by Cora Seton
First Autumn, and then Claire began to move down the aisle. Holt patted her arm, and when they processed side by side she found comfort in his presence.
The seats around her were filled with guests. Some she knew, others she had yet to meet, but she was sure in the years ahead, as she lived, worked, and raised her family in Chance Creek, they'd become the community she'd always craved.
At the altar, Rob waited for her, his gaze never leaving hers. So much love shone there, and such promise of the good times ahead. Morgan's heart began to race as she joined him in front of the minister, and Holt took his seat.
Joe Halpern raised his bible and began the ceremony. Looking into the eyes of the man she loved, Morgan knew she was finally home.
* * * * *
Rob thought he'd never get to speak his vows and take his wife into his arms to kiss her before God and man. Finally, however, the ceremony started, Joe said his lines, and he and Morgan exchanged rings. He gave her a brand new wedding band to match the engagement ring already on her finger. She slid the exotic silver band she'd given him a month ago back on his finger. He'd grown so attached to it he refused to pick out something new.
When he bent to kiss her, he searched her face to see if she truly meant her vows.
"I love you," she whispered.
He grinned and swooped in for that kiss. As their guests cheered, he cupped her face and kissed her on and on, finally breaking away to whisper back, "I love you, too."
Later, when they'd walked back up the aisle, and ducked into the main house for a moment alone, Morgan excused herself to freshen up and Rob waited for her by the front door.
Ned found him there and approached him before Rob could figure out an escape route.
"Glad everything worked out for you," Ned said, jamming his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah?" Rob still didn't feel like giving him an inch.
"Yeah. What I said a few weeks back…it wasn't right."
That was almost an apology, Rob thought in surprise. He surveyed his brother, who wouldn't meet his eye. "Maybe it's about time we figured out a way to get along."
Ned looked up, seeming relieved. "I don't mean to fight with you. It's just…we're different."
"What's wrong with that?" Rob wished Morgan was here. Or Autumn, or someone of the female persuasion. He had a feeling he and Ned weren't getting this quite right.
"Nothing, I guess." Ned shrugged. "That's what I wanted to tell you. You do your thing. I got your back."
Rob grinned in spite of himself. "Don't you mean you'll pound my back?"
"Oh, I'll do that, too, if it needs doing," Ned said, grinning back at him. "But as long as you keep in line, I mean to be your brother, not your enemy."
Rob figured they'd better quit while they were ahead. Luckily Morgan descended the stairs looking as radiant as a goddess. Ned backed away. "Congratulations," he said to Morgan as she passed by and then disappeared down the hall to the back of the house.
"Wow, he actually spoke to me," she said, linking her arm through his.
"I think we've managed to set things right," Rob said.
"I'm glad. I want all of us to be one big, happy family," she said. "Speaking of which," she squeezed his arm. "With all the excitement, I haven't been paying much attention. I just realized I'm a week late. I think I might be pregnant."
Rob rounded on her. "For real? Or is this another practical joke?"
She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. "You'll have to wait nine months to see."
* * * * *
Morgan knew their friends expected them to head straight to Chance Creek airport and on to Aruba, where they'd decided to spend their honeymoon. Their flight didn’t leave until early the next morning, however. First they planned a night out under the stars.
They snuck down the lane to the Double-Bar-K in Rob's truck until he swerved off on a dirt track that led out to their land. The thought of what they'd gotten up to last time they'd been out this way – a month ago at Claire and Jamie's wedding – had her pulse racing.
This time there were no boundaries they couldn't cross. This time they could do anything they chose. Although they'd been together before, she knew that this was the true start of their life together and the full expression of their love.
She couldn't wait.
When he cut the engine, Rob reached behind them and pulled out a canvas duffel bag and a picnic basket. Morgan joined him outside, shivering a little in the cool air.
"I won't build a fire – we don't want unwelcome guests," Rob said, "but I brought these." He pulled out a thick blanket and spread it out on the ground, then handed another one to her. She shook it out and draped it around her shoulders like a cloak, watching the man she loved pull out other provisions from the bag and basket. A bottle of champagne and two glasses, a loaf of bread and hunk of cheese, even a pillow. "I want you to be comfortable," he said with a grin.
"What would you have done if it rained?"
"I've got a tent in the truck. I can go get it if you want."
She shook her head. She wanted nothing between her and those stars. Nothing except Rob.
She appreciated the thought he'd put into this night, but right now she didn't want champagne or snacks; she wanted him. He must have guessed what she was thinking, for he pushed the food away and reached out for her.
Morgan joined him gladly on the blanket and sighed when he bent to kiss her.
"How are you doing, wife of mine?" he asked, tracing the contour of her jaw with a finger.
