Texas Christmas Bride: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 6 (17 page)

“If I get to marry her,” he muttered.

“What’s that?” When he wouldn’t face her, she stepped around. Looked him square in the eye. “Bridger, you can’t think she doesn’t love you. I’ve watched you together. Anyone can see that in five seconds.”

“Then what the hell is she waiting on?” he exploded.

She took a step back.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not—” He ground his jaw. “It will be all right. It will. She just needs time.” Though what the hell for, when he’d given her every reassurance he could come up with, he had no idea.

He exhaled in a gust. Turned back. “We’ll end up fine. She’s just…scared.”

“Of what?”

“She doesn’t think she’s any good at love.”

“She’s full of love, from what I can tell.” Molly’s face split in a grin. “Which is not to be confused with being a soft touch. She does protect her shell, doesn’t she?”

“She left D.C. for me. It wasn’t her idea to live in Sweetgrass, it was mine. There is a ton of baggage from her past, and being here still hurts her a little, I think…but she came. For me.” A quick, rueful grin. “It’s like hunting.”

“Hunting? And she’s what, a deer?”

Bridger chuckled. “I’ll call you a liar if you repeat that.”

Molly giggled. “Yeah, I don’t want to see you dismembered. Death by stiletto and sharp tongue.”

“That’s my Penelope.”

“Anyone can see that she’s crazy about you.”

“I know. She’s survived for years by not letting herself feel. An asset when you’re a shark lawyer, but when you’re the object of a man’s affection…not so great.” His mouth quirked. “But you can’t say you love someone then spend all your time trying to change them. Rissa says some horses have to be led to believe it’s their idea.”

“First hunting, now training a horse. Do yourself a favor, big brother. Refrain from saying these things out loud in her presence.”

“What? Do I look stupid?” He shook his head. “Stupid in love, yeah…but I don’t have a death wish. I may know a dozen ways to kill someone, but Penelope? She can dismember without leaving a scratch.”

“You are gooey over her, aren’t you?”

Bridger stared out at the view. If she wasn’t ready to marry by the time he had the house done, he’d push and push hard. But he was the one who’d set that self-imposed deadline and was determined to stick to it. She had to be sure…and he needed her to be.

Because once she was his, that was it for both of them. He’d never love another the way he loved her.

“Maddie, prop your feet up on the dash,” Boone urged the next day. “Your ankles are swelling.” He grunted. “Much as I love my family, you should not be traveling right now. Sitting in the car for hours is bad for you.”

“I’m fine, Boone, I swear. And I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” She glanced over and sighed, reluctantly complying. “There.” She propped first one foot, then the other on the dash.

Boone waggled his eyebrows. “Still some mighty fine legs you got there, babe.”

She snickered. “How would I know? This is the only time I’ve seen them in weeks.”

“This pregnancy has been harder on you than the others.” He took one hand from the steering wheel and covered hers. “I’m sorry. We’d better make this one the last.”

She stroked his jaw. “I’m not ready to say that. I love having your babies, Boone.”

“Beats me why you would.” He jerked his head toward the seat behind them where Dalton and Sam were quibbling over whether Iron Man or Wolverine was tougher.

“Daddy!” squealed their youngest, her face littered with cracker crumbs. “Love you, Daddy,” Lilah Rose cooed.

Boone caught his baby girl’s gaze in the mirror. “Love you too, sweetie.”

She shifted her gaze to her mother. “Love you, Mama.”

Maddie contorted on the seat to cover Lilah Rose’s little foot. “Hey, baby girl. You doing all right? Ready to see Aunt Ruby and Ian and Scarlett?”

“And Bwidge! My Bwidge! Love Bwidge.”

“That damn Bridger stole my best girl,” Boone muttered, then winked.

“I thought I was your best girl,” Maddie replied.

“You—” He reached for her, cupped her cheek. “—Are my woman. Whole different deal.” He kissed her with his eyes, stroked one long finger over her lips.

Maddie sighed. “I thought we were supposed to be bored with each other by now.”

Boone snorted. “Not happening, Granola Girl. Don’t know how it could, seeing’s how you’re the sexiest, craziest woman I ever met. Never a dull moment.”

Maddie smiled and sighed, then arched her back and groaned softly.

“Maddie, this is crazy. We should be home in Morning Star. You cannot be standing on your feet for hours, helping out with this monster celebration. That’s why we brought in help at the Dinner Bell. And it’s Christmas.”

“Scarlett’s pregnant, too. And it’s family Christmas. I love your family. I adore getting all of us together.”

“I don’t give a good damn,” he growled out. “They may be my family, but you’re…you. I will not have you endangering yourself.”

She giggled.

His head whipped toward her. “This is not funny.”

“It kinda is.” She caressed his thigh. “Boone, it’s just part of being pregnant. I’m not sick, nothing’s wrong…I just needed to stretch my back.”

“I want to take you back home and put you to bed. Wait on you hand and foot if it’ll keep you resting.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I love how you become such a bear, all growly and protective, when I’m carrying your babies.” She smiled softly and stroked his cheek. “I’m really okay. Let’s just stop for minute and walk around. Then it’s only another hour to Sweetgrass.”

