Desert Angel (Family Justice Book 2)

by Suzanne Halliday

  Angie flung her arms about his waist and giggled into his shoulder. This must be some traditional engagement rite of passage, he figured. That was the only way to explain the constant ribbing he was getting.

  Alex pounded him on the back. “Get used to it,” he grunted.

  “Yeah, funny shit. I know. Have done my fair share of messing with you three but fuck, man—I don’t get it. The bullshit about our age.” Parker was sulking and he knew it. “No one gives Cam shit and Lacey’s the youngest one in this room except for the kids.”

  Angie was still plastered against him, her arms holding him tightly around his waist. She “Hmmph’d” and look up at him, her chin resting on his chest. “Word,” she drawled.

  Cam stepped in then and flat-out mocked him. “What you say is true. Except in our case, I hadn’t changed my wife’s diaper as a baby.”

  Everyone gathered around laughing and elbowing each other. Hurling randy comments about butt creams and baby wipes that quickly devolved to a triple X-rated giggle fest.

  Lacey, dear sweet Lacey, who had Dylan half asleep on her shoulder, threw him a lifeline. “What did you give Angie for her sweet sixteen?”

  Angie’s sharp gasp and the speed with which she turned to look at her new friend set his awareness to high. Her sixteenth birthday? No way was that a random question. Lacey was trying to make a point.

  Okay. He could do this. Her sweet sixteen. Hmmm. He would have been in D.C. by then while Alex had been doing his thing. What had he given her? Parker searched his memory, wishing the Guinness fog wasn’t so thick.

  And then he remembered. Holy fuckballz. Of course! Angel’s sweet sixteen.

  Uncle Cris and Aunt Ashleigh had thrown a fabulous party and his parents were right there in the thick of things. He couldn’t get away from work for a trip home so he’d sent a present to his mom and asked her to see that Angie got it.

  That was the first and only time, aside from anything having to do with his mom, that he’d walked into a jewelry store and bought a gift. The salesman had dazzled him with all sorts of crazy stuff until he’d glimpsed a dainty pair of ruby and diamond earrings that he just had to give her. Ruby was her birthstone and the diamonds, well . . . he remembered thinking with her coloring, that she’d look outrageous in diamonds.

  Lacey was smiling at him. To Angie she said, “Do you remember? What did he give you?”

  Before she could answer, he hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. He totally fucking had this and he totally fucking knew exactly what Lacey was doing.

  “Ruby earrings. I gave her ruby and diamond earrings that I bought myself from a small jewelry shop in Georgetown.”

  Angie was positively beaming at him. Did she think he wouldn’t remember? Maybe he hadn’t exactly forgotten but until Lacey brought it up, he hadn’t seen how important the moment had been for them.

  “Even then, you knew.” No question. Lacey Cameron. One smart lady.

  Parker gulped. Yeah. Even then.

  “You guys have something none of us will ever have. A history that probably starts long before either of you were born. I think they call that destiny.”

  He wanted to kiss her. How could one so damn young be so damn wise?

  “I heard Ben needling you earlier about the lack of bling.”

  Hmph. He remembered. Pissed him off—everyone making it seem like he’d let her down by not coming prepared with a ring. For Christ’s sake! He’d just asked her. You’d think he could be cut a little slack. It was not like there was a jeweler out here in the middle of nowhere.

  “Angie,” Lacey said. “Still have those earrings?”

  “I do indeed.”

  “Don’t suppose you have them with you?”

  Angie rocked against him, her whole body saying, yes.

  Parker put his fingers beneath her chin and urged her to look at him. “Really?”

  She nodded. They stared at each other. He didn’t know what to say. Even though he’d hurt her so badly that she couldn’t let him put so much as a toenail in her life, she held on to those tiny jewels. And, she brought them halfway around the planet when she knew, at some point, they’d have to confront their past.

  Wow.

  Like the waves that moved upon the shore that had no beginning and no end, Cam and Lacey, Drae and Tori, Alex and Meghan . . . they moved in and surrounded him and Angie with a force field of love that staggered him.

