The - Cowboy’s - Secret - Twins (19 page)
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Authors: Dilesh
“But he was wrong, Henry,” Melissa exclaimed fervently. “You’re a wonderful man and you’d be a wonderful man with or without your money.”
He smiled then, that slow sexy grin that would always have the capacity to warm her. “Last night I was sitting in the living room alone and thinking about the boys and what the future might hold. When I thought about them mounting a horse for the very first time, you were there in my vision. When I visualized putting them on the bus for their first day of school, in my vision you were standing beside me and holding my hand. Each and every fantasy of the future I imagined had you in it.”
He frowned and his gaze never left hers. “And it wasn’t just the boys’
future that I fantasized about. I thought about your laughter and the way your eyes light up when you’re happy. I thought about sleeping next to you, making love to you and I realized there was no way I wanted you living a separate life in the carriage house. I don’t want you dating. I don’t want you to be alone.”
She didn’t say a word. She was afraid she was misinterpreting what he was telling her. She remained frozen, her gaze locked with his.
“I realize now why it’s been so easy for me to be a confirmed bachelor,”
he continued. “It’s because I’d never met a woman I wanted to share my life with, a woman I loved mindlessly, desperately, until I met you.”
Melissa’s heart soared. “I wasn’t going to move into the carriage house because I’m in love with you and I couldn’t live there and see you every day and not be a real part of your life.”
Her words seemed to break something loose in Henry. His eyes flared bright and he reached out and placed his palm against her cheek. “God, I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
“I love you, Henry, but are you sure your feelings for me aren’t because of the boys?”
“Melissa, I love you as the mother of my children, but my love doesn’t begin and end there. I love you because you’re strong and beautiful. I love you because you make me feel like I’ve never felt before in my life. I want to spend my life with you. Marry me, Melissa. Marry me and move into my house. Let us be a real family together.”
His mouth took hers in a kiss that tasted of desire, but more it tasted of the future, of promises made and kept and the family she’d always wanted.
“You haven’t answered me,” he said when he finally pulled his mouth from hers. “Will you marry me? Will you share the rest of your life with me?”
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly. “Yes! Yes!”
He pulled her into his arms and she leaned her head against his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart.
“I wonder if MysteryMom has any idea what she’s managed to accomplish?” she said.
“I have a feeling she knows,” he replied. “I’ll give you the world, Melissa. Whatever you want, whatever you need to be happy.”
“I don’t need or want anything but you and the boys,” she replied.
“There is one thing you can eventually give me, if you’re willing.”
She rose up and looked at him. “What on earth could I possibly give you that you don’t already have?”
He smiled, his eyes lit with love. “Twin daughters.”
Melissa’s heart swelled inside her. She was filled with such love, such joy, that she couldn’t find her voice. She could only nod as he once again claimed her mouth with his.
She would forever be grateful for the blizzard that had brought them together on that night so long ago and to a woman named MysteryMom who had led her to happiness that she knew was going to last a lifetime.
S he sat in front of her computer and stared at the e-mail she’d just written, but hesitated in hitting the button that would send the message on its way.
MysteryMom picked up the cup of coffee sitting next to her at the desk and took a sip, her mind whirling with the words she’d just typed. It was amazing what kind of information could be gained when money was no object and you had contacts everywhere in the world. For the past year she’d used those contacts and her money for a mission—the mission of uniting people for the sake of their children.
It had begun when she’d started dropping in on various chat rooms and began to hear stories about women who didn’t know where the father of their children were or how to get in touch with them to let them know they were fathers.
The stories had torn at her heart until finally she’d decided to try to do something—use her resources to bring some sort of reunion to the men and women who had parented children.
So far she’d been successful with several couples, but this one worried her. She reread the e-mail she’d composed and thought of the man and woman involved.
A terrible fate had pulled Emily Grainger and Jagger Holtz apart after a single night together. The result of that night had been a daughter named Michelle.
MysteryMom now had the pieces of the puzzle that could potentially bring together Emily and Jagger. She knew the information contained in the e-mail could save a man’s life, but might also bring extreme danger to both him and Emily.
He’s already in danger, she thought to herself. And if the e-mail wasn’t sent then in all probability he would die.
She owed it to Jagger Holtz to send the e-mail and she prayed that when she did Emily Grainer would survive whatever consequences might come.
Drawing in a deep breath, the woman who called herself MysteryMom hit the send button.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4313-6
THE COWBOY’S SECRET TWINS
Copyright © 2009 by Carla Bracale
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