Cooper's Promise

by Liliana Hart

  He had a feeling he was going to enjoy her being the boss very much.

  Epilogue

  Three Years Later…

  There was comfort and consistency in family. They could always be counted on.

  Generations of those who shared blood had lived and loved and prospered and died on MacKenzie land. And still the bond was strong, even after more than a hundred years had passed. It didn’t matter how far those who shared the blood strayed from home—how long they wandered or where life might lead them. Like a beacon, family always called them home.

  So on Thanksgiving Day, the MacKenzies young and old gathered around the large oak table. Built by Cooper’s grandfather when the family started to expand exponentially, it was scarred and stained beneath the neatly pressed tablecloth. Heads were bowed, eyes were closed, and hands were held.

  “—And continue to bless this family,” James MacKenzie prayed. “Amen.”

  “Amen,” everyone repeated.

  As patriarch of the family, James took his role seriously. He’d raised five children, and all of them had made it to adulthood to become respectable citizens of the community. Though there had been a time or two he’d worried about his boys. Wild didn’t begin to describe them.

  None of his children had settled down yet, which was something he and his wife Mary discussed often, but they were still young yet. His daughter was still in graduate school, and his boys—well, his boys were all over the world. He’d raised men who knew the true meaning of serve and protect, and their duty to their jobs and their country would make any father proud. No, there was plenty of time for them to settle down.

  In the meantime, he’d had the privilege of watching his brother’s sons become men and start their own families. His brother John had lost his life much too young, and even more than fifteen years later he missed him like he would a limb. James had always planned to raise those five boys himself, even though Cooper had been a grown man and the other three had been close behind him. But then September 11th hit, and James’s life changed in an instant since he’d been a colonel in the Marines at the time.

  And while he was overseas, Mary was left to raise their five young children and do what she could to help Cooper keep those boys in line and the farm running. He’d felt guilty for years and when he’d returned home his brother’s children had scattered like leaves in the wind.

  But one by one they’d returned home.

  Dane had found the love of his life early, only to lose her because of rash decisions he’d made in his youth. But he’d returned to find out he not only still loved Charlotte, but that he had a son he’d never known about as well. That none of them had known about.

  He looked down the length of the long table at Dane and Charlie—their heads close together and secret smiles on their lips. Their oldest son Jayden sat beside Dane and their toddler Rose sat in her high chair eating small pieces of bananas. Dane was still working on the book he’d started about James’ grandfather, Cole MacKenzie, and his life as a US Marshal.

  James remembered his grandfather well, though he’d been a child when Cole had passed on. But Dane was bringing him to life with his talent with words, and everyone was chomping at the bit to get a look at the story when it was finished.

  Thomas and his wife, Cat—who was so round with child he wondered if they’d be delivering a baby along with dessert later on—sat on the opposite side of Dane and Charlie. Despite the entire family trying to step in and help, Cat had done most of the cooking for Thanksgiving. And though he’d never say it to her face, thank goodness she’d become a better cook than she had that first year of their marriage. But Cat had missed out on having a normal life growing up, and she was doing everything in her power to get those experiences now. Besides, the turkey was delicious and he’d been eyeing the pecan pie sitting on the sideboard all day.

  Thomas had always been the steadiest of the four. He’d always known he wanted to be a doctor, and the only time he’d ever left Surrender was to go away to medical school. But now he was back and always had a full patient load, though it was considerably less since Thomas had gotten married and the single ladies in town no longer found themselves with manufactured ailments.

  “Don’t you dare throw that roll at me,” Riley said, spooning mashed potatoes onto his plate.

  “I wasn’t going to do it, Uncle Riley. I swear,” Jayden said, wide-eyed.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, kid. I was talking to your mom. She’s still mad about the Saran-Wrap.”

  Everyone at the table groaned, well used to Riley’s pranks by now, though everyone knew he deserved whatever payback Charlie could come up with. But Riley just grinned and winked at his sister-in-law, and then passed the potatoes to his wife.

  Maggie shook her head and took the potatoes. “You are asking for trouble,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Don’t I know it. Want to give me a little trouble later on?”

  Riley’s brothers and cousins hooted with laughter as Maggie turned an interesting shade of pink. And then her brow arched and a look came into her eyes James knew was nothing but trouble. After being married more than forty years he recognized that look well.

  Maggie smiled sweetly. “Oh, I insist upon giving you trouble later on. But first I’ve got a meeting with my dear sisters-in-law and Darcy. That doesn’t worry you, does it?”

  It terrified him, and Riley’s teasing grin disappeared. It was never good when all the ladies got together to plot.

  “Don’t forget me,” Mary said. “I may be old, but I still enjoy putting my boys in their place when they deserve it.”

  James grinned and patted his wife’s hand. That was the truth. She’d ruled the roost over nine kids without losing her sanity and was still as beautiful as the first day he’d met her.

  Riley leaned over to whisper something in Maggie’s ear and her blush intensified. Those two enjoyed their adventures, and he was sure they’d have many more in the future.

