by Becky McGraw
"I'm just trying to explain, baby...I want you to understand."
"I do, darlin' and I'm not putting any pressure on you whatsoever...the reason I didn't want to move in with you wasn't because I expected you to marry me. I was afraid that I'd piss you off and I'd wind up with the same situation I was in with Jake..." Karlie told him and anger surged up inside of him, then she doused it when she added, her lower lip trembling with emotion, "Or when you saw how much trouble I truly was and you'd dump me too."
"These last two weeks without you have been hell...I haven't been eating, I can't sleep, and I think Cole wants to fire me, because I can't focus at work. I need you darlin', I can't live without you...I don't want to live without you."
"I'm here, Gabe...I'm not going anywhere. I love you, sugar."
Fear, determination and love tangled up in Gabe's heart and he took a deep breath, then reached in his pocket and pulled out the little box he'd had in his dresser drawer for a couple of days now. This was his independence day, the day he finally put his past behind him and looked toward the future.
He slid off the couch and got on his knees in front of Karlie and took her hand in his, then told her, "I believe that. It's time for both of us to put the past to rest and look at our future...together. Karlie, I love you and trust you more than any woman I've ever known...I don't ever want to lose you again." Gabe swallowed then flipped open the box with his thumb and held out the little blue velvet box to her, and asked, "Karlie Upton, would you spend the rest of your life loving me? Will you marry me, darlin'?'
Karlie shook her head and panic rose up from his toes and his ears started buzzing. If she turned him down, he'd probably lose his mind. Getting over the hurdle of his fear and insecurity about relationships, marriage, was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. She couldn't turn him down.
"Gabe, you really don't have to do this, sugar. I would live with you for the rest of my life...love you for the rest of my life...with or without vows, because I can't live without you either."
Relief flooded through him when he realized she wasn't turning him down, she was trying to give him an out...he didn't want a fucking out. "No--I don't want to just live with you anymore...that's off the table," he grated then added, "I want a commitment Karlie...I want to make one to you...I want you to be mine forever."
"If you're sure that's what you wa--"
"I'm never been more positive about anything in my life, Karlie..." he said fervently then pulled her into his arms and ground his mouth against hers, trying to show her how serious he was.
After a minute, Karlie put her hands on his chest and pushed then sat back on the sofa looking at him with those beautiful bright blue eyes sparkling with happiness and love. Giving him that thousand-watt smile that melted his knees, she said, "Yes, Gabe Kelley, I'd be honored to be your wife."
Victory and joy shot through him and let out a ear-splitting whoop, then he grabbed her off the couch and hugged her tightly to him then spun her in circles.
"Whoa, wild man...you're making me dizzy," she told him with a laugh.
"You've been making me dizzy, since I met you, wild child...I guess we're even now," he told her with a grin then claimed her lips in a kiss so passionate Karlie's toes curled in her boots.
EPILOGUE
Gabe tugged at the bow tie on his Armani tuxedo, thinking it felt sort of like a noose around his neck. What his idea of marriage used to be...before Karlie Upton had come into his life. The beautiful redhead had changed his whole perspective on marriage...hell on life. Standing next to Cole, his best man, at the gazebo where they'd say their vows in a few short minutes, he was squirming like he had fleas in his drawers. It wasn't because he was afraid though, he wanted to see his beautiful bride walking down that white runner, to promise him she would be his forever.
Gabe had never wanted anything more in his life...could never ask for more. He was one lucky bastard.
His eyes wandered over to the front row and he saw Luke sitting there feeding his little baby daughter Bella. She was the most beautiful baby Gabe had ever seen with her dark hair, sky blue eyes and pink skin...and Luke seemed like he was mesmerized by her. Cassie sat beside him, wiping her full little lips with a cloth diaper when she dribbled.
The sight caused a yearning so deep in Gabe's soul it actually hurt him. He wanted the family he'd never had...with Karlie...their children would know every day how much they were loved. His little girl would have her mama's beautiful red hair...maybe they'd have a matched set of hellions like Karlie and Katie. He groaned at the thought, but then smiled. It seemed like that's all he could do these days, smile, and it felt damned good to finally have something to smile about.
Looking over to the other side of the aisle, he saw Beau sitting next to Sabrina, his very pregnant sister who looked like she was about to pop any second. They were both grinning from ear to ear. Beau gave him a thumbs up and he nodded and smiled. Over the last three months, he'd made it down to Bowie on the weekends and they'd gotten to know each other, gone fishing and just hung out with Sabrina and Karlie.
