by Jen Peters
Raine watched him in wonder: that so much awfulness in her life had turned to so much good so quickly; that such a man cared for her the way he did; that after nearly losing him, she knew with certainty how much she loved him, and how much he was worth.
A good man is hard to find, she thought. And she’d do whatever it took to keep this one around.
Firefighters and friends gathered in the evening to joke with Brandt and sign his casts. Tyler drew a dragon in purple marker, and Evelyn Hatcher wrote in neat, pink cursive.
The pizza arrived, and the chatter continued. Mick looked around the packed room. “It’s a good thing you don’t have a roommate.”
“No one would put up with him,” Javi cracked.
“Hey, did Super-Cop here tell you what we did on Saturday?” Mick asked.
Brandon shook his head, eyebrows raised.
Javi just shrugged.
“Don’t sell yourself short, man,” Mick scolded. He turned back to Brandt. “He organized six or eight of us, and we cut more trail for you. Got a good few miles done. And then we got the bikes and rode your new cross-country trail, packed it down some.”
Raine spoke for Brandt, who was speechless. “You guys are awesome. You don’t know how he’s been fretting over that, knowing he’ll be laid up all winter.”
Brandt looked down, finally running fists across his eyes. “Thanks, man. Really, just thanks. I’ll make it up someday.”
Javi shrugged again. “You would have done it for us. But guess what—Mac’s got the hardware store up and running again. His grand-reopening was this weekend.”
Brandt nodded. “I’m glad for him. You never know what life’s going to throw at you.” He motioned to his legs.
“That’s the truth,” Shauna said. “I heard Mr. Porter will be in the hospital a really long time.”
The room filled with somber silence, and Raine squirmed inwardly. What did you say to that?
“Okay, enough sadness,” Mrs. Cooper said. “The community has fund-raising drives going on for the Porters, and they and Brandt are on every prayer list imaginable. We have a lot to be thankful for. And don’t forget Christmas is just around the corner. Has everyone entered in Raine’s tree decorating contest?”
The talk and joshing began again, but Raine found herself tuning in to Cat and Justin standing near her. They were just looking at each other. Not the “I’m so in love with you I can’t tear my eyes away” kind of look, but serious thought transference.
What would it be like if she and Brandt could communicate that way? No words, but still understanding each other?
Something must have telegraphed to him, though, because she felt a squeeze of her hand and turned to see him watching them too.
“They’re right,” Justin said, looking intently at his fiancée. “Life is short and you never know what’s going to happen. So why are we waiting?”
Cat’s eyes widened, then she grinned. “Anytime.”
Justin grinned back. “Christmas?”
Cat snugged her arm around him, then called out, “Hey, everyone! Just to keep things exciting around here, we’re getting married at Christmas!”
Cat and Justin leaned into each other as everyone around them cheered and gathered close. Except Nora Cooper.
Raine watched her lean against the wall, face ashen, apprehension in her eyes. “Christmas?” she squeaked. “We can’t pull off a wedding in a month!”
Justin unwrapped himself from Cat and went over to her. “Mom, it’s okay. Neither one of us wants anything fancy.”
His mother shook her head and repeated, “Christmas.”
“This is soooo romantic,” Raine murmured to Brandt.
Brandt whispered in her ear. “Watch out, weddings can be contagious.”
She pulled back to stare at him, open-mouthed. “Uh uh. No way.” Her heart pounded; her skin felt frizzly. True, they had been especially connected that day, full of conversation and kisses, but still…
Brandt drew her close once more, his mouth again at her ear. “Not now. But maybe someday.”
Marriage someday—that was even further than her thoughts had taken her, and the idea was a little unnerving.
Raine leaned against him, letting his warmth and solidity anchor her while her mind worked. They were too new in their relationship to even think about it, but she knew she was more settled in herself than she’d ever been, feeling good about her decisions for the first time in a long time.
And Brandt…they’d traveled a difficult, scary road and come through it. She knew that gave them a foundation to build on, and her love for Brandt was growing every day. Her pulse calmed, her breathing eased.
She tipped her head back and kissed the underside of his jaw. He stroked her hair while she relaxed against him.
Someday held incredible possibilities.
Thank You
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review for it on Amazon or Goodreads. Authors love hearing from their fans, and word-of-mouth recommendations help other readers find books they’ll enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!
To find out about new releases, sales and give aways,
sign up for Jen’s weekly newsletter.
(I don’t spam and I don’t share your email without permission.)
Coming in December 2019:
Unlocking Her Heart
(A McCormick’s Creek Christmas Romance)
Until then, have you read the other McCormick’s Creek romances? Start here with Trusting His Heart!
Acknowledgments
My mountain trail experience is limited to horseback or hiking, and my firefighting experience is nil, so I definitely needed some expert help for this book.
I’d like to thank Jerri Kaplan for giving me loads of information and advice about firefighting; Melissa McCabe for correcting all my errors regarding mountain biking; and Brock Butterfield for insights on what it takes to hold a public event. Without your willingness to share your expertise, this book would not exist.
The McCormick’s Creek Series
Trusting His Heart (#1, Cat & Justin)
Finding Her Heart (#2, Ree & Mitch)
Safe in His Heart (#3, Robin & Cliff)
Stealing His Heart (#4, Raine & Brandt)
Coming December 2019:
Unlocking Her Heart (Christmas) (#5, Nora & Forrest)
About the Author
Jen Peters loves falling in love—the look in his eyes that makes her feel pretty, the whispers on the phone at night, the gentleness of his kiss, the security in his arms. She was lucky enough to marry her sweetheart all those years ago, and he continues to sweep her off her feet.
Whether reading or writing, Jen loves escaping into a romantic story to experience it all over again, especially when remodeling their homes gets a little overwhelming. They don’t live in Oregon anymore, but there are other mountain paths to hike, and an opinionated Cavalier named Bailey reminds her not to take life too seriously.
Learn more about Jen Peters by visiting
https://jenpetersauthor.com
Follow Jen on:
Facebook
BookBub
Amazon