Chapter Fifteen: Erica
Erica paced the floors, gently bouncing her newborn baby girl. Little Lelya was born healthy and screaming. Her skin was even redder than her father's, with black eyes and black hair, but her little snub nose, the shape of her eyes, even her chubby cheeks were all Erica. A beautiful baby.
The door to the little apartment she and Ronan had been given opened. Ronan came in, followed closely by another T'shav. This one was a little shorter but broader than Ronan, and his eyes twinkled merrily. Erica smiled in greeting, before heading for the bedroom to put Lelya down.
Life was good at the Zon Sanctuary. Ronan was being recruited into the protective guard and once Leyla was old enough, Erica was going to work as a paramedic again. Even better, the Odap that had sold her and Bethy in the first place had been arrested by the USC and wouldn't be abducting any more women.
After settling Lelya down, Erica came back out. She kissed Ronan's cheek. "How was training?"
"This guy's still going too easy on me." Ronan punched Tom's shoulder.
Since their return to Zon's sanctuary, the old friendship between Ronan and Tom sparked again. It had been odd for Erica to witness it. They had stood staring at one another for a few minutes, then Tom challenged Ronan to a duel. That had been it. They had been near-inseparable since.
Erica was glad to see Ronan so happy. There were other perks, too. Ronan's surgery left him needing physical therapy and being friends with Zon's son meant that he got the best care available. The apartment was a nice perk, too. Most couples in the Sanctuary had to make do with sharing a two-bedroom place with another couple while more housing was built, but Ronan and Erica got their own place. Something that Bethy, whenever she visited, was envious of.
"I don't want you ripping open your heart. Although some might think you already did that." Tom punched Ronan back. "But your recovery is going quicker than the doctors expected. You should be pleased with your progress."
"We are," Erica said. "Would you and Sara like to join us for supper?"
"We would love to, but Sara isn't feeling up to going out much." Tom grinned broadly, which made Erica smirk. It was pretty obvious why Tom's mate wasn't feeling well.
"She's pregnant, isn't she?"
Tom's grin widened. "I'm not allowed to say."
Ronan clapped him on the back. "Congratulations! Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"
"Hypothetically, we're hoping for a little sister for Alex. Speaking of Alex, I'd better get home. I promised him I'd start to teach him the basic fighting stances when he grew his first toe claw, and he thinks that one's breaking the skin now." Tom smiled fondly and shook his head. "He's an impatient one. I don't know where he gets it from."
Ronan gripped Tom's shoulder. Erica recognized the serious expression on his face and pointed behind her. "I'm going to just get the vegetables started."
She slipped into the kitchen, noisily going through the food, trying to give them some privacy. Their voices still carried through, though, and Erica eavesdropped despite herself.
"I never thanked you," Ronan said, his voice low. "For everything. You didn't have to give me a second chance."
"Well, if you're thinking that way, then you didn't have to give me a second chance, either. I've thought about that day for a long time, Ronan. Tang and your father's deaths weren't your fault."
"But—"
"They weren't, and as your commanding officer I forbid you to keep blaming yourself." Tom's voice choked. "Seriously, Ronan. There is nothing to thank me for. I'm just glad to have my friend back."
Erica peeked around the kitchen door to see the two T'shav men in an embrace. She ducked her head and rooted through the bottom cupboards. There were distinctive sounds of sniffling and Erica smiled. The two T'shav would never admit being emotional, and she didn't want to embarrass them–not yet, at least. If Sara were here, they'd share a knowing eye-roll. She slipped back deeper into the kitchen
"Anyway, I need to get home." Tom leaned into the kitchen. "I'll tell Sara you said hi."
"Thanks." She waved at him. After he was gone, she looked seriously at Ronan. "Do I need to get you a hanky?"
He jumped over the counter and grabbed her. "You wish, woman. Just admit that you're the emotional one in this relationship."
"Hardly. You cried more than I did when Lelya was born."
