Man of Honor (Passion in Paradise Book 4) (69 page)

Six Years Later

Sliding the double
chocolate fudge cake she’d just pulled from the oven on to the kitchen counter,
Honor looked over her shoulder and smiled.  “Alright, kiddos, it’s almost time
for dinner.  You need to go wash your faces and hands and come back to set the
table in the dining room.  Remember, tonight’s a special night.”

“Yeah!” her youngest
child, Boone, shouted, lifting his hands in the air.  “It Daddy’s birfday!”

Laughing at the
two-year-old as she dried her hands on a dishtowel, she moved toward the
kitchen table where all three of the beautiful babies Zeke had given her sat. 
Her oldest, Brenna, colored quietly, her five year old hands carefully coloring
inside the lines while her four-year-old sister, Maise, drew her own gift for
her daddy.  “Those pictures look very good, ladies,” she praised, dropping a
kiss to each of her daughters’ heads.  “But it’s time to put our crayons away,”
Honor said, grabbing the large pencil box from the table and holding it open
for all three kids to put away their art supplies.

“How much longer
until Daddy gets here, Momma?” Brenna asked, her dark blue eyes serious as they
looked up at her momma. 

Smiling at her eldest
child, “Long enough that you can go brush the tangles out of that long black
hair you share with him.”

“I’ll b’ush it,”
Boone volunteered with a toothy smile.

“Nuh uh,” Brenna
denied.  “I’ll be bald if you brush it,” she informed her brother.

Helping Maise climb
down from her chair, Honor smoothed her hand over her middle child’s blonde hair. 
“Maise, you and your sister run to the bathroom and wash up.  I want to see
clean hands and washed faces when you come back out here.  Then, you two can
help me set the table in the big dining room,” she said, nodding toward the
long farmer’s table in the next room.

“We eatin’ at da big
table, Momma?” Maise asked with wide eyes.

“We sure are.  It’s a
special occasion.  We’re gonna celebrate tonight with your father and then,
this weekend, we’ll have a big party with your Aunt Patience and Uncle Abel and
Aunt Harmony and Uncle Jake along with all your cousins. Even Uncle Ice and
Aunt Maggie are gonna come sing Happy Birthday to your father.”  Seeing Maise
open her mouth, Honor rushed to assure her that her favorite people would be
present, too.  “Maise, don’t worry.  Granny Orla and Granddaddy Jethro will be
coming, too,” she said before any of the kids could ask about the only
grandparents they knew.

 “What about Aunt
Uncie Cain and Aunt Fate?” Boone asked.

“Yeah, I wanted
Annabelle to teach me how to braid hair while the grownups talked at the
party,” Brenna interjected.

“Uncle Cain had to go
out of town for a work conference and Aunt Faith and Anna went with him.  They
won’t be home for the party on Saturday, but you’ll see them at church on
Sunday.”

Brenna sighed with
the heaviness only a five year old could perfect.  “Fine.   C’mon, Maise,” she
said unhappily.  “Let’s go wash.”

Honor swallowed her
laughter as she watched her dramatic girls stomp down the hallway.  Snatching a
washcloth from the counter, she quickly cleaned up her son, laughing when he
tried to squirm away from the washrag.  “I swear, son, you’d think you were
allergic to bein’ clean,” she teased, dropping a kiss to his nose before
collecting all the kids’ drawings from the table.

Jumping when the back
door opened, Honor spun to face the unexpected visitor.  Pressing her hand to
her chest when she saw her husband striding into the kitchen, Honor smiled. 
“Ezekiel, you just scared me to death,” she chided.  “I didn’t expect you home
for another hour, at least!”

Tossing his Stetson
on the counter, Zeke grinned, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her
to him.

“Little eyes are
watching, Lawman,” she murmured just before his lips covered hers.

“Ewwwwww…. Daddy, you
‘top kissin’ my momma!” Boone shouted from the table.

Lifting his head,
Zeke chuckled.  “She may be your momma, boy, but she’s
my
wife.”