  Theirs wasn’t a conventional romance and thank fucking god for that. With so much history between them, it was inevitable that sometimes they got ahead of themselves before either was ready for the consequences of their actions—but with just a few words from Lacey, Parker saw so clearly that, even though those starts and stops were painful, maybe what was actually happening was flashes of their future coming through. Just at the wrong time.

  Alex had the last word . . . as it should be.

  “Family is all about connections. Everyone here understands that in their own unique way. We made a family together in the middle of a war,” he said with a nod to Cam and Drae. “We call ourselves brothers but that word can’t do justice to our connection.”

  They each fist bumped.

  “And it can’t really explain our connection either, can it?” he asked Parker. “Brothers, but not. Totally weird, man.”

  Angie blurted out, “I love you, Alexander.”

  “Love you too, little sister.”

  Alex looked around at all of them. You could see the emotion on his face.

  “We’re making something fucking special out here in the desert. It’s not always about blood, is it?”

  Every head in the room shook.

  Alex extended his hand, palm down. “Family Justice,” was all he said.

  Drae put his hand on top of Alex’s. Followed by Meghan, Tori, Cam, and Lacey.

  Parker took Angie’s hand in his and kissed it softly. “Family Justice,” he murmured into eyes that looked upon him with amazing love. Still holding tight, he joined their hands to everyone else’s.

  “To the future,” Alex said with a strength that resonated through the room.

  “Family Justice!” they all boomed.

  On cue, Daniel let out an impressive burp-fart to which Drae drawled, “That’s my boy!”

  “And on that note,” Tori laughed, “I think it’s time to call it a night.”

  Alex was on a high. When you have a lot of shit in your head from the past, it was good to have these palette cleansing times. Family Justice was solid. Things were back on track. Relieved, his thoughts instantly moved to his Meghan.

  Today’s family get-together might have meant more to him than to her. Hell, he would never get enough of surprising her or planning things, big and small, that were expressions of how much he fucking adored her and the balls out, day-long celebration, a tip of the hat to her Irish heritage would definitely end up being an annual thing.

  One by one everyone drifted away. Drae and Tori called for Raven, then with Daniel in the stroller, set out for home.

  When Angie kissed him good night and reminded him that she was going home with Parker, he almost said, over my dead body, before remembering the two were now engaged.

  He and Meghan, along with Cam, Lacey, and Dylan, waved them off at the front door as they too started off on the walk back to the hacienda where Parker’s SUV was parked.

  “I think they’re gonna make it,” Cam told him. “I’ve never seen Parker so . . . undone.”

  Happy to hear it, Alex put out his hand. “Thanks for all you did today. Meghan and I appreciate it.”

  Cam leaned in and gave Meghan a kiss on the cheek. “My pleasure, Red. And just so you know, loved the movie. I’m adding it to my classics library.”

  A few more minutes went by while they chatted but all Alex was aware of was the hand he held in his. Suddenly, he couldn’t get her out of there fast enough.

  They were halfway home, walking silently side-by-side, their hands clasped, when he mumbled, “I d
on’t think we should sleep together tonight.”

  Meghan stumbled and almost went down, but he caught her and helped her steady.

  “Whaaat? Why?” she whined.

  He’d been thinking about this all day but didn’t know the right way to say what was on his mind so he went with the obvious.

  “Aren’t the bride and groom not supposed to see each other the night before they marry?”

  Her disappointment when he stated his case was palpable. “Oh.”

  They walked on a little further. “I had Carmen fix up the casita.”

  This time she didn’t stumble. Instead, she came to a complete halt and yanked on his arm.

  “Excuse me?” She sounded incredulous. A little like he felt. Alex couldn’t believe he was buying into this wedding folklore nonsense.

  They’d just passed the turn to the St. John’s and were headed straight for the winding path that snaked behind the hacienda where the casita sat halfway between home and Drae’s house. He could see the soft lights coming from the little bungalow.

