One Hundred Heartbeats

by Kelly Collins

  That wasn’t the truth exactly. He’d read a lot about the man—enough to make Bowie feel unworthy of Katie’s love. He’d never be able to provide her with what she was used to, but he reminded himself all day that she was here because she found something she couldn’t find anywhere else. He hoped it was him.

  “Can I get you a drink?” Bowie led them to a table near the bar.

  “I’ll take whatever kind of whiskey you’ve got,” Tate said.

  “I’ll take a glass of Duckhorn, please,” Sophia replied.

  When he gave her a confused look, Katie piped in, “She’ll take the house cabernet.”

  When he walked to the bar, Cannon laughed. “You are so screwed,” he whispered.

  “Shut up, asshole, and get me the drinks,” he whispered back. He knew his brother had heard the order. Outside of Doc, they were the only ones in the place.

  Bowie returned with fizzy water for Katie, wine for her mother, and a glass of Jack for her father. He hated small talk, but he engaged in it anyway to break the ice.

  “How was the flight?” He wanted to punch himself in the gut. He was sure the flight was great. How could it not be when it was a private jet?

  “It was good. Do you know much about planes?”

  Bowie sent up a silent thank you to the conversation gods. “I do. Planes have always fascinated me. I spent eight years jumping out of them.”

  “No kidding?”

  “It’s kind of a requirement to be a Ranger.”

  Tate looked at his daughter. “I didn’t know he was a soldier, Katie.”

  She looked at her mom, who took a sip of the wine and made a face like she’d just eaten car wax. “I told Mama. I figured she’d pass that on.”

  Tate shook his head at his wife, then turned back to Bowie. “Seen any combat?”

  The aches Bowie felt in his leg, his back, and his stomach were all reminders of how much combat he’d seen.

  “More than I’d like to admit.”

  “He has a box of ribbons and medals.” Katie threaded her fingers with his under the table. “He’s a hero, Daddy.”

  “A hero?”

  Bowie nudged Katie playfully with his shoulder. “She exaggerates.”

  “I do not. Seriously, he’s got three of those Purple Heart ones.”

  Bowie was embarrassed because getting shot wasn’t something he’d been proud of ever. Saving his people was where his sense of accomplishment rested.

  Tate’s hand slapped him on the back hard. “I’m so proud of you. I always wanted to serve, but my father had other plans for me.”

  “If you have a Purple Heart, then you’ve been injured.” Sophia’s voice held a drop of concern.

  Bowie nodded his head. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve been shot and stabbed, but I made it back alive.”

  There was a moment of silence before Sophia spoke again. “This may seem insensitive, but it’s my understanding that the heart in my daughter’s chest once belonged to your fiancée.”

  Bowie had been expecting that. He was surprised it wasn’t the first thing to come out of one of her parents’ mouths.

  “You’re right. It was a shock, to say the least. Am I in love with your daughter’s heart?” Bowie sat back and took a sip of beer. “I am, but not because it belonged to Brandy. I love your daughter because she has the biggest heart I know. It’s her heart.” He turned toward Doc. “This smart man I know asked me an important question, and I’ll ask you the same. If your plane needed a new engine and your friend had one sitting unused in his garage and gave it to you, would it be his plane now, or still yours?”

  Tate answered directly, “It’s my plane.”

  Sophia nodded in agreement.

  Bowie laid his hand over Katie’s heart. “This is Katie’s heart, and she owns mine, too.”

  They spent an hour at the bar, where they met most of the town. No one comes to Aspen Cove unnoticed. While Katie’s mother was on the less friendly side, her father quickly became a local.

  Once they finished their drinks, they walked down the street to Maisey’s Diner. Maisey had hired seasonal help. A woman named Meg took their order, but it was Dalton who delivered it. He always came out when his friends were around.

  Katie rose to her feet and threw her arms around his neck once he dropped off the plates. “This is Dalton. He was my second friend in town.”

  If it were any other man, Bowie would have burned with jealousy, but he understood the relationship between the two of them was more like brother and sister.