“No, she my momma,”
Boone growled, his face like thunder as he hopped down from his chair and ran
to burrow between Zeke and Honor’s legs.  “You not kiss
my
momma.”

Honor laughed as she
looked up at her surprised husband.

Kneeling in front of
his son, Zeke tried not to grin as he stared at his boy.  Boone had his gray
eyes, Honor’s blonde hair, and his Aunt Patience’s temper.  In short, he was a
fireball of the first degree.  “Well, son, I reckon we’re gonna have to agree
to share ‘er.”

“S’are?  I hates
s’aring,” Boone grumbled.

“Yeah, me neither,
but we both love your momma so we’re gonna have to share her.  I promise, I’ll
only kiss her if I just can’t help myself.”

“’Kay, buts I gets to
gif her kisses anytime cos’ I’m ‘er baby,” Boone announced seriously.

“Deal, Little Man.” 
Zeke winked at his son.  “Wanna seal the deal with a hug?” 

Honor’s lips twitched
and her heart melted as she watched her big, bad lawman husband embrace his son
without an ounce of hesitation.  That was the kind of openly affectionate
father her husband had turned out to be. 

Ruffling his son’s
blonde hair, he rose back to his feet.  “So, where are my princesses at?”

“Here, Daddy!” Honor
heard Brenna yell as she ran down the hall followed closely by her little
sister.

“Hi, Daddy,” Maise
waved with a wide toothy grin.

“There’re my sweet
girls,” Zeke returned, his eyes crinkling at the corner as he beamed down at
where each of his daughters hugged a thick leg.

“Happy Birthday,
Daddy,” Brenna greeted him happily, squeezing Zeke’s thigh.

“Yeah, Daddy, happy birthday,”
Maise said a tad more sedately.

“Oh, yeah.  Happy birfday,
Daddy!  We gets cake for dinner t’night,” Boone yelled, bouncing up and down.

“We get cake
after
dinner,” Honor corrected her son with a chuckle.   Clapping her hands, she
pointed at the counter.  “Okay, troops, it’s table settin’ time.  Brenna, you
do dishes.  Maise, you’ve got silverware.  And you, Tiny Man,” she said to her
son, “Are in charge of napkins.”

Watching as their
kids filed out of the kitchen to do her bidding, Honor leaned against her
husband.  “Happy birthday, honey,” she whispered, shivering slightly as he
gently touched the pendant nestled around her neck.  “How does forty-five
feel?”

Rocking his hips
against her, Zeke’s eyes twinkled.  “I dunno, Kitten.  You tell me.  How does
forty-five feel to
you
?”

Honor’s smile widened
as she wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist.  “Well, in my expert
opinion, it feels pretty dang good.”

“You ready for some
more passion in Paradise, babe?”

Tilting her head back
to look at him with sparkling eyes, “Always, Zeke.  Always”

THE END

Want to
read more by Sarah O’Rourke and find out about all of the McKinnon sisters and
friends in Paradise?

Check out
all of her books at www.amazon.com/author/SarahORourke

First, I have to
thank my family for all the wonderful support they’ve offered me during the
course of writing this book.  Whether it was cooking supper for the family
because I just needed to get one more chapter finished or running an errand
because I couldn’t leave my fictional world of Paradise, your help and
encouragement had made all the difference.  None of this could have been
possible without the love of my awesome husband and my beautiful babies.  To my
momma, daddy and sister – thank you for always being there!  Especially my
momma who cheered me on every step of the way with Man of Honor.

Second, I have to
thank my co-writer and partner in crime, Crazy Writer #2.  She’s truly been one
of my biggest cheerleaders as I’ve written this story.  Her daily pep talks
truly bolstered my confidence and incentivized me to keep going, even when I
wanted to stop.  I love you, girl.  You are truly the sister of my heart!

Third, big thanks and
major love to my Sarah O’Rourke Crazy Crew!  You wonderful ladies have made me
laugh when I felt like crying, made me smile when I was tired, and kept me
going when my emotional gas tank sat on empty.  YOU ROCK!

