Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  “I’d like to go home, please,” Mary Beth said firmly. Then she realized what she’d said. “Well, I don’t have a home, but I still want to leave.”

  The doctor looked up from her chart, his eyebrows raised. “Not too crazy about the accommodations, huh?” he asked, chuckling. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” He looked at Deke when he spoke. “Well, I think it’d be safe for her to leave as long as someone can stay with her for a few days.”

  “Oh, but—”

  “She’ll be staying with us, doctor,” Deke stated firmly. Her protest went unnoticed.

  Mary Beth’s eyes widened. “No, I—”

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” Lynn added, her expression tender. “We’ll take good care of her.” She looked at Mary Beth. “Don’t even try to talk us out of it. We’ve already set up a room for you at the Bar M. And the kids just love Lightning and Lady.”

  Mary Beth swallowed hard, forcing the knot in her throat down. She fought back the tears that filled her eyes. “That’s very kind of you. All of you,” she said, scanning their smiling faces.

  Deke took her hand and squeezed it, his eyes full of tenderness. “You didn’t think you’d be going anywhere else, did you?”

  Mary Beth put the finishing touches on her makeup, then twisted and turned to check her reflection in her bedroom mirror. Her hair fell in glistening array around her shoulders, and the emerald-green dress she wore brought out the color of her eyes. She smiled at herself. It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed the Christmas holidays.

  She hadn’t expected to still be at the McCall ranch on Christmas morning, but that was exactly where she found herself. Deke and his family had welcomed her into their loving home, installed her in one of the bedrooms—the one next to Deke’s—and made sure she was comfortable.

  Upon the doctor’s assurance that it was safe for her to travel, they’d whisked her away to Las Vegas once she’d left the hospital. Night after night, she’d watched with her heart in her throat as Deke competed for the bull-riding championship. On the last night, everyone in the stadium had erupted in hoots and whistles as Deke had taken first place and accepted his gold belt buckle.

  Once they returned home, Mary Beth realized that Christmas was fast approaching. While in the past she’d merely tolerated the holidays, this year she truly possessed the spirit of Christmas. She treasured every moment of decorating the large McCall home along with Catherine and Ashley. Together, they draped garland along the mantel over the fireplace, hung a huge wreath on the front door and placed candles in the windows. The scent of bayberry drifted throughout the house.

  Deke and his brothers hauled in a gigantic Christmas tree, and Mary Beth spent an entire afternoon helping the family decorate it with colored lights and an assortment of homemade ornaments. She had so much fun that she was almost disappointed when the task was done.

  She and Deke made several trips to the mall, where she spent hours choosing just the right gift for each family member. Several times Deke had to drag her from the stores. She was so excited about her purchases that she would rush home to wrap each item and place it beneath the huge tree. She could barely contain her enthusiasm as she waited for Christmas to arrive, eager to see the delighted faces of the children as they opened their presents.

  Being part of a family was a new and exciting experience for her. With each passing day, Mary Beth’s love for Deke only grew stronger. Caught up in the holiday spirit, she began to wish for the impossible—that Deke would fall in love with her.

  “After all,” she whispered to herself, “Christmas is the season of miracles.”

  Maybe she was being foolish, but her father’s memory box had made her believe in miracles again.

  Though Deke hadn’t spoken words of love, that he desired her wasn’t even questionable. Late at night, after everyone had gone to bed, he would sneak into her room and make love to her. He would have stayed with her all night had she not insisted that for propriety’s sake he return to his own room before his family awoke and caught them in bed together. Deke assured her that his family knew exactly where he spent his nights. But early each morning he did as she requested and returned to his own bed.

  Satisfied with her appearance on Christmas morning, Mary Beth left her room and headed for the den, anxious to join the McCalls as they gathered around the Christmas tree. Lynn and Russ and their son, Shayne, were just arriving as she came down the hall.

  “Merry Christmas, Mary Beth,” Lynn greeted her with her usual vibrant enthusiasm.

