Don't Let Go

by Jaci Burton

  "It's really all you can do."

  "I know. She and I sat down and spent a lot of time talking when she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She told me she didn't want me to put my life on hold for her, and that she didn't want me to spend forever being sad about it. She was happy with the life she had lived, and she made me promise when the time comes that she doesn't remember anything or any of us anymore, I'll only focus on the happy times she and I have had together. I told her I would."

  "It's a good thing. And you two have shared some wonderful memories."

  Sam smiled. "We have. And since Reid and I got married last fall, Grammy Claire got to take part in that, while her memories were still intact. And we have wonderful pictures and videos from the wedding."

  "Yeah, we did manage to pull off the fastest wedding on record--that's for sure."

  Sam laughed. "Right? I'm so grateful to everyone who helped put it together. And especially to you for giving me such an amazing wedding cake."

  "Oh, please. It was nothing. As if you wouldn't give me the best wedding flowers ever if I had a time crunch."

  "I would. Now you just have to find the hot and sexy man of your dreams and make it happen."

  Megan shrugged. "Not in any hurry here."

  "Hmm. Speaking of hot and sexy men of your dreams, how's Brady?"

  "Fine. We're going on a poker run on his motorcycle this weekend."

  "Oh, fun. So you two are dating?"

  Megan turned off the main highway and onto one of the county roads. "I don't know. I . . . guess? Maybe?"

  Sam laughed. "Megan. That's not very definitive. Are you or aren't you dating Brady Conners?"

  "I honestly don't know. We've seen each other a few times socially. We've kissed. Nothing more. We either keep getting interrupted or one of us has pulled back before anything more intimate can happen."

  "Hmm."

  "You keep saying that."

  "I'm thinking."

  Megan had been doing plenty of that as well. She pulled through the ranch gates, and they tabled their conversation about Brady, which was fine with her, since she didn't have answers to any of Sam's questions.

  Martha came out and greeted them.

  "Hey, Grandma," Sam said, giving her a hug.

  Martha grinned. "I've been smiling for two weeks now. There are two new babies to fuss over."

  "I'm sure you're in heaven," Megan said, hugging her before handing her one of the boxes she'd pulled out of the trunk.

  "This is so sweet of you, Megan."

  "I'm sure you're busy enough running around helping Des, and then heading into town to see Emma and the baby. The least I can do is bring some desserts and a casserole."

  "I brought one, too," Sam said. "Someone's got to feed your ranch hands and Des and Logan. One less thing to worry about, at least for a couple of days."

  Martha hugged them both again. "I love you two. Thank you. Now come on inside."

  Megan and Sam helped Martha put the food away.

  Logan stepped into the kitchen.

  "Hey," he said.

  "Hey yourself," Megan said, giving him a hug. "And congratulations."

  That might have been the biggest smile Megan had ever seen on Logan's face, except maybe for the day he'd married Des.

  "Thanks. Des and the baby are in the living room. I'll see you both later."

  "Go on. I'll fix you both some iced tea," Martha said.

  They both washed their hands in the kitchen sink and spread on some hand sanitizer, as well, so they could hold the baby.

  Des was in one of the comfy chairs next to the sofa, her feet propped up, a soft blue bundle in her arms. She wore cotton pants, and her raven hair was pulled up in a messy bun. And still, she looked gorgeous.

  She always looked gorgeous. Her cheeks were pink, and she smiled when she saw them walk in.

  "Oh, hi. I'm so glad you're here."

  "We missed you at the hospital, considering you were in and out in a matter of hours."

  Des sat up straighter. "Well, I wanted to avoid the paparazzi getting wind of me being there, and I had him pretty fast. Lucky for me, it was a fairly easy labor and delivery, so the doc said I would likely recover with a lot less stress at home."

  "That's probably true." Megan leaned over and took a peek. "He's gorgeous, Des. With a photo-ready face. A future actor like his mama."

  Des laughed. "Bite your tongue, woman. I wouldn't want anyone to go into this business, and definitely not my kid. He's going to be a rancher like his daddy."

