“Austin, you didn’t answer my question.”
“I thought I did. If you’re pregnant, I’m going to kiss you senseless. And if you’re not, I’m going to kiss you senseless, too.” He waggled his brows. “But then I might pull you to my bed and make everything last a little longer.”
“But what about marriage?”
She looked so miserable, so torn, he almost laughed. “Dinah Hart, I love you. I want you to be happy. We’ll figure it out.”
“You think it’s that easy?”
“I do,” he said, figuring that he’d just learned something pretty important. If Dinah was tongue-tied or unsure? Take charge and kiss her. He leaned in, bussed her cheek, then curved his palms around her shoulders. “Now, here we go. One, two, three. Turn.”
Obediently, she turned. Then she gasped.
And he made good on his promise and kissed her until they could hardly breathe.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dinah stared at the test wand and swallowed hard. “Think we should do another test, just to be sure? I mean, we have three.”
“I think we should do whatever you want.” Austin looked a little pale.
“Are you upset?”
“Not at all.” Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. “I’m happy, Dinah. I couldn’t be happier.”
She looked at the plus sign on the pink plastic wand and felt tears start to well in her eyes. “Years ago, thinking about being pregnant sounded like the worst thing in the world to imagine. I was afraid to disappoint everyone. And afraid to disappoint myself.”
“But now?”
“But now…I can’t help but feel excited. Hopeful.” Wary, she glanced his way.
“I feel exactly the same way,” he said, dispelling all her worries. “I love you, Dinah. I love you and I want this baby with you.”
That was Austin. Simple words, direct to her heart. Which made it all the easier to speak from her heart, as well. “I love you, too.”
He closed his eyes. “You’ve made me so very happy.”
“Really?” She still couldn’t get over the fact that this was happening.
“Dinah, I couldn’t be happier.” Reaching out, he linked his fingers through hers. “Now, what would you like to do?”
“Can we go to the ranch and tell my mom?”
“Together?”
She nodded. “I’m excited, Austin.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. As soon as you eat something.”
“I’m okay—”
“You’re going to have to get used to this, D. I’m going look after you, and I intend to do a good job of it.”
Looking into his blue eyes, she saw resolve and trust, and love. Those three things were so good, there was no way she was going to even think about fighting him. “All right, Austin.”
A slow smile lit his face. “I knew I was going to like taking care of you. Now, you go get cleaned up and I’m going to make you something to eat.”
Dinah did exactly as he suggested. She was beginning to discover that sometimes a person won by letting the other person get his way.
* * *
ALL THAT RESOLVE STARTED to melt away when they arrived at the ranch, however. Suddenly, she was seventeen all over again and desperate for her mother’s approval.
“Things seem pretty quiet around here,” she murmured when they got out of his truck. “I wonder where everyone is.”
Austin looked around, then pointed to the barn. “Let’s head over there. I think I hear voices.”
“I bet everybody’s checking out Midnight.”
Sure enough, after walking through the main door, they passed the tack and feed rooms to the left, and her mother’s office on the right. Standing inside the room was Colt’s wife. “Hey, Leah.”
She put down the paper she was scanning and grinned. “Hi, you two. Did you come to see Midnight?”
“We came to see everyone. But I’d love to see Midnight, too.”
“How’s he doing?” Austin asked as they continued walking toward the line of stalls…and the group of people crowded around one of the small corals just outside the back of the barn.
“He’s amazing.”
That was high praise, coming from Leah. “Amazing?” Dinah murmured.
Leah grinned. “You should see him! Everyone’s watching him practically prance around the corral. Though Fancy Gal in the next corral is giving him something of a cold shoulder.”
Austin chuckled. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pressed his lips to Dinah’s temple. “Now, isn’t that just like a woman?”
Leah grinned. “If my guy had taken off for parts unknown without so much as a phone call, why, I’d be acting like Fancy Gal, too, if you want to know the truth. That horse has sure given us a heck of a lot of worry.”
“He’s definitely a horse with a mind of his own,” Dinah said. Looking at Fancy, she said, “How’s she doing, by the way?”
“She’s doing well, carrying Midnight’s young.” Leah smiled. “I think she’s a very happy momma.”
“Is that right?” Austin murmured, pressing yet another kiss to Dinah’s temple.
Leah looked at the two of them with narrowed eyes. For the first time, she seemed to notice the way Austin was holding Dinah. And the way she was enjoying being held.
“Wait a minute,” she said slowly. “Y’all didn’t come to visit Midnight, did you?”
“Not exactly. I came to visit with my mom.” Dinah bit her lip and looked cautiously at Austin. “I hadn’t thought about everyone being here, too. Maybe now’s not the best time?”
