Loving You: A Cowboy Romance (Texas Hill Country Romance Book 1) (32 page)

6 months later……

“I do,” Cord said, gazing intently into Annie’s eyes.

No one else at the affair mattered to him, just her. It was always her. For more than four years it was only Annie he lived for.

After the proposal in one of the most romantic places in the world, Cord tarried around Paris for another ten days, giving up his hotel room and staying with Annie at her townhouse.

He got to know her family and she assured him they were crazy about him.

He left for the States. He needed to get back to work, having stayed longer than he intended to.

He picked her up at the airport three weeks later.

When she saw him, she flew into him and he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him and they kissed right smack in the middle of thousands of people. He didn’t care. She was the only thing that mattered to him.

They discussed where they should have their wedding. Her mom mentioned how much Annie always talked about getting married at the Oheka Castle in Huntington, NY. They even discussed having it at the Trois Estate at Enchanted Rock, but when Evelyn offered her home, Annie knew that was where she wanted to have it.

Cord was thrilled she chose home, but he would have agreed to anything she wanted.

Like the fundraiser in July, there were two large tents set up along the river, lending itself to a beautiful sunset. One was for dining and the other was for the ceremony itself and dancing later. Both done up in white and silver.

The weather, being the beginning of May was quite warm, but dry and not a cloud in the sky. The blue horizon against the backdrop of the landscape was vibrant as far as the eye could see.

Annie wore a stunning strapless fit and flare silhouette gown with a jewel encrusted belt that tied in the back with a satin bow, by Maggie Sottero. She had pearls and jewels layered around her neck and drop earrings that matched some of the necklaces.

She chose to walk down the aisle alone. Their nieces and her nephew walked down the aisle first and after them, her maid of honor, Calista.

When Annie walked down the aisle, Cord, and Jake and Shane, who were his best men, got a view of her. Their jaws dropped. Shane’s eyes grew wide.

“Holy shit, man,” Jake said.

“Fucking beautiful,” Cord said then quickly looked to the minister. “Ooops, sorry.” But the minister didn’t even notice Cord’s apology, he was too busy looking at Annie with his jaw open.

Cord elbowed Jake, and with his eyes, indicated the minister. Jake and he chuckled and then turned their attention back to Annie.

“You may kiss the bride,” the minister said.

Cord took Annie in his arms and smiling that brilliant smile she so loved, he bent her back and brought his lips down to hers.

No quick peck for these two. Jake had to clear his throat to get their attention.

“Later, Jake,” Cord said, speaking against Annie’s mouth.

“Yeah, later, Cord,” Jake said.

Cord righted Annie and they smiled a moment longer at each other.

Everyone clapped and rushed the couple.

The reception that followed was as elegant as Evelyn told Annie it would be. The food was plentiful and delicious and the spirits were never ending. The music and dancing in the other tent was lively and upbeat with an occasional slow song thrown in.

Annie’s mother and Adrien came up to Annie while she was alone and presented her with an envelope.

“Oh, no, please, you have done so much already with my dress and this party.”

Between them and Cord’s parents, they had to have spent a small fortune. “This is not necessary.”

‘Open it,” Adrien said.

She did, slowly. In it was a check for Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Annie’s mouth and eyes went wide.

She began to hand it back, but neither of them would take it from her hands.

“Oh, no, no, I can’t.”

“Yes, Annie, you can. This is the profit from selling the bakery. Your baking skills put that bakery on the map. It was easy to sell. I took the highest bidder.”

“Oh, my God!”

“This makes your mom happy and if she’s happy, I’m happy,” he said and he kissed his wife.

Annie couldn’t be happier for her mother. She was positively glowing around him. Much like herself whenever she was around Cord.

Annie thanked and hugged her mom and Adrien. She knew what she was going to do with at least one hundred thousand of it as long as Cord was good with it and she was certain he would be.

Cord came over and asked her to dance. He led them on the dance floor and his parents and her mom and Adrien followed, and soon everyone else did.