  “Merry Christmas,” Mary Beth replied with a heartfelt smile. She hugged Lynn, accepted a warm kiss on her cheek from Russ, then walked with them into the large den.

  Deke looked up when Mary Beth entered the room, and his heart swelled as he watched her walk toward him. He’d been planning a big surprise for her for the past few weeks. Now that the time had arrived to give her his present, he was feeling anxious. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he straightened from where he’d been kneeling on the floor and greeted her with a long kiss.

  “Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he whispered against her mouth.

  Mary Beth slid her arms around his waist, and smiled up at him. “Merry Christmas.” It hadn’t been that long ago that Deke had left her bed, sneaking out of her room just before daybreak. Mary Beth tilted her head as he nuzzled her neck.

  “I have something special for you.” He winked at her and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

  “You already gave me something special this morning,” she replied, her voice husky.

  Deke groaned. Just thinking about making love to her earlier had him ready to drag her back to his bedroom. “Be good,” he murmured thickly.

  She giggled, then looked at the commotion around them. She’d never been happier than at that moment.

  “Stop kissing and sit there, you two,” Ashley said, pointing to one end of the enormous sofa. Deke immediately obeyed his sister-in-law, then tugged Mary Beth down beside him. She settled beneath the curve of his arm and rested her hand intimately on his thigh.

  “This one’s for you, Mary Beth,” Ashley said with a smile as she passed her a gift from under the tree. Already opening their gifts from Santa, the twins, Michelle and Melissa, ignored everything around them. Ryder was sitting near them, holding Taylor in his arms.

  “That’s from us,” Lynn said. She sat on the floor near the fireplace, holding her baby, Shayne. Russ was next to her, his arm around her shoulder.

  “Thank you.” Mary Beth grinned, then added the brightly wrapped package to the growing pile of gifts in front of her and Deke. She shivered with pleasure. She had a special gift for Deke and couldn’t wait to give it to him.

  Jake had seated himself comfortably at the opposite end of the sofa. Mary Beth laughed as he grabbed Catherine by the arm and pulled her down on his lap. Their son, Matthew, was busy helping the kids keep their gifts separated from the boxes and wrapping paper.

  A flash caught Mary Beth’s eye, and she glanced across the room. The colored lights from the tree were reflecting off Deke’s championship bull-riding belt buckle, which was placed on the mantel. Mary Beth turned and looked at him, and her heart tripped over itself. She was so proud of him.

  After the children finished opening their presents, things quieted down a bit and the adults took their turn. Mary Beth carefully opened each and every gift she’d received, anticipation building. An hour later there were piles of packages throughout the room. She’d received green silk pajamas from Lynn and Russ, a navy blouse from Jake and Catherine and a beautiful gold necklace from Ashley and Ryder. After thanking each of them, she gathered her packages together and carried them to her room where she’d left Deke’s present.

  Returning quickly to the den, she walked over and kissed him, then smiled as she handed him the gaily wrapped package.

  Deke gave her an amused grin. “For me?”

  Mary Beth nodded, then touched his arm, drawing his gaze to hers. “I hope yo
u like it,” she said softly. At the time, she’d thought it would be the perfect gift. Now she wasn’t so sure. Her gaze sought Lynn’s, and Deke’s sister smiled brightly and gave her an encouraging nod. “It was my idea,” Mary Beth confessed, feeling suddenly nervous, “but Lynn helped me with it.”

  The room grew quiet as Deke tore off the red ribbon and removed the candy-cane wrapping paper. He opened the lid of the box, then spread open the tissue paper. Inside was a photograph of himself with his father. Beautifully framed in silver and gold. It had been taken at the first rodeo Deke had competed in. He studied it almost reverently, then turned toward Mary Beth.

  “I can’t believe you thought of this,” he said, gazing at her with disbelief. “I love it.” His throat closed with heartfelt emotion. With his family watching, he whispered thank you against her lips.

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said, kissing him back.

  “I’ve got something for you, too.” He signaled to Matthew, who’d been waiting for his cue.

