The Cowboy’s Mail Order Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 5)

by Jenn Roseton

  Sophie stilled. Mitch had been that serious about someone in college? She told herself it was a long time ago, and it was obviously over now.

  “I was studying creative writing, and when I showed Kim the novel I was writing, she practically laughed at it - and me. She said I’d never make it as a writer and demanded to know why I was wasting my time writing, when I - we - could both be living it up on my grandfather’s money. She said the lawyers wouldn’t bother to check if I was in a relationship, and we wouldn’t have to work for the rest of our lives.” He drew in a deep breath.

  “What … what happened?” She stared up at him, wanting to soothe away the glimmer of pain in his eyes.

  “I realized then she was showing me the real Kim.” His mouth tightened. “I broke up with her. I don’t think she realized how important my writing was to me. She probably thought I was just filling time in at college. But writing is all I’ve ever wanted to do. It’s part of me. And I don’t think I could change that for anyone.”

  “I understand.” She reached up and cupped his face. “That’s the way I feel about designing gardens.”

  They looked at each other, both breaking into a smile at the same time.

  “Sophie.” He crushed her to him. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “I guess we have your brother to thank,” she murmured.

  “I guess.” He chuckled wryly, stroking her hair. “Anyway, I prefer not to utilize the money I made from the stock market unless I have to.” He gestured to the hall. “I used some of it to buy this place, but that’s pretty much it. Unless I can use the money to rescue a horse.”

  She gazed up at him, unable to believe that this was really happening.

  “I live on my writing income.” He dropped a kiss on her upturned lips. “Unless my sales are really down, which isn’t that often.” His hands tightened on her waist. “I should tell you I’m a self-published author. But I think I’m doing okay. I'm putting out a new book this month and I've already got decent pre-orders for it.”

  “More than okay.” Sophie smiled.

  “But having that money in the bank means I can visit you in San Diego whenever I want. Whenever we want.”

  She relaxed against him. Everything was going to be all right. Better than all right. She must be the luckiest girl in the world. Mitch loved her, and the long distance thing wasn’t going to be a problem.

  “I love you, Sophie.” He ran a hand over her body, making her shiver with desire. “And I love your curves. I also love the garden you designed for me. I’ll support your career one hundred percent. All I ask is that you support mine and let me know if I get too grumpy.”

  “Of course.” She traced his cheek. “I think you’re a wonderful writer from what I read. In fact, I can’t wait to read your books.” She looked up at him “If you’ll let me.”

  “You’ve got it.” His mouth covered hers.

  She savored the heat of his lips against hers. Then a thought occurred to her.

  “You said you had a couple of things to confess.” She crinkled her brow.

  He laughed. “Promise not to be mad, okay?”

  She nodded, wondering what it could be.

  “First, I lied about not having Wi-Fi in the guest cottage.” A rueful expression crossed his features. “I wanted to be around you as much as possible, and this way you’d have to do your research in the house instead.”

  “Oh, Mitch.” A warm flush stole through her.

  “And I took out the batteries from our cars yesterday, before breakfast, when I offered to check your car’s water.” At her frown of puzzlement, he continued, “That’s why both our vehicles wouldn’t start.” His voice lowered into a husk. “I couldn’t let you go, Sophie. I needed more time with you.” His eyes gleamed with love. “I was determined to tell you I loved you before you got on that plane. Removing the batteries was the only thing I could think of to give us enough time together before you had to return to San Diego. The blizzard was just a welcome coincidence.”

  “I love you, too.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed him, grateful that he’d taken that chance.

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No.” She shook her head and smiled. “I’m glad.”

  “Yesterday things developed further than I’d planned, although I hoped for them,” he admitted, tracing the curve of her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

  “Me too.” A blush rose to her cheeks.

  “And I can’t wait to take you back to bed and show you just how much I love you.”

  “I thought you did that last night,” she whispered. “But this morning I wasn’t sure how you felt. Until you told me.”

