When It's Right (30 page)

 

Chapter 31

G
illian woke him in the predawn hour with hot, openmouthed kisses up his chest and neck to his waiting mouth. She pressed against him and pushed him to his back. She kissed his jaw and lay on top of him. His hands settled on her hips, and she whispered in his ear, “I need you wrapped around me.”

He felt the exact same way. They both needed this closeness and connection. It told him more than any reassurance she gave him last night that she was okay.

Her breasts pressed to his chest and her legs slid against his. Her soft skin felt so good against him. He ran his hands up her back and down again. His splayed fingers cupped her bottom, and he pressed her down snug against his erection. She kissed his neck, then leaned up, grabbed the condom from the side table, and tore it open. In one quick motion, she sheathed him. He slid his hands up her ribs to cover her breasts and she slid forward, then pressed down and took him into her warmth. She kept her body tightly pressed to him and rocked back and forth. That shimmer of desire he'd felt upon waking to her kissing him exploded into an all-­consuming need. He liked her as the aggressor, leading him where she wanted him to go. He gripped her hips and held on for the journey.

Gillian had to be close to him. She pressed her body to his and rubbed her breasts against his chest as she moved slowly over him. His jaw was rough against her lips. She flicked her tongue out to taste his neck and pressed her lips to the pounding pulse in his throat. He groaned deeply and dug his fingers into her hips, pressing into her deep. She rolled her hips, and that sparkle inside her glimmered and glowed.

His hands slid over her back, down over her bottom and thighs, until they came back to grip her hips. The lazy pace she'd woken him up to was overcome by need that drove them ever faster to the final crest. He thrust, one last deep push, and emptied himself in her as her body tightened around his. Her breath exploded from her lungs on a satisfied moan.

He dug his hand into her hair and held her head to his chest. His other hand rested on the curve of her hip. When she snuggled into him, he relaxed.

“Good morning, love,” he whispered.

“Mmm, it is when I wake up with you.”

She went downstairs an hour later to meet Blake and everyone else for breakfast. A hot shower had loosened the muscles that making love to Blake hadn't after her ordeal yesterday. Blake, Justin, and Grandma Dee sat at the kitchen table. Their concerned gazes locked on her when she entered. Grandpa spoke quietly with the sheriff in the living room. When the two men saw her, their eyes clouded with worry.

“Good morning, Sheriff. I believe I owe you my statement about what happened yesterday. How about we use the library?”

“That'll be fine.” He nodded.

She went to her grandfather and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for taking care of Justin yesterday. I knew he could count on you, just like I can.” She held him tight for a moment. She didn't miss the shine in his eyes when she stepped back.

A half hour later, she found them all sitting at the table in the kitchen. Justin was happily stealing whipped cream from his mug of hot chocolate and licking it off his finger. She went up behind him and kissed him on the head before going to Blake and sitting in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close as his arms wrapped around her.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

“I am now,” she said and kissed him softly.

They watched and waited to see if she'd fall apart or blame them for what happened.

“The sheriff will charge Ken with attempted murder and assault,” she said instead.

“Wait. What?” Blake asked. “Attempted murder?”

“He pushed Justin into the river, hoping Blake would go in after him and they'd both die so he could have me.”

“Justin, buddy, why didn't you say anything?” Blake asked.

Justin stared at his hands in his lap.

“It's okay, honey. You were scared, and that's okay,” Gillian said.

“I thought I'd get to talk to the sheriff, too. Too bad you didn't have your wrench with you. You could have hit him again to keep him from hurting you.”

“What do you mean, Justin?” Grandpa looked at Blake, puzzled. Blake turned his angry gaze on her.

“Ken was sitting on top of her behind the barn by one of the trucks. She grabbed a wrench and hit him and bloodied his face.”

They all looked at Gillian with anger and accusation in their eyes that she'd kept that to herself.

“What? He didn't want Blake to find out that he'd hit me with a riding crop and cut my arm. Or that he'd made several passes at me. I let him know I wasn't going to take his shit.”

“You have to eat extra vegetables,” Justin chimed in.

“She gets that one for free,” Blake said to Justin. “She deserves it after having to deal with Ken alone.”

“I'm never alone. I have all of you. Blake, I know it makes you angry that I tried to take care of the matter on my own. It wasn't because I didn't think you'd help me or couldn't take care of it for me. I needed to know that I could take care of myself. I couldn't let him take that from me. Not after everything that's happened.”

He wasn't quite ready to stop blaming himself.

“Besides, you saved me when I couldn't save myself. I knew you were coming back. I knew you'd help me. I knew that you guys,” she looked at her grandparents, “would take care of Justin for me. I knew I could count on my family.”

The weight of guilt that they hadn't done more to protect her faded from them.

Gillian held her arms out to her brother, and he came to her and crawled onto her lap. They sat together on Blake, and he wrapped his arms around the both of them.

Gillian held her hand out to Justin and showed him her diamond ring. He held her hand and turned her finger and watched the light sparkle in the diamonds.

“Justin, Blake asked me to marry him. I'm going to be his wife, and we're going to live in his house on the other side of the property. You'll live with us.”

She looked at her grandparents and hoped they weren't too disappointed. Their smiles told her they weren't. They were happy. They'd all still see each other every day.

“Blake asked me if he could marry you. I told him it was okay,” Justin said.

Gillian stared at Blake, tears shimmering in her eyes. So