Cowboy Country (58 page)

“What?”

“Come back to the house with me, Jessie O’Rourke. In fact, leave your car here, I’ll drive.”

“Wyatt, what? This is crazy. I’m heading back to Austin.”

“You sure as hell are not. Denise has enough potato salad and chocolate cake for an army back at the house, and Hank Gallagher’s bringing over a quarter keg of Shiner Bock by eleven. You’ll be right at my side tomorrow, on the back patio at Mockingbird Ranch, with all your friends. Daisy’ll be there, showin’ off her belly, and Rodric and Daphne are coming from Austin with their kids, too.”

“Says who?”

“I planned it as a surprise, Jessie. I wanted to do something special, just us, to make up for Stacia being at Emilia’s party. She might have caught wind of it, somehow. Anyway, she’s the past.”

Without waiting, he ducked, swung Jessie up in his arms.

“Wyatt, put me down,” she said firmly, but her eyes said otherwise.

Her eyes said, thank you for coming after me, thank you for making a fuss about me.

Thank you for loving me.

He buried his face in her neck, and her arms wrapped around him.

“Let this be as good as it can be, between us, Jess. As good as things can be, between a man and a woman. That’s what we have now, and that’s the way it’s gonna stay.”

Back at Mockingbird, Wyatt took no chances, hoisting Jessie out of the cab, up on the porch, through the front door, and up the steps of Mockingbird Ranch. Gently settling her into the big leather club chair in his bedroom, he went to his top dresser drawer, and pulled out a small blue velvet box.

Jessie froze.

Smiling at her expression, he touched her shoulder, then dropped to one knee.

“Jessie O’Rourke, I’ve wanted you for my wife for how long I can’t say, but I wasn’t twenty before I had dreams of the two of us, loving each other at Mockingbird Ranch. You’ve been my best friend, the other half of my soul, forever.”

He watched her lips quirk up in a half smile, as tears came into her eyes.

“I got you this ring three and a half years ago, and I’ve had it in my top dresser drawer ever since. My dreams came true today, when we took that trail ride together, just like old times. If you don’t like the ring, we can change it out, but I’d appreciate it if you’d do me the honor of wearing it from now until then. Jessie O’Rourke, will you marry me?”

Tears were streaming down her face now.

“Man, you don’t mess around, do you?” she spluttered, forehead knit. “I should have said yes the last time, Wyatt. Yes, please, I want you for a husband. I want to be married to you, make a life with you...“

He slid the ring on her finger, and then she was in his arms sobbing.

“Thank you for knowing me, Wyatt. Thank you for understanding what you mean to me.”

He wrapped her snug. “You were always on my mind and in my heart, Jess I never left go, I promise you that, and I’ll never will let go. You’re mine for life, Jessie.”

“And you’re mine, Wyatt. Nothing has ever made me so happy, I swear it.”

Monday, July 4, 2016, 9:36 AM~ Mockingbird Ranch, TX

“Jessie’s home, Cash!” Wyatt smiled, grabbing Jessie’s bags from the Audi. “Look, all of her stuff is here. What did Nicole say?”

“I had to stay for breakfast, of course.”

“Of course. Will she and Steve make it over, later?” he asked, taking a bag in each hand. She followed him up to the porch with her garment bag. “Yup, he’s coming from Austin, special.”

Jessie followed Wyatt to the guest room next to his. “My closet is pretty full, but you can have it if you want it, I don’t mind. There’s lots more room in here. If you want to use this as a dressing room, I’ll have a door way cut from our bedroom,” he offered.

“I’d like my own space in here. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“There is plenty of room in the drawers in here. The bed can go up in the attic, if you want more closet space, or a desk or something.”

“For the time being it’s fine. I like the door idea, though.”

“If the contractor can’t be here this week, I’ll do it myself.”

Jessie couldn’t believe that this was really happening, that she was settling into a life with Wyatt, but nothing could feel better. “You are the best, really,” she said, squeezing his hand and kissing his cheek. He put his hand on her waist.

“I like making you happy, Jess.” he said. Unzipping her garment bag, Jessie hung dresses and summer weight suits, blouses and skirts in the closet. He looked at the empty space. “This is only the tip of the iceberg, I guess.”

“Yup, plenty more in Austin.”

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Wyatt had a green bottle chilling in a wine bucket, a pair of champagne flutes on the counter. He’d even put candlesticks out, with new white candles.

“What’s this?” she asked, as he lit the candles.

“I wanted a moment for you and me, before all hell breaks loose.” He looked at his watch.

“What?” Jessie asked, confused.

But Wyatt was busy, stripping the cork, popping it, and filling the flutes. He held one out for her and took up his own. “To happiness at Mockingbird,” he said, searching her eyes.

“To us,” she told him, loving him with her eyes as she sipped the bubbly.

There was a knock at the door, and a big smile crossed Wyatt’s face.

“Go ahead and get that, Jessie girl, it’s for you.”

