Made for the Rancher

by Rebecca Winters

  Jasmine’s mother, dressed in a pale peach suit with a gardenia on her shoulder, stood in the entrance to the living room. “If you’ll all come out to the patio.”

  Wymon put the envelope in his pocket and followed his brothers to the back of the house where chairs had been placed in a semicircle. Brianna and his mother were wearing hyacinth-blue dresses with flowers on their shoulders. His mom’s smile told him how happy she was this day had come.

  The minister stood before them. In a minute there was a hush as Jasmine walked out onto the patio like a princess, holding on to her father’s arm. Wymon could hardly breathe.

  She was a vision of gold hair and oyster silk that swept the tiles and a lace mantilla that fell to her shoulders, half hiding her lush green eyes. Her gaze sought Wymon’s. The love he saw there filled his soul to overflowing.

  “Jasmine? Wymon? If you’ll come forward and clasp hands in front of me.”

  He felt as though he was in a dream as she seemingly floated toward him. He twined his fingers with hers. Their heartbeats merged. Suddenly the ceremony he’d been waiting for had begun. They repeated their vows, but none of it seemed real until the minister said, “Wymon? Do you have a token for your bride?”

  Eli came forward and handed him the wedding band. He turned to Jasmine and slid it next to the engagement ring he’d given her. Then the minister asked, “Jasmine? Do you have a token for your groom?”

  She removed a gold band from her least finger and fit it on his ring finger, pushing it home. His heart leaped at the sight of it.

  With a beaming smile Minister Logan said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. You may kiss your bride.”

  “Jasmine,” he whispered against her lips before covering her mouth with his own. He forgot they had an audience. This was his wife he was kissing. Only a little over a month ago he hadn’t even met the love of his life and wondered if he ever would.

  “Hey, bro—” Toly whispered behind him. “If you two are going to make your plane, you’d better break this up and give everyone a chance to congratulate you.”

  When he finally let her go, his brothers took turns hugging her and welcoming her into the family. Two hours later they’d eaten and celebrated. Then Jasmine changed into a blouse and skirt while Wymon removed his tux and put on chinos and a button-down.

  After Wymon had hugged his mother one final time, they went out to the car with their bags. They shouted goodbye, and Roce drove them to their hotel in Missoula.

  He got out at the hotel entrance to help them with their bags. “Don’t worry about anything on the ranch while you’re gone. We’ve got it covered.”

  “I know you do. I owe you for everything.” Wymon gave his brother another big hug and rushed his bride into the hotel lobby. Roce was keeping Wymon’s car until their return.

  This trip hadn’t been part of the script, but Wymon found he was excited to go to a place neither of them had been to before. The whole day still had a surreal feel about it.

  They got their card key and went to their room on the third floor. Every day and night since he’d met Jasmine, Wymon had wanted to get her alone like this and never let her go. When they went inside the hotel room, it hit him that the time had finally come.

  Jasmine watched him put their bags down. When he turned to pull her into his arms, she all but leaped into them. Her need to be alone with him like this was all that mattered. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down, smoothing the hair away from her face.

  “You’re the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I love you so much, my wife.”

  “I adore you, Wymon. You’re my everything. You know that, don’t you?”

  Moaning, he devoured her mouth with his, whisking her away to a world she could never have imagined. He did things to her, thrilling her in such incredible ways she lost herself in a sensual ecstasy impossible to describe. She’d known his tender side, but his passion shook her to her foundation and took them both to heights she never imagined possible.

  Throughout the night they found new ways to love each other. Sometime before dawn, they finally went to sleep so they would get a few hours of rest before they had to fly out.

  Jasmine moaned in protest when the front desk sent them their wake-up call.

  “No-o. I don’t want to move from this spot.”

  “My biggest worry is how to keep my hands off you while we’re on the plane.”

  “I plan to sit on your lap.”

  His laughter sent a thrill through her as she thought to herself, This is only the beginning.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Bahamas with Jasmine had been a living fantasy Wymon would remember for the rest of his life. But when he drove her to his house, which was now their home, and he saw the sun going down over the Sapphires, a feeling of wholeness enveloped him.

  He got out of the car and came around to open her door. She was a radiant, sun-tanned vision of beauty. “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

  “Home... It seems like I’ve been waiting for this forever!”

  He drew her out of the seat and carried her up the stairs to the front porch. She kissed him all the way with an eagerness he craved. Somehow he managed to unlock the door and carry her over the threshold. After shutting the door with his heel, he took the stairs to his loft, his aerie where he could look out on to his private Eden.

  He carried her over to the floor-to-ceiling window so she could take in the majesty of the mountains at this perfect time of night. It was high summer in the Sapphires. When he lowered her to the floor, Wymon drew her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Together they feasted on the glorious sight before them.

  “For years I’ve stood here watching twilight creep over the land, turning the pinks to lavender, then purple, just like it’s doing now. Only this time you’re with me to complete the landscape of my life,” he said.

  She turned in his arms and stared into his eyes. “Besides being the most wonderful man who ever lived, there’s a poet in you, Wymon. You’re in tune with nature in a way I’ve never experienced with anyone else.