Ronan kissed her gently. "Maybe. But only because my heart was so full of love."
Erica nestled against him, smiling gently. She looked out of their window towards the darkening sky and noticed something. "That's odd."
"What is?"
"That star. I've never seen it before. Actually, I never see any stars at this time of day." Erica frowned. "Is that even a star?"
Ronan peered out the window. He made a noncommittal noise in his throat. "Can't say I've ever noticed that star before, either. But that doesn't really mean anything… although, according to T'shav tradition, when Starmates join together, the star that their souls were born from glows a little brighter. Maybe somewhere out there are a couple of people who are finding each other for the first time today. Their souls joining… You know, I never did see you on your knees, begging for my touch."
Erica rolled her eyes. "You just completely ruined the moment. You were being so romantic and then all of a sudden you get back to that. Besides, you know you're more likely to beg for my touch than the other way around."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is."
She grinned as she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The doctors recommended she take it easy for a few weeks, but with regular visits under the regenerator, she had been declared fit as a fiddle that morning. And even though she was bone-tired from taking care of Lelya, that didn't mean her libido had cooled any. Especially when looking at her handsome T'shav mate.
"Have you taken your perijan injection today?"
"Yes. Why? Are you feeling a little frisky? Thinking that maybe you're dealing with some musth pheromones?"
"Maybe it's because I don't want to stop what I'm planning so you can give yourself an injection…" She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "I bought some rope today."
Ronan's eyes darkened. A grin spread across his face and Erica ran for their bedroom, giggling. He chased after her, and neither of them noticed the star shining a little brighter.
*****
THE END
Cowboy Romance Collection
My Cowboy's Mail Order Bride
Description
What do you do when your husband-to-be wants to test you out first? And you have no place to go?
He’s the stuff of women’s fantasies. My fantasies.
I answered an ad in the newspaper and came all the way from New York for him.
So here I am, ready for my cowboy.
He’s devastatingly handsome, but also an arrogant pr*ck.
He doesn’t even seem to notice me or my curves.
I feel naked under his gaze. Like I’m about to faint.
And now he wants to test my worthiness as a wife. To make sure he’s going to be satisfied with me.
I’m about to lose my virginity to a man I don’t even know.
But I’m not backing out. This is a deal. And I’m up to the task.
Two can play this game. Right?
Chapter One
The first sensation that made Isabel realize that she was officially in the South was the blast of sandy hot air she felt on her face when she stepped out of the doors of her train carriage. Surprisingly, it was exactly how she had imagined it to be. Like the old Westerns that she used to watch sitting on her father’s knees as a ten-year-old. That was the image of the South that she had, a romanticized notion based on years of watching cowboy films idolizing shotgun slinging and rugged men in cowboy hats.
And that seemed to be what she got.
Mitchell Town was small, as she had discovered earlier from research she had conducted online. It gave her the impression that it was
a forgotten old town, a perfect place to hide away, and it would also fulfill all her dreams of living out in the South. It was something straight out of a Western romance.
The only problem was that it wasn’t very romantic. Answering an ad for a mail order bride – that was not the life she had envisioned for herself. She was a successful fashion editor for a magazine; she had her life all planned out. She even had raised enough money for a down payment on a small studio apartment in Brooklyn.
But then everything changed and she found herself here.
Isabel stood for several seconds on the train station and looked about her. It was like she had traveled back in time. Narrow New York streets, hordes of tourists, the blinking lights of Times Square, millions of colorful stores… They had all been replaced by a vast emptiness, long stretches of sand everywhere she looked. The few people she did happen to see milling about the train station were all dressed in clothes that nobody in Manhattan would be caught dead wearing. Unless it was for a costume party.
Isabel chuckled to herself, tucked in quickly-drying strands of hair behind her ears, and picked up the two massive suitcases she had packed.
She had become a mail order bride. Even though she had answered the ad several weeks ago, she was still not quite prepared for it.