“Whatever is going on?” she asked, swinging the big pecan door wide open.

“Surprise!” three voices called, and then she was locked in her sister’s death grip hug.

“Oh my God, Lalinda! Teja?”

But a flash went off; Alexander was already snapping pictures.

Nicole and Steve and Lance and Mary and little Emilia were right behind them.

“You didn’t think we were going to let you celebrate your engagement without us, did you?” Linny squealed.

“I’ve already started on this wedding gown, dammit,” Teja chattered, his arms around Wyatt. “What took you so long? We need this wedding yesterday!”

“All in good time,” Wyatt told him.

“We stopped the limo for fireworks on our way from the airport. We’re gonna put on a helluva show tonight, buster. This is one very big day!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lilly Christine has authored eight titles in the McGreers Series, with more coming soon. "Crashing Into Tess", Lilly's debut novel, garnished the prestigious Toronto Romance Writer's "Catherine" Award, and is a 2014 GDRW Bookseller's Best Finalist.

About those McGreers... hard-working cowboys endeavoring to deserve the women they crave, my lifelong fascination with the American West is media and travel driven.
As a six year old, I regularly tuned into "Big Valley" for a dose of Barbara Stanwyck's tough, outspoken "Virginia Barclay". Heck, how did she get those big, strapping boys to behave? Second grade riding lessons on a paint pony Beauregard and Johnny and Jane West's paperboard ranch provide the setting for all of my cowgirl fantasies, competently executed via heroines Tess, Daisy, Daphne, Luanne, Janie, Lindsay, Candi and now Jessie…

I’m always available for book-signings, readings and appearances, especially to benefit my reader’s favorite animal shelters and rescues.

Please visit my
Lilly Christine Amazon page
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Thanks again (so much!) for reading~

Love’s

Everlasting

Song

RaeAnne Hadley

Other books by RaeAnne Hadley

Mechanics of Murder

A Wrench in the Plan

With Love; Now & Forever

Shadows

Love's Everlasting Song

119 Days

Dimensions of the Heart

Twisted Eidolon

Love’s Everlasting Song

Copyright © 2011 RaeAnne Hadley

All rights reserved.

Love’s Everlasting Song

By RaeAnne Hadley

Rebecca Gordon never believed in "happily-ever-after" but she had no idea how far her marriage had crumbled until she walked in on her husband with another woman. Unable to save her marriage, she decides to focus on her career and win the horse show that would put her ranch on the map. Wanting to use the latest, chic music for her competition, she flies to L.A. where she is to meet with the managers of Luke Grayson, the hottest singers of the decade.

Luke Grayson is on top of the world and at the top of the charts but he's growing weary with the "McModels" that are throwing themselves at him. Their selfish, shallow personalities leave him wanting for more. He stumbles across a DVD late one night and becomes entranced with the woman riding her horse to his music. Determined to meet her, he arranges to be a part of that meeting.

The physical attraction between the two is immediate but Rebecca struggles with her pending divorce and need to be successful in her career. As Rebecca begins to open her heart and believe in her future, her past won't leave her alone and threatens to destroy everything she has worked for. Can she fight to put her past to rest and begin a new life or will this be her swan song?

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to so many people. For the women who have ever had a crush on a star, for those who have wanted to follow their dreams and those who have achieved it. For all my fans who stop me on the street, send me letters and emails asking for my next story and who love my characters as much as I do. Special thank you to Christy and Carol, for once again editing and critiquing my tale. To Paula Sadvar and her mother, Florence Easley, who helped me with this book in ways that so many would not understand. To my family, who is always supportive and giving me the time and encouragement to live my dream.

Life is meant to be fun!

Enjoy the journey

CHAPTER ONE

She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, wondering how she got here and afraid she already knew where she was going. In the brilliant white wedding dress, she thought she looked older than her twenty-four years.

“Lack of sleep.” She thought to herself, thankful for the magic concealer that disguised the dark circles under her Caribbean blue eyes. She knew this was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life but she didn’t feel like it was, she just felt, well, off.

She heard people bustling around outside the doorway, her mother’s chipper voice directing anyone that would listen. The tiny, little chapel was going to be packed with guests and she was glad that Kip had insisted on a short, non-denominational service for when they exchanged their vows. The “bride’s” room was a large coat closet and storage area that they had been kind enough to clean up and let her use to get dressed. The dark paneling was a reminder of the decorating taste of the seventies but she didn’t mind. She was here to get married, not redecorate.

She believed she was in love with Kip. It’s just that she wasn’t filled with passion and excitement when she thought of him or was with him. She chalked her lack of emotions up to too many romantic movies and books, the happily-ever-after that didn’t exist in the real world. In the real world, you needed stability, dependability and compatibility. Those were the things that allowed a couple to hang in there for the long haul. She had to put away the fantasies of being swept away by a tall, handsome stranger. She was the last in her group of friends to get married and in her mind, barely missing becoming an old maid.