Slipping his arm from her shoulders, he traipsed his fingers along her arm, coming to a stop when he curved his hand around her own. “I think it’s the perfect time.”
Leah raised her brows. “I was going to go back inside and work on payroll, but on second thought? I think I’ll join you.”
As they walked out to the coral, Dinah tried to quell her nerves. What’s done is done, she told herself. Even if your family isn’t happy, it doesn’t mean they are right.
Her mother noticed her approach and gave them a little wave. “Dinah, Austin, just look at our guy. He’s acting like he owns the place.”
Dinah stared at Midnight and couldn’t help but agree. The beautiful stallion raised his head, whinnied a bit, then trotted about with tons of self-confidence, each hoof practically stomping the ground. He knew he was the center of everyone’s attention, and he seemed perfectly content to let them all admire him.
As Midnight continued to prance and pose, Colt whistled low. “That horse is practically begging to perform in the next rodeo.”
“Maybe,” Ace murmured. “He’s definitely acting full of himself.” Looking at Austin, Ace turned more serious. “Your father has a real way with Midnight.”
“I do believe he enjoyed being with the horse,” Austin said soberly. “I think the two of them have had their share of hardships.”
After looking at their mom, Ace cleared his throat. “If, say, Buddy ever wanted to come out here and help with Midnight, we’d be obliged.”
Austin stilled. “Truly?”
“Heck, yeah. There’s something about your dad that calms this guy. They’ve formed a bond that I don’t want to breach. Midnight’s had enough of those in his life, I think.”
“I’ll ask my dad, but I do believe he feels the same way about Midnight as the horse feels about him. For some reason, they’re a good
pair.”
Her brother grinned, then turned back to the horse. Austin turned to watch Midnight, too.
Though her stomach was sore from being sick all morning, Dinah was able to forget about her nerves for a few minutes as she squeezed into the spot along the fence that the family had made for her. “He really is beautiful,” she said.
“The best,” Ace agreed.
A few minutes later, Midnight gave a snort, then wandered toward the back of the coral. Now that his show was over, he seemed content to graze.
One by one, everyone moved from the fence.
Her mother stepped closer and looked her up and down. “Dinah, are you okay? You seem a little different.”
On the other side of her mom, Colt inhaled sharply, but a dark look from Austin seemed to quell whatever he’d been ready to say.
“I’m fine,” Dinah said. “But I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“Dinah?” Now she’d gotten Ace’s attention, too. “What’s going on? Are you still worried about your case?”
“No…” Dinah looked from Austin to Colt to Ace to her mom. Just a few steps away, Flynn and Leah were listening. Waiting. Perhaps there was no time like the present to make things right. To make things better for her future and to finally make peace with the past.
Austin leaned close, wrapping his hands around her waist. “We don’t have to do this now,” he murmured into her ear. “There’s no hurry.”
“Wait a minute,” Ace said. “No hurry about what?”
“You always did have good hearing, Ace,” Dinah chided. “Too good.”
“I needed them with you. When you were little, you’d try to get away with murder.”
“Hey!”
Colt folded his arms over his chest. “A china teapot bring back any memories, little sister?”
She could feel her face flushing. “You knew?”
“Dinah, I think it would be best if we got everything out in the open,” her mother said.
“All right. Austin and I are getting married.”
After that bombshell, everyone looked a little stunned. Well, except for Colt. He looked pleased.
“Come on, Dinah. Say the rest. Y’all are getting married because…” Colt nudged. Completely ignoring Austin’s dark scowl.
“Because we’re in love. And because I’m pregnant,” she said. In the next breath, she shook a finger at her big brother. Just as if she was five years old all over again. “And don’t you say a word about this, Ace. You’re not perfect, either.”
He held up his hands as Flynn walked to stand next to him. “I wasn’t about to.”
As her mother seemed to do her best to get over her shock, Dinah gripped Austin’s hands, still firmly around her waist.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“I’ve long stopped trying to run your lives. I can only hope that you’re happy. Are you happy?”
“We are,” she said, realizing that she was completely right. She was very happy right now.
“Then I’m happy, too.”
“When’s the wedding, Wright?” Colt asked.
“Just as soon as Dinah here gives me half a chance to do things right,” Austin said.
Dinah cocked her head to one side. “Right?”
“You deserve this, D. I’m going to give you the ring and the wedding you’ve always wanted. I’m going to give you the life you’ve always wanted.”
As she thought about the things she used to want, and the things she used to think she needed in order to finally be happy, Dinah smiled.