“How you doing, Mrs. McCreedy?”

“I’ve never been happier, Mr. McCreedy,” she said and she smiled at hearing the sound of her new name. They kissed.

Evelyn came by the dancing couple and pulled Annie out of her son’s arms. Calista and Annie’s mom were in tow.

“We need your beautiful bride, my daughter-in-law,” she said.

Cord shrugged and bowed his head.

Annie looked to him as his mother dragged her away. She didn’t realize Evelyn had a bottle of Jack in her hand and Calista had four glasses.

They headed behind the barn where Calista placed the four glasses on a barrel and Evelyn poured four shots of the fine whiskey.

Cord found his father and they both proceeded to watch their women bonding behind the barn. Cord couldn’t be happier.

Evelyn took a shot glass, filled with the whiskey and raised it. “To the newest member of the McCreedy family. Welcome aboard, honey. May you be as happy being a McCreedy as I am.” They all raised their glasses and drank.

“Ouch! That burns,” Annie said as she jumped up and down trying not to shed a tear, but laughing.

Calista and Evelyn had no problem swallowing it and Annie’s mom just sipped hers.

Cord was hysterical at seeing his bride trying to drink Jack.

Evelyn filled the shot glasses again.

“To my best friend, Congratulations,” Calista said. “I don’t know any other couple who is more suited for each other, except maybe for me and Rory,” she added, as their relationship was still going strong. “I’m so happy you found your way back here and will always be close by. I love you.”

She raised her glass. They all drank.

Again, Annie jumped up and down yelling “It burns! It burns!”

She felt hands go around her waist and Cord whispered for her ear only. “I seem to remember the last time something burned in you, darlin’.”

She turned around to catch his brilliant smile and she knew he was remembering when she gave him her virgin butt.

“Want to make more memories on that?” she whispered in his ear, smiling back at him.

“Hell, yeah,” he said, still smiling. He spoke louder now. “My mom being a bad influence on you already, darlin’?” They all laughed.

After the party ended, the crew that their parents hired to take care of everything, was cleaning up.

Cord and Annie said their goodbyes. They were headed to their home. Yes, their home. The day before, Cord presented her with the deed to the house with her name on it as a wedding present. All she had to do was sign it and when they got back from their honeymoon in the Hawaiian Islands, they were going to file it.

When they pulled up in front of their house, they saw, not one but two brand new Camaros with big red bows on the roofs, in their driveway. A black one like the one Cord had and a white one, with black blocks in the front and back.

They got out of the truck, looking at each other incredulously.

He came to her and then they walked to the two cars hand in hand. There was a note on the windshield of the black one. Cord read it out loud.

Congratulation, Cord and Annie. Please accept this gift as a wedding present. The keys and the titles are inside the glove box of each car.

I am justly remorseful for the pain you endured at the hands of my daughter, and no amount of apologies could replace the months apart and pain it brought you. This small token I offer will bring me some comfort in knowing you are enjoying these cars.

Thank you for dropping the charges against Lisa. Have a wonderful, healthy long life. – Jamerson Fairchild.

A lifelong Texan but worldly in his affairs, Jamerson, along with Lisa, moved to New York, where he had a couple of businesses and a home on Long Island. He felt that was the best place for his daughter to get the proper help she needed.

“Wow,” Annie said.

“Yeah. Wow,” Cord said as they stared at the two cars.

After a while he linked his fingers with hers and he walked her up the steps to the porch and to the front door. He scooped her up and carried her over the threshold, all the while locking eyes with hers.

He carried her up the stairs to their master suite and placed her down, once inside.

As once before, there was a bottle of Cristal on ice and red rose petals all over the bed. She looked at him dubiously.

“Shane. He thought he was being original. I didn’t have the heart to tell him,” he said as he made his way over to the bottle, popped the cork and poured them a flute each.

“To my beautiful wife,” he said raising his glass.

“To my beloved Husband,” Annie said and they clinked glasses and drank.