"I'm doing fine. How about you, husband?"
He swept her into his arms with a groan, and it was all too evident exactly how he was doing. Morgan came up from his embrace laughing with joy.
"Are you going to get me naked or not?"
"With pleasure." He turned her around and fumbled with the long row of tiny buttons that held her dress together. "What kind of torture is this?" he asked after a long moment.
"It's a test of your dexterity," she said, as eager as he was to get them undone.
"I'll prove my dexterity to you in a minute, as soon as I get this thing off of you," he growled, kissing the back of her neck and tickling her ear with his breath. "There. I think I've got it."
She turned around, slid the gown off and stood before him in a white lace bra and garter set. She remembered how much he'd liked this kind of get up the last time they were here and she hoped the sight of it would propel him to similar feats of passion.
"Don't you look a sight," he said, leaning back to take in the view.
"Your turn," she said, and stood watching, hands on hips, as he obediently stripped down.
"I'd ask you which way you want to do this," he said as he approached, took her hands in his own, and pulled her in tight, "except it doesn't matter because we're going to try them all before the night's through."
"Oh, yeah?" she said as he tugged her down to the blanket. He leaned her back, supporting her as she lay down, then covered her with his own body. He tugged the second blanket over the top of them since the night had grown cool.
"Yeah," he said, and kissed her again. Lifting her arms above her head, he captured them in one hand, then used the other one to stroke and knead and squeeze her until she hummed with desire. He kissed her everywhere, from her forehead to her nose, to first one breast, then the other, weaving back and forth until she felt that her skin would soon catch fire. When he slid lower, she kept her arms above her head, clutching at the tough grass and weeds that grew all over this rangeland. When Rob tossed the blanket away, she welcome the cool touch of the night air on her skin. She wanted to be naked, wanted the sky and stars and all creation to witness this love of theirs.
Rob slid his hands under her ass and lifted her, dipping his head to taste her and drink in every inch of her beauty. She moved beneath him, slowly and sensually, joining him in this intimate dance.
When he moved back up to join her, pressing the length of him to her aching core, Morgan could bare
ly contain herself. She wanted him inside her, wanted him to make love to her.
"Is this okay?" he asked, pushing forward an inch, nudging open her folds, giving her the tiniest taste of the sensations to come.
"Yes," she said, "but no fooling around this time. I want it hard and fast and powerful. I want it all."
"Yes, ma'am," Rob said, and plunged into her with a swift, hard stroke.
Morgan cried out as he pulled out and thrust in again, and then they were off and running, Rob's strong, fast strokes lifting her swiftly to a peak of desire. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against him, plunging in and out until Morgan could hardly breathe. She held on for dear life, trusting him utterly to bring both of them to the brink, and when they fell over the cliff together, they called out as one, their cries echoing in the night air.
Rob cradled her then, stroking her hair, her face, her body, until her breathing evened out again. He kissed her forehead and down her nose to her lips, lingered there for long minutes.
"Are you okay?" he asked finally. "I wasn't too rough?"
"No," she said, a smile curving the corners of her mouth. "Just rough enough."
"You want to sleep a little? Or eat something?"
She could tell from his tenderness Rob didn't quite believe her – that he was feeling tentative, maybe even ashamed of the physicality of the way he'd made love to her. She had to nip that right in the bud. She wriggled until he relaxed his hold on her, then got to her feet and reached out for his hand.
"Where are we going? Is something wrong?"
Morgan didn't bother to speak. Instead she led the way to the same fallen log she'd braced herself against a month ago, leaned forward to place her hands on it, and spread her legs. She heard his breath hitch and a moment later felt him take his place behind her.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked.
"Are you?" she teased him. He chuckled in response and in a moment she felt that yes, indeed, he was up for it. As he stroked her body from behind, taking her heavy breasts into the palms of his hands, he slid easily into her again and she sighed.
"I love you, Mrs. Matheson," he said.
"I love you, Mr. Matheson. More than anything else in the world."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
About the Author
Cora Seton loves cowboys, country life, gardening, bike-riding, and lazing around with a good book. Mother of four, wife to a computer programmer/eco-farmer, she ditched her California lifestyle eight years ago and moved to a remote logging town in northwestern British Columbia.
Like the characters in her novels, Cora enjoys old-fashioned pursuits and modern technology, spending mornings transforming a neglected one-acre lot into a paradise of orchards, berry bushes and market gardens, and afternoons writing the latest Chance Creek romance novel on her iPad mini. Visit www.coraseton.com to read about new releases, contests and other cool events!
The Cowboys of Chance Creek series continues with Bella Chatham’s story, in The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire.