“Why not when it’s the truth? I’ll give you that I didn’t think of you that way. Before. You were always there for me when no one else was, but I didn’t realize how rare and precious a gift that was. Is.” Now her tears spilled over as she stared into his eyes. Her bottom lip quivered. His hands rose to cup her face.
“I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve fallen in love with you. Did you really think the only reason we’re getting married is because Marissa expects us to?”
She nodded.
He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. “Is that why you’re marrying me? Because you’re doing what you’ve told me you always do—what’s best for Marissa?”
“No.” She sniffed back the tears, lifted her face so she could press her lips softly to his. “I’ve been in love with you since before we conceived Marissa.”
That long. Stunned, humbled, he drew back a fraction so he could stare at her. “Really?”
She nodded. “As much as I know Marissa wants us to marry, as much as I admit having you as her father will be good for her, I couldn’t marry you if I didn’t love you.”
“I love you, too, Kendall Grant. I admire and respect the woman you’ve become. I’m proud of how you’ve raised our daughter on your own.” He grinned. “I’m more than a little partial to the woman who’s been in my bed the past few days.” Her cheeks went pink, making it impossible for him to resist grazing his lips over both of them. “Or in the bed of a truck.” His lips brushed hers. “Or on a blanket under a bright sky.” He kissed her again, longer and deeper this time, the salty flavor of her tears adding to the sweetness of her response.
“For crying out loud.” Carter stood center of the hallway, looking embarrassed to have come upon them. “It’s bad enough I’ve seen too much of this kind of stuff in my own damn house.”
Logan grinned and winked at Kendall. “You’re just jealous, big brother.”
Carter shook his head and went past them toward the bathroom.
“We should get back to the party,” Kendall suggested, then sent him a shy smile. “After the party, we could go to my house so we don’t embarrass Carter again.”
“See? That kind of consideration is one more reason why I love you.” But Logan couldn’t seem to step back. “I think my brother has a thing for your friend.”
“Do you?” Kendall stroked a hand down his back. “Funny, but I think my friend has a thing for your brother.” She tilted her head to the side. “What do you think we should do about it?”
Since she’d been considerate enough to give him access, he nibbled at the side of her exposed throat. “Show them what they’re missing.”
TWO DAYS LATER, with the departing truck kicking up dust as it headed down the drive toward the main road, Logan crooned to his new Bay Appaloosa.
“You stole that horse right out from under him,” Carter said.
“That I did.” Logan stroked a hand over the markings on the animal’s withers. “You’re going to be my star aren’t you, girl?” As if the horse understood the question and agreed without reservation, she tossed her head. “Guess I learned something from watching the old man haggle about beef prices.”
“He sure could get the buyers to pay him what he wanted.” Carter tipped back the broad brim of his hat. “So you’re serious about going through with this barrel racing school?”
“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Logan answered. A cloud of dust caught his eye. His heart gave a little hitch at the knowledge that Kendall and Marissa were coming here, coming to him. “I’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”
“You did what you needed to do at the time.”
It was an absolution of sorts, one he wasn’t sure he deserved. Logan might have argued, only the cell phone in his pocket vibrated. He dug it out as Kendall pulled up and parked her car. Through the windshield he saw Marissa in the backseat, pointing at the new horse, struggling to get free of her car seat.
“Montgomery.”
“Sergeant Montgomery, this is Captain Reynolds.”
Logan absently touched a hand to his chest, remembered he hadn’t worn his dog tags since that first afternoon with Kendall. “Sir, yes sir.”
“I have your new orders, Sergeant. Your unit will be deploying in two weeks. You need to report as soon as possible so I can process the paperwork for your reenlistment prior to deployment.”
His throat went as dry and dusty as a rodeo chute. He’d had one call with the Captain at the recruitment office since his return. That had been before so much had changed in his life, before he’d realized how much he wanted to stay here with Kendall and make a life with her.
The military had been good for him, giving him a sense of purpose and achievement when he’d badly needed it. But it paled in comparison to how he felt at the prospect of spending the rest of his life with Kendall.
Her smile turned puzzled when she stepped out the car and noticed him talking on the phone. She opened the back door of the car as Audra exited the front passenger seat. Any minute Marissa would be running to him.
“Sir, would it be possible to meet with you tomorrow?” Watching Kendall, he realized he could also look for her engagement ring and surprise her with it tomorrow night. He’d ask Audra to babysit Marissa so he could take Kendall out for a romantic dinner.
“Thirteen hundred hours work for you?” Reynolds asked.
“Thank you, sir.”
Logan clicked off the phone just in time to kneel down and intercept Marissa.
“Daddy.”
He couldn’t imagine ever becoming indifferent to hearing her call him that. “Hey midget, did you help Mamma with her shopping?”
“I got a new dress. It’s pink.”
“You’re going to be very pretty.”
“We’re getting married.”
“We are indeed.” He watched Kendall approach, admired the fluid way she moved. Oh yeah, tomorrow night they would have a very private evening. “Did Mamma get a pretty dress?”