  Her curiosity piqued, Mary Beth watched as Deke’s entire family gathered to stand behind the sofa. She heard Matthew whistle sharply, then she laughed as Lightning and Lady trotted into the room, Santa hats perched on their heads.

  Lightning held a small, red paper bag between his teeth. He came up to Mary Beth and stopped in front of her, his big eyes staring up at her. Beside him, Lady barked and nudged Mary Beth’s hand. Laughter erupted throughout the room as she took the bag from Lightning. Still chuckling, she looked at Deke. “That was too cute,” she said brightly, as Matthew called the dogs away. Then she opened the bag.

  A tingle raced down her spine. Inside the bag was a tiny, blue velvet box. Her eyes flashed to Deke’s, and his gaze held hers. He went down on one knee. Stunned, Mary Beth stared at him, her eyes wide.

  “Mary Beth. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”

  Mary Beth’s mouth dropped open. Her mind whirled in a hundred different directions. Struggling, hardly able to breathe, she found her voice. “Oh, my. Oh, Deke.” Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, then quickly spilled down her cheeks. “You want to marry me?”

  The suspense practically killing him, he stood and took the small box from her, opened it and withdrew a sparkling diamond. “Oh, yeah, sweetheart, I really do.” If his heart hadn’t been beating so wildly, he might have laughed at the picture she made. He couldn’t understand her surprise. Surely she must have realized that he was in love with her.

  An enormous smile burst on her face, love for him shining in her eyes. “Yes!” she whispered fiercely, her heart beating wildly. “Oh, I love you, Deke.” She threw herself in his arms and kissed him hard.

  Deke deepened the kiss, feeling as if he could devour her right then and there. Whoops and whistles erupted from behind them. Deke tore his mouth from Mary Beth’s, and his family watched as he slipped the ring on her finger.

  Vaguely aware that Deke’s family had begun to retreat from the room, Mary Beth swiped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She looked into Deke’s eyes. “I have loved you, Deke McCall, nearly all of my life,” she confessed, and she slid her arms around his waist. “I know I told you that I’d had a crush on you, but the truth is, I fell in love with you when I was in my teens. And I never stopped loving you.”

  Deke smiled at her, mesmerized by the glow in her eyes. “I didn’t know,” he whispered, overwhelmed by her confession.

  “I’d always secretly hoped that you would notice me, but I never let myself believe that you would ever fall in love with me.” She sniffed, then blinked back more tears. “I moved to San Antonio to try to forget you, but I couldn’t. When you made love to me after my father died, I knew in my heart that I would always love you.”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you when I walked away from you,” Deke said. “But when I made love to you, I knew I was in trouble.” He took her hand and held it against his chest. “You touched my heart. I had to leave you because I didn’t want to hurt you like I’d hurt my father.”

  Mary Beth understood that now. Deke had told her about his father’s affair and how Jake had helped him to find peace within himself. “I know.” She clung to him, her eyes drifting shut as he took her mouth, his tongue sweeping inside and touching hers. She moaned softly when he lifted his lips.

  “There’s one more thing,” Deke said, holding her tight against him. “I want you to know that wherever you want to call home, I’m willing to go.”

  A little confused, she tilted her head. “What? What are you saying?”

  “You had all those travel magazines, and you said at the hospital that you didn’t want to rebuild Paradise. Although I think that would be the perfect place for us to live, I’ll be happy anywhere you want to go as long as I have you by my side.”

  “Oh, Deke,” she murmured, and her heart slammed against her chest. “I thought I didn’t want to live here because of all the unhappy memories of my childhood. But I can’t think of a better place for you and me to start our life together than on Paradise. I don’t want to leave here, ever,” she whispered fiercely.

  “I love you so much.” Her heart swelling with love, Mary Beth hugged him to her. She’d received her Christmas wish, after all.

  Deke was her miracle.

  Epilogue

  A s she stood at the front door of her newly built home, Mary Beth watched Deke’s truck come to a stop in front of the house. He got out, and her heart gave that special little thump that she always felt when she looked at her husband. She stepped outside and waited on the porch to greet him. “There’s Daddy now,” she whispered to the three-month-old baby in her arms.

