She frowned for a few seconds. “My husband, Grover, was your father’s first cousin. Grover, he…passed away, gone nearly four years now.” Her strong jaw tilted up. “I have four daughters who are too busy this year to come home for the holidays.”
“We’re sorry to hear that.” Zoe raised her hand, looking like she might reach out and squeeze Mercy’s hand, then dropping it as if she thought better of it.
Mercy puffed out a breath. “The four of them, they work too hard. Honor is an assistant to the First Lady at the White House.”
“Oh, wow.” Rori blurted the words out, smiling. “That’s amazing.”
Mercy tipped her head. “She’s always been the serious one. Then there’s Faith. She’s a photographer. Always on the road, that one.”
“Last but definitely not least, are my twins, Chastity and Courage. Courage works on a crab boat in Alaska. Chastity…” She shook her head. “Chastity...I'm not sure where she is, I just hope she's okay.”
“And none of them could make it home this year?” Kit asked.
“None of them have made it home since their father died.” Mercy stood, setting down her glass. “I’m going upstairs and freshen up. Thank you for your kindness in letting a lonely old lady join you tonight.”
The men stood. “Ma’am, you’re welcome any time.” Rogue sounded too quiet.
“Bless you all.” Mercy turned and walked up the steps, her back straight and proud.
Once their aunt ascended out of earshot, the eight of them gathered close.
“That’s so sad.” Zoe lifted Hunter in her arms and cuddled him. “No one should spend the holidays away from their loved ones.”
Dylan drew his bride against his chest and kissed her temple. “Maybe her girls will come around. If us stubborn Walker men can move on from our past, I’m pretty sure anything is possible.”
“That’s true. We’ve proven how hard-headed Walkers can be.” Jackson pulled Rori close to his side. “But not half as tough as these Red Creek women. They had their hands full when they set out to tame the Walker brothers.”
“Tame?” Rori set her hand on Jackson’s chest. “There’s no taming these boys.” His heart double-thudded at her touch. He loved this woman, deeply and without an ounce of uncertainty.
Zoe, Lexie, and Kit added their agreement to that statement.
“I’m not so sure I’d want Rogue to be tame.” Kit winked at him. “I kinda like him wild.” She purred the words, and Rogue gave Kit a look that told her to change the subject before he embarrassed both of them.
Marliss walked into the room and shook her foot, jingling the bells on them. “The table is filled to bursting. All you hungry Red Creekians…” She swooped both arms to point to the dining room. “Come and get it!”
****
Two hours later, Jackson stood in the doorway, watching the group seated in the living room and standing around the Christmas tree. He rubbed his palms on the denim of his jeans as he looked at her.
Rori. She stood next to their second cousin, talking to Mercy about the house he and Rori were building.
As if sensing his stare, she turned to face him. Beautiful. Smart. Funny. He touched his jacket pocket where the small box felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. He couldn’t wait another second, but his boots froze to the rug at the thought of doing this now.
Her gaze followed his hand movement, and she excused herself from Cousin Mercy, set her empty champagne glass on a tray, and sauntered toward him.
“Darlin’.” She couldn’t hear him from across the room, but she worked it, smiling as she gave him a sensual show. She knew those heels were driving him crazy. He’d tried to talk her into messin’ up her hair a little bit before they left the apartment, but she was saving it for later. Her idea of a Christmas surprise, for unwrapping when they were alone.
Well, he had a surprise for her, too. He remembered to breathe.
She reached him and batted her long, mascaraed lashes at him. “Hi, cowboy.” She’d painted her lips red. That’d made him pretty damn randy, too.
“Come upstairs with me.”
“Jackson.” She shook her head. “I told you, no opening your present until later.” Her smile sent bursts of hot desire down into his groin.
“I promise, no messin’ around. I just want to show you something.” He took her hand. “We’ll go up the back way.”
She glanced around the room. “Okay, but we shouldn’t be gone too long.”
“That’s my darlin’.” He led her to the far stairway, hidden from prying eyes, and took her up to the bedroom he’d claimed for his own when he’d first come to Red Creek. The spot where he and Rori had made love for the first time.
He grasped the door handle. Love. Was it love at first sight for him? She’d practically admitted it had been for her, too. “Ready?” Nerves got the best of him, and his hand shook in hers.
“Ready…for what?” Her eyes shifted a little and she held her breath.
Jackson pushed open the door. He’d asked Marliss to help him decorate the room.
“Oh, Jackson. It’s beautiful.” She stepped inside. The lights were off, but the fire crackled, bathing the room in a golden glow. The mantel held a pine swag with red candles, and a small, real tree sat close to it, covered with tiny, twinkling lights. The scent of pine filled the air. She turned in a slow circle, looking at the new holiday bedding, the big wreath above the headboard, and the garland draped on the curtain rod, tiny silver bells hanging from red ribbons all along it.
Marliss had outdone herself.
She pointed to a bottle of champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket next to two champagne flutes. “What’s the occasion?”
He wiped his hands on his jeans again, swallowing hard. This should be easy. Asking the woman he loved, and who loved him, to share his life with him. But it scared the reindeer droppings out of him.
She frowned. “Jackson.” Her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of red, and she grabbed her fingers and squeezed.
Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles. “This is not supposed to make you anxious, but will prove how much you mean to me.”
“Oh, perfect.” Her hand shook. “Now you’re going to make me cry?” Her voice rose in pitch with each word.
Now that she was nervous, he experienced perfect calm. This was what he was meant to do. Rori was who he was meant to be with. This was the end of uncertainty, and the beginning of a dream come true.
He dropped to one knee.
She squeaked, and her eyes glistened with moisture.
“I’ve loved you, Rori Hughes, for just a fraction of my life, but during that time, everything I could ever imagine going right, did just that. My vision cleared, my heart settled into a perfect rhythm, and I knew you were the missing piece of my soul that I’d been searching for.”
She bit her lips and held her breath. She swayed and he gripped her hand a little firmer.
“Don’t faint on me, darlin’.”
Sucking in a breath, she shook her head three times quickly. “Okay.”
Looking down for a second, he remembered that blade of grass on his shoulder, and invited his dad to be with him as he asked the most important person in his life, the most significant question he would ever ask anyone.
“I want you to marry me, Rori. Will you be my wife?”
Her breath came in a fast rush and her face turned white.
He’d better get to it before she landed on the floor in a heap. He pulled a small, black velvet box out of his pocket, and flipped it open. The four-carat round diamond he’d had cut sat in a gold setting.
“It’s beautiful. Jackson.” She squeezed his hand and bit her quivering lower lip.
He’d even practiced this part. He removed the ring and set down the box. “The diamond I got in-the-rough from a mine I visited in Canada with my dad.”
“Really?” She finally smiled.
“The gold is from a mine we visited in California.”
“Y
ou had this whole ring made for me?” Her eyes overflowed, tracing tears down her cheeks.
“I did, because it feels like—by offering you this ring—I am giving you a part of me.” He sounded a little too mushy, but the words came from his heart. He slid the ring onto her finger and looked up into her beautiful eyes. “Will you become a part of me, too?”
She bent and cupped his cheeks, kissing him quickly. “Yes, yes, Jackson. I will become a part of you. For ever and ever.”
He stood and pulled her close for a kiss they would never forget. Their breaths mingled as they twirled their tongues, tickled each other’s lips. The red, bubbly drink she’d been sipping gave her mouth the sweet flavor of strawberries.
He rocked her gently, looking into her sparking eyes. “Our home will be ready in February. I know it’s quick, but I’d like us to make it official before we move in together.”
“February.” Her lips formed a tiny o as she placed her left hand on his shoulder and looked at her ring. “So soon, but not soon enough.”
With a grin, he kissed her finger where he’d placed his diamond and gold promise of forever. “Maybe we could do it right here?” He looked around. “Well, not in this room, but in this house?”