“She got a beautiful dress,” Audra answered him with a sigh.
“As did my maid of honor.” Kendall sent Carter a curious glance before turning back to Logan. “Everything okay?” she asked.
“Great, now that you’re here.” She glanced down at his pocket where the top of his phone stuck out. He leaned forward and kissed her. “Did you get anything else that’s pretty?”
Her lips curved a little. Since the impromptu bridal shower, she’d been less reserved. “Maybe.”
“I’m sure it’ll look great on the floor.”
“Logan,” she reprimanded him with a light punch at his arm as she nodded toward Marissa. “Big ears.”
“She’s only interested in the horse.”
Marissa looked over his shoulder, but he noted with pride that she no longer reached out to grab at the horse. “Spots.”
“How about a ride?”
“Logan,” Kendall protested as Marissa cheered with delight.
“She’ll be fine.”
He stared at the woman he planned to marry. She’d raised a bright, delightful child in his absence. He knew she still called on habit to make all the decisions where Marissa was concerned. But wasn’t that self-sufficiency, that inner core of strength, one of the things he admired and loved most about her?
Maybe she didn’t think she needed him. But he damn sure needed her.
“I’ll do whatever is necessary to always take care of her. And you.”
He handed Marissa over to Carter, then climbed the fence and settled bareback on the horse. When the horse sidestepped, his phone popped free of his pocket. Kendall snatched it up and held it out to him. Logan steadied the horse, then reached for Marissa and placed her on his lap.
“You can count on that,” he promised and, t
urning the horse around, ignored the phone and all it represented.
Chapter Twelve
KENDALL WALKED into her kitchen to find Logan and Marissa sitting at the round table. Marissa had a sheet of paper and an open box of crayons spread before her. To one side, her cereal was getting soggy in a bowl of milk. Logan cradled his head in his hands as he read over the contents of an open file folder.
Her love for him all but grabbed her by the throat. For a moment, she could barely breathe, couldn’t move. All she could do was stand and stare at the man she’d loved for as long as she could remember. And, miracle of miracles, he loved her too. The night of the impromptu shower, when he’d told her that he’d fallen in love with her, felt almost like a dream.
“Look at the two of you,” she said.
He jumped as if she’d shouted instead of making a soft commentary. He shoved the folder beneath some other papers and looked up.
“Mamma. Me and Daddy are doing homework.”
Kendall combed a hand through Marissa’s curls. “I hope you keep thinking that’s a fun thing to do.”
She looked over at Logan with a smile. He stared off into space. “Logan?” She had to call him a second time before he realized she was speaking to him. “Is something wrong?” She gestured toward the folder, to the papers that would start the process of securing a mortgage so they could build a home along with a barn and stables. “Is there a problem with the bank loan for the house?”
“No, it’s good.” He scraped hands down his face. “We’re good.”
“Really?” With a quick glance at Marissa, she lowered her voice. “We don’t have to build the house now if you’d rather use the money to buy a few more horses and equipment for your business.”
“No. I want to give you the home you’ve always wanted, Kendall.” He stood, eased her into his embrace. “I need one also.”
Then, as if he’d slipped into that old dream from her childhood, he began dancing her around the room. Her heart pounded, making Marissa’s laughter sound as if it came from a long distance away. “I’m going to take care of everything,” he promised.
“Well, that sounds suspicious.” She tried to send him a stern look but ended up smiling. “I’m not going to have to arrest you am I?”
“Not at all.” He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, “But if you want to use the handcuffs some night I won’t stop you.”
“Sorry, you’re out of luck. I’m holding my handcuffs in reserve for when we pick up Lloyd Miller.”
“Any news on where he disappeared to?”
“Someone matching his description was spotted across the state line in Wyoming, but nothing came of it.”
Logan slowed their steps. “Are you sure it’s safe for you to go back out on patrol?”
“I’ll be fine.” She brightened, not wanting to spoil this lovely moment. “I called the hospital before I left the bedroom.” As she had every morning since the day of the shooting. “Robbie’s come out of the coma. They’re still cautious, but it looks like he’s going to recover.”
“That’s great.”
As he continued to twirl her around, Logan leaned down to kiss her. Everything inside of her warmed and melted. She sighed.
“Do you think Audra would babysit Marissa tonight?” Logan asked.
“I can ask. Why?”
“We’re going to have a date, a real one.” He smiled. “It’s about time, don’t you think?” Before she could answer, he kissed her again and then stepped back. “But right now I should be going.”
“I want to dance.” As she scrambled to slide off the chair, Marissa bumped her bowl of cereal. Even Kendall’s quick mother’s reaction didn’t entirely save Logan’s file folder from the river of spilled milk. He grabbed a stack of paper napkins to mop up the pool.
“Oh, Marissa,” Kendall groaned. “I hope you haven’t ruined Logan’s papers.”
“I’m sorry.” Her bottom lip wobbled.