  He didn’t respond to her question, just urged her to, “Come on,” and kept walking.

  By the time they reached the casita door, Meghan was openly fretting.

  “Alex, no. Don’t. Please.” She rushed him and tried to wind around his body. “I need you.”

  That almost undid him.

  He called Zeus to his side and scratched her head when she came dutifully and sat next to him.

  “You take care of Mommy, okay?” he told the dog. “And don’t let her sulk too long.”

  A side of his fiancée he’d never seen before made an appearance. Stomping her foot like a frustrated kid, she got angry and pushed him away.

  “Fine. If that’s how you want to do this.” Her flash of Irish fire fueled by irritation and what he suspected was a bad case of the boo-hoos was something to behold.

  Smacking her hand against her leg, she motioned for the dog to follow and turned on her heel to go. Alex shook his head. Like he was going to let her get the last word and stomp away!

  Before she finished even one step away from him, he grabbed and spun her around, moving her quickly until her back was against the front door.

  He could have spent the next twenty minutes trying to cajole her into a better mood, but Alex knew exactly what she needed.

  Cupping her face in his hands he looked deep into her eyes.

  “I love you. Tomorrow, I make you my wife. Mine,” he whispered just as his lips met hers.

  Kissing her tenderly, he knew the second her upset crumbled to dust.

  When he pulled back, he arched an eyebrow at her and waited. She nodded after a minute and swallowed heavily.

  “Yours,” she murmured.

  He smiled. “Go home. Crawl in our bed and dream about the next time we make love. As husband and wife.”

  “Oh, baby,” she sighed.

  “I’ll come for you at eleven. Be ready.”

  And with that, he shooed her along, patting her bottom gently, gesturing to Zeus to follow along.

  She went because she knew that was what he wanted, but her steps were heavy and slow. Right before she turned toward the big house, he called after her, “And no playing with yourself when I’m not there!” he yelled.

  Now that got a laugh—something he heard carried on the nighttime air for long moments after she disappeared.

  “Tomorrow, my love,” he said quietly out loud. “Tomorrow you become Meghan Valleja-Marquez.”

  Above him, the sky twinkled as the stars shone their approval.

  Their future began tomorrow.

  MEGHAN’S HEART WAS OVERFLOWING WITH love and happiness. At the stroke of eleven, she left their bedroom and made her way through the hacienda, with a wink to Abuela’s portrait as she passed by and stumbled to an astonished halt when Alex came into view. Having never seen him in a formal dress uniform, she was completely unprepared for the emotional wallop that struck her and built with each step she took down the long staircase.

  When her dashing Major came to the foot of the stairs, offered his arm, and looked into her eyes, her soul took flight. The love shining back at her was big enough to get lost in. It was a moment to be frozen in time that she could replay in her heart, over and over.

  They didn’t say anything. No words were necessary. Plenty of time for that later. Right now, she just wanted to take in how handsome he looked and how damn lucky she was that he looked at her the way he did.

  As they bounced along in the truck, she smiled so big that her jaw ached. Zeus, her faithful companion and ally, sat proudly between them, just like she had the first time Meghan had ridden out into the desert with Alex in this very vehicle. A rapid, heated rush crept up her neck remembering what else happened that day in the front seat, and she found herself biting back a giggle.

  Beaming at her hunky fiancé, she almost lost the battle of staying still and if not for the dog blocking her way, would have been all over Alex like a rash.

  Oh, my lord, he looked so fucking hot and sexy in his uniform. She truly had no idea how turned on seeing him like this would get her. There was something hugely impressive about the dress uniform and the colorful bars, medals, and insignias. Of course, the really impressive thing was the brawny, solid body beneath the immaculate military costume. Have his thighs always been that muscular, she wondered.

  Alex glanced her way and smirked, almost like he was picking up on her private thoughts. Laughing, she did absolutely nothing to disguise the look of hungry desire she was sure was shining in her eyes.

  “You look ravishing,” he murmured with an appraising drift of his gaze to her outfit. She’d thought of everything, right down to the beautiful western boots that she jokingly said came from the Cowgirl Bridal Collection.

