Circle Eight: Vaughn (23 page)

“There are a few I’d love to tower over.” Aurora grinned. “I guess we’re never happy with what we have. On the other hand, I’m pretty happy with my girls and your brother.”

“You are very lucky.” Elizabeth envied her siblings’ happy marriages and beautiful children. Now she would have a child of her own, but a happy marriage was not a certainty. She would have to make her own happiness.

“Do you need anything?” Aurora looked at Vaughn again. “I can protect you if you prefer. My hammer is never far away.”

Elizabeth’s sister-in-law was deadly with her hammer. No man dared to threaten her or her own without consequences. Elizabeth smiled at her.

“No, I’m fine. When he wakes up, we’ll talk and then I’ll send him on his way.” Her voice broke on the words and she had to hold back a sob.

“When you’re pregnant, your emotions are magnified. Don’t be surprised if you cry at a whim, like if you spill your coffee. This is going to turn you into a watering pot.” With that, Aurora left Elizabeth alone with Vaughn.

“This is familiar.” She brushed his dark hair back from his face. “Why did you break my heart?”

“I didn’t mean to.” His husky voice made her start. He opened his eyes and she lost the ability to utter a word, a true feat for someone with her penchant for talking. She had missed him so very much. Her heart stuttered and her throat closed.

“Ellie, I’m so sorry. I meant to be here two months ago. That bastard lawman Layton put me in jail the day after you left.” He reached for her hand but she pulled it again. She couldn’t touch him or she would shatter into a thousand pieces.

“There is such a thing as writing a letter.” She barely recognized her own voice. It was ripped with sadness.

“He kept me away from everyone, including Winnie and a judge. I never even saw the inside of a courtroom.” He blinked at her. “All I could think about was you.”

She shook her head. “No, I won’t accept your guilt. You should have found a way.”

“The only person I saw was Layton. He wasn’t willing to send you a letter. Hell, he must have lied to Winnie the entire time.” Vaughn tried to sit up but failed. “She’s the reason I’m here now. Broke me out of jail.”

Elizabeth could believe that. There didn’t seem to be anything Winnie couldn’t do. “Will she get in trouble?”

“I doubt it. She had a plan that involved fainting.” A small grin quirked up the corner of his mouth. “She is the reason I’m here now. I would have wasted away to nothing in that jail cell.”

“She’s very brave.” Elizabeth wanted to tell him about the baby but couldn’t find the words.

“You know the first time I saw you was just like this. You were standing over me and I was caught by your eyes. They’re the color of the sea.” His voice had grown soft.

“I’ve never seen the sea.” It was stupid but that’s what came out of her mouth.

“I rode here like a bat out of hell. I didn’t even bother to wash or stop except to let the horse rest. All I could think about was you.”

Her throat tightened again. “I thought about you too. I wanted to shoot you.”

His grin peeked out again. “That’s my girl.”

“Am I your girl? It’s been two months, Vaughn. My brothers are out there right now thinking of ways to tear your pecker off.”

This time he laughed. “You are my girl and I have missed you very much.”

“I missed you too but it hurts me to admit that. I’ve grieved for you already.” She didn’t know what she wanted or what she should hope for.

Vaughn tugged at her. “Come here.”

“No. I won’t. My family is right out there.”

“Come here.” He tugged a little harder and she allowed him to. The moment she climbed on top of him, memories assailed her of the first time they’d made love. It had been sensual and amazing, the experience of a lifetime. She laid her head down on his chest and stretched out.

“I can’t imagine anywhere else in the world I would rather be.” He ran his hands up and down her back, warm and soothing.

Tears stung her eyes and she had to swallow twice before she could speak. “I’m confused.”

“Me too.”

“What do we do?”

“We figure it out together. I want to marry you, Ellie. I love you. I can’t even tell you how much. When I can stand up without falling down, I’ll show you.” His voice rumbled through his chest and into hers.