  Kissing the baby’s soft cheek, Mary Beth sighed with contentment. It seemed there was no end to the miracles in her life. So much had happened during the past year, it hardly seemed possible that she and Deke were just celebrating their first anniversary. Neither of them had wanted to wait to get married, so with the help of Deke’s family, they’d quickly put together a wedding and had been married on New Year’s Day.

  Upon hearing the truck door slam, Lightning and Lady had bounded out of the barn and were now racing straight for Deke. Mary Beth chuckled at their antics as they pranced around his legs, begging for attention. He gave both dogs a pat, then looked up at her as he reached the steps.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  Her heart swelling, Mary Beth lifted her lips to his. Oh, how she loved this man. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent as he kissed her, savoring the taste of him.

  “Hi,” she said, when their lips parted.

  “I’m sorry we had to cancel tonight,” he told her with genuine regret. “I’ll make it up to you next weekend.” They’d changed their dinner plans when Lynn had called earlier that afternoon. Her baby, Shayne, was sick with an ear infection and she couldn’t leave him, and Russ had needed Deke’s help caring for an injured horse.

  “We’re together, that’s what counts.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Come inside. I’ll put Andrea down while you clean up.”

  Deke took the baby from her, pressed a kiss to his daughter’s velvety reddish-blond hair, then followed Mary Beth into the house. Andrea Nicole McCall stared at him with wide, innocent eyes.

  He stopped in his tracks as they entered the dining room, then turned a startled gaze on Mary Beth. “How’d you put this together?” he asked, surprised that she’d had enough time to plan a romantic candlelight dinner in the time he’d been gone. He sniffed and smelled the enticing aroma of basil, tomatoes and warm bread. “Lasagna?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.

  She chuckled. “Your favorite meal.”

  He handed her the baby. “I’m starved,” he said, then he kissed his wife. When the kiss began to grow into more, she gently moved out of his arms. “Dinner first.”

  Deke groaned, then hurried out of the room to shower. Mary Beth went to the nursery and put Andrea to bed. She stood at the crib and stared down at her little girl. Never in her life would Mary
Beth have ever believed that living on Paradise would be so fulfilling, so absolutely perfect. After a week of honeymooning at a remote resort in Mexico, they’d returned home to begin rebuilding the house. Soon after construction started, they’d discovered she was pregnant.

  Not totally a surprise, since they’d talked and decided to start a family right away. At first Mary Beth had been hesitant, wondering if Deke was truly finished competing in the rodeo. But he had assured her that since he’d fallen in love with her, he was happier than he’d ever been in his life. He’d convinced her he was ready to put down roots right here, become a rancher and start a family. It had been a race to see if they could finish the house before the baby arrived. They had, but just barely.

  She heard the shower go off. Turning out the light she went into the bedroom, walking inside just as Deke was buttoning his shirt. Desire stirred deep inside her at the sight of him. Walking over to him, she slipped her arms around him, aligning herself against his back.

  Deke turned in her arms and pulled her to him. “I love you,” he whispered huskily, then his mouth took hers in a hungry kiss. Mary Beth clung to him, her body responding to the warmth of his. “I thought you wanted to eat,” he remarked, his eyes teasing as he lifted his lips.

  “I do. Come on.” Arm in arm, they walked to the kitchen. Together they carried the food into the dining room and placed it on the table. Mary Beth smiled up at Deke as he held her chair, then waited as he took his seat and opened the chilled red wine. He filled two glasses and handed her one before taking his own.

  “I never dreamed I could be this happy,” she said softly as she looked at him, her eyes misting.

  Deke looked into her eyes. “I didn’t, either, sweetheart.” His heart throbbed almost painfully. But it was a good kind of ache. He cherished this woman and their beautiful daughter. After his father’s death, Deke hadn’t thought he deserved love. But through Mary Beth, he’d learned that true love was unconditional.