Once Upon a Cowboy (26 page)

She laughed, picturing herds of Driscoll and McKee kids taking over the ranch. Then she sobered, because
she’d stayed up way too many nights dreaming of making Whisper Creek her forever home, and she needed to be dead sure Cole didn’t have blinders on as far as the kid question was concerned.

“But you love kids, Cole. You live and breathe kids. Have you really, truly thought this through? Are you really ready to be okay with not having your own?”

He took both of her hands, his eyes intense. “Jess,
I love
you
. So you can’t have children. That is a crime committed upon you that I will be angry about for the rest of my life. Angry
for
you. With all I have, I wish that you could have kids. Of course I do. Because you would be the best mother in the world.

“But here’s the thing. Daniel and Hayley already have two, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more were on the way someday. Kyla and Decker
are on their way to the big family they want, and good God. We have
piles
of kids here every week. We will definitely have kids in our life, whether they’re ours or not.

“I’m okay with that, Jess. I’m okay with whatever we decide, when we’re ready to decide. But what I do know is that the thought of you ever leaving Whisper Creek would kill me. You belong here. We want to make it your home.
I
want to make it your home.”

He squeezed her hands gently. “So what do you say, cowgirl? Will you stay? Will you marry me?”

Jess closed her eyes, wanting the warmth and magic of this moment to last forever. When she opened them, his eyebrows were comically high.

“This is the part where you say yes.” He nodded slowly, like he wanted her to mimic him. “I mean, in case you haven’t done one of these
before.”

Jess laughed, throwing herself into his arms. “Yes, Cole. Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes. I will marry you.” She pulled back. “But—I can’t promise I won’t drive you crazy once in a while.”

He smiled, his dimples making her want to trace his face with her fingertips. “I look forward to it, cowgirl.”

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Cole glanced over from the driver’s seat as he put on his blinker to turn down the Whisper Creek driveway.

“Ready.” Jess nodded, barely able to contain her smile.

“Because we could still turn around. We could go back to the hotel for a few more days. I would totally be fine with that.”

He slowed down, inching toward the main lodge. “Speak now, because
once they see us coming, it’s all over. We won’t have any peace for a month.”

“Peace is overrated, right? Isn’t that what you said?” Jess reached over to slide her hand into his.

“Definitely.” He squeezed her fingers, then let go to steer into a parking spot near the front entrance. “I’m assuming there’s no point going straight to the cabin.”

She shook her head, laughing. “No point at all.”

Two minutes later, Cole opened the lodge door and ushered her through it, and the great room erupted in cheers and squeals. Jess laughed as she looked around the room. The whole family was here, and a big welcome banner had been hung across the giant stone fireplace.

Ma stepped forward first, enveloping first Cole, and then Jess, in huge hugs. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked down
at their feet, and she reached down to unbuckle the car seat straps.

“Come here, little one. Come meet your gramma!”

She lifted the tiny baby up and cradled her like she’d done it just yesterday, and everyone else crowded around to get their first look at Jess and Cole’s baby girl.

Kyla touched her tiny head in wonder, then lifted her little boy to see. “This is your cousin, DJ! You have a
little bitty cousin!”

She handed two-year-old DJ to Decker, then pulled Jess into a warm hug. “Congratulations, mommy.” Her eyes sparkled with happy tears as she pulled away from Jess. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been this happy before.”

“Sure you have, sweetie.”

“Not this happy for someone
else
before. How’s that?”

Jess smiled as she watched Ma pass through the room with the baby, who had nestled
right into her shoulder. Then she pointed at Hayley’s belly. “That works. But in a few months, you’ll have to do it all over again.”

Kyla laughed. “Can you believe this? Who could have
ever
predicted the three of us would end up having this life?” She pulled on Jess’s arm. “Come on. Let’s reclaim your baby before Ma disappears with her.”

Jess grabbed Cole’s hand, and they followed Ma toward
the windows, where a giant buffet table was laid with enough food to feed fifty people.

“Ma? Did you invite the whole town?” Cole’s eyebrows went sky-high.

“Nah. Only family. Just got a little carried away with the food. It’s not every day we have a new baby at Whisper Creek, after all. I was excited.”

Jenny came around the table to hug Cole and Jess, then picked up a frosting cone. “I couldn’t
quite finish the cake because we didn’t know her name yet, but I’m ready!” She posed with the frosting tip over the blank spot on the cake. “Are you ready to tell us what you decided?”

Jess looked up at Cole, who reached out to take the baby from Ma. Everyone gathered close as he turned her around in his arms, and he cleared his throat carefully as he kissed the baby’s head.

“Before we formally
introduce this little munchkin, Jess and I want to thank you all for—well, for going on this journey with us. Thanks for believing in us, for speaking for us to the adoption counselors, for filling in for us while we did eight miles of paperwork—”

His voice broke, but he took a deep breath, and Jess squeezed his hand. “Most of all, though—thanks for just being there every step of the way. There’ve
been a lot of highs, and a lot of lows, but bringing this little one home today makes all of them worthwhile.”

“And speaking of this little one”—he took another deep breath, and Jess felt her own throat constrict as she watched the emotions play out over her husband’s face—“Jess and I are ecstatic to present Layla. Layla Emily Driscoll.”

Ma’s hands both went to her mouth, and Jess felt her own
eyes well as Ma’s tears ran down her face. “You named her after your sister.” She pulled them both into a fierce hug, and didn’t let go.

Finally, she broke away, wiping her eyes. “You Driscoll boys keep making your old Ma cry, and your wives are gonna think I’m just a big ole pile of mush.”

Cole put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her hard. “Mush inside of steel, Ma. We all know that.”

“That’s right. Better. Okay, everybody eat up all this food.” She wiped her hands on her apron and reached out for Layla. “Now you give me that baby. I’ve been waiting for a lo-ong time for this one.”

Jess and Cole laughed as Ma scooped Layla into her arms and headed for the rocker by the fire. As the rest of the family started ladling food onto plates, Cole pulled Jess outside onto the porch,
which was bathed in twilight.

“So, cowgirl.”

“So, cowboy.”

He gathered her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. “Once upon a time—”

Jess laughed. “There was a handsome cowboy prince named Cole.”

“Exactly. And he found his perfect princess in a faraway land called Bostonia.”

“And they lived happily ever after?” Jess turned to smile up at him.

He squeezed her gently. “They
did. Because they had Whisper Creek magic, cowgirl. Whisper Creek magic.”

This one’s for my sweetheart. Your forever is my forever. Magic, indeed.

It’s been a whirlwind year, and I am more grateful than ever to be surrounded by people I cherish. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing, and I most certainly wouldn’t be enjoying it as much as I do.

Huge,
huge
thanks go to my fabulous, tireless agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan. In a year full of excitement and possibilities, I’m ever-grateful
for her calm, measured guidance.

To Sue Grimshaw—a monstrous thank you for falling in love with Whisper Creek, and especially with Jess and Cole’s story. I’m so honored to be part of your team!

To Jennifer Brodie, my critique partner and dear friend—your boundless optimism, keen eye, and any-time-of-day-or-night friendship keep me sane in a sea of crazy.

To the real Christyne, who is not a
social worker
or
counselor, but has the grace, dignity, and chutzpah to be both. Thanks for inspiring me from the very first day of this journey.

To Stacey, Lynne, Paula, and Kris—who’ve taught me what forever-friends really are.

And lastly, but most importantly, to my girls—for their love, their support, and their pride. It means everything.

Accidental Cowgirl

A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise

Once Upon a Cowboy

PHOTO: GEOFF MCLOUGHLIN

M
AGGIE
M
C
G
INNIS
started writing when her twins were infants and she was desperately seeking sanity. The fact that she found it only with imaginary people makes her a bit concerned, but at least they do what she tells them to…usually.

She lives in New England, but spends an inordinate amount of time on Arizona real estate sites in mid-January. While snow piles up to her
windowsills, she cyber-stalks the blue skies and pink houses of the Southwest.

She used to be an English teacher, a certified black belt, and a cool-car driver. Then…twins. Now she swills caffeine while driving the one vehicle she swore she’d never own—a minivan. It sort of hurts even to admit it.

Her debut novel, a cozy mystery, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and her debut romance, Accidental
Cowgirl, is a USA Today bestseller!

You can find Maggie on her author page on Facebook and at:

maggiemcginnis.com

@Maggie_McGinnis

Summer is here! Are you ready to take the vacation of a lifetime with Loveswept? Come on, let’s go places…

New York Times
bestselling author Kathy Clark takes us to Colorado in the first two books of her new Denver Heroes series,
After Midnight
and
Cries in the Night.
Fans of Nora Roberts will adore this series of pulse-pounding romance. South Carolina is our next stop for
New York Times
bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury novel
Zack
—get ready for a very emotional ride. Head to Florida in
Falling Fast
by
USA Today
bestseller Tina Wainscott, where first love and long-awaited redemption smolder. Then enjoy a little western romance from
USA Today
bestseller Maggie McGinnis in
Once Upon a Cowboy
. Jennifer Chance’s Rule Breakers series turns up the heat as
a wealthy playboy and a beautiful con artist engage in a high-stakes game of seduction in
Risk It.
And author Charlotte Stein releases
Never Loved,
the first novel in the Dark Obsession series, which tells the story of a beautiful wallflower who falls for a chiseled street fighter—and learns just how dangerous love can be.

Plus a special treat for romance fans—welcome to Vegas in
Play Me,
the
entire series from
New York Times
bestselling author Tracy Wolff is now on sale as one book! Sebastian and Ethan—Oh My!

Travel the country with Loveswept and stay tuned for more in July, because next month’s travels are just as exciting!

Happy Romance!

Gina Wachtel

Associate Publisher