Getting to know his brother had been a pleasure, he was a good man in spite of their mother. Beau had told him stories about some of the things she'd done, while he was growing up, and it made Gabe glad she'd left them...well almost. At least the knowledge made him realize that she hadn't left because they were flawed or unworthy...the defect was inside of her. Jolie Kelley just hadn't had the capacity to love anyone, but herself.
The fiddlers started playing Cannon in D and woke Gabe up from the cloud he'd been drifting around in all day. When it cleared he saw Katie floating down the aisle, a vision in the peachy colored dress that Karlie had picked out for her...a prelude to what his bride would look like. When she reached the gazebo and stood across the runner from them, the fiddler's started the bridal march, and everyone stood up and looked back toward the beginning of the runner.
A second later, Karlie appeared there and stopped, along with Gabe's heart. She was so damned beautiful, he felt like he was staring into the sun. But the sight of her on Wade Robert's arm made him want to run down there and grab her. He held back the urge, reminding himself the bastard was going to be handing her off to him when they reached the end of the row. Quite symbolic to Gabe's way of thinking, because he knew how the man felt about Karlie, even if she didn't realize it.
When Karlie had first suggested him to walk her down the aisle, because she didn't have a brother or father, he'd balked, because he didn't want the man anywhere near her. Then when she told him that's how she felt about Wade, like he was a brother, a friend, he capitulated, because what other choice did he have?
So, Gabe gritted his teeth and held Karlie's gaze all the way down the aisle. Her eyes were sparkling with tears of happiness and her cheeks were flushed. Before she got to the end, he took two steps toward her, even though he was supposed to wait. He was through waiting.
Wade grinned at him smugly, and lifted Karlie's veil, then holding her hands, he put a smacking kiss right on her lips. Gabe's teeth clenched and his hands fisted, as he fought the overwhelming urge to plant his fist in the cowboy's face. Wouldn't that give the town gossips something to talk about, he thought, the groom punching out the guy handing off the bride. Instead, he grabbed Karlie's hand and pulled her to him, then he gave Wade Roberts a scowl. Everyone in attendance started laughing, some of the younger guys whistled, which made Gabe's scowl even darker.
"Take care of her, man...or I will," Wade told him with a wink, then walked over and sat by Luke and Cassie.
Karlie chuckled and whispered by his ear, "He's just messing with you, sugar. He knows he'll never get the chance...because I love you and only you." Then his beautiful bride tiptoed and put a kiss on his cheek turning his scowl into a smile, right before he grabbed her and kissed her silly, before the vows were said. The crowd went wild, and Gabe thought that was perfectly appropriate for the joining of two wild spirits that had finally found peace in each other.
Becky McGraw is a married mother of three adult children, and a Southern girl by birth and the grace of God, ya'll. One of several career changes transplanted Becky and her family to Indiana, where she now lives with her husband and dog Abby.
A jack of many trades in her life, Becky has been an optician, a beautician, a legal secretary, a senior project manager for an aviation management consulting firm, which took her all over the United States, a real estate broker, and now a graphic artist, web designer and writer.
She knows just enough about a variety of topics to make her dangerous, and her romance novels interesting and varied. Being a graphic artist is a good thing for her too, because she creates her own cover art, along with writing the novels.
Becky has been an avid reader of romance novels since she was a teenager, and has been known to read up to four novels of that genre a week, much to the dismay of her husband, and the delight of e-book sellers.
She has been writing fictional short stories and novels for fun, as well as technical copy for her jobs for many years. She was a member of the Writer's Guild on AOL during her last venture into writing romance, as well as a founding member and treasurer of the first online chapter of the Romance Writers of America, From the Heart Romance Writers.
With the advancement of online publishing opportunities, Becky has started writing again as voraciously as she reads. Be looking for all of the books in her Texas Trouble Series, a contemporary cowboy romance series, with hot cowboys, a dash of suspense, and a lot of southern flavor.
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Be sure to read the first two books in the Texas Trouble Series, by Becky McGraw, MY KIND OF TROUBLE (#1, Texas Trouble), and THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE (#2 Texas Trouble). Available on amazon.com, bn.com and smashwords.com
READ EXCERPTS BELOW
MY KIND OF TROUBLE
by Becky McGraw,
Copyright @ June 18, 2012
Cassie Bellamy thought she'd left Bowie, Texas and Luke Matthews behind for good. She'd been gone for ten years and in that time had built a successful real estate business, had a new fiancé, and had all but forgotten about the Texas bad boy who'd sent her running to Phoenix in the first place.
