, it looked like a baby—or three—lived there. Today it looked cold and sterile, devoid of any signs of the triplets. The crocheted baby blankets and baskets of pastel yarn were gone from the corner. Once covered with stacks of photo albums her sister couldn’t wait to fill, the coffee table now sat bare. Embroidered pillows with their cute mommy and baby sayings no longer littered the couch. Her sister had even removed the framed pictures of the girls along with their plaster hand-and footprints from the mantel. Except for the video baby monitor, nothing baby related remained in sight. Why? She knew Liv’s desire for order was strong thanks to their chaotic upbringing, but she’d never thought her sister would wipe away
all visible traces of her children.
“I’m worried too. We don’t need to involve the police though. She wasn’t kidnapped.” Liv was a chronic planner and everything about the situation felt deliberate. “She made a conscious decision to walk away. She wrote a note, she called you to babysit and then left on her own accord. If we call the police, the girls go into the system. Hell will freeze over before I let that happen.”
Jade knew all about the system. She and Liv had spent fourteen years in foster care, bounced from place to place until Liv had been old enough to become her guardian. Being two teenage girls on their own had forced them to grow up fast. Too fast.
Jade’s phone rang inside her bag jarring her back to the present. It wasn’t her sister’s ringtone, but she reached for it to be safe. It was her office in Los Angeles. She answered, praying Liv had called there by mistake instead of her cell and they were patching the call over to her. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Tomás, her British assistant, began. “I just wanted to let you know the Wittingfords have finally decided on their venue for their summer opener.”
Jade’s heart sank. Tomás’s call was great news, just not the news she wanted to hear at that moment. The Wittingfords were the most extravagant clients her event planning company had seen to date. And their showstopping party guaranteed to outshine all the celebrity weddings she’d produced this year.
“I’m glad to hear it. I just wish I was there to oversee it.” Jade tugged her laptop out of her bag and opened it on the dining room table. “Email me the contract and I’ll review it. I want you to look it over first. Flag anything you question. I need you to be my extra set of eyes while I’m away. And please call my clients and tell them I’ve had a family emergency. Give them your contact info and make sure they understand I haven’t abandoned them. But they need to phone you with any issues or changes and you can fill me in later.”
“I’ll get on it, straightaway. Any news about your sister?”
“Nothing yet.” Jade lifted her gaze to see Maddie glaring at her from the living room. “I need to go. We’ll talk later.”
Her Cowboy's Triplets Page 19