  He pulled up a chair while the group ate and talked about cooking and the town. It was funny to watch such a big man get excited about chicken-fried steak and Aspen Cove, but Dalton had had a tough childhood. If it weren’t for Aspen Cove’s mantra, “We take care of our own,” Dalton and his mom wouldn’t have made it. It was Doc who thought the diner would be a good idea. He and his wife financed the place until Maisey could pay off the note. Growing up, Dalton had always seemed more like a brother to Bowie, too. Hell, if his father moved forward with his feelings for Maisey, Dalton would be his stepbrother.

  When a group of tourists walked in, Dalton said his goodbyes.

  Tate gobbled up his plate of comfort food while Sophia picked at hers. “Do you eat here often?” she asked Katie.

  “Often enough.”

  “That’s probably why you’ve gained weight.”

  The back of Bowie’s neck heated with irritation. Katie was perfect.

  “I’m not overweight, Mama. Doc Parker checked me out a few weeks ago and said I was as healthy as a horse.”

  “You’re trusting the word of a country doctor? You left the world’s finest cardiologist to see a man who probably tends to people, pigs, and cows.”

  “And birds,” Katie quipped.

  Rumor had it he mended a bird’s wing at Sage’s. The way they tell it, that was the start of their relationship. Bowie only wished he’d seen Sage with that bird nesting in her hair.

  “Seriously,” her mother said. “Staying here will be the death of you.”

  Tate laid his hand over his wife’s. “Now honey, you can see she’s healthy and happy.”

  Katie took a minute, then addressed her mother. “Daddy can have the jet ready to leave in an hour if you don’t stop. Aspen Cove isn’t the death of me. It’s the life of me.”

  When Tate pulled a large bill from his wallet to pay for dinner, Bowie stopped him.

  “This is my treat, sir.” He paid Meg and rose from the table. “I’ll walk you and your parents across the street.” It broke his heart to leave her alone with them. Her dad seemed fine, but her mother was something else.

  Tate looked at his watch. “It’s an hour later for us. Why don’t you kids stay and enjoy each other?” He smiled at Katie. “I’ll take your mother home and put her to bed. Maybe tomorrow she’ll be rested and nicer.”

  Sophia gasped. “I’m nice. I’m just concerned about my daughter.”

  Tate laughed. “Look around you, Sophia. She can’t get any safer here. Hell, her boyfriend is a damn Ranger. I think that earns him our trust.” He helped his wife to her feet. “Is the door locked?”

  Katie nodded but handed them her keys. “See you later, Daddy.” She got up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.” She turned to her mother and did the same. “Love you, Mama.”

  As soon as they walked out the door, Katie pressed her face into his chest and breathed him in. “I’m so sorry. I told you she was impossible.”

  “Duchess, she’s just being a mom.” Bowie’s mom had never been like that, but then again he grew up in Aspen Cove.

  They walked around town for the next hour until they got to an empty lot at the other end of Main Street.

  “This used to be the park.” He could still see the outline of where the baseball diamond had once been.

  “What happened to it?”

  He walked her to a grassy area and sat down, pulling her into his lap. His hands rested on her hips. His chin on her shoulder.
He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt more content. He would have loved to take her to his place and make love, but there was a little, furry hellion waiting to make his debut at her birthday party tomorrow.

  “When the paper mill went out of business, jobs dried up, and so did services. The town couldn’t afford it all, so the Parks and Recreation Department folded.” He’d been mostly grown by then, but he had fond memories of long days in this park.

  She leaned against him and looked across the moonlit park. “What do the kids do now?”

  “I imagine they stay inside and watch television or play video games.”

  “That’s awful. They need a place to run and grow and play.”

  “I’d like to play.” Bowie wrapped his arms around her middle and guided them both to the ground. “Maybe the kids make out in the tall grass like us.”

  He moved her to his side so she faced him. She was so beautiful under the light of the moon. When he kissed her, she made that little moan that caused his blood to run like lava through his veins. No woman had ever made him so hot with a kiss.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Katie’s father handed her a small white box.