  He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her until she was breathless and clinging to him. “From now on, I’ll never leave any doubt in your mind about my feelings for you. Get ready for a lot of loving.”

  Desire shivered within her at his words. Heat tingled through her as his hands cupped her derriere, and pressed her against him, body to body, his hardness showing her just how ready he was to make love with her.

  She smiled up at him, love and passion coursing though her. “I’m ready.”

  EPILOGUE

  Two years later

  Trask Bed and Breakfast, Vermont

  “Mitch, could you--” Before Sophie could finish the sentence, Mitch’s strong fingers teased the zip, fastening her black dress.

  “I wish we didn’t have to go down,” he grumbled, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I want to stay in here with you.” He trailed kisses down her neck, his lips caressing her ultra-sensitive spot.

  She gasped, her hands drifting on top of his, lovingly gazing at him in the mirror.

  “You know we--” her voice trailed off as her husband tried to convince her with his talented lips that it was imperative they stay inside the guest bedroom for the whole night.

  “I know.” He sighed against her neck, delicious minutes later.

  “Zip me up again.” She held her hair out of the way.

  His hand reluctantly left her breasts encased in a black silk and lace bra, and he re-zipped the dress.

  “Later,” he promised, turning her around and scorching her lips with his.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” She smiled up at him, caressing the nape of his neck.

  “I guess we better go down.” He took her hand and led her toward the door, as if he were going to face a firing squad.

  “I’m sure we’ll have a good time. Ellie’s mom is going to be here, and I’ve never met royalty before.” Excitement bubbled in her voice.

  “At least one of us will enjoy ourselves downstairs. But we’ll both enjoy ourselves later tonight.” He kissed her once more, then opened the bedroom door.

  This was the weekend of the first official Trask family reunion. The whole clan had gathered at the brothers’ parents’ bed-and-breakfast in Vermont.

  Their parents, Tom and Linda, had arranged it. And it had been made clear to their sons that everyone was expected to be there, no matter if they were a high-powered billionaire like Alex, or a semi-reclusive writer like Mitch.

  The parents of their daughters-in-law were invited as well, but only Ellie’s mom and dad could make it.

  Mitch had lightened up a lot since she’d married him, Sophie reflected as they headed downstairs. They’d burned up the phone lines and visited each other practically every weekend until they’d married almost one year to the day after she’d turned up at the ranch, telling him she’d been hired to redesign his garden. She’d qualified as a landscape designer just before the wedding, and had started her own business, moving into Mitch’s place when they’d returned from their May honeymoon to the Chelsea Flower Show in London, England. Mitch had encouraged her to test out her design ideas on several acres of ranch land and was always willing to help her, which made her love him even more. In return, she was fully supportive of his writing and efforts to rescue horses.

  She’d met her sisters-in-law not long after she and Mitc
h had fallen in love, and considered them her friends. A smile tilted up the corners of her mouth. Every day, she wondered how she’d gotten so lucky.

  She would have felt the same way about Mitch if he didn’t have money and they lived on both their earnings. Most of the time, they still lived on his book royalties, with an occasional boost from his stash of millions, although each year his royalties increased as he became more well-known and gained new readers. He’d insisted she keep her own earnings from her landscape design business, and he continually surprised her with gifts, both large and small.

  “Sophie,” Linda, Mitch’s mom greeted her, giving her a warm hug. “I see you’ve managed to drag my son down to dinner. I’m sure he would have been tapping away on his laptop upstairs right now if you weren’t here.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Mitch gritted, grasping Sophie’s hand.

  “Don’t get all glowery, dear.” She bussed his cheek and patted him on the shoulder. “Go and talk to your brothers.”

  Sophie followed the older woman’s gaze and saw Mitch’s brothers clustered in a corner of the living room. Their wives were seated in a conversational nook nearby, sitting on comfortable sofas. Phoebe, Cole’s wife, caught Sophie’s eye, and patted to the empty seat next to her.

  “Come on.” Sophie tugged Mitch’s hand and towed him over to her sisters-in-law. “Go and enjoy yourself.” She gestured toward his brothers.

  He shrugged, and only stepped toward his siblings once he saw she’d settled down with her sisters-in-law.

  “Hey, Mitch.” Garrett clapped him on the shoulder. “We were just talking about Ellie’s parents. They should be arriving any time now.”

  “Ellie’s excited about introducing them to the rest of the family.” Logan, Ellie’s husband, looked at his watch. “I hope they haven’t gotten lost.”

  “Maybe Alex should have picked them up in the helicopter.” Cole chuckled.

  “The helicopter belongs to all us,” Alex reminded them. “Logan could have picked them up.”

  “We all flew domestic. Except for you,” Logan reminded him. “Besides, it would have taken too long in the helicopter.” He nudged his brother. “How’s the private plane?”

  “Laura keeps telling me we should fly the normal way, but when I suggest we use the private plane her eyes light up.” Alex smiled. “I’ll do anything I can to make her happy.”

  All four brothers, Mitch included, nodded in agreement, thinking of their own wives.

  “So how’s Sophie’s gardening business going?” Alex flashed a grin at Mitch.

  “Landscape design,” Mitch replied gruffly. “And it’s going great. Really.” When his brothers waited for him to continue, he elaborated, “She’s got a job redesigning the garden of a fancy ski resort in Jackson Hole. And I’m going with her.”

  “What about the horses?” Cole asked.

  “My neighbor’s kid is going to look after them while I’m gone.”

  “You’ll have a great time,” Garrett said.

  Mitch nodded. “Don’t want some other cowboy to scoop her up.”

  “Yeah.” Logan turned to gaze at Ellie sitting in the conversation nook. “I know how you feel.”

  Nods of agreement all around as each Trask man looked at their wife with love, possession and passion in their eyes.

  Mitch cleared his throat. “Thanks for sending her to design my garden, Alex.”

  Alex clapped him on the back. “That’s what big brothers are for. As soon as I met her, I thought she might be perfect for you. In fact, we all did.”

  “That’s right.” Cole grinned. “We didn’t want you turning into a mean old cuss like Grandpa Abel.”

  Before Mitch could answer, sounds of the front door opening filtered through to the living room.

  “Dad! Mom!” Ellie jumped up from the sofa and hurried to greet her parents. Young and in love when they’d conceived her, they’d been separated by events beyond their control. But they’d found each other again two years ago, and had recently married.

  Katerina Romanakov-Sterling, former queen of a small European principality, hugged her daughter. “Let me look at you, Ellie.”

  “I’m sorry we’re late,” Nicholas Sterling, Ellie’s father, apologized to Tom and Linda Trask. “We took the wrong road a few miles back.”

  “No problem.” Tom Trask said, shaking the other man’s hand. “Let me get you both a drink.”

  “I see Logan is taking good care of you,” Katerina whispered to her daughter. “I thought he would.”

  “Oh, Mom.” Ellie blushed. Logan arrived at her side and welcomed her parents.

  On the other side of the room, Sophie settled in with her sisters-in-law.

  “Let me see your bracelet, Sophie.” Laura, Alex’s wife, gazed at Sophie’s pretty diamond tennis bracelet and smiled. “Did Mitch choose it?”

  Sophie nodded. “He gave it to me when I told him I got the Jackson Hole job.” She traced her finger over the sparkling diamonds. “I love wearing it, although I have to take it off when I’m working.” She held out her hand, the bracelet a perfect match for her large diamond engagement ring and gold wedding band. “And he’s coming with me to Jackson Hole.”

  “When Alex and I interviewed you - gosh, is it really three years ago - I wondered if you might become my sister-in-law one day. I hoped so,” Laura confessed with a giggle. “Alex practically interrogated me afterward. Did I think you were a good person, would you be someone I could be friends with, questions like that. I gave you a glowing report. I still don’t think he realizes I was onto him back then.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?” Maddie, Garrett’s wife, asked.