She wouldn't be going back now, but her daddy needed her at the Double B.
Driving her old pickup truck "Bessie" back to Bowie had seemed like a good idea when she'd left Phoenix, but it didn't seem so good when she was broken down on the side of the road in ninety plus Texas weather in between Bowie and her daddy's farm. And it seemed an even worse idea when her knight in brown khaki turned out to be none other than the bad boy himself, a Sheriff now, and still as hot as the Texas sun.
Cassie does her best to ignore Luke and remember her fiancé back in Phoenix, but Luke seems determined to make her remember his kisses and their nights of stargazing by the lake instead. And she definitely still has stars in her eyes when she looks at the delectable Sheriff.
Luke Matthews had worked damned hard to change the way people thought of him. He wasn't know as the bad boy son of the town's drunk anymore, they called him Sheriff now. For ten years, Luke had been living on the right side of the law, and had forgotten about Cassie Bellamy, the woman who'd left him dangling on a limb ten years ago.
All that changes when he plays good Samaritan and stops to rescue a woman stranded on the side of the road. He finds out the fine behind and illegally long legs sticking out from under the hood of the beat up old truck belong to Cassie Bellamy. She was back in Bowie and just as sassy and stubborn as always...looking better than ever.
Luke is determined to get answers as to why she left like she did, and she's just as determined to keep him at arm's length. Taking the choice away from her, Luke takes a vacation from his job, and hires on at the Double B as a ranch hand to help out while her daddy's down. The heat and the close proximity work in his favor and soon Luke has her cornered like a stray calf...but what was he going to do with her now?
He had a few ideas, and all of them involved a king-sized bed and his lasso. She might be trouble, but Cassie Bellamy had always been his kind of trouble...and if it took hog-tying to get her to believe that, he was definitely game.
THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE
by Becky McGraw
Copyright @ July 2, 2012
Sabrina Roberts has become a reclusive workaholic, since her husband Kenny, an adrenaline junky cop, was killed in the line of duty eighteen months ago. Determined not to let the same thing happen to her after his death, Sabrina makes her job as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department her life.
In lieu of a social life, Sabrina focuses on researching her cases, working out to make herself stronger and staying at the gun range to make sure she is on top of her game. She knows the life she is living is no life, but doesn't know how to change it. Since Kenny's death, she doesn't even know who she is anymore. The only thing she did know was she was never dating a cop again.
When her new friend, Cassie Bellamy, calls Sabrina from Bowie, Texas to ask her to be maid of honor in her wedding, and to help with her horse ranch while she's on her honeymoon, Sabrina jumps on the opportunity to reevaluate her life and decompress in the sedate small town.
Almost from the first minute her feet touch Bowie soil though, Sabrina realizes the small town is far from sedate, and certainly not a place she is going to be able to decompress.
Between the infuriatingly sexist, but oh so sexy, Sheriff Cole Jackson, who treats her like she's incompetent, and the hair raising events at the wedding, then a surprising call for help from the older brother she hasn't spoken to in eighteen months, Sabrina has more action in Bowie than she ever had back in Phoenix.
After a while, Sabrina starts hoping that action will include some personal action with the handsome Sheriff, who lights fires inside of her that have been banked for a long time.
Cole Jackson has enough on his hands taking over as Sheriff of his hometown after his friend resigns, without having to deal with the trouble sexy Sabrina Roberts dumps in his lap.
Suddenly, his peaceful little town, where the most he had to look forward to was the rollover of a chicken truck on the highway, becomes a hotbed of trouble, and it seems like the beautiful detective he'd met in Phoenix a month ago, is at the heart of it all. She and her brother are magnets for trouble, it seems.
To protect his best friend and his new wife, Cole invites Sabrina and her brother to stay at his house, and welcomes more than trouble into his life. He finds out the gorgeous policewoman has depths he can't wait to uncover...and she can cook better than his mama! The heat she stirs inside of him is definitely more than the heat in the kitchen though, and soon Cole wants to sample everything on her menu.
But first, Cole has to rescue her from the bad guys chasing her brother...and then from herself. He's determined to convince Sabrina that even though he's a cop, he's not the risk-taker her late husband was, and that he's worth taking a risk on.