“Anna, my love, I can’t live without you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Let me show you how sure I am.”
“DAMN IT, SUGAR, some day soon you’re going to have to give me time to get you to a bed before you attack me like that,” Brett complained as his heart returned to its normal speed. His smile of contentment stretched from ear to ear before he leaned down to kiss her again.
Anna loved him. All was right with the world.
She lay beneath him, her arms linked around his neck. “Me?” she complained with a grin. “You’re the one—”
A horn honking interrupted their soft teasing.
“Oh, mercy, I’m blocking the road,” Brett exclaimed, and began grabbing his clothes. Anna tried to help him even as she was pulling her sweatshirt over her head. “Hurry, Brett. Oh, this is so embarrassing.”
They heard a car door close and realized someone was coming to investigate. Brett zipped up his jeans and stepped out of the car to shrug on his shirt. Barefoot, he hurried to his truck, while Anna pulled the door closed behind him.
“Brett Randall, what are you doing blocking the—?” His first-grade teacher, Mrs. Renniker, asked as she peered at him through her glasses. She stopped her question when she saw Anna in the car behind him. Then she stared at his bare feet.
When her gaze traveled back up to his face, Brett knew it was beet red. He expected her to blister him with some sharp words.
Instead, she smiled. “I guess I’ll be getting an invitation to another Randall wedding soon.” She looked at Anna again. “Very soon.”
Brett turned back to look at Anna, too, his heart in his eyes. Then he beamed at Mrs. Renniker. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. “There’ll be another Randall wedding any day now.”
Epilogue
The hastily planned wedding was wonderful. Doc Jacoby gave the blushing bride away, and Brett thought she’d never looked more beautiful. Her red curls were subdued beneath the white veil, but he knew the fire in her was as strong as ever. And would be in their children, too.
The entire community once more came to the Randall ranch to enjoy another reception. There was a lot of talk about Jake’s plan, and the success he’d had.
Janie and Pete showed off their new sons from the top of the stairs. Janie wasn’t about to let anyone get closer and expose her babies to any germs. She took them back to their nursery, where their grandmother was waiting.
Megan and Chad were teased about their baby’s arrival. And Brett and Anna beamed at everyone. Several women grew teary eyed just watching Brett hover over Anna, not letting her out of his sight for a minute.
Jake raised a glass of champagne to toast the new couple. “Here’s to the latest Randall lady. My brothers have all been fortunate in their brides. May they all be happy and, of course, have lots of babies.”
His audience chuckled.
“What about you, Jake?” someone shouted. “Aren’t you gonna do your share to carry on the name?”
Several suggestions were shouted out for Jake to follow, but he shook his head, grinning.
“Not me, Miller. My job is to be the best damn uncle in the world. My brothers are taking care of the marriage duties.”
Everyone drank to his toast, and conversations continued.
Janie, Megan and Anna all stared at Jake, then looked at each other. First Janie, then Megan and Anna, raised their glasses and had a private toast.
Brett, catching sight of their action, slipped an arm around his wife. “What was that all about?”
Anna turned in his arms, loving his touch, the feeling of never being alone again, of belonging to Brett Randall. She reached up and kissed him softly. “Nothing, sweetheart. Just girl stuff.”
She winked at her new sisters-in-law before allowing her husband to carry her over the threshold of her new life.
eISBN 978-14592-6738-1
COWBOY GROOM
Copyright © 1997 by Judy Christenberry.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher Trademarks indicated with ® are registered In the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and In other countries.
Printed in U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Dear Reader
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Copyright
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