by Nina Croft
She stepped up to the railings and looked out over the lawns. She’d made this happen. One good thing to set against the bad. She still hadn’t heard from her son. And she was starting to believe she never would. She wouldn’t pursue it any more. He had a right to ignore her, and she deserved nothing better.
Josh came up beside her, and she turned to him. “If I ever get the urge to meddle in anyone’s love life again—you tell me to go right ahead.”
He grinned. “I will.”
She searched his face. He looked at peace with himself. “So now my granddaughter is settled. What about us?”
A wary expression entered his eyes, and he looked at all the people on the lawns as though they might overhear. She didn’t care if they did. “Us?”
“You and me, Josh.” When he didn’t say anything, she heaved a sigh. “Come on. It can’t have escaped your notice that I’m in love with you.”
He almost choked.
“Tell me I’m just a stupid old lady and people our age don’t fall in love.”
“And then you’ll…?”
“Persuade you otherwise, of course. We’re never too old for love.”
“I’m not good enough.” But his words lacked conviction.
“You’re more than good enough. I don’t care where you came from, or where you’ve been, or the color of your skin. You’ve made me remember what love felt like. You’ve given me hope for the future. And I’m hardly a good bet. I’m seventy years old and I have MS and—”
“And you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Inside and out.”
“So you do care. I wasn’t sure.”
He took a deep breath. “I care.”
She reached up and cupped his face and, in front of at least half of the population of Saddler Cove, she kissed him. It was a tentative kiss and ended way too soon. But it was a start.
She raised her head to find everyone watching them, including a woman—or rather a girl—she looked early twenties at the most. She was a stranger, and Mimi had never seen her before. In faded jeans and a black T-shirt with some sort of logo on the front, she certainly wasn’t dressed for a wedding. But there was something familiar about her. She was tall and slender, with long black hair and pale skin.
She was watching them with narrowed eyes. Green eyes.
Mimi swallowed. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Mrs. Miriam Delaney,” she said. Her accent was not local. English, Mimi guessed.
“That’s me.”
The girl shrugged. “I think you might be my grandmother.”
…
“You’ve already given me a wedding present,” Emily said. “Is this another one? What did you get me? Where are we going?”
He grinned. “Stop nagging, wife.”
He pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her as they walked beside the creek, heading away from the ranch house. He was glad that was over. Weddings really weren’t his thing. Even his own—but he’d wanted to give Emily a wonderful day. She deserved it. Even if it was a shotgun wedding.
She snuggled close to him, and he said, “Do you remember this place?”
“It’s where I used to come swimming as a child.”
“Yeah.” He gave a leer. “It was where I saw you skinny-dipping.”
“I was so not skinny-dipping.”
“Christ, you were hot.”
“I was plump.”
“You were thinner than you are now.” He patted her belly. “Stop interrupting me. Believe me, you were the hottest thing I’d ever seen, and from that moment on, you were mine, even if neither of us knew it.”
She heaved a huge sigh. “Destiny.”
“Yeah. You can’t get away from your destiny, and you can’t get away from me.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Good. Because you and I are forever. I know now that you were the reason I came back to Saddler Cove. You were my home.”
“Would you ever have done something about it if I hadn’t come to you that night?”
“Probably not. Just gazed at you from afar. You were way too good for me.”
“And I thought you would never look at someone like me. It’s scary, isn’t it?” She looked around. “So, where’s my present?”
He waved a hand around him. “This is your present. I bought the land from your grandmother. I’ve been looking for a house but couldn’t find anything that was just right. And while I love your grandmother, I don’t want to live with her forever. And I certainly don’t want to live with your grandmother and Josh.”
Her eyes widened. “You think…?”
“No doubt. The women in your family are tenacious once they get their hooks into a man.”
“You’re going to build me a house?”
“A perfect house for you and me and little Sophie and anyone else who comes along.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “It sounds wonderful.”
“It will be. You want me to show you where the bedroom is going to be?”
She nodded, and he held out his hand. Emily slipped her palm into his. He stepped back and tugged her into the shade of a magnolia tree, lowered his head, and kissed her. His hands moved to the curve of her spine and the zipper that ran down the back of the dress. He kissed her again and slipped it open. By the time he raised his head, the dress was gaping open, and she held it to her breasts with one hand. He still found it hard to believe she was his.
“What if someone comes?” she asked.
“No one would dare,” he said, slipping the dress from her shoulders so it pooled around her feet. “It’s private property. Your private property.” She was in a white lace bra and panties, and his breath caught in his throat—she was so perfect, her stomach softly rounded with his baby.