  Since Sage had taken her mom into the bed and breakfast for a tour, they had a minute to themselves. At the end of the dock of Bowie’s childhood home, she opened her gift. On a bed of velvet sat a broken gold heart stitched together with the word “love”.

  “It’s perfect.”

  She removed the necklace and turned around so her father could put it on her. It hung past the jagged scar that marred her chest—a scar she proudly wore now that she’d given her heart to Bowie.

  “Where’s the birthday girl?” Doc hollered from the end of the dock. He held a box in the air. “I brought gifts.”

  She looked at her dad.

  “Go get your gift. It’s your birthday.” Katie raced to the end, where Doc stood waiting.

  “Don’t open this in front of your father.”

  “Why?” She peeled back the corner and knew immediately. “Really, Doc? Condoms?”

  “What do you get a girl who has everything?”

  She threaded her arm through his and walked him to Sage’s deck, where Cannon was barbecuing burgers and brats.

  “Hey, birthday girl. Where’s my brother?”

  Katie looked around her. “He disappeared with your father a few minutes ago.” She looked at the jumbo box of condoms. “Can you hide these for me?”

  Cannon looked to where she had opened the end. “Ahhh. I’ll put these away for later.” He handed the barbecue tongs to Doc. “You’re the new grill master.”

  Katie walked down the steps and looked at the water. Its surface rippled with the slight breeze. The aspens and pines shot up around the shore enclosing the lake in a green hug. She’d been all over the world, but no place was as peaceful and homey as Aspen Cove.

  “There you are.” Bowie walked toward her with a gift in his hand. “You have to open this now. I’m not sure who’s more excited, me or the gift.”

  She laughed because Bowie had once told her he wasn’t good at riddles, and yet he managed to tell a few himself. Behind him walked Sage and Cannon, Ben, and her parents. Doc raised a beer and the tongs from his position on the deck. Maisey and Dalton pulled up the rear. In Dalton’s hands was a cake on fire. It was amazing how much heat twenty-nine candles could create, but she felt it from a distance.

  When the group came closer, they sang to her. She took a big breath and blew out the candles. It took her two tries, but she did it. Some would say she didn’t earn her wish, but looking at the people surrounding her, she’d already been granted it.

  “Who made the cake?” It was perfect. She knew there wouldn’t be an inch of frosting on one end to cover a mistake.

  “Dalton made the cake,” Bowie said. He stumbled sideways and almost dropped the box. “You need to open this now.” The box bobbled in his hands again. “I’ll hold it. You take off the lid slowly.”

  Katie gripped the lid. “Bowie Bishop, if something jumps out at me, you’re in so much trouble.”

  “We’ll see.” He gave her a smile that could stop a weaker heart.

  Afraid he was pranking her in some way, she leaned to the side before she pulled off the lid. “Oh my God.” She lifted the brown bundle of wiggly fur into her arms. “You got me a puppy!”

  Bowie threw the box to the ground and wrapped his arms around her and the puppy. “I gave you a child.” He reached between them and lifted the dog tag that had “Bishop” etched into a metal bone.

  “I love you.” She tilted her chin up for a kiss.

  Bowie met her in the middle and gave her a kiss she’d remember for a long time. She ignored the crowd around them and got lost in his love.

  When Doc yelled, “The weiners are ready,” everyone laughed.

  A leash appeared from Bowie’s back pocket, and he snapped it on Bishop’s collar. “Dad’s been teaching him to walk on the leash. He’s a smart dog.”

  Katie smiled at him. “Of course he’s smart. He’s our son.” She lowered Bishop to the ground and walked him to the deck, where Sage had tables set up with salads and chips and buns. Everyone piled food onto their plates and claimed chairs.

  Katie sat close to Bowie. Bishop lay at her feet. She was giddy with happiness, but she was tired. All the excitement of the day had worn her out. She signaled to Sage, who walked right over.

  “You need something, birthday girl?”

  Katie felt the world tilt to the right. “I need to lie down for minute. Can I use your room?” Sage had a full house this week due to the Fourth of July holiday.