  Sam looked over Megan's shoulder. "He definitely is beautiful, though."

  Des was grinning as wide as Logan. "Thank you. We named him Benjamin Dale McCormack, after Ben and after Logan's dad."

  Megan's eyes filled with tears. "That's so sweet. I'll bet Martha and Ben are beside themselves."

  "Martha cried, of course. Ben teared up as well. And then I sobbed. Hormones and all."

  "Aww," Sam said, blinking back tears of her own. "Now you're going to make me cry."

  Des gave Sam a stern look. "Don't even. You'll make me start up again. Here, hold a baby instead."

  Sam scooped up Benjamin in her arms. "Oh right, like holding this bundle of sweet baby won't make me cry?"

  Des gave a little chuckle. "I hope not."

  Megan got closer to Sam as she held the baby. "He's so adorable. Look at all that dark hair."

  Benjamin was awake, and his eyes were a dark blue.

  "And those long eyelashes," Sam said. "He's going to be a lady-killer, Des."

  Des gave a smug smile. "I know. He's also quite the crier. And very loud, especially in the middle of the night."

  Sam passed him over to Megan, who breathed in that sweet baby scent as she held him close and took a seat on the sofa. "And what does Logan think of his middle-of-the-night cries?"

  "He's actually surprised me so far. He's up with him in the night, changes his diaper, holds him for a few minutes and rocks him while I wake up and get ready to feed him. He's been . . . amazing."

  Megan looked over at Des. "That's awesome."

  "I think so. And if he doesn't need to eat, Logan's right there to hold him and walk with him or rock him."

  "Which gives you time to rest," Sam said.

  "Yes."

  "I'm so happy for you both," Megan said.

  Des pulled her sweater tighter around her. "Thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better life. Or a better man to spend forever with."

  Megan had never heard anything sweeter. She and Sam ended up staying for dinner at Martha's insistence, and she enjoyed seeing Logan hover over Des, fetch her plate for her, and take the baby so Des could eat.

  They really were a lovely family, and she couldn't be happier for her friends.

  After they helped Martha with the dishes, they hung out for only a little while longer, since it was obvious Des was tired. They said their good-byes, and Megan made the drive back to town with Sam in tow.

  "So what's the timeline for completion of the house?" she asked Sam.

  "Uh, not nearly soon enough?"

  Megan laughed. "I know you're really anxious to get moved in there."

  "I am. But I understand delays due to weather. They barely got things started before winter hit, and recently we've had all the spring rain, so it's been a lot of frustrated waiting. Plus, now that Reid and Deacon have gone into business together, that has to take priority, and the house becomes a side project. We're very fortunate that Deacon is willing to work on it with Reid--and that we still have my old house to live in in the interim."

  "That's true. And before you know it your awesome new home will be ready, and you and Reid and Not My Dog will move in."

  Sam's lips lifted. "I know. I just need to be patient."

  Megan pulled up in front of Sam's house.

  "Would you like to come in?"

  She didn't see Reid's truck, so she nodded. "Sure."

  Sam opened the door, and the house was quiet.

  "
Where's Not My Dog?"

  "On the job site with Reid, like always. He goes to the office with him, too. The tenants at the mercantile are so used to seeing him there that they would think it was odd if he didn't accompany Reid--everywhere."

  Megan laughed. "He does love Reid, doesn't he?"

  "It's a mutual thing." Sam went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of white wine, uncorked it, and poured two glasses. "I figured after today you could use a glass."

  "I'll definitely have one."

  She brought the two glasses into the living room. Megan followed her, and they kicked off their shoes and pulled their feet up on the sofa.

  "Now, let's talk about Brady. You should definitely have sex with him."

  That had come out of nowhere. "You think so?"

  Sam nodded. "Absolutely. He's so hot in a smoldering, quietly intense kind of way. Obviously the two of you have chemistry, right?"

  "Like off the charts."

  "That's fantastic. So why haven't the two of you done it yet?"