  And then at the opposite end of the table sat Cooper and Claire. Their infant son, Colin, nursing while Cooper filled Claire’s plate with food. James had to admit he’d always been the most worried about Cooper. There’d been an emptiness—a bleakness—inside of that boy from the moment his father had died and left him responsible for his brothers and a ranch.

  Cooper had never really been happy his adult life, and it was a topic of conversation he and Mary had often. They didn’t know what to do for the boy. Had never known. But ever since Claire had come into his life they’d seen the change in him. There was a contentment and happiness there they’d never seen before. Cooper would never be tamed. He was still wild as the wind. But that energy was channeled toward his family now, and the boy had something all his own for once.

  Yes, James sighed. His nephews were all content in their lives. They had wives who adored them and didn’t let them get away with anything. And at the rate children were being born in the family, things seemed to be going well in the bedroom department too. He was happy for them. Happy he could watch over them for his brother.

  Now if only he could see the same contentment with his own children. Maybe all they needed was a nudge in the right direction. Everyone deserved a happily ever after.

  Here’s a sneak peek at Grant’s Christmas Wish, available at retailers everywhere.

  Grant MacKenzie loved his family. Really, he did. It’s just that there were so damned many of them. Everywhere he turned, there was another MacKenzie in his path for him to trip over.

  The entire family was crammed into the old MacKenzie farmhouse for the holidays. The house had been built by his great-grandfather—a sprawling space that was added onto with every generation, so it resembled a patchwork quilt of wood and stone, the rooms jutting out at varying angles.

  Despite the disjointed construction, it was a house filled with laughter and love and memories that had endured for over a century. In fact, Grant had spent more time at the MacKenzie farmhouse growing up than he had at his ow
n home just down the lane. His uncle had been the elder of the two MacKenzie brothers, so the house had gone to him, and then when he’d passed on the house had gone to his sons. Grant’s cousin, Thomas, currently lived there with his wife and two children, and Thomas used one part of the house for his medical practice. Considering Thomas was the only doctor in the tiny town of Surrender, Montana, the house always gave the impression that it was ready to burst at the seams.

  Grant considered himself a tolerant kind of guy. But enough was enough. He hadn’t had fifteen minutes to himself in the last week since school had gotten out and his nephews and nieces had been underfoot. He’d exhausted every avenue of entertainment he could possibly think of—sledding, ice skating, taking the kids to get sundaes at Bledsoe’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shoppe, and they’d played so many video games his eyes were starting to cross. He loved being the “favorite” uncle, but if he didn’t get out of this place soon he was going to lose his mind. It seemed like every MacKenzie in the house had something to say or argue about. And they all had to do it at top volume.

  His four cousins, Dane, Thomas, Riley and Cooper, all had wives and what seemed like a new child every time he turned around. He’d lost count of his nieces and nephews. His aunt and uncle had both passed away some years ago, but that side of the MacKenzie branch was in no danger of dying out. His own side of the MacKenzie family tree was another story.

  All three of his brothers cringed at the thought of marriage. Part of that was because their mother had been devastated by their father’s death, and they didn’t think the heartbreak was worth getting that close to anyone.

  The other reason his brothers didn’t want to get married was that they just weren’t ready, even though Cade, who was the oldest, was a couple of years past thirty. Not to mention the professions they’d chosen didn’t exactly lend themselves to long, stable relationships. Cade was a former DEA agent and had just taken a job as a detective for the Fort Worth police department. Shane was a Navy Seal, and he was out of the country more months of the year than he was in it. And no one knew what the hell it was that Declan did. Though it was obvious he and Shane had worked on jobs together in the past, so Grant assumed he worked for some faction of the government.

  And then there was his youngest sister, Darcy. Just the thought of her strong-arming some poor man into marriage gave him chills. She was wild and reckless, and she’d need someone with a firm hand and the patience of Job to keep her under control. He thanked God every day that it wouldn’t be his problem. And since she was only twenty-four he figured she still had some growing up to do before she settled down.

  The crash of furniture and a war whoop echoed from the next room, and his nephews turned up the TV a little louder to compensate for the noise. His head was pounding, and he’d never needed a beer more. Grant was used to the commotion after all these years, but there was a reason he chose to live in the little house he’d built, secluded from the rest of the town—and better yet, the rest of the MacKenzies.

  “I’m officially declaring myself as Mario Kart champion,” he said to his nephews. “There’s nothing more I can accomplish here, and a man needs a challenge every once in a while. It gets wearisome stomping you guys into dust.”

  He was met with a chorus of snickers and scoffs from his nephews. “Whatever—In your dreams, Uncle Grant.”

  “I’ll play again when you boys decide to bring your A game,” he said with a wink. “I’d be ashamed to call myself MacKenzie if I were you. I’m handing the reins over to Jack here so he can redeem the next generation.”

  Grant relinquished the video game controller to his cousin Riley’s four-year-old son, who was tangled around his neck like a monkey. He unbent his tall, lanky frame from the floor and stretched muscles that had cramped from sitting in one spot too long. He needed a good run, or something else to get the blood flowing and his muscles warmed.

  “Do me proud, son, and kick some butt.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Grant,” Jack said, his chubby fingers already working the controller.