He took her glass and his and placed them down on the night table. He reached for her and patiently learned her dress and undressed her. She slipped out of it and was now in a lacy white strapless bra and matching thong. His eyes covered her body up and down while he removed his black tux. Then he came to her, picked her up and gently laid her on the bed. His hands roamed her body as their lips locked. He slowly removed her bra and thong. He touched her and quickly moved between her legs. He slid into her as he’d done over and over again and marveled how each time he took her, it felt so new and fresh. And most of all it felt like home.

“I love you, Annie.” he said.

“I know. I love you, too.”

The End

A note from the Author:

I want to thank you for reading my story. If you enjoyed it, I ask that you tell your friends about it, and please consider leaving a review on Amazon.

To connect with Mae Martini, visit her facebook page at: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mae-Martini/328199560650666

Other books by Mae Martini:

The Mobster and the Cowboy

Wanting You – Book 2 (Jake’s story)

Needing You – Book 3 (Rory and Calista’s story)

Though Wanting You is the second in the series, The Mobster and the Cowboy was written right after Loving You, and introduced the sexy cowboy, Logan Leitner, who, along with his friend, Richie, appear in Wanting you.

The Mobster and the Cowboy

(An excerpt from chapter 11)

“Choose a cue,” he said to her, pointing to a rack of sticks on the wall.

The balls on the table were already in the rack with the eight ball in the middle. “Eight ball?” he asked as he rearranged a solid and stripe ball in the rack.

“Sure.”

“Care to make it interesting?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“A betting man, huh?”

He nodded his head and lifted the corners of his mouth up.

“Okay... How about a dollar a ball?” she asked.

“Nope.”

“Two?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Logan, I’m not really a gambler. I’m not doing five.”

“No money, baby.”

“Oh. Then what?”

Here goes, hopefully she won’t get offended. What’s the worst she could say, no?
He thought to himself.

“Every ball I sink, you take off an article of clothing, and every ball you sink, I take off an article of clothing.”

“Strip Pool, huh? I’ve never played before.” She paused.

He worried.

“Okay, but, shouldn’t there be a reward for whoever sinks the eight ball at the end?”

“Oh, darlin’, and you never played before,” he said with a devilish smile. “If you sink the ball, I throw you down on this table and give you the best licking you’ve ever had.”

Whoa! She thought as something in the form of liquid heat shot through her core and out to her limbs. She slowly smiled. “And if you sink the eight ball?”

I eat you out then fuck your brains out,
he thought to himself.  He smiled. “You blow me while I’m driving my truck down a road.”

“Which road?” She giggled.

“Does it matter?” He chuckled.

“No.” She shook her head, still giggling.

“We on?” he asked, extending his hand.

She paused, getting a kick out of watching him sweat, but she was so in. Finally, she smiled and shook his hand.

“You want to break, or should I?” he asked. Not that it mattered, he knew what the outcome of the game would be even before it started.

“Be my guest.” She gestured to the table. She knew the break was not easy, at least for her, to sink in a ball.

Wanting You

(a cowboy romance)

“Cord, grab the waitress. She’s right behind you,” Jake said as he sat up and removed his ribbed, tank T-shirt.

Cord turned his head around, and made eye contact with the tall blonde in a black string bikini and skimpy apron that showed off her curvaceous body and fake boobs. She was taking a drink order from a bunch of obnoxious boys, two rows behind them, and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Jake and his buddies had been relaxing in lounge chairs by the pool of the newest and trendiest hotel in Vegas—Pastels, a hotel owned by the chain that the family of their friend from Wimberley owned.

Having only arrived an hour before, Jake and his two buddies quickly changed to hit the pool and check out the atmosphere. There was an abundance of toned, tanned, fit bodies all around the enormous sapphire blue pool. Music was blaring, and the noise level was high.

Relaxing? To some.

They were even lucky to find three lounge chairs together.

“What can I get you handsome cowboys?” the waitress asked with a smile, making note of their hats. She may have spoken to all three of them, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Cord.