  Having a best friend like Sam meant they could talk about anything, even something as intimate as sex. "I have no idea. Timing, and maybe a little reluctance on both our parts?"

  Sam took a sip of wine and studied her over the rim of her wineglass, then set the glass down on the end table. "I'm not sure what either of you has to be reluctant about. He isn't seeing anyone else, is he?"

  "Not that I'm aware of."

  "I get that he's kind of reserved, but can you imagine what it might be like once he lets go?"

  Megan sighed and took a swallow of wine. "Believe me, I've imagined it over and over again."

  Sam laughed. "Then you should definitely go for it. And quit being so reluctant about it. And if he's reluctant, then . . . talk him out of it."

  Sam made a good point. She and Brady were both consenting adults, and the time for hesitation was over. If nothing came from it other than a great time and some physical release, there was nothing wrong with that.

  She could use a little fun--and a little sex.

  She'd see what happened when they got together this weekend.

  Chapter 13

  MEGAN HAD BEEN up very early that Saturday morning. She'd arranged for her assistant, Stacy, to run the bakery for the day, but Megan had gone there before dawn to do all the baking and make sure everything was set out and ready to go. All Stacy had to do was run the register, clean up after, and lock up. Satisfied that everything was in order, Megan headed home to clean up and get ready.

  They were taking off early, and the mornings were still a little cool, so Megan had dressed in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved shirt. She pulled her leather jacket out of her closet, and when she heard the rumble of Brady's motorcycle pulling into her driveway, she went outside to greet him.

  She was shocked to see Roxie tucked into a basket affixed to the luggage rack on the back of the bike. And she had her chicken in her mouth as well.

  Hilarious. And adorable.

  And damn, did the man look sexy. He leaned against the bike, his long legs encased in dark jeans, his boots peeking out from under the hem of his jeans. He wore a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses and oh, did everything female in her react to him as she made her way to the bike.

  "Hi, cutie," she said, leaning over to ruffle her fingers over Roxie's fur. "And you found goggles for her."

  "Yeah. We've been on the bike a few times. She loves it."

  "Of course she does."

  He pushed off the bike and reached into the saddlebag to pull out a helmet. "You ready for today?"

  "I'm excited."

  "Good. The poker run starts at one of the motorcycle dealerships in Tulsa. We'll pick up our cards and instructions there."

  She put on her helmet and glasses.

  Brady took a moment to check the tightness of her helmet and finish zipping up her jacket, his fingers lingering on her zipper. She was caught in his gaze, his mirrored sunglasses revealing nothing. But his body was close and his knuckles rested on her breasts.

  "You look hot today, Megan."

  Her heart started to thump in a fast rhythm.

  "So do you, Brady."

  He brushed his lips across hers, the briefest of kisses, but enough to fire her up and make her wish they could just go inside, strip off their leather jackets, and . . .

  Well, more than just their leather jackets, actually.

  "Guess we should go," he said.

  "I guess we should."

  Brady climbed on the bike, and she got on the seat behind him. She leaned into him, inhaling the delicious combination of leather and man. Tingles of awareness skittered down her spine as he fired up the bike, the vibrations hitting her most sensitive spots.

  Oh, yes. She was more than ready for today.

  He took off down the road, and she enjoyed the cool spring air blowing on her face. She peered around Brady and caught sight of Roxie, her face turned toward the front of the bike, her little ears blowing in the breeze, her chicken covered in puppy drool.

  She looked comfortable, at ease, like she was having the time of her life being on the bike.

  Megan agreed. It had been years since she'd been on a motorcycle, and she'd forgotten how freeing it was. Riding on a motorcycle was nothing like being in a car. She was exposed to the air, felt the thundering power and rumble of the bike as it moved down the road. She felt at one with nature, and she was so thankful that Brady took the back roads into the city instead of the highway. In this way she could take in every sight and sound, could breathe in the smells of nature, could enjoy the sights of deer and cattle instead of concrete.