“My brothers might beat you.” She pressed her nose into the crook of his neck.

“I will hold my own with them.”

“I have four brothers plus a brother-in-law. Not to mention Javier and Lorenzo. Other than Benjy, they’re all big men.” She didn’t want him to be hurt.

“I forgot.” He wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll have to stay here until they go away.”

“This is our ranch. They’re finishing the house and then everyone is coming back next week. The furniture is coming in three days.”

“Is there room for me? For us?”

This was the moment she decided whether she would accept his proposal again. Her child could have two parents. But was it enough?

“I want to say yes.”

“Then say yes.” He kissed her neck, his whiskers rough on her skin.

“Get her off him right now.” Matt’s furious words pulled her out of the cocoon of love. Hands pulled at her and tore her out of the tent. She sputtered and smacked at them.

“Let me go!” Nick and Brody held her while Matt and Caleb went into the tent. “Don’t you dare hurt him!”

The possibility Vaughn would be further injured made any indecision about him turn to dust. He was her love and her future. She slammed into Caleb, who fell into the tent pole and tore the entire thing down. Matt cursed while she landed on the ground on top of Caleb.

She punched at him and scrambled to her feet. “You will not hurt my man.” She ignored Brody’s shock and Nick’s scowl and pulled at the tent until she found Vaughn. He stared at her, open-mouthed as she yanked her way to him. The canvas tore up her hands but she didn’t care.

“I knew she had a cougar inside her.” Aurora stood by and watched, a grin on her face.

“What the hell are you doing, Ellie?” Matt growled like an enraged bull.

She stood in front of Vaughn and touched his forehead. “I am protecting the man I love. The father of my child and my future husband.” She punched Matt in the shoulder, pleased when he staggered backward. “Now leave him alone.”

“Father of your child?” Vaughn managed to get into a sitting position. His expression was one of wonder and awe. “Child?”

She nodded. “Our child.”

He struggled to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. To her surprise, his cheek was wet with tears. The dam inside her broke and she let her own fall. Feet shuffled around them and she ignored them.

Aurora saved the day. “I’m going to suggest you all get back to work. Later you can reconstruct the tent. The rest of the brood will be here next week and if you don’t have the house finished, your wives are going to kick all your asses.” She walked past. “Congratulations, sister.”

Elizabeth breathed in the scent of Vaughn, of the man she loved. Finally she’d found where she belonged, where she could be herself, where she would be loved.

“I don’t like it.”

“Me neither.”

“I’m going to kick his ass when he’s better.”

“Take a number. I’m first.”

“Just ’cause you’re the oldest doesn’t mean you’re first.”

The men’s voices faded as they walked away. Vaughn chuckled against her neck.

“I’ve never seen anything so magnificent. You are amazing, Ellie.”

She smiled. “Only in your eyes.”

He leaned back and cupped her face. “You are my world now. I love you, sweet girl.”

“I love you too, Vaughn.” She kissed him quick. “Now you have a family.”

His smile widened. In his dark gaze, she saw everything. All she wanted, all she loved, all she needed. Indeed, Elizabeth had come home.

Beth Williamson, who also writes as Emma Lang, is an award-winning, bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her books range from sensual to scorching hot. She is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010.

Beth has always been a dreamer, never able to escape her imagination. It led her to the craft of writing romance novels. She
’s passionate about purple, books, and her family. She has a weakness for shoes and purses, as well as bookstores. Her path in life has taken several right turns, but she’s been with the man of her dreams for more than 20 years.

Beth works full-time and writes romance novels evening, weekends, early mornings and whenever there is a break in the madness. She is compassionate, funny, a bit reserved at times, tenacious and a little quirky. Her cowboys and western romances speak of a bygone era, bringing her readers to an age where men were honest, hard and packing heat. For a change of pace, she also dives into some smokin’ hot contemporaries, bringing you heat, romance and snappy dialogue.

Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Beth always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind. ;)

www.bethwilliamson.com