She closed her eyes for a second, then looked up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. “Yes, I’d love that. Jackson. It will be perfect.”
“You’re shaking.” She felt heavy in his arms, like her knees might give out. He guided her to the edge of the bed. “Sit while I open the champagne.”
Lou had ordered a bottle of something expensive, and Jackson trusted the man’s taste.
He unwrapped the wire and twisted the cork. It blasted away from the bottle with a loud pop.
Rori stared at her ring, the smile on her face impossibly gorgeous.
“Did she say yes?” A male voice came from outside the door. Was that Killian?
Rori looked at him, her eyes wide.
He shook his head. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“It was pretty obvious, the way you were acting.” Dylan drawled the words from the hallway.
“Should we lock the door and ignore them?” Jackson smiled as he spoke loud enough to be heard through the door.
Rori just smiled and wiggled with joy.
“Don’t keep us in suspense, brother.” Rogue’s Texas twang reached them. “Did she fall for it? Or was she smart enough to say no?”
A chorus of voices laughed along with Rogue, and Jackson lifted a brow. He poured a little champagne into each flute, handed one to Rori, and tapped his against hers. “Darlin’, welcome to the family.”
She stood, a little shaky, but smiling bright as a summer day in Kansas. “I’m looking forward to a hundred years of this, my love.”
They drank and kissed quickly, then Jackson walked to the door. “Now hang on, Rori, it’s gonna be a wild ride.” He pulled open the door and the Walker family filled the room with love, laughter, and tears of joy.
*~*~*~*
Don’t Miss Jackson’s Story
If you haven’t read the first book in this series, the one preceding Rori and Jackson, here’s a little excerpt for you. You can find the entire first chapter and the book blurb along with links to help you get your copy at my Website.
Jackson: The Sons of Dusty Walker
Jackson sat in his dad’s chair and opened the top file. West Virginia coal and gas plant production specification codes… The words didn’t even register as English. “Hell.” Jackson didn’t have enough fuel in him yet for this tedious shit. He stood, hiked up his jeans, and walked back down the hall to the small kitchen. Pouring a cup, he spotted a black ringed-binder on top of the refrigerator.
He pulled down the book and flipped it open. The first page had a newspaper article about Dusty Walker’s first day as owner of the newly re-incorporated company he and his wife had inherited from his father-in-law. “Huh.” So Dad had changed the company name. And his wife owned half, which probably explained why Dusty had stayed with her, the greedy asshole.
Jackson felt the heat of anger surface again, and shook his head. The guy was gone. Wasn’t it time to shove past this pissed-off phase and move on to…moving on?
He scanned through dozens of pages of news articles, the first half from actual newspapers, the later ones printed from online sites, all of them chronicling the rapid growth of the company under his father’s leadership. He had to admit, Dad had a crap-load of business sense.
“Hi there.” The receptionist’s voice reached him from her desk.
“Hi. Is he here?” A deep female voice had Jackson cocking his head.
“He is. Let me—”
“Wait, which one is this, now?” That sultry voice again.
“It’s Jackson, the third son. He’s twenty-five. From Oregon.” Abby didn’t bother to lower her voice. She must not realize he was just around the corner. Or did she know he was there, and just didn’t care if she appeared professional or not? “Did you hear about what went on with Dylan last week? You know Zoe Chapman, right?” Abby’s voice went quieter.
“I know Zoe. What happened?” The sultry one sounded curious.
Abby’s voice dropped down to a mumble and the two spoke for a minute.
Jackson strained to hear, but couldn’t catch anything.
“That’s quite a coincidence.” The sexy voice spoke.
“Yes, I thought so, too.” Abby tsked. “So, would you like me to let Jackson know you’re here to see him?”
“Wait, is this the rodeo cowboy?” Ms. Sensual Voice sounded disappointed.
“Yes. That’s him.” A giggle. “Is that a problem?”