He began looking for a place to pull over. “Thank goodness Scarlett has backed off on her plans for Ruby’s Dream. It’s an impossible task, trying to run both restaurants with only the folks in Sweetgrass. She can’t possibly maintain what she’s attempting to build.”

“She’s trying to help her Nana save the town, she and Ian.”

“Jackson’s company moving to Sweetgrass will do more than the courthouse events center ever could. She needs more experienced help than she has there. She needs someone like you—” His gaze whipped to hers. “But not you. You can’t keep running down here every time something’s going on. Not even for yet another surprise wedding.” He shook his head. “Of course you would be in the thick of the planning.”

Her smile was unrepentant. “The other one worked out great, don’t you think?”

Boone rolled his eyes. “I know it’s been killing you to only help out long distance.”

She rubbed her hands together. “Jackson is going to be one very happy man tomorrow night.”

Boone already knew he was spitting in the wind, trying to argue his wife out of wading into family, neck-deep. Maddie had had too little family in her life until she’d come to Morning Star after his father had bequeathed her Boone’s ranch—without Boone’s knowledge. She’d arrived from New York full of attitude and sass, intending to leave as soon as the mandated thirty days was up, and here she was, seven years and four children later.

“You are so beautiful.”

“What?”

“You changed my life, you know that? Crazy-ass city girl, climbing through weeds and barbed wire in sandals and sundress. I thought you were insane.”

She smiled.

“But I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

“I aggravated the living daylights out of you at first.”

“That you did. But I wanted you more than I’d ever wanted anything in my whole existence.”

She stroked her burgeoning belly. “I’d say you got me good.”

He laid his hand on hers, then stroked the mound where their unborn baby slept.

And got a kick of thanks.

He couldn’t help grinning. “This one is active enough for two.”

“You’re telling me. I shouldn’t be this big. I think this little one just needs more room for the gymnastics.”

“Lilah Rose was more active than even her big brothers.” His eyebrows rose.

Maddie grinned. “Think you’re up for another baby girl, Daddy?”

“Dear, sweet heaven.” He shook his head. Then laughed. “Yep. Even another Lilah Rose. Saints preserve us.” He adored his little girl, but she was a handful. Two rambunctious boys couldn’t hold a candle to how Lilah Rose had swept through all their lives. A Queen Bee in the making.

Maddie laughed softly. “I hear that.”

He squeezed her hand and she squeezed right back.

“I got an interesting call while you were packing the truck,” she said. “I forgot to tell you.”

“From who?”

“Spike.”

“New York Spike? Temperamental pastry chef Spike?”

Maddie nodded. “One and the same.”

“What did she want?” He’d never met the woman, but he’d heard a lot about her.

“She’s hitting the road again.”

“Again? Have mixer will travel? You met her at Sancerre, right?” The five-star restaurant Maddie gave up to live in Morning Star and buy a diner instead.

“Yep.” Maddie grinned. “I told her to head for Sweetgrass.”

Boone’s eyes popped. Then he burst out laughing. “I thought you loved Scarlett.”

Maddie laughed, too. Boone pulled the truck into a little rest stop and killed the engine.

“Good night nurse, Miss Maddie. What have you done?”

She winked. “Gotten your cousin the best pastry chef on two continents.”

“They’ll kill each other.” Boone shook his head. “Spike. In Sweetgrass.” He laughed helplessly. “Like I said, crazy as a bedbug…but damn sure never boring.”

Maddie grinned as he rounded the truck and helped her from her seat. He tapped her nose, then pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Well, this is gonna be interesting…”

Then kids started piling out of the truck, and Daddy’s little girl was lifting her arms to be next.

Never a dull moment.

Chapter Nine

V
eronica stirred, feeling strong arms around her, a big, warm body spooning hers.

“Merry Christmas,” rumbled Jackson’s voice.

His hands began to wander.

Veronica smiled. Twisted to look over her shoulder at him. “Merry Christmas.”

The electric blue eyes flared. “This is the best Christmas of my life.”

Guilt, mingled with anticipation, had her pressing her lips together. A thrill ran through her for the surprise she desperately wanted to manage to pull off tonight. “It’s barely started.”

His arms wrapped her midriff and gently squeezed. “The best gift I ever imagined is right here.” He laid a hot kiss to her throat.

She shivered. And purred. Rolled toward him.

“Mommy?” came the stage whisper from outside their door. “Prince Daddy? I think maybe Santa came.”

Veronica grinned and shook her head. “Welcome to Christmas with kids.”

His entire face lit, and he chuckled. “Sleep is overrated.” Then he placed a kiss to her throat, over her collarbone…

“Mommy?”

Jackson let his head fall back with a sigh. “I adore those girls.”

Veronica took his face in her hands and pressed one soft kiss on his mouth. “But knockout drops have their appeal, yes?”

He grinned, then vaulted from the bed, pulled on jeans and grabbed a shirt. Looked back at her with a wink. “We’ll continue this later. It’s a date?”

Oh, if only you knew
… They had a date with Judge Porter, then Rissa and Mackey were taking the kids for the night. Boone and Maddie and their brood were staying at the Star Bar G, and it would be a madhouse.