Cowboy's Heart

by Rhonda Laurel

  The colonel glared at Tate for what seemed like an eternity, then finally came over to them and said, “Why haven’t you married my daughter? You’ve been engaged for a hundred years.”

  “Sir, I wanted to marry Isabelle the day I proposed, but she wanted to wait until the timing was perfect.”

  Isabelle began to cry when her father gave Tate a big bear hug. And when Tate realized the colonel wasn’t trying to kill him, he relaxed and accepted the embrace.

  “I think a baby on the way is perfect timing.”

  “I would say so too.”

  “You take care of my daughter, you hear me? She’s everything to me.” Lucas held out his hand to Tate.

  “I will sir. Nothing is more important to me than her happiness.” Tate smiled and shook his hand.

  The family joined in on the celebrating, everyone excited about the new addition to the family. Isabelle looked at Tate, and she could see the love and happiness in his eyes. This was the happiest day of her life, and it was only going to get better tonight.

  * * *

  When Avery went on her social media page to download shots of Las Vegas, she immediately came to Isabelle and Morgan and informed them of the news circulating on the family page.

  One of the cousins insinuated that Lamont had publicly ditched Charisma and went off with another woman in Sin City. Charisma hadn’t updated her status, which she did religiously, so the quiet on her social media page about her daily activities made the family worry. They rounded themselves up to go to the hotel and kick Lamont’s ass, but Isabelle’s mom suggested Isabelle and Morgan go check up on Charisma instead.

  If there was nothing wrong, then there’d be no harm, no foul, that her cousins dropped by for a visit. What surprised her the most was that Morgan agreed with the plan. Isabelle couldn’t understand why Morgan would reach out to Charisma of all people. Morgan said the idea of that jerk wide receiver Lamont Brayer thinking he could mistreat a Reed woman stuck in her craw. Sydney called and got the hotel information from Deborah, who for once sounded genuinely concerned about her daughter. The cousins set out, accompanied by two Regency specialists, to get to the bottom of things.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? What if she doesn’t want our help?” Isabelle asked as they approached Charisma’s hotel room.

  “No, it’s probably not. And if she doesn’t, she’s a big girl.” Morgan knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

  “Luther, are you sure this is the right room?” Isabelle bit her lip.

  Luther gave her a stoic nod. “Do you want me to knock the door down?”

  “Let’s try one more time.”

  Morgan knocked on the door again. This time they could hear someone moving around inside. Isabelle expected her cousin to prance to the door in some slinky outfit, instead of a puffy eyed mess with bed head, still in her pajamas.

  “Isabelle? Morgan? What are you doing here?” Charisma’s eyes widened.

  “We heard you were in town with Lamont. Can we come in?” Isabelle asked.

  “OK.” Charisma ushered them inside and tried to clean up a bit. There was men’s clothing strewn about the hotel room. Apparently Lamont was a pig.

  “Where is my husband’s arch nemesis?” Morgan quipped.

  “Lamont’s been at a private poker tournament for the past two days. What’s up?” Charisma mumbled as she tried to straighten her hair.

  “We have something for you.” Isabelle reached into her purse. “I don’t know what’s been going on with you and Lamont, and it’s none of our business. Here’s a ticket to Tate’s concert tonight and one standard issue Tate’s Angel T-shirt. The family would love it if you could make it.”

  “Thanks.” Charisma’s eyes widened. She seemed to be at a loss for words, so she looked at the ticket as if she were looking for a secret code. “Will I be able to see you guys from my seat?”

  “That ticket is for the family’s private box. There’s plenty of room for you there.” Isabelle nodded.

  “And…” Morgan went into her handbag and got an envelope. “Here’s a key card to a room on our floor at the Magnus for you. Again, it’s none of our business, but you don’t have to put up with Brayer’s crap. If you can pack right away, there’s a family mixer in two hours before the concert starts. Someone from Regency is outside to help you move your things.”