  His cousins had all settled down over the past few years. Even Cooper, the one man who Grant thought would never be able to give himself to one woman. But Coop had proven them all wrong and married a woman he would move the moon and stars for, which just went to prove that there was someone for everyone.

  “Ahh, fresh meat,” his brother Cade called out as he shuffled a deck of cards with easy practice. He clamped a cigar between his teeth and gave Grant a challenging smile. “We were just about to deal a new hand. I’ve taken all the money I can from these losers.”

  Declan sat next to Cade with nothing more than a few quarters on the table in front of him and a scowl on his face, and Shane and Riley sat on the opposite side, having nothing more to show for their success than peanut shells and empty beer bottles.

  “It looks like Darcy’s doing well enough. Why don’t you take her money?” Grant said, glancing at the tall stacks of quarters and the small pile of dollar bills in front of her.

  “Yeah, Cade. Why don’t you take my money?” She shook back a loose tangle of black hair and laughed. “I’m sure he’d be happy to bleed me dry if he could beat me,” she said, winking at Grant. “Some of us are more interested in talking a good game rather than playing a good game. Ante up, MacKenzie. Put your money where your mouth is.”

  The rest of them hooted in laughter, and Cade got that competitive look in his eyes that Grant knew meant trouble. Darcy was no wilting flower, that was for sure, but she could hold her own. She’d bloodied plenty of noses as a child—mostly theirs—she’d had to with four older brothers.

  Darcy and Cade started a string of trash talking that would make their mother box their ears if she heard what was being said. Grant decided to escape before Mary MacKenzie showed up and did just that. Their mom had a way of knowing when her children weren’t doing what they were supposed to.

  He snagged another beer from the ice chest and weaved in and out of running children, a cat, and two dogs until he got to the kitchen. All of his cousins' wives and his mother were gathered around the big island in the center of the room, trying to decide the best way to get a twenty-pound turkey in the oven.

  “Just the man we were looking for,” his mother said with a devious smile.

  “I seriously doubt that,” Grant said. “I have a feeling I’m just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Do you need me to unstop the toilet? Replace shingles on the roof? Do I need to replace the towel bar again in Charlie’s bathroom? It’s always something in this family.”

  Charlie blushed crimson and put her hands on her hips, the glint in her eyes dangerous, while the other women started to laugh. Charlie was married to his cousin Dane, and they’d once used the towel bar in their bathroom a little too rigorously during some naked water games, and the bar had ripped out from the wall. Since Grant had his own construction company and was the handiest with tools, he was the one the family always called on to repair things. And there had been no way he was going to keep that story to himself after seeing the damage they’d done. He’d laughed himself silly at the giant holes in the wall and the two black eyes Dane had sported, since apparently, the force of Charlie pulling it from the wall had whacked Dane right across the nose.

  “Shut up, Grant. You promised you wouldn’t bring it up again.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure I never promised that,” he said, looking completely innocent as he bent to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I promised I’d never tell anyone how you got that hole in the sheetrock of your laundry room.”

  “Ooh, tell us! Tell us!” Cat, Thomas’s wife pleaded. “I always wondered how that happened. It was a really big hole.”

  “It’s a miracle that house isn’t lying in a heap of rubble around them,” Riley’s wife, Maggie said, rubbing her very pregnant belly.

  They didn’t bother to hide the laughter this time at Charlotte’s expense.

  “Grant MacKenzie, look what you’ve started. You stop embarrassing
Charlotte right this instant,” his mother admonished, fighting her own laughter. “Help us get this turkey in the oven and then get out of the kitchen.”

  “You know, sometimes a guy gets tired of being objectified for his brawn. I need some respect around here. I’ve got brains too.”

  “Yes, dear, I know.” his mother said indulgently. “But women never get tired of seeing the ripple of muscles, even if they do belong to family.”

  Grant rolled his eyes and heaved the massive turkey into the oven, glad that he was in good shape. There was no way that bird weighed twenty pounds. More like fifty. His female relatives broke into applause and then promptly went back to orchestrating a dinner for twenty-seven people. He took the moment of their distraction to grab his leather jacket and scarf and escape out the kitchen door before they could find something else for him to do. It wasn’t until he got outdoors that he realized he’d left his beer on the kitchen counter.

  “It’s just not worth going back for,” he muttered, shuddering at the thought.

  Fresh snow crunched underfoot as he walked down the sloping back yard into the trees behind the house. Winter hadn’t been kind to Surrender that year, and it was far from over. Already the grey clouds were pregnant and ready to burst with the next round of fat white flakes.

  The entire family would be sleeping under one roof that night so they could wake up together on Christmas morning (the kids were told that it was easier for Santa to make one stop), so there was no need for him to worry that anyone would be stuck out in the storm.

  The late afternoon sunlight was fading, and he lifted his face up, so the cold slapped at his cheeks, and inhaled the brittle air deep into his lungs. He loved this time of year. The beauty the snow brought to the land—the hushed quiet as it blanketed bare branches and the empty fields where farmers would plant come the spring and let their cattle and horses graze.