Jackson set down his cup and moved a few inches to peek around the wall. His jaw dropped.
Tall, maybe just a few inches shorter than his six-feet, two-inches, even in her flat…red high-tops? Different. Her jet-black hair shone in the bright light as it swung thick and straight, cut just at her shoulders. Her jeans clung to her curvy hips and she had a booty that made him forget to breathe. The graphic printed T-shirt strained at the press of her full breasts against the front of the material.
He ducked back into the kitchen and swallowed, recognizing the heat rushing through his body as blood racing from his head to his groin. Holy hell, she was the best thing he’d seen in this town, by a long shot.
“I was hoping…” Her sexy voice switched to a long sigh. “For one of the business-type brothers, but I was in Kansas City for two weeks setting up new servers for a startup company, and I really need to talk to one of Dusty’s heirs.”
Jackson took another quick look at her. Yeah, she definitely put a rocket in his pocket.
“You should talk to Jackson. He’s a nice guy.”
Ms. Sensual Voice pressed two fingers between her eyebrows. “It can probably wait until next week. Talk to that one, instead.”
Abby shrugged. “Why?”
Jackson knew he had to make his presence known before the hottie said something that’d make her too embarrassed to go out with him. He grinned. And he would sorely like to take her out. Then take her back home, and spend the night with her. “Because…” Stepping out of the kitchen, he strode toward her, using his sure-hit cowboy gait.
She turned to look at him. Her sky-blue eyes widened and her cheeks pinked up to a sexy shade of embarrassment.
“Our guest thinks this dumb ol’ cowboy don’t have enough gray matter upstairs to understand what she needs.” And what she needed was to have those red lips of hers kissed. Hard.
*~*~*~*
Connect With Me
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Rori and Jackson’s life after the wild first romantic story, Jackson: The Sons of Dusty Walker. I enjoyed sharing how things settled down for the couple, then went a little sideways. Of course, they’ve had their happily ever after ending…but is that all for Rori and Jackson? No, it’s not! I’m planning to write a short story about the exciting events that are going to happen in February. Watch for it around Vale
ntine’s Day!
Be sure to read the other books in The Sons of Dusty Walker Series;
Book 1, Dylan by Jodi Redford
Book 2, Jackson by Randi Alexander
Book 3, Killian by Desiree Holt
Book 4, Rogue by Sable Hunter
Book 5, Zoe and Dylan by Jodi Redford
Book 7, Lexie and Killian by Desiree Holt
Book 8, Kit and Rogue by Sable Hunter
I’ve included book blurbs for the newest books and links to the authors’ websites so you can easily find the stories.
Watch for another series coming from our group. Desiree Holt, Sable Hunter, Jodi Redford and I are already planning another four-part set of stories – four sisters this time. Subscribe to my Newsletter so you can hear all the latest on my upcoming projects.
If you liked reading Rori and Jackson, please do me the honor of returning to where you purchased the book, and to Goodreads (if you use that service) and post a review for me. Much appreciated!
I'd love to hear from you. I've listed all the places I hang out, and I hope you'll connect with me at one or more of them.
I have a FREE READ for you. A short, hot story that I hope you’ll enjoy. Click Here to find out where you can get your copy.
All my best,
Randi
"Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied"
RandiAlexander.com
Newsletter
Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter
Goodreads
Randi’s Blog
Wild and Wicked Cowboys Blog
69 Shades of Smut Blog
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Randi Alexander knows a modern woman dreams of an alpha cowboy who takes the reins, and guarantees they’re rode hard and put up satisfied.
Published with Cleis Press, Wild Rose Press, and self-published, Randi writes smokin' hot romance with heroes who'll have you begging to ride off into the sunset with them. When she's not dreaming of, or writing about, rugged cowboys, Randi is biking trails along remote rivers, snorkeling the Gulf of Mexico, or practicing her drumming in hopes of someday forming a tropical rock-band.
Rori and Jackson: The Sons of Dusty Walker Page 9