“Show me your tattoo,” she said.
“You just want to get me naked.” He opened the buttons down the front of his shirt and parted the material. She trailed her finger over the heart directly over his heart. Emily forever. He’d gotten it the day after the meeting. As promised.
He shrugged out of the shirt, then kicked off his boots and was out of his pants before she could blink.
“Oh my,” she murmured. “Very impressive.” Her hand moved to the front of her bra. She flicked the hook and peeled the material from her breasts. They were bigger, the nipples prominent, and they took his breath away. She slipped her hands under the lace at her hips and wriggled out of her panties, and she was as naked as he was.
He closed the space between them, scooped her up, and lowered her to the grass. Came down over her. “With my body, I thee worship,” he murmured and took her lips in a long kiss and filled her with one sure flex off his hips.
And now he really was home.
Epilogue
She was so not having this baby until Tanner was here. He’d promised to be with her at the birth, and she was not going to let their daughter make a liar out of her daddy.
Another pain, and she threw back her head and screamed.
Where was he?
“Push, Emily,” the midwife urged.
She didn’t want to push. She wanted Tanner.
She’d only been in labor for an hour. Little Sophie couldn’t be coming yet. Another contraction, and she lost herself in a world of pain. She was splitting in half. This could not be normal. She was going to die, and Tanner would be sorry because she’d be dead, and he’d never get to say goodbye and…
Then he was there. A hand slid into hers, and she opened her eyes and stared straight into his stormy gray ones.
“Push,” he encouraged.
And she pushed. It felt like something popped, and she had a moment of blissful release.
“Oh my God. She’s coming. She’s actually coming. It’s a baby, Emily.”
“Really,” she growled. “Not a Harley?” Then another pain, and then the pressure was suddenly gone, as if a switch had been turned off. What was happening? Tanner was staring between her legs. Ugh. That couldn’t
be pretty, and she almost giggled at the thought. She’d heard of men who had been put off sex for life by being present at a birth.
But Tanner was made of sterner stuff.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s beautiful. She’s the most beautiful—second most beautiful,” he amended quickly, “thing in the whole world.”
Emily closed her eyes for a moment as relief flooded her. When she opened them, Tanner stood at her shoulder. He had a streak of grease across his cheek, his hair was halfway to his shoulders, and he wore dirty jeans and an oil-stained wifebeater. He was perfect.
The midwife handed him a bundle, and he took it almost reverently.
The baby snuggled against his broad chest. She was like her mom and clearly loved the smell of oil. The man and the baby. Her man, her baby. Together they were the most beautiful thing Emily had ever seen.
How easy would it have been for them to never have come to this point. One turn in the wrong direction. It frightened her for a moment. Then Tanner caught her gaze, and a slow smile curved his mouth. And the fear vanished.
You didn’t know what life was going to throw at you. But you couldn’t live in fear, or you missed out on the very things you feared losing. She held out her arms, and Tanner lowered their baby to her, laid her gently on her chest, and Emily felt the warmth seep into her skin.
“I think we should get her a pony,” she said. “At next year’s pony swim. You can’t start riding too young.”
“And maybe a hog,” Tanner said. “A little tiny baby hog. And a little baby leather jacket to wear when she rides it.”
She bit back a smile. “Are we going to be sensible about this?”
He grinned. “Hell no, baby. I never married me a sensible woman.”
“Thank goodness.”
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About the Author
Growing up, Nina Croft spent her time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both, and much more, could be found between the covers of a book, her life changed forever.
Later, she headed south, picked up a husband on the way, and together they discovered a love of travel and a dislike of 9 to 5 work. Eventually they stumbled upon the small almond farm in Spain they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing, and riding under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. Proof that dreams can come true if you want them enough.
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www.ninacroft.com
Also by Nina Croft…
The Cutting Loose series
Falling for the Bad Girl
Blackmailing the Bad Girl
The Bad Girl and the Baby
The Order series
Bittersweet Blood
Bittersweet Magic
Bittersweet Darkness
Bittersweet Christmas
the Dark Desires series
Break Out
Deadly Pursuit
Death Defying
Temporal Shift
Blood and Metal
Flying Through Fire
the Beyond Human series
Unthinkable
Unspeakable
the Things to Do Before You Die series
His Fantasy Girl
Her Fantasy Husband
His Fantasy Bride
the Babysitting a Billionaire series
Losing Control
Out of Control
Taking Control
the Melville Sisters series
Operation Saving Daniel
Betting on Julia
Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire
The Descartes Legacy
The Spaniard’s Kiss
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