Heart of Clay (36 page)

Resolved to making the change permanent and
legally binding, Callan and Clay filled out the necessary paper
work to adopt the girls.

With parental rights already signed over by
both parents, it should have been a simple process, but Bob and
Donna refused to let it happen. They didn’t want to care for the
girls, but they were adamant that Clay and Callan not adopt them.
For months, they’d been tied up in court.

A few weeks ago, Callan and Josh’s dad, Big
Jim, had a little talk with Bob and Donna. Josh wished he could
have been present to hear what his dad said. Whatever it was, Pop
must have driven his point home because Bob and Donna suddenly
decided it would be just fine for Callan and Clay to adopt the
girls.

The judge made everything legal and official
that very afternoon.

Josh was excited for Clay and Callan, but
also for Audrey and Emma. Melanie and Ted had been unfit parents in
every way imaginable. Despite what he, Jenna, Clay and Callan tried
to do to help the girls, he knew they would probably always have
some emotional scars from the time spent with their natural
parents.

“Babe, that is awesome news,” Josh said,
picking his fork back up and taking a bite of the casserole Jenna
made for dinner. “We should celebrate this weekend.”

“Callan is one step ahead of you, as
always.” Jenna tossed him a saucy grin. “They’re planning a big
barbecue at their place tomorrow evening and I said we wouldn’t
miss it. Do you think we should get a little present for the
girls?”

“That’s a great idea.” Josh thought of ideas
for an appropriate gift for two little girls who’d been awarded a
new set of parents. Since he wasn’t that familiar with what little
girls liked, he deferred to Jenna. “Did you have something in
mind?”

“I do, but I’m not sure we can find it in
town. I may have to run into Portland to get it.” Jenna stirred the
food around on her plate. Josh generally had too much work to do to
run into the city for no reason and disliked shopping almost as
much as attending one of her aunt’s lavish parties. “I don’t
suppose you could take the day off tomorrow and come with me. We
could have lunch and enjoy the day.”

“Babe, I wish I could, but the hay won’t cut
itself.” Josh watched Jenna’s big brown eyes fill with
disappointment and changed his mind. “You know what, one day won’t
hurt. I’d love to spend tomorrow with you.”

Jenna’s eyes lit up and she gave his hand a
squeeze. Leaning close to his ear, she kissed his cheek. “I’m so
glad, Buck. I promise to make it worth your while.”

Josh turned his full attention to his wife.
She nicknamed him Buck, short for buccaneer, right after they wed.
Once she’d gotten over the fact that he truly was not a city boy
and had a bit of a wild rugged streak, she informed him he could
have come right out of some pirate movie.

One day, he’d have to find an eye patch and
sword and see what she thought of that. In the meantime, he enjoyed
hearing her use the name. She didn’t say it very often, but when
she did, it always worked in his favor.

As he offered her a slow, sexy smile, he let
himself fall into the warm chocolate depths of her eyes.

Jenna could feel the warmth start to pool in
her belly and spread out to her fingers and toes when Josh turned
the full power of his smile on her. She didn’t know if she could
handle him with that goatee. Maybe she didn’t want to take him with
her tomorrow. She wasn’t sure she could stand to see other women
gawk at him all day.

Intentionally ignoring her feelings, she
took a deep breath and turned back to her rapidly cooling meal.

“Eat your dinner, Josh. It isn’t going to
get any warmer or better,” she said, taking another bite of the
casserole.

Josh continued to stare at his wife,
watching a blush color her cheeks and wondering what was going on
in that pretty head of hers.

It hadn’t taken him long in his role as a
husband to realize that this woman’s thoughts would remain a
mystery no matter how hard he tried to understand her. He was okay
with that. It kept things lively and exciting.

He returned his attention to dinner and
asked Jenna more questions about her new job and upcoming travel
plans.

“I’m not scheduled to go out on the road for
a couple of weeks. I guess they figure by then I should know what
I’m doing,” Jenna said with a laugh. “Or at least that is the
hope.”

“You’ll do great.” Whatever Jenna did, she
would do well and give it her best. “You’re extremely intelligent
and very talented, so don’t sell yourself short.”

Jenna gazed at her husband with love and
admiration. “Thank you.”