The ad was from a horse breeder: Liam Mayer. There was no picture of him attached to the ad. The only information she had about him was that he was in his late thirties, he owned a ranch, and was raising a ten-year-old daughter named Sophie by himself.
Isabel liked the sound of the ad solely because of how anonymous it would make her. How she could simply arrive and get lost in this small town with a population of no more than three hundred people. She didn’t know how to be a mother, but Sophie was ten years old. It wouldn’t be like she had to change diapers or sterilize feeding bottles.
Isabel started walking in the direction of the ranch based on the directions that were sent to her by post after she answered the ad. She had been told that nobody would be there at the station to receive her. She hadn’t known what to wear because as much as she had thrived on watching Westerns when she was growing up, this was 2016. She had never been to this part of the country before and had no notion of what people actually wore in such a place.
So she settled on wearing a thin white cotton dress to combat the heat, a pair of high leather boots, and a wide leather hat. A dress like that would not only make her comfortable, but she knew that it was also the best way to camouflage her weight. She was very conscious of it especially when she was meeting people for the first time.
Once she had left the train station and held up the map of directions to match her surroundings, Isabel appeared to be completely alone. It was almost like a ghost town. She dragged the suitcases behind her as she approached what could only have been the High Street in the center of the town. It, too, was empty.
Where is everybody? she thought to herself as she walked past the deserted shops. A barber's shop, a convenience store, a small bank, and two bars. Isabel turned her head to look around and found no one – at least no one was outside. The stores could have been open for business or closed, but not a soul was going to step outside in this heat. And here she was, lugging two suitcases behind her.
It was going to be her wedding day, for heaven’s sake! And nobody had come to greet her at the station. As the heat began to slowly burn Isabel’s back and sweat started to accumulate on her forehead, she also felt a pinch of rage begin to color her cheeks. What kind of rancher was this man? This Liam Mayer who wouldn’t even come to the train station to greet his new bride? Why didn’t he even bother to send his daughter?
Isabel had always had a certain impression of men from the South – cowboys who were strong and courageous, masculine and romantic; warriors, brave and sexy as hell. But where was her cowboy? That was partly the reason she had signed up for this deal anyway. Because she wanted to escape, but also because it would fulfill her fantasy of being taken by a muscular, rugged cowboy.
A sudden feeling of dread gripped Isabel as she walked slowly but surely towards the Mayer Ranch. What if Liam Mayer wasn’t how she had imagined him to be? What if he wasn’t attractive at all, or if he was a coward… a lazy man? It would be worse if he wasn’t attracted to her. If she was too big for him… too fat. Just like she was too fat for New York.
Chapter Two
There was a sign at the gate, swinging gently in the warm breeze blowing around her. It said Mayer Ranch in big block letters. Isabel plonked her suitcases on the dirt road at her feet and shaded her eyes to look around. The ranch looked huge. And in the center of it stood a small wooden cabin. She hadn’t seen anything like it – at least not in person. She had seen plenty of them in old black and white films that her father liked to watch. It was hard to believe that something like this actually existed in real life… in today’s world.
The gate was open, so she pushed it and dragged her suitcases through. In the distance she could see horses grazing, standing lazily in the scorching heat. But the only thing that was on Isabel’s mind was to reach the house, meet Liam Mayer, meet Sophie, and get a drink of water. The feeling of dread hadn’t left her yet. She was simultaneously nervous and curious about what she was going to find.
She was halfway up the dirt driveway in front of the house when the front screen door of the house swung open and a little girl appeared. “Isabel!” The girl shrieked, catching her off guard. She came bouncing down the steps and towards her.
Isabel couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the little girl. It was a relief to see this girl so happy and seemingly normal. It isn’t going to be scary after all, she assured herself.
Sophie looked small and delicate for her age. She had bright blue eyes and her shiny blonde hair was tied in thin pigtails on either side of her head. She was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, a flowery peasant top, and boots on her feet.