  The simple white dress was dignified but sexy with a flared skirt and lace draping around her bared shoulders. She’d piled her hair on top of her head and let auburn tendrils fall all around, adding tiny crystal studded pins for some bling. She wore no jewelry except the magnificent diamond and emerald ring that marked her as his.

  And she also wore no panties—but he didn’t know that. Not yet. The sheer white scrap intended for her special attire was pretty. But let’s face it, sometimes it was smarter to go au naturel. He wouldn’t be able to remain still or concentrate if he knew she was naked beneath her dress, so she said nothing. Just sat there with a sly smile, totally aware of her bare bottom in the fancy dress.

  Ahead in the distance, Drae’s beautiful pergola came into view. The closer she got, the more excited she became because, even at a distance, she could see that the tall wooden structure had sheaths of white draped all around.

  Amor Vórtice. Awww, Alex had really gone all out. How sweet was he? Then she noticed a big SUV was parked nearby.

  That was Calder’s car. Oh, my god. Wait a minute! Calder? Meghan had assumed they were headed into the desert for a private moment, just between her and Alex. The scenario she pictured in her mind seemed so romantic. Alone, surrounded by nature’s simple solitude—saying vows and making promises. The ones that would count. That was all she ever really wanted. The privacy to make their sacred commitments to each other in a meaningful way minus everyone else’s potential bullshit clouding her joy.

  Why was Calder here? She honestly had no idea. Besides, wasn’t he supposed to be in Atlanta begging Tori’s mom to take him on?

  “What’s going on, Major?” she asked breathlessly as they drew closer.

  Zeus noticed something was up because she started fidgeting and making little doggie noises.

  They were on the final approach to their special spot when Alex slowed to a crawl.

  “There was no way I was letting you fly out of here—away from me—even though it’s only for a few weeks, without us being truly married first. You belong to me, Meghan. I want the words said before you leave.”

  “Oh, Alex,” she murmured softly.

  “My uncle is here because he loves you almos
t as much as I do. I asked for his help and you won’t believe he did this, but Calder’s solution was fucking epic. He got ordained as a minister and can legally perform weddings. What we start here today, Uncle Eduardo and the church can sanctify later.”

  Meghan almost shot from her seat and jumped in his lap. If the dog hadn’t been in the way, that was exactly what would have happened. “For real? Calder can marry us?”

  “Yep, yep,” he drawled. “And to save my eardrums from the excited squeal I know is coming, I’ll tell you now that Stephanie is with him. She’s agreed to be our witness, and like my uncle, has sworn a vow of secrecy. No use in hurting anyone’s feelings. Your family’s or mine.”

  “Stephanie?” Meghan screamed as Alex laughed at her reaction. “Does Tori know she’s here?”

  “No. Not yet. Cam and Drae are in on what we’re doing, which is why the Camerons and the St. Johns chose today to take the boys on an outing. The ladies have been distracted and no one knows a thing. This is about us, Meghan. You and me. It’s what you wanted, right?”

  Tears stung at her nose and swam in her eyes. They were getting married. Him in his magnificent dress uniform and her in some sexy cowgirl boots and no undies. Could anything be more perfect? She didn’t think so and giggled at the thought.

  “Did I do okay, baby?” he asked. The uncertainty she heard in his voice was so fucking cute.

  “Did you do okay?” she barked happily. “Did you do okay? Oh, my fucking god, Alex.”

  Meghan searched for the right thing to say. Something profound and eloquent so he’d know how much his efforts touched her. In every way. A naughty grin lit up her face when just the right thing came to mind.

  Shimmying around the damn dog who she made switch places with her, Meghan leaned into Alex’s solid body and sent a hand onto his thigh where sliding it toward the bulge in his slacks was an easy move.

  “You are too good to me, Major,” she purred close to his ear.

  With only a minute or so before they’d be at their spot, she palmed the hardness and smiled with satisfaction when she felt his flesh surge against her questing fingers.