Her travel schedule was going to be hard on
them both, but she appreciated Josh letting her follow her dreams.
She knew he had some lingering guilt over dragging her out to live
on the farm when she was a confirmed city girl. That guilt worked
to her advantage because she did pretty much whatever she wanted
with Josh’s encouragement and support.

The truth of the matter was that she liked
the farm and the country way of life. She loved how relaxed, open
and real Josh was on the farm. In the city, Josh had been like an
actor doing a splendid job of playing his part. Here on the farm,
though, he was in his element. It was where he belonged and she
belonged with Josh, wherever that may be.

Since she worked in the city, she didn’t
really miss any of the conveniences she thought she would. Josh
still took her to plays, concerts, and museum exhibits on occasion.
Once in a blue moon, they both summoned the strength and fortitude
to attend one of Phil and Amelia’s parties, after which they would
stop at their favorite steakhouse and enjoy a nice dinner.

Jenna snapped out of her musings and noticed
Josh began cleaning up the dinner dishes. She looked down at her
half-eaten plate of food and realized she wasn’t hungry. As jet lag
caught up to her, she was incredibly tired. She leaned her chin on
her hand and watched Josh load the dishwasher, cover the leftovers
and store them in the fridge, then wipe off the stove.

He walked over to the counter and gave her a
questioning look. “Don’t you feel well, babe?” After touching the
back of his hand to her forehead, he decided she didn’t have a
fever.

“I’m fine, just tired. The time difference
is starting to catch up with me.” Jenna covered her mouth with her
hand, attempting to stifle a yawn.

“Three hours difference can throw you for a
loop.” Josh picked up her plate and scraped her uneaten dinner into
a scrap bucket before setting the dish and her utensils in the
dishwasher. He wiped down the counter, tossed the rag in the sink,
and looked around the orderly kitchen.

“Do I get a gold star for my exemplary
efforts?” he asked, moving next to her barstool.

She smiled warmly, gazing up at him with
sleepy eyes. “Maybe two if you’re a good boy.”

“Oh, I’m always good.” His deep baritone
voice rumbled in his chest as he picked her up and carried her to
their bedroom. “Very, very good, Mrs. Carver.”

Not His Type
(The Women of Tenacity, Book 3)
- Spending her entire twenty-four years
hiding in the background and perfecting her status
of wallflower, Anna Zimmerman arrives at the astounding conclusion
it’s time for a change. Tired of living life in the shadows, she
steps into the light, unprepared to handle the attention of the
charming, handsome cowboy who works across the street.

Too good-looking for his own good, Jake
Chandler is a tease who likes his women petite, blond and outgoing.
When a chance encounter brings him nose to nose with the tall
librarian across the street, he discovers his type of girl
expanding to include statuesque brunettes.

Jake has his work cut out for him as he
strives to convince Anna to come out of her shell and give him a
chance.

Grass Valley Cowboys Series

Meet the Thompson family of the Triple T
Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon.

Three handsome brothers, their rowdy
friends, and the women who fall for them are at the heart of this
contemporary western romance series.

Book 1 –
The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

Book 2 –
The Cowboy’s Spring Romance

Book 3 –
The Cowboy’s Summer Love

Book 4 –
The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall

Book 5 –
The Cowboy’s New Heart

Learnin’ The Ropes
-
Mechanic Ty Lewis is
out of options. Homeless and desperate to find work, he accepts a
job in the tiny community of Riley, Oregon. Resolved to embrace a
new adventure with an elusive boss, he leaves behind everything
he’s ever known in Portland to live in the middle of
nowhere.

Lexi Ryan, known to her ranch hands and
neighbors as Lex Jr., abandons her corporate career to keep the
Rockin’ R Ranch running smoothly after the untimely death of her
father. It doesn’t take long to discover her father did many crazy
things during the last few months before he died, like hiding half
a million dollars that Lexi can’t find.

Ty and Lexi are both in for a few surprises
as he arrives at the ranch and begins learnin’ the ropes.

Love at the 20-Yard Line
- Haven Haggarty is woefully inept when it comes
to men and matters of the heart. Successful in her job as an image
consultant with an up-and-coming company, she wishes she could
enjoy as much triumph in her dating efforts. When she falls hard
for a handsome wide receiver, Haven realizes she needs to tackle
her fears or miss the opportunity to experience once-in-a-lifetime
love.