He sighed. "That's not true. Of course, I'm grateful that I didn't abandon anyone, but a part of me is actually mourning the loss of not having a child. I'd kind of gotten used to the idea of being a father." He reached for her hand. Her shaky hand. "I said a lot of things I didn't mean. I came back because I love you. And if you're able to forgive me, I'd like to stay. I had no right to hurt you like that, but I was trying to set you free so you could go on with your life." He paused for what sounded like an anxious breath. "But damn it, I don't want to set you free. I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children. And we can stay in California if you want to. Wherever you are is home to me. I know that now."
He searched her face. "So will you marry me, Pretty Windy? Sleep with me every night and make lots of babies?"
She blinked through a glaze of tears. He wanted a wife. Children. A lifetime of love and commitment. She brought his hand to her tummy. "Of course I'll marry you, but we already made a baby. You're going to be a father in the spring."
His hand froze. "Oh, God. Really?" He studied her intently, his fingers still splayed tenderly across her stomach. "How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me?"
She placed her hand over his, cradling their baby. "I was going to tell you before you left, but then you said you didn't want children, and I—"
He gathered her into his arms and rocked gently, his husky voice raspier than usual. "I'm such a jerk. I should have never said that to you. God, what you must have been going through." He nuzzled her neck, burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what made me think that I could survive without you."
She held him close, tight against her heart. "Everything is okay now, Sky. We're going to be fine. All of us."
He kissed her then. A slow, mesmerizing kiss. He was crying, too, she realized, those gorgeous blue eyes damp with apology.
"I love you," he whispered. "You and our baby."
She loved him, too, this tall, cowboy drifter who invaded every beat of her heart, every breath she took. She moved his hand to the buttons on her blouse, inviting him to undress her. She needed to feel his body against hers, be touched by the man she loved. And she needed to caress him, run her fingers over the planes and angles that formed his staggering beauty. Skyler Hawk belonged to her now—to her and the tiny life their love had created.
* * *
Epilogue
« ^
Sky steered the rental car down the graveled driveway. It was a beautiful day in Oklahoma, early spring and unseasonably warm. Trees lined the walk, and a bed of daffodils sprouted from the soil, splashing color along the front of the house. The house itself, woodsy and rustic, boasted paned windows and a large, inviting porch. Sky could imagine rocking his baby to sleep on that porch, humming lullabies while the infant's eyelids fluttered, the tiny body snug against his own.
He parked the car and smiled at his wife. Windy was heavy with child, the babe in her womb growing daily. She wore pregnancy well, glowing, as they say, her skin dewy, her hair as vibrant as the sun.
"Are you nervous?" she asked.
He gazed at the rustic wood dwelling and nodded. The house belonged to Jesse, the brother he had come to meet.
Windy reached for his hand just as the front door of the house opened and a man walked out onto the porch. He stood tall, Sky noticed, broad-shouldered and muscular.
"That must be him," Sky said, thinking the man seemed too big to be called his "little" brother.
Sky helped Windy exit the car just as Jesse turned and spotted them. Even from a distance Sky saw the resemblance, the features that were his own yet different.
They faced each other moments later, staring in silence, neither it seemed, sure of what to do or say. Jesse's eyes were the color Sky remembered, a metallic shade of gray. And his hair, black as night, fell to his shoulders.
Sky took a deep breath. He had learned from a telephone conversation that Jesse was still a Hawk. The adoption had fallen through, leaving two-year-old Jesse a ward of the state, a foster child.
But there was nothing boyish about Jesse Hawk now, Sky decided, even though he was once the toddler who had lost his teddy bear.
Sky lifted the tattered animal he had felt compelled to bring. "I saved this for you," he said, glancing quickly at Windy for reassurance. She stood nearby with tears in her eyes.
Jesse took the stuffed bear and stroked its lopsided head, studying his childhood toy carefully. "I don't remember it. I suppose I was too young." He lifted his gaze and smiled, flashing a set of straight, white teeth. "But I've imagined this moment for years, wondering what you'd look like and what we'd say to each other."
Sky grinned. "I guess you never figured on me giving you a teddy bear."
"No, but I'm glad you did."
Both men looked at the tired little toy and laughed, then moved forward for a quick embrace.
When they separated, Sky stepped closer to Windy, drawing her into the meeting.
Jesse turned toward her with a welcoming smile. "Hi. You must be Windy."
She extended her hand, but Jesse reached forward and hugged her instead. A second later both he and Windy were laughing. "The baby kicked him," she told Sky.
A warm wind swirled around them, and Sky felt a sense of magic. His wife, their child, and his brother. Family.
He watched as Jesse placed his palm on Windy's belly, apparently hoping for another friendly jab. Jesse was a veterinarian, a healer of God's creatures. It seemed natural for him to touch Windy's tummy, Sky thought. He had big, strong hands, yet from the smile on Windy's face, gentle and soothing.
"You must be proud," Jesse said to Sky. "A beautiful wife and a baby on the way."
"I am," Sky responded as they stood facing each other once again, connecting like old friends. Or new relatives. The hug they'd shared had felt right—strong and brotherly.
Jesse motioned with the teddy bear. "Come on, I'll show you the house. I just bought it—haven't actually moved in yet, but it's a great old place."
Sky and Windy followed him onto the porch, but before they reached the door, Sky glanced up at the clouds. A hawk, its impressive wings spread, glided over a treetop.
"It's a red-tail," Jesse said. "A male. He's protecting the nest."
Sky smiled. He couldn't see the nest, but instinctively he knew the hawk's mate was there mothering the eggs that would soon hatch. Baby hawks—fluffy little birds—tiny messengers as sweet as the babe in Windy's womb.
Sky stood between his gentle wife and his broad-shouldered brother, thanking the heavens. The message was as clear and beautiful as this spring day. Skyler Hawk had a family now, loved ones to cherish for the rest of his life. Happiness, he knew, was his to keep.
Jesse opened the door and, as they entered the house, Sky glanced back at the tree. The red-tailed hawk had joined its mate, settling quietly into its nest.
SKYLER HAWK: LONE BRAVE Page 18