Montana Darling (Big Sky Mavericks Book 3) (24 page)

Meg shrugged then walked to the stove. “A little of both.” She set down her mug and cracked her fingers. “Crepes, I think,” she said, leaning over to pull out a pan. “This is definitely a crepes kind of morning.”

Crepes, of course, made Mia think of France. And Ryker. She didn’t know where he was at the moment, but Ren would know. She’d track him down wherever he was and bring him back where he belonged—in Montana…with her.

‡

“D
o we have
time to drive by Dad’s lot before we go to your girlfriend’s house?”

Ryker took his foot off the gas of his new three-quarter-ton four-wheel-drive pickup. He’d bought it off the lot in Pittsburgh, emptied his storage unit into the back and headed west—with a quick detour to Tennessee to pick up his brother, who’d insisted on making the drive to Montana with him to meet Mia.

“She’s not exactly my girlfriend…yet. But getting invited to Thanksgiving dinner with the whole Zabrinski clan sounds like we’re on the right track.”

Flynn didn’t comment. Flynn was big on action, not words. Ryker accepted that and he’d done most of the talking over the two-day drive. The only time they’d disagreed about anything was in South Dakota when Ryker wanted to stop to shoot a particularly beautiful sunset and Flynn wanted to push through to Rapid City so he could catch an episode of some television show he liked.

Brothers, Ryker thought, content in a way he hadn’t been for too many years to count.

Five minutes later, they were parked at the dirt path leading to his former campsite. The weeds had turned a grayish yellow since he’d left. He could still see the imprints of Mia’s tires, but someone had stretched a braided wire barricade across the road. Mia? Probably. It was all hers now.

“It was a great piece of property,” Flynn said, the wistfulness in his tone surprising Ryker.

“Good memories,” Ryker agreed.

“Do you think she’ll sell it to us?”

Ryker shrugged. He knew what he wanted to happen. In his daydreams, he saw Mia throwing herself in his arms and telling him she loved him and would like nothing better than to marry him and build a home together on this land. Reality might be far different. “Dunno.”

Ryker had been chafing at the bit to get back home to Montana, but he’d had a couple of things to clear up first, including a trip to France to say a proper goodbye to Colette. Time had eased relations with her family, and they’d cried together at the family plot. She was where she needed to be. He promised to return next spring when their book was published. Falling In Love In France would focus on the delight Ryker and Colette had shared—a happiness facilitated by the beautiful countryside and a people who truly knew how to celebrate love.

He’d met with his agent the day after he left his mother’s. Together, they’d reviewed his shots from his time in France and had pieced together a loose framework for the layout. The photos told their story so beautifully, very little text was needed, but to Ryker’s surprise, the words flowed as if they’d been dictated by an angel. Maybe they had.

“How do you see this going down? Meeting the family and all that?” Flynn asked. “You guys haven’t exactly been talking.”

Ryker shrugged. He probably should have been worried about seeing Mia again after the way they parted, but he was more excited than worried. “We’ve texted each other a few times. And I’m friends with her daughter on Facebook.”

Flynn rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, he opened his door and stood on the truck’s running board to take a deep breath. “Yep. Smells like I remember it. Only colder.” He leaned over to look at Ryker. “Are you sure you’re ready for a Montana winter? When was the last time you experienced tundra?”

“It snowed at your place last year.”

“Not the same. But, I will say, it’s pretty damn beautiful here. I’d forgotten.”

He got in and turned up the heat as Ryker backed up.

“Wuss.”

“Right. Call me when it’s forty below. Then we’ll see who’s the wuss.”

Ryker grinned. He had a secret plan to keep warm. Her call sign was Nitro.

*

Mia’s hands shook
as she pulled the last of the pies out of the oven. She glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time. She knew her mother and Louise, who’d been shoulder-to-shoulder with Mia in the kitchen all morning, were amused by Mia’s nervousness, but they’d kindly tolerated her distracted mistakes—like nearly pouring salt instead of sugar into the whipping cream.

She just couldn’t wait. He should be here by now.

A cool hand lightly touched her shoulder. “Relax, darling. Everything is going to be perfect.”

Mia heaved a deep sigh. “Thanks, Mom. I couldn’t have done this without you.” She smiled at Louise, too. “And you, Louise. You’ve been such a good friend to Ryker and me.”

Louise removed the festive holiday apron Mia bought for all three of them. She folded it carefully and set it by her purse. “You’re so welcome. This is going to be the best Thanksgiving OC and I have had in many years. I can’t tell you how happy we are to be here. And,” she added, “as for Ryker…” She got a misty look in her eyes, as if remembering something from long ago. “I couldn’t not help him. He reminded me so much of another lost soul I met at the library.”

Mia would have loved to hear more about that story, but just then the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Emilee shouted.

Mia and Mom exchanged a look. Her daughter had changed in the last few months. She’d let go of some of her anger. She had a new best friend. She was involved in school and her grades had shot up. Hunter seemed to be coming up from behind his video games to join family activities, too. Mia only hoped the announcement she planned to make today didn’t send all their progress as a family into a tailspin.

She crossed her fingers at her sides as she walked to the foyer where two tall gorgeous men were shaking hands and giving out hugs. Well…Ryker was. The broad-shouldered, dark-haired man at his side seemed to be fine observing the chaos with a hint of a grin on his lips. Ryker’s lips. The two were definitely brothers.

“Hey, you,” Mia said, working her way into the throng. “You made it.”

He didn’t hesitate for a second. The moment their eyes met he cleared the distance between them and pulled her into his arms for a full-on kiss. “God, I’ve missed you,” he said when he finally let her go.

Mia’s knees could barely support her and her heart raced from the bevy of emotions tumbling through her head. Joy, fear, love, lust, worry, love. Most of all love. She knew that now. She wasn’t afraid to admit it.

She looked into his eyes and said, “I’ve missed you, too. I hope you’re back for good, because I love you, Ryker Bensen.”

She didn’t really hear or register the mixed responses from the people around them. She didn’t care what anyone said or thought. She’d talked about her feelings with the two people who mattered most: Emilee and Hunter, and they were open to their mother loving a man who wasn’t their father. As Hunter said, “Mom, that ship sailed a couple of years ago. Ryker’s cool. I’m good with this.”

Ryker hugged her again, and the two of them became the filling of a hug sandwich as Bailey, Mom, and all the kids enveloped them. As auspicious a beginning as she could possibly have hoped for, Mia thought. Her dad and brother would come around. OC gave her an encouraging nod when he looked over his sniffling wife’s head. She’d gone straight to him after greeting Ryker.

Serena and Bailey took care of introducing Flynn to everyone so Ryker and Mia could have a few seconds alone. She pulled him into the hallway and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Sorry about the show, but I didn’t want there to be any mistake. We are doing this…right?”

He lowered his head to kiss her slowly, with all the emotion she’d spent the last month dreaming about. “We are,” he said when they came up for air. “We have a lot to talk about, but…is that an oven timer I hear?”

She gave a squeak and jumped back. “Mom’s pies. The last two needed a little extra…” She dashed to the kitchen. He was right. They had to talk, but first they had to eat.

*

Emilee stood in
the hallway watching her family scattered about the big, open kitchen-slash-family room. Grandpa and Bailey’s dad were vocally discussing team picks for the annual some-call-it-football game, which would take place in the back yard after their meal…if anyone could move. The volume of food being dispersed in bowls on the wide center island was crazy.

Meg joined her. “Pretty impressive, isn’t it? And for once, someone is documenting the whole thing.”

As if catching their words over the cheers coming from the group occupying the sofas in front of the big-screen TV, Ryker turned his camera their way. Meg stuck out her tongue. Emilee pulled her ear lobes and scrunched up her nose.

His laugh made some of her nervousness disappear. She decided to ask the question that was on everybody’s mind. “Do you think Mom and Ryker are going to work?”

“Yes, I do. Know why?”

Emilee shook her head.

“That piece of land they both had a stake in ties them together. I know it sounds like a trivial thing, but for wolves, territory is life. Their den shelters their babies and provides a nucleus for the pack. It’s kind of funny how the land brought your mom and Ryker together. The hand of some watchful souls reaching out from beyond, maybe.”

“Ryker’s brother is really handsome.”

“He’s too old for you.”

“And too young for you.”

They both laughed. “Not my type anyway. Got that whole John Wayne thing going. I’m nobody’s little woman.”

Emilee nodded. “That’s true, but promise me you won’t buy egghead professor sperm. Don’t do that to your kid. At least include a little burly jock. Please.”

Her aunt’s brow arched in a way that used to scare Emilee. Now, she thought it was funny.

“What makes you think I’ll have a boy?”

“Mom told me about the swinging needle our gypsy grandma told you about. Mom was supposed to have three kids, two girls and a boy. And the needle only moved once for you. Counter-clock wise. A boy.”

Meg groaned. “My blabbermouth sister.”

But, Mom was too busy talking to Ryker to notice that people were talking about her. You didn’t need to be a gypsy to see they were talking love and the future and happy stuff.

Maybe I’ll get that baby sister after all.

Some day.

She’d be okay with that. She didn’t want to tell her mom, but Emilee actually liked her dad’s and Bree’s baby boy. She and Hunter had agreed to spend Christmas with Dad so they could bond with their new half-brother. Mom would be sad and lonely without them—unless Ryker was here. Maybe they’d go to Arizona to see Grandma and Grandpa, who’d flown up here for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Grandpa couldn’t wait to get back to their friends and the retired life.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A new text.

She entered her pass code then hit the text app. A photo of the smallest, ugliest turkey she’d ever seen filled the screen. “Eiouw.”

Meg gave her a questioning look, so she showed her aunt the image then read the text from Haley.
“Mom’s new bf is a vegan. We’re having tofurky. Trying not to barf. Save me some leftovers.”