  “I thought it would be amusing to see what he did, without letting him know I knew.” She grinned. “And it was.”

  All four women giggled.

  “I know what you mean,” Phoebe said. “Sometimes I do that with Cole.”

  The wives erupted into laughter again.

  “Sophie, I just love what your former boss, Janet, did with my garden,” Laura said. “I think you’ve all seen it.” The three other women nodded. Laura and Alex had finally decided on a house for their future family but the garden had been uninspiring. “Now it’s a matured for a couple of years, it’s even more beautiful.”

  Sophie smiled. “Janet keeps in touch and continually tells me about all the clients she has now, because of your recommendations. She’s even had to hire more staff.”

  “She deserves to be successful. Recommending her to Alex’s friends was the least I could do,” Laura replied. “And you’re going to be successful as well.”

  “I hope so,” Sophie murmured.

  “So …” Phoebe’s eyes twinkled. “Any news on the baby front?”

  A smile escaped Laura’s lips. “Alex and I are having fun trying. A lot of fun.”

  “So are Cole and I.” Phoebe grinned. “In fact, I’m hopeful I’ll have some good news soon.”

  “I remember having fun trying,” Maddie said wistfully, patting her rounded belly. “Garrett waits on me hand and foot, but I miss certain … activities.”

  “When’s the baby due?” Sophie asked.

  “In three and a half months’ time. Garrett insisted I take early maternity leave from the library two weeks ago, even though I told him I was fine.” Maddie rolled her eyes. “He’s treating me like I’m made of crystal, which is nice, but sometimes all I want him to do is kiss me senseless …” she lowered her voice “… and make love to me.”

  “He won’t?” Laura’s eyes widened. “Anyone can see he’s madly in love with you.”

  “That’s the problem,” Maddie almost wailed. “He doesn’t want to take the slightest risk with me or the baby. And I miss him.” She sighed.

  Sophie, Laura and Phoebe patted Maddie on her arm.

  “Just think of all the catching up you’ll have to do after the baby’s born,” Phoebe suggested.

  Laura giggled. “Maybe you can suggest you try for a sibling.”

&n
bsp; Maddie brightened. “And that might take a while.”

  The women laughed, drawing the attention of their husbands.

  “I wonder what’s so funny,” Garrett mused, nursing his drink.

  “As long as they’re not laughing about us,” Cole grumbled.

  The sound of the front door opening drew their attention.

  “Mom!” They heard their father’s voice echo down the long hall.

  Mitch frowned. “Is that--”

  “Grandma!” Alex hurried over to the tall, thin woman, her gray hair caught up in a bun with a red chopstick skewered through it.

  “Alex!” She held out her arms. “You naughty boy, sending a plane for us.”

  “But we’re glad you did.” Her elderly male companion held out his hand.

  “Good to see you, Peter.” Alex shook his hand.

  “You didn’t tell us Grandma was coming.” Garrett elbowed Alex aside and gave the octogenarian a gentle hug.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Alex grinned as if he’d pulled off the business deal of the century.

  “It certainly is.” Linda Trask came to greet her mother-in-law. “A wonderful surprise.” The two women embraced.

  “Where are the rest of my grandsons?” Grandma twinkled at her family surrounding her. “And where are their beautiful wives?”

  It was hugs and kisses all around for Grandma and her second husband, Peter.

  Sophie had met Grandma just before she married Mitch, and admired the elderly woman.

  Grandma Trask had refused all offers of help from her grandsons once they were adults and doing well for themselves, insisting she and Peter, the school teacher she’d run off with all those years ago, could manage perfectly well on their own, although her grandsons found small ways of spoiling her and Peter that they couldn’t object to.

  Ellie introduced her parents to Grandma, and the elderly woman tried to curtsy before Ellie and former queen Katerina could stop her.

  Garrett and Alex helped their grandmother straighten up, then everyone turned toward the sound of a gong reverberating through the living room.