  It took them a little longer, but at one of the stop signs Brady told her they had plenty of time before the start of the poker run. She told him she was in no hurry, that she was his for the day. He responded by reaching back and running his hand up and down her leg.

  She shuddered, her anticipation growing by every second.

  They finally reached the dealership, and Megan was surprised by the turnout. It was a sea of motorcycles. Brady parked and they climbed off the bikes, shedding their helmets and sunglasses. He got Roxie off the bike and tethered her leash to her harness.

  "This charity event is always a big one," he explained. "Which not only means a big win for the charity in terms of how much they take in--the potential pot for winners is larger."

  "Explain to me how it works," she said as they made their way inside, Roxie wandering between them.

  "We'll get instructions and a map to five locations. Each entrant gets five poker cards--you pull one at each location. The idea is to make a poker hand. You can also buy more hands if you like. Obviously, the more hands you play, the better chance you have to put together a winning hand."

  "I see."

  "I've entered both of us, so at each location, each of us will pull a card."

  She smiled at him. "Thank you. I'm excited now."

  "At the end of the run we turn in our hands, and by a certain time period today the poker run ends and they tally up who wins. There's a cash jackpot, usually with a certain number of winners determined by the value of the hands. Plus there are sponsors involved who donate prizes as well."

  "Sounds exciting. We're going to win, right?"

  His lips curved. "Hell yeah."

  He led her inside and they went to the registration desk. Brady gave his name and pulled out his wallet.

  "I can pay for mine," she said.

  Brady slanted her a look. "I invited you. I'm paying."

  "Okay."

  "I thought we'd each get an extra hand. Double our chances of winning."

  She smiled at him. "If you say so. I'm game for anything today."

  "That's what I wanna hear."

  After registration, they headed over to a table where there was coffee and donuts. Megan fixed a cup of coffee, then couldn't resist a sprinkled donut. Brady grabbed coffee and a donut as well. They mingled with the other participants, and several people waved at Brad
y, so he wandered over to talk.

  They ended up in a group of about six people--four guys and two girls. Brady introduced her to all of them, though she wasn't sure she'd remember all their names. She knew the women were Penny and Donna. Penny was a tall, slender blonde, and Donna was shorter and curvier and had the most beautiful long red hair pulled into a braid.

  So while the guys talked about bikes and paint schemes and engine things that made no sense to Megan, she engaged the women in conversation.

  "Do you do events like this often?" she asked.

  Donna nodded. "Several times a year. Anything to be on the bikes."

  "Is this your first time?" Penny asked her.

  "For a poker run? Yes. I'm very excited."

  Donna grinned. "And you're with Brady?"

  She wasn't sure how to answer that. "For today I am."

  Donna seemed to accept that without asking any more questions. "You're gonna have a blast. These things are a party and a half, honey."

  "Hey, Tony," Donna said to her guy. "Brady and Megan are gonna ride with us today, right?"

  Tony, a big burly guy with a pretty lengthy dark beard, looked over at Brady. "Wanna run with us today?"

  Brady nodded. "Sure."

  Donna grinned as she met Megan's gaze. "It is on, honey."

  "We're going to have so much fun," Penny said.

  Megan was already stoked. She was ready to ride. And win her poker hand.

  They headed outside, and Megan took Roxie over to a grassy area for her to walk around before they climbed on their bikes and headed out.

  It was incredibly noisy with all the bikes firing up at the same time. Megan felt a thrilling chill as they rode out of the parking lot together. She and Brady stayed with their group, since not everyone would travel to the same spot first. He had told her before they left that the event coordinators did this to avoid bike traffic and congestion.

  Their first stop was thirty minutes away at one of the local casinos. They went inside and pulled their first cards. She got a queen and a ten, then compared hers to Brady's, who had a nine and an ace.

  He grinned at her. "Good start."

  They chatted a bit with the others before Megan put Roxie back in her basket and they rode on.

  Their next stop was farther south, this time at a sporting goods store.

  She pulled another queen and a four. Brady got another ace and an eight.

  Donna leaned over to look at their cards. "It looks like you two are both pulling winning hands."