Fourth, major props
go to all those authors who have given me their time and advice over the
years.  Huge thanks to ladies like Emily Minton, Shelley Springfield, Myra
Statham, CP Smith, Rochelle Paige, Aurora Rose Reynolds, Julia Goda, Jordan
Marie, Brynne Asher, Sarah Curtis, Laramie Briscoe and Layla Frost.  Your
generous hearts are just one of the many reasons I adore you.

Fifth, thank you to
every blog that has helped promote our work over the years.  Bloggers often
have a thankless job.  These underappreciated individuals tirelessly support
and promote authors, often for little to no compensation, and I just want you
to know that we love each one of you.  THANK YOU!

Last, I want to thank
our readers.  When I started the Passion in Paradise series years ago, I wasn’t
sure anyone would be interested in a tiny southern town in the foothills of the
Smoky Mountains.  You guys proved me wrong, and I can’t thank you enough for
taking a walk through my little world of Paradise.  Many blessing to each and
every one of you.

All my Love,

Crazy One

Sometimes, there are
not enough words to say thanks properly. So many people have contributed to the
success of this book, and we are honored to have each of you all in our lives.

I’d be remiss if I
didn’t start with my hubby and daughter.  My husband provides support in ways I
cannot explain, but I’ll try. From the mornings that he runs out to grab Krispy
Kremes so I can have that special burst of energy to edit to the times he reads
27 books to our daughter so that I can stay on the phone with Crazy One and
discuss plot lines, he’s been supportive through thick and thin.  We never
thought that our lives would have taken such twists and turns, but he’s been
the rock in the middle of my hurricane more times that I can count.   And... I
must give the proper shout out to my baby girl Bunny (or she will take great
offense and find a way to make me suffer...trust me.)  While being the mother
of a 6-year-old while I’m in my 40s is just as hard as it sounds, Bunny brings
excitement and energy to every single day...and most of you know all about it
from my Facebook posts!  I’m also blessed to have an amazing mother and father
who will make the trek to Atlanta at a moment’s notice to spend time with their
granddaughter while I work on our books...yes, they are honestly that fabulous. 

And how can I say
thank you to my bestie, Crazy One?  My husband claims that she and I are
identical twin sisters born to separate mothers...and that’s a fair assessment,
friends.   She is the sister I never had but always wanted...and I get to write
books with her!  How cool is that?  Thank you, Crazy One, for the all-night
support sessions, for the fabulous ideas that you put to paper that allow us to
do this crazy thing called writing, and yes, even for the heckling about my
attempts to parent!  That’s true sisterhood.

Next, I want to give
a shout out to our fabulous Beta Team!  We are honored to have the following
women as part of our team who read the draft of Man of Honor and were honest
with their ideas and corrections...we love them dearly for that!  Thanks to
Brynne Asher, Danielle Deraney Palumbo, Emily Minton, Jane Graf, Layla Frost, Mila
Grayson, Nicole McCurdy, Renee Entress, Shay Lich, and Tabitha Charisse.

Thank you to our
amazing Crazy Crew Street Team and our Read and Review Team!  You all are
fabulous and we are honored to have you in our corner!

Most of all...thank
you to our readers!  You are so sweet to PM and email us and comment on
Facebook about how much you love our Paradise characters.  Thank you for your
encouragement, for buying our books, and for becoming a part of our extended
little family.  We love you all dearly.

Crazy Two

1.
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

2. 
Right Here Waiting for You – Richard Marx

3.  
Never Saw Blue Like That - Shawn Colvin

4. 
People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson

5. 
Fix You – Coldplay

6.
Til It Happens to You – Lady Gaga

7. 
Say Something – A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera

8. 
You’re Beautiful – James Blount

9. 
Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland

10. 
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor

11. 
Stand in the Rain - Superchick

12. 
Fight Song – Rachel Platten

13. 
My Church – Marren Morris

14. 
Roar – Katy Perry

15. 
God Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts

16. 
Tell the Devil – Jill Andrews

17. 
I Do – Paul Brandt

18. 
Can’t Help Falling in Love With You

19. 
Life is Beautiful – Vega4

20. 
From My Front Porch Looking In – Rascal Flatts