  A look of concern creased her brow. “Let’s get you there.”

  Katie handed the leash to Bowie. “Can you take care of our child? I’m going to go inside for a few minutes.”

  “You okay?”

  She nodded and pushed herself off the chair, but the world tilted again. “Bowie?” A flush covered her skin, and her knees buckled as she reached for him for stability.

  In seconds, she was in his arms and Sage was leading them into her and Cannon’s bedroom. “I don’t feel well.”

  Bowie put her on the bed and placed his hand on her forehead. He turned to Sage. “Get Doc, she’s got a fever.”

  In seconds, the room was filled with people. It reminded Katie of the night before her surgery, when everyone came in to see her.

  “Move away, everyone.” Doc shuffled in and set his black bag on the nightstand.

  “You do house calls?” Katie asked with a weak voice.

  “Not if I can help it.” He pulled the stethoscope from his bag. “You want an audience?”

  Katie looked around the room. Her mother’s hand covered her mouth. Her father seemed to hold Sophia up.

  “I’m fine, just tired. Go enjoy the barbecue. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  Katie’s dad all but dragged his wife out of the room. The rest followed, except for Bowie.

  “I’m staying.” It was a statement of fact. He wrapped his big hand around her small hand and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Doc lifted Katie’s shirt and pressed the cold stethoscope to her chest. His head bobbed quickly. His eyes watched the second hand on his watch.

  “Ticker is fine.” He slung the instrument around his neck. “How have you been feeling?”

  Katie scooted back and sat against the headboard—one similar to the one Cannon had made for Bowie and Brandy.

  “I’ve been tired, but other than that I’ve been great.”

  Bowie shook his head. “She threw up this morning.”

  Doc frowned. “Was it just this morning, or have you been sick before today?”

  Bowie glared in her direction.

  “I’ve been sick a few times.”

  “Mornings?”

  “What? No?” She looked at Bowie, whose tawny skin turned ghostly white. “Seriously?”

  Doc opened his bag and tossed the stet
hoscope inside. “Condoms have a failure rate of two to fifteen percent. Two if used properly.”

  Katie sat up. Her hands went to her stomach. Was it possible she was pregnant? “You think I’m pregnant?”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Bowie said. He rose from the bed and ran his hands through his hair. “She had her cycle.”

  “Normal?” Doc asked.

  Katie shrugged. “I’m not sure what’s normal. With my immunosuppressant drugs, nothing is ever normal.”

  “You’re pregnant. I got you pregnant.” The words were like a painful howl. “Shit. I’ve killed you.”

  “What? No, you did no such thing. You didn’t have sex by yourself.”

  “Maybe he should have, and you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

  “Wait a minute,” she yelled. “You don’t know I’m pregnant.”

  The door opened wide, and Katie’s mom stood there with a look of horror on her face. “What do you mean she’s pregnant?” The last word came out in a cry.

  “I’m not pregnant.” Katie kicked her feet off the bed and tried to stand, but the change in position caused her to falter.

  Bowie rushed to her side and swooped Katie into his arms. “She is pregnant. I know it.”

  “Only one way to find out.” Doc closed his bag and walked to the door. “I’ll meet you at the clinic.”

  When Doc disappeared down the hallway, Sophia surged toward Bowie. “If you really loved my daughter, you would have looked after her. Pregnancy is as good as a gun to her head.”

  Katie struggled from Bowie’s arms and stood beside him. “Mother. I won’t put up with you ruining everything for me. You need to leave now.” Katie pointed a finger at the door.

  “Me, ruin everything?” Sophia stood defiant in front of Bowie. “He’s ruining everything.” Sophia pulled her hand back. When she swung it forward, she connected with Bowie’s cheek with enough force to snap his head back. “If she’s pregnant, I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Sophia!” Tate stood in the doorway. “Come with me now.”

  Katie’s mom walked toward her husband.

  “Mama. You listen, and listen well. I’d trade every minute of my life for one more with him.”