  “Thanks,” Charisma stammered. “I can get my things together in fifteen minutes. I’ll see you at the mixer.”

  Isabelle and Morgan got on the elevator and pressed the button. They stood in silence for a moment.

  “That was a nice gesture.” Morgan put her arm around Isabelle.

  “It must be the pregnancy making me all goody-two-shoes-y.” She sighed.

  “Yeah, the twins had me doing all kinds of humanitarian crap when they weren’t playing soccer in my womb.” Morgan laughed.

  “Morgan?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m having a baby.” Isabelle sniffed and put her head on her cousin’s shoulder.

  “Congratulations.”

  “I have you and Seth to thank for bringing Tate into my life. If it weren’t for you we never would have ever met.” Isabelle wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “Since you put it that way, I get first dibs on babysitting detail. I’m going to spoil your kid rotten.” Morgan laughed.

  “You are a nut. You have three rambunctious kids, and you want to babysit?”

  “To tell you the truth, I love babies. Seth may be more vocal about his desire to have more kids, but I love the idea of adding to our family too.” Morgan hunched her shoulders.

  Morgan’s phone pinged. It was Avery informing her that Charisma had just posted that she was going to Tate’s concert with the family.

  “That didn’t take long,” Isabelle quipped.

  “Charisma bounces back pretty fast. I think that’s why she doesn’t remember half the crap she’s pulled.”

  They erupted in laughter.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The knock from Cyril on the dressing room door meant it was show time in five minutes. Lucinda McCann’s opening set was forty-five minutes, with an additional fifteen for an encore. Tate was too busy watching Isabelle sleep on the couch to be plagued by the usual last-minute jitters. She was absolutely radiant, like she’d been the past month, but now he knew why. The baby was changing her already. He preferred to leave her sleeping, but she told him she’d never forgive him if she didn’t get to see his performance live.

  “Izzy, it’s time for me to go on stage,” Tate whispered into her ear.

  “OK. Knock ’em dead cowboy.” She sat up and stretched her arms over her head.

  “You know…” Tate put his knee between her legs and laid her back down on the couch. “I could make them wait another…half hour for me.”

  “You will do nothing of the sort. And get up before you wrinkle your nice concert clothes.” Isabelle ran a hand through his hair and laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Between your curls and mine, our child is going to have the curliest hair on the planet.”

  “I can’t wait.” He kissed her hand, gently pulled her off the couch, and led her out of the dressing room.

  Tate walked out onto the stage, and the crowd went wild. The last thing he wanted to do was perform when the woman he loved was sitting on a stool behind the curtain waiting for him. Isabelle insisted on sitting there instead of in the private box with the family, so he got her a pair of earplugs and gave her a kiss.

  “Hello, Las Vegas!” Tate bellowed, and the crowd erupted again. He loved the feeling of connecting with his fans. It was overwhelming, and yet it paled in comparison to knowing the love of his life was only a few feet away from him, and she was carrying his child. Tonight he wouldn’t worry about his past, or whether he’d be a good father. Tonight he was going to revel in the greatest moment of his life.

  “This is a special night for me and the band. As you know, this is the last per
formance on my Cowboy’s Heart tour, and it’s even more special because I promised my fiancée Isabelle that we’d set a wedding date after this concert.”

  The crowd yelled and cheered.

  “But tonight is even more special because I found out today I’m going to be a daddy.” Tate smiled and blew a kiss at Isabelle.

  The band approached and gave him hugs and that only stirred the already restless arena.

  “So I have my whole family here, and the woman I love, and about a thousand wedding chapels per square block in this town.”

  Tate went over, retrieved Isabelle from the stool, and brought her center stage with him.

  “So, I thought it would be a good idea if we get married tomorrow. So what do you say?”

  “Yes.” Isabelle laughed and threw her arms around his neck.

  Tate kissed her for what seemed like an eternity until Dewey hit a few chords on his guitar. When they came up for air, Isabelle covered the microphone attached to his shirt.