Jake grinned and slowly shook his head as she blatantly flirted with Cord while she dug her hand in her apron pocket, and in so doing, lifted the apron and exposed her bikini bottom thisclose to Cord’s face. She dug out her pen and began to write on her pad.

“Three beers,” Cord replied as he moved his head to the other side of the chair, closer to Rory.

“Coming up, sweetheart,” she said. Then she slowly licked her lips and turned and walked away, swaying her hips as she left. 

Jake and Rory cracked up at the look on Cord’s face when he turned to them.

“Damn, McCreedy, that ring on your finger is supposed to be a deterrent, not a magnet,” Rory said.

“You are just soooo good looking,” Jake teased.

“Asshole,” Cord said to him with a wry grin.

“I still can’t believe Annie let you come,” Rory said.

“Why? She knows she has nothing to worry about. Now you on the other hand, hahaha!” He shook his head, laughing, “I can’t believe Calista allowed you to come.”

“She doesn’t own me. I do what I want.”

“So you think.”

“Am I whipped?” Rory turned his head and asked Jake, who was checking out the woman who sat down in the lounge chair next to him. She was with two other women. There were only two chairs available, but a guy on the other end fell for the charm of one of the girls and got up and relinquished his chair.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, chuckling as he turned his head to Rory. Then he added, “I can’t believe either of you came.”

“We weren’t about to let our buddy go and have fun without us now, were we?” Rory said.

In truth, the boys were concerned about Jake. It had been four months since his girlfriend, Jennie, had left him for that dirty mechanic from Luckenbach, Doug Treemont. The same Doug Treemont who had cut Cord’s brake line on his Camaro a while back, but that’s another story. He couldn’t seem to get over it. He took it hard. He went through the angry stage, snapping at everyone. Then he went through the depression stage. The friends hardly saw him as he threw himself into getting the Bed and Breakfast he and Annie, Cord’s wife, owned up and running. Then he went through the ‘I’ll fuck anything on two legs’ stage and realized when he woke up after a drunken night in some chick’s bed with dirty sheets and crawling with bugs that he needed to snap out of it and move on.

He told his friends of his plans of going to Vegas to get away for a while, five days.

Five days was too long for him to be alone in Vegas, and Cord asked Annie if she would be okay with him going with Jake.

Of course she said yes. Jake was the closest thing she had to a brother. His sister and she had been best friends since college. She loved him dearly and she would do anything that would make him snap out of it and get back to himself. She knew Cord didn’t want to be away from her for that long, nor away from the ranch. Not even married a year, and a lucrative business in training horses that he had put on hold for his friend, whom he considered his brother.

Calista, Jake’s sister, encouraged Rory to go with them too, as the three boys were best of friends since first grade and they did things together all the time.

There used to be four of them, but they hadn’t seen Dan in a while. He fell out of their good graces when he made a drunken mistake and violated Annie when she and Cord were in the dating stage. The last they heard, Dan was in an AA program.

The waitress came back with their beers and she’d passed one to Jake by stretching in front of Cord and sticking her breasts in his face, then she’d repeated the process when passing to Rory. When she’d looked down at Cord she had a big grin on her face and she gave her boobs a shake.

Cord wrinkled his nose and turned his head slightly as he took the beer from her. He put it down, then reached for the pen to sign the bill to their room and practically flung it back at her.

Rory and Jake sniggered at the little display that made their friend uncomfortable.

“I can’t believe you, McCreedy. There was a time if a woman stuck her tits in your face, you’d latch onto them with your mouth,” Jake said, chuckling.

Cord grinned, as he took a sip of his beer.

Jake heard the woman on his other side giggle and he looked to her. She had overheard him. He gave her a lopsided smile as he arched his eyes at her, and she smiled and shook her head.

He’d made contact. He wanted to engage her in conversation, but her friend sitting next to her tapped her to ask her something and she turned away from him. He took a sip of beer and went back to people watching.