“I already have it,” she said. Feeling completely at peace for the first time in a long while. “Right now, I have everything I need. I have almost all of my family here, I have a life I love, and I have a man I love, a man who I’ve loved for practically forever. That’s the way it’s meant to be. I couldn’t be happier.”
And that was surely the truth.
* * * * *
The HARTS OF THE RODEO miniseries continues next month with Marin Thomas’s book BEAU: COWBOY PROTECTOR!
Keep reading for an excerpt of The Cowboy Soldier’s Sons by Tina Leonard!
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Chapter One
We are such stuff as dreams are made on.
—Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Shaman Phillips wasn’t expecting a blonde bombshell to show up at the front door of the Dark Diablo farmhouse, but one glance at her shapely legs, long silky hair and beautiful face made him believe tonight might be a lucky night for a lone wolf. “Hello,” he said. “Can I help you?”
“Hi.”
Shaman decided the voice of an angel went with her amazing looks. She was way out of his league—and yet even a man with scars liked to gaze at beautiful things.
“I’m looking for Chelsea Myers.”
“Ah. The Chelsea Myers who married my brother Gage in July. She’s Chelsea Phillips now.” Shaman leaned forward, out of the doorway, planting his well-worn boots on the porch. “They live at the Callahan place, Rancho Diablo, in Diablo.”
The goddess stepped closer, her high fire-engine-red heels clicking on the wood porch. “My name is Tempest Thornbury. I met Chelsea and Cat in July, before I returned to Italy.” She held up a small Louis Vuitton bag, complete with tufts of tissue paper coming out the top. Shaman knew what Louis Vuitton was; his sister, Kendall, was a huge fan. “I brought this for Cat. Is there a possibility you could give it to her?”
“Come on in,” Shaman said, tamping down the wolflike tendencies fighting inside him. “I’ll get their address and you can send it to her. It’d probably be quicker. I never know when I’ll see them, now that the school year has started.”
Tempest smiled. “Thank you.”
Shaman went to get the address, and she followed him into the house. He handed her a piece of paper. “Cat started school in the middle of August in Diablo. She’s real happy there.”
“I’m so glad.”
He decided his visitor was even more beautiful close up. The hot-red suit fit her curves to perfection. She didn’t wear a wedding ring or jewelry, just some gold hoop earrings that kissed her cheeks.
“She’s a sweet girl,” Tempest added.
Shaman nodded, suddenly uncomfortable and not sure why. His first thought was to seduce this angel—what man could resist?—but she was too perfect for him. How dumb was that?
Ten years in the military, most of them spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, might have left him hungry for female companionship, but it had also left him with scars on his back, a chunk missing from his shoulder and a red slash across his sun-browned cheek. He was lucky those were his only visible scars. Many of his buddies hadn’t fared so well.
A little less perfection in a woman would suit him better. “Sorry I couldn’t be mor
e help.”
Tempest smiled and turned on her heel. “I was hoping to see Cat and Chelsea, but I suppose they won’t be back until the semester is over?”
“Can’t say.” He wasn’t familiar with Cat’s routine. “Chelsea and Gage just announced that they’re expecting a baby, so I don’t know how often Chelsea will be out here.”
Tempest glanced back at him, looking pleased. “That’s wonderful! I’m glad to hear it.” She opened the front door before he could do so. “I didn’t get your name?”
“Shaman Phillips.” He held the door for her, and as she walked out, caught a tease of a light flowery perfume. “You staying in Tempest, Tempest?” He grinned. “I didn’t realize you were named after the town.”
She leaned into him, catching him off guard. “It’s a stage name. My real name is Zola Cupertino.”
His brain tried to process that information, along with the distracting fact that she was dangerously close to him. And he didn’t think it was an accident. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she—
“Soldier...” Tempest murmured.
“Yes, ma’am?” he said, out of habit. She must have seen his military bag, and his combat boots in the living room.
“I just got off a plane from Italy,” she announced. “I wonder if you might be interested in taking me out to dinner?”
He blinked. “Certainly,” he said, trying to be chivalrous and not sound as surprised as he was by her unexpected invitation.
She smiled at him, a sweet, slow, sexy smile, her angelic eyes free of artifice, but holding a silent plea. Maybe he didn’t want to see it. But she was still standing oh-so-close to him, and the next thing he knew, he’d taken the statuesque blonde in his arms and was kissing her like a dying man.
She kissed him back hungrily.
“Wait a second,” Shaman said. He was a lucky guy, but not this lucky. Angels didn’t just drop from the sky into his hard-edged world. “How did you say you know Gage and Chelsea?”
Austin: Second Chance Cowboy Page 20