  “Seeing the way things look through your eyes inspires me whether you’re talking about the moons on my filly’s coat, or the waves on the beach undulating like cloud formations before a storm. Sometimes when you tell me about the tenderness of a mother grizzly playing with her cubs, or a she-wolf loving her babies, it brings tears to my eyes, you know that?”

  She slid her arms around his neck. “How did it ever happen that you were there in the mountains that day when I needed you?”

  He drew in a deep breath. “Roce said it was meant to be. I believe it now because you’re the miracle I’ve waited for such a long time.”

  Unable to hold back, he carried her over to the bed and followed her down, needing to feel her beautiful body against him. “I want you to stay there. Don’t move until I get back. I’ll bring our things in from the car.”

  With one last plundering kiss, he hurried out of the room and down the stairs. On his way out, he walked into the kitchen and saw that his mother had bought them groceries. He’d thank her later and went out to the car for their bags.

  When he returned to the bedroom, he discovered his wife in the shower. He’d told her not to move, but this was much better.

  He whipped off his clothes and stepped inside the en suite. Jasmine was washing her hair. Moving into the stall behind her, he said her name to warn her.

  “Oh—”

  “Need some help?”

  For the next little while they brought each other to new, dizzying heights of ecstasy. Then he wrapped her in a fluffy towel, nuzzling her neck. “Mother brought us food if you want some.”

  She shook her head. “That was so kind of her, but I’m not hungry. But I’m s
ure you are, so eat if you need to.”

  “I’d rather just go to bed.”

  “That’s what I want to do. I’ve been dying to sleep in my husband’s arms, in his bed in his house.”

  “Our house, sweetheart. From now on, Wymon and Jasmine Clayton live here.”

  He helped dry her hair with another towel, and they climbed under the covers. She sounded sleepy when she said, “During the flight I wished we’d had our own private sleeping compartment. I don’t know if I can take long flights with you very often. It’s too hard on me.”

  One of the things he loved most about his wife was her passion, which equaled his own. A woman with less fire would never have held him. While they’d walked along the beach in St. Lucia, they’d talked about the children they wanted to have. His heart had leaped when she told him she’d love to start a family right away. To have a baby with her would be the fulfillment of all his dreams, so they weren’t doing anything to prevent getting pregnant.

  Jasmine had arranged with her supervisor at the university to work out of the extension office in Stevensville. Tomorrow they’d bring Moondrop home. No man could be as happy as he was tonight. With her beautiful body merged with his, he wanted for nothing.

  * * *

  “SWEETHEART?”

  Wymon was calling to her, but he’d just come down from the pasture expecting to find her dressed for the Halloween party at Eli’s. Roce was coming, too.

  But the waves of nausea that had been assailing her for the last two weeks had gotten so much worse. Jasmine had gone to Brianna’s doctor in Stevensville without telling her husband. Her joy in learning she was pregnant made the discomfort worth it. At least that was what she’d told herself until today. The doctor had given her medicine, but it probably wouldn’t kick in for another day or two.

  “I’m still in the bedroom!” she replied.

  He came bounding up the stairs and into the room, sweeping her into his arms as he always did. But she couldn’t respond and lay back on the mattress, limp.

  “Jasmine—” He groaned. “You’re so pale. Something’s wrong.”

  The terrified look on his face revealed the degree of his anguish. She’d wanted to surprise him in a special way tonight. Jim Whitefeather’s wife had loaned her an authentic Nez Perce deerskin dress and a cradle board to put on her back. Wymon would be sure to notice the significance of the costume, and she thought it would be a fun way to break the news.

  But she’d only gotten dressed as far as her slip before she’d broken out in perspiration. Wymon’s war bonnet, borrowed from Jim, was lying on the chair.

  Wymon examined her one more time. “I don’t like the look of you at all. Let’s get you to the hospital.”

  “I’ve already seen my doctor.”

  “What doctor is that?” He sounded panicked.

  “My new OB.”

  “Your OB? Jasmine—you’re pregnant?” he cried.

  “Yes, darling. It’s the best news. We’re going to have a baby, but the nausea—” She broke free of his arms and ran to the bathroom where she was sick for the second time today.

  He came in and held her, then helped her over to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face. Wymon stood by with a towel to wipe her face, then he helped her walk back to bedroom.

  “I’ll call Eli and tell him we can’t make it. Once he knows why, he’ll understand.”

  “No. We’ll go, but just for a little while. I don’t want to spoil their party. Brianna and your mom have gone to so much trouble already. Some of the neighbors will be dropping by for trick-or-treating. I wouldn’t dream of letting them down.”

  “That doesn’t matter, not with you this sick.”

  “I’m okay—I can handle it.” He didn’t look as if he believed her. It gave Jasmine her first inkling of what life was going to be like from here on out. He’d watch her like a hawk and worry about her constantly over the next seven months of her pregnancy.Her husband had been so happy for so long. Now he had a son or daughter coming, and it had aged him ten years in one night!

  When they’d both gotten dressed, she grabbed hold of his arms before they went downstairs.

  “Wymon—I’m not dying,” she said. “And I’m not going to die! After the medicine the doctor gave me kicks in, I’ll be much better. This will pass. I understand Brianna had her moments, too, and she’s fine now that she’s farther along.”

  “I’ve never seen you go that color,” he said. “You don’t know what ran through my mind when I saw your face. You didn’t even look like that after the plane crash.”

  “It’s because I wasn’t carrying Wymon Clayton’s baby then,” Jasmine teased him. “This child is so precious that it wants us to know it’s on its way big-time.” She flashed him a smile. “Just think, one day he or she will see your dream for the grizzlies to return to the Sapphires come to fruition. Keep that thought in mind every time you start to get nervous for me.”

  He cupped her face in his hands. Those silvery eyes took in every inch of her. “You’re so brave. I’m in awe of you. I saw your courage when I realized you’d climbed out of that broken plane to save Rob.”

  “Have you forgotten your bravery? You saved me and Rob and prevented a tragedy by calling 911 when you did. I’m so proud to be carrying your child, you have no idea. Now let’s hurry to Eli’s while I can still function. But you’ll have to make the announcement because I’m feeling weak.”

  “Let me help you get dressed.” After they were ready he carried her downstairs to the car, and they drove to Eli’s home. It was decked out with Halloween decorations. There was one jack-o’-lantern for every member of the family. Eli must have spent hours carving the intricate designs.

  Wymon’s mother had come dressed as a frontier woman sporting an Annie Oakley hat and a long rifle. Luis and Solana wore matching flamenco outfits and looked as if they’d dropped in from southern Spain. Brianna had dressed as a pregnant Sleeping Beauty. Eli was her Prince Charming.

  Roce stole the show with a replica of Prince John’s costume and wig from Robin Hood. But to his mother’s chagrin, he hadn’t shown up with a girlfriend. Little Libby ran around wearing a witch costume Brianna had made with a tall pointed hat and a wand.

  “Oh, Libby,” Jasmine cried. “Look at you—Wymon, isn’t she adorable?” But when she glanced up at him, he was staring at Jasmine. “Wymon?” she prodded him.

  “Yes, she’s adorable.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He pulled her close and whispered, “I just had a vision of our little girl in a witch costume one day.”

  “I had my own vision, but it was of a little boy in chaps and a cowboy hat, looking like his dad.”

  “Hey, you two—” Eli spoke up. “What’s all the whispering about?”

  She waited for Wymon to speak.

  “Family? We’re going to have a baby, but Jasmine has morning sickness. If she gets sick again like she did earlier, we’re going to have to leave.”

  Everyone shouted in delight and hugged both of them.

  Libby tugged on Wymon’s jeans. “Baby?”

  He got down on his haunches and kissed her. “Just like the one Brie is going to have.”

  “Let’s get Toly on the phone and tell him!” Roce suggested. “The news ought to fire him up to take the national championship in December.”

  But Eli kept staring at Wymon. “Are you okay, bro? You look a little pale in that headdress.”

  “I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m going to be a father.”

  A grin spread across his face. “Boy, are you in for it now.”

  “I found that out earlier tonight and am still trying to recover.”

  He patted Wymon on the shoulder. “Welcome to the daddy club.”

  “Did you hear that, Roce?” th
eir mother said to her son so everyone could hear.

  No matter how sick Jasmine felt, she laughed out loud. Mrs. Clayton walked over to Jasmine and gave her a big hug. Then she pulled her aside.

  “I’m so happy for you, I could cry for joy. Just so you know, of all my sons, Wymon is the most like his father. His dad worried constantly while I was carrying our number-one son. He treated me like I was the sacred holy grail. You’ll get used to it.” Jasmine chuckled again because everything she’d said was so true.

  “No matter how worried your husband gets, just smile and get him to do some project for you. Keeping him busy is the key. And one more thing—it’s good that Eli has already been through this. He’ll help Wymon at the right moments. Brianna’s baby will be here first, so that will help prepare my oldest boy.”

  “I love you,” Jasmine said, throwing her arms around her mother-in-law who’d raised the four finest sons in the West.

  “Jasmine?” At the sound of her husband’s voice, she turned toward him. The stress lines on that handsome face of his made him look drawn. “Let’s sit down. If you can’t eat, shall I get you a cola?”

  She didn’t want anything, but after remembering what his mother had just told her, she said, “I’d love one. Get some food for yourself, too, while you’re at it.”

  He led her to the sofa in the living room. “Will you be all right?”

  Good grief. “I will be after you bring me a drink.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  His mother glanced at Jasmine, and they both shared a conspiratorial smile. Soon Libby toddled over and sat down next to Jasmine. She lifted her dress to show her the crazy red-and-white striped stockings that Brianna had bought her. “See my stripes?”

  “I love them! I wish I had some like that.” Already, she was imagining what it would be like to have a sweet, smart daughter like Libby, one who had Wymon’s eyes and his heartbreaking smile that melted her bones. But a boy would be wonderful, too. Two of each, maybe. Hopefully.

  Wymon came back with some food and her drink. He sat down on the other side of her and put his arm around her shoulders. She took a few sips to convince him she was all right, but she was craving bed. This last month she’d been especially tired, and sleep seemed to be the panacea for her nausea.