“You must be Sophie.” Isabel greeted her with a wide smile and dropped the bags on her side.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” Sophie shrieked again in a joyous thrill. She wrapped her small wiry arms around Isabel’s legs.
This was more than the greeting Isabel had expected. Sophie was lovely and friendly. She patted her head and looked down at her with a smile, trying to ignore her own rapidly beating heart at the same time. Sophie was far from a disappointment, but she still hadn’t met her husband to be.
“Sophie?” She heard a loud gruff voice sound from inside the house, and they both looked up as the screen door opened again. “What is going on?” its owner continued as he stepped outside.
The color from Isabel’s cheeks drained; she was frozen with fright at the sight of him. She had built up the tension of seeing him for the first time to such a high that she was gripped with fear when she saw him… even though he was more magnificent than she could have imagined him to be.
Liam Mayer, if it was indeed him, was a man straight out of the movies. His face was long and chiseled with high cheek bones. His skin was deeply but naturally tanned, which greatly contrasted the light blue piercing eyes that matched Sophie’s exactly. His hair must have also been the same shiny blonde as Sophie’s when he was younger, but now it was a dirty yellow, darkened by the sun. It was scruffy and long, nearly reaching his shoulders, but mostly hidden by his tan cowboy hat.
He was tall. Even from the distance, Isabel could see that he was at least a foot taller than her. His shoulders were broad and visibly muscular, even under the tight-fitting leather jacket he wore. His waist was narrow and the denim pants he had on, accentuated his muscular cowboy thighs. He stood with his thumbs hooked on his wide leather belt. He was glaring at them both, his blue eyes narrowed and his thin lips set in a straight, grim line.
“What are you doing, Sophie?” he repeated himself, taking in his daughter’s arms around Isabel.
Isabel gulped, his very voice was deep and hard enough to instill fear in anybody who disobeyed him. But Sophie appeared to be unfa
zed; she wasn’t afraid of her father.
“This is Isabel, dad,” Sophie replied gleefully, looking up at Isabel again with a wide toothy grin.
“Hello,” Isabel managed to say, aware that her cheeks were burning up. Liam Mayer wasn’t a welcoming man. He had done nothing to make her feel comfortable or welcome in her surroundings. And she was supposed to marry him!
“Sophie?” Liam didn’t reply to Isabel but turned to his daughter again. He still hadn’t made a single move in their direction.
“She’s come from New York, dad,” Sophie said, and Isabel’s brows crossed. How had he already forgotten? He had requested a mail-order bride, she had answered the ad, and he had sent her directions to join him. How had he not realized when he set eyes on her, that it was she, Isabel Bowes, who was now here on his ranch?
“Please come inside Sophie.” He said then, and pushed the door open and held it. He didn’t have to tell her twice. Sophie dejectedly extracted her arms from Isabel and walked slowly back towards the house.
Liam Mayer didn’t bother to look at Isabel or explain what was going on. In fact, he hadn’t yet said a single word to her. Sophie passed him and walked into the house. He followed her in with no explanation.
Isabel’s mouth hung open as she stood there, bags by her side, completely at a loss of what was happening or what she should do. She knew she was offended by his behavior, but a part of her was also aware that Liam Mayer was the stuff of women’s fantasies.
Chapter Three
“You can come in.” Liam appeared at the door after at least fifteen minutes, just about when Isabel was certain that she was going to collapse in the sun.
She looked up at him and reached to pick up her bags, but he had jumped off the steps of the house and rushed towards her. “Leave them be, I’ll bring them in. You go in,” he said, at her side in a few quick strides. He was suddenly standing very close to her and Isabel felt a little faint. The scent of him had overtaken her senses. He smelled of the sun, of hard labor mixed with a sweet smell of his sweat. She suddenly began to imagine him naked – all of it was too overwhelming.
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