“They’re fine.” Logan tossed the folder back onto the table. “These were just review copies. They’ll have the final ones at the office for me to sign.” He lifted Marissa into his arms and began dancing her around the room. “Next time, just be a little more careful. We can clean up spilled milk but not a little girl laid out on the floor.”
Marissa giggled. “I don’t lay on the floor.”
“Good to hear.” He pressed a kiss to her temple before setting her back down. With a wink for Kendall, he walked out the door.
“LOOK, MAMMA. I colored the bird on Daddy’s papers.”
“That’s good, sweetie.”
“You’re not looking.”
Kendall stared blankly into her near-empty refrigerator, a sign of just how much time she’d spent out at the Montgomery ranch. She should have stopped at the grocery on the way home, but she’d been distracted most of the day. She smiled a little. Who could blame her? She had a date tonight with the man she loved. The man, she sighed, who loved her.
“Come look,” Marissa demanded.
Feeling a little guilty for not giving Marissa as much attention as she was used to getting, Kendall closed the refrigerator. Emphasizing just how distracted her thoughts had been, she realized she hadn’t even taken the time to change out of her uniform and secure her weapon. She put a hand on the belt buckle, intending to take off the gun and holster and at least put it high up in a cupboard until she could lock it away.
“Mamma,” Marissa said, grabbing her mother’s hand and tugging her toward the table. “You’re not looking.”
Deciding it could wait a little longer, she made herself smile as she knelt down at the table. “Yes, I am looking.”
And once she did, once she took the time for a thorough look, her blood went icy cold. “Marissa,” she asked, carefully. “Where did you get this paper?”
“From Daddy.” She frowned like she always did when she thought she might be in trouble. “He said he didn’t need it.”
“That’s right,” Kendall answered, recalling Logan’s explanation.
They’ll have the final ones at the office for me to sign.
Reenlistment papers, she realized. Not the mortgage papers she’d assumed this morning. Logan had been reviewing reenlistment papers.
Her stomach pitched, and she had to bear down. No. She refused to believe this. Logan would never make this kind of decision without discussing it with her first. Unless, a sly voice inside her head suggested, that’s the real reason why he wanted to take her out tonight.
“Did I color good, Mamma?” Marissa asked as she scrambled out of her chair, so like how she’d done this morning when that action resulted in these papers being here now. Kendall reached for her daughter, holding her close, rocking slightly.
“You sure did.” She needed air. That would clear her thoughts, brush away these negative thoughts. “What do you say we go outside, and you show me how good you can ride your stick horse?”
Marissa grinned as she scrambled out of Kendall’s arms. “The way Daddy showed me?”
“Yes.” Her heart wedged there, Kendall cleared her throat. “The way Daddy showed you.”
Her legs felt numb when she stood, but then her entire body felt numb. It crossed her mind to take the time to lock up her gun, but Marissa tugged on her hand, impatient to be outside. Too often Marissa had to take a back seat to Kendall’s work, so she decided to forego the safety measure and instead concentrate on her little girl. After all, not only did the protective strap hold the gun secure, but Marissa had never shown any interest in her mother’s gun. Once outside, Kendall smiled and cheered as Marissa pretended to compete in a race. Her mood began to lift, her thoughts cleared.
Marissa came to a stop in front of Kendall, her little face glowing. “I did good.”
“You did great.” Kendall scooped her up, letti
ng the stick horse clatter onto the ground. “I love you, Marissa.”
“I love you, Mamma.”
“I think you did such a good job that you deserve a treat. How about an ice cream float?”
Marissa’s eyes sparkled. “Before supper?”
“That’s why it’s a treat.”
“Yeah.”
Marissa scrambled out of her mother’s hold, but instead of racing toward the back door, she stopped. “Hi, Mr. Patterson.”
Surprised, Kendall turned around to find the older man standing in her backyard.
He blinked as if coming out of a dream. Kendall decided that after five days of sitting in the hospital, worried about his son’s recovery, it was only natural that he would look, and probably feel, a bit disoriented. “They told me to leave.” He pressed his lips together. “The hospital.” He glanced around her yard, scratched his head. “I didn’t know where to go.”
“C’mon, Mamma,” Marissa urged.
Kendall moved over to Mr. Patterson’s side, slipped an arm around his waist. “Come inside with us,” she told him.
“My boy.” Mr. Patterson trembled beneath her arm. “He’s doing better. They think he’s going to be okay.”
“Yes, I heard. It’s wonderful news.”
“I didn’t.” He swallowed. “I was afraid he wasn’t going to make it.”
“Now you don’t have to worry anymore.”
She opened the screen door, and they entered the kitchen. Kendall released her support of Mr. Patterson, turned her attention to Marissa. “Honey, why don’t you clear those papers off the table, and I’ll get your ice cream.”
“Okay. Can I have sprinkles too?”
Before she could answer, she felt her gun being jerked from her holster. Stunned, Kendall turned and stared at Mr. Patterson.
“My Robbie wouldn’t have been hurt if you’d done your job and protected him.” The gun shook in his hand.
Cowboy On Her Doorstep (Montgomery Brothers Book 1) Page 17