  “You are crazy.” She sighed.

  “Crazy about you.” He ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t want to wait another minute to be married to you.”

  “Are you getting sentimental, or are you scared of my father?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “He finally thinks it’s a good idea for us to get married, so I want to get it done before he changes his mind.” He chuckled.

  “How are we going to pull off a wedding by tomorrow?”

  “This is Vegas. And I already have our mommas on it. They assured me everything would be in order.”

  “I think you better get back to work. I don’t think these people paid to watch us make out on the stage.”

  “Now that would be quite a performance. I love you.” He kissed her.

  “I know. Now give these people more than their money’s worth. They just shared a very special moment with you.”

  Tate rubbed her belly then bent down and kissed her stomach for good measure. The crowd started chanting his name as Isabelle left the stage. As soon as the lighting cue came up, Tate started playing his guitar. The music pulsed through the air, and he was in heaven. He was getting married tomorrow.

  “My first song of the night is going to be my single that’s been topping the charts recently. It’s called ‘Isabelle’s Smile.’”

  * * *

  The family and the band were still partying when Tate and Isabelle slipped away for some alone time. They barely made it into the suite before they stripped each other naked. Tate didn’t say a word as he picked her up and led her into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and gazed into her eyes like he’d done a thousand times before. But tonight was different. The way he held her was firmer but still amazingly gentle. She remained perfectly still as he kissed every inch of her body, sending sensual ripples through her.

  He parted her legs and teased her as he kissed her folds while inserting a finger into her. Before she could let out a good gasp, he probed her with his tongue. She grabbed onto his blond curls and pulled him closer, her body rocked as he manipulated her clit. Just when she thought he was getting to the good part, he lifted up and thrust into her gently, not with his normal ferocious enthusiasm. She loved that he didn’t hold back when they made love. It was the intensity that made her breathless as they picked up a rhythm, and he delved deeper inside, stretching her to her core. She gripped him with her thighs and ran her nails down his back, begging him to go faster. Tate kissed her mouth, then trailed kisses down her breasts and took a hard nipple into her mouth. The sensation was a thousand times more pronounced that it had ever been before. She cried out when he released it and turned his attention to the other one.

  She didn’t think it was possible, but he went even deeper within her. Isabelle grabbed his ass as he began to spasm. He put his hand between them and massaged her clit until the fire was uncontrollable in her too. When Tate climaxed, he cried out, and the bed shook. He lay on top of her careful not to put his weight on her, his forehead pressed against hers. Physically spent and delightfully happy, she drifted off to sleep feeling his heartbeat against her chest.

  A few hours later she woke to find the bed empty. Tate was sitting on a chair watching her.

  “What are you doing all the way over there?”

  “Just admiring the view.” Tate smiled.

  “I’d rather have you in bed with me. We have an early day tomorrow.”

  “I was thinking of taking some time off.”

  “I know. You said after the tour wound down you would take a couple of months off before working on your next album.”

  “I was thinking maybe a year or two. With the baby coming I think it’s better if I stay home for a while.”

  “Come here.” She held out her hand to him.

  Tate climbed into bed and nestled close to her. As soon as he was settled he planted a tender kiss on her lips. She always liked the way he kissed her, it always seemed so full of hope and promises.

  “I love you, Izzy.” Tate ran his hand over her belly.

  “I love you too. That’s why what I’m about to say is coming from a place of love. I don’t want you to think you have to stand guard over me and never leave my side while this baby grows inside me. We’re going to have a good pregnancy and a healthy baby. I can feel it. And I can’t have you driving yourself crazy. I don’t see you staying away from your music for such a long time. You love it; it’s a part of you. Since you found Lila’s uncompleted songs, it’s important now more than ever to explore them and continue her legacy. Finding those songs has made you happy in a way I’ve never seen. You’re embracing the past for the first time with love and forgiveness. I can’t let you abandon that to put all your focus on me and the baby.”

  “I wouldn’t be sitting around the house. I’ve been thinking about spending time at Blake Enterprises and seeing what I can do there to help J.J.”

  “I think it’s nice you want to participate in the family business. Great even. But I hope you’re not laying down your guitar because you think you need to be something else. I love my country western crooner just fine. It’s something to be proud of, and I’m going to make sure our children grow up in a house full of music.”

  “I don’t want anything seeping in from my time with Joe. I want to have the kind of relationship with our child that I have with John Jacob.” He sighed.

  “I know that. The baby knows it too. So how about a compromise? Take time off to rest and enjoy being a new dad. Spend some time at Blake Enterprises, but don’t let go of your passion for music.”

  “I want to be with you every step of the way.”

  “And you will be.” She kissed him.

  * * *

  The ladies came to their suite bright and early and kicked Tate out. He was instructed to go to J.J.’s room, which was abuzz with the sounds of the men getting ready. Tyler was squirming in his suit, Seth was fiddling with his tie, but J.J. looked well put together. It was the three men on the couch who concerned him.

  Tate stopped in his tracks. “What the hell happened to you three?”

  Channing, Jared, and Bo were slouched down on the couch looking like road kill. Channing was sloped over on the cushions, Jared was sipping on a drink, and Bo had an icepack on his head.

  “Do you have to shout?” Bo rubbed his temples.

  “We went to this new strip club, Exotic Delights, last night,” Jared grumbled.

  “I had to whip these party animals up some of my morning-after mix when they came begging at four a.m.” Seth chuckled.

  “Yeah, Seth, thanks for waking Morgan up so she could read us the riot act.” Channing gave him a thumbs up.

  “Had a wild night?” Tate raised an eyebrow.

  “We went the strip club only to find out it’s a male club. The women thought we were the entertainment mingling with the crowd. We thought it was a joke at first until someone pushed Bo against a bar stool and ripped his shirt off.”

  “You’re looking at the new Vegas male revue
, the Naughty Nerds,” Tyler chimed in.

  Tate doubled over in laughter.

  “That is not funny, McGill.” Bo winced as he peeked from underneath the ice pack.

  “I blame Jared’s tight muscle shirt. Clearly it was a stripper shirt,” Channing mused.

  “Well, if you had reined in that studly cowboy routine, we could have gotten out of there without incident,” Jared fired back.

  “What about my glasses? I never got my glasses back,” Bo added.

  “Can you see anything?” Tyler squinted at him.

  “I have my contacts in,” Bo replied.

  “You can actually see your face. You’re a good-looking guy, I don’t understand why you wear those glasses,” J.J. said.

  “Oh my gosh, Taffy told him the same thing last night,” Channing quipped.

  “Clearly it’s a defense mechanism,” Tyler drawled.

  “Please tell me no one got married last night to a stripper with a heart of gold.” Tate looked at the three of them.

  “Nah. Although Bo went missing for a while. Kendrick tried to call for backup, but by that time, a group of women had taken him into a side room. He grabbed a pool cue and a stool and managed to push them back. Regency came in and got us out of there shortly after that,” Jared replied.

  “I feel so…used,” Bo mumbled. “Those women weren’t interested in anything but my body.”

  “And that’s a bad thing because…?” Seth mused.

  “Yeah, we’ve scheduled another tutorial tomorrow morning.” Tyler played with his cuff link.

  “Now that picture of me with that celebutante doesn’t seem all that bad,” Channing said.

  “No, it’s still bad. Sam had to get pretty crafty to delete those pictures off her phone,” J.J. snarled.

  “Poor Sam didn’t really get a vacation this week, did she?” Tate winced.

  “No, but the upside is we get to set a wedding date since you and Isabelle are getting hitched today.” J.J. grinned.

  “Let’s toast.” Seth began dispensing champagne glasses to everyone. “To my brother Tate as he embarks on the wonderful journey that is marriage and fatherhood. I hope you and Isabelle have many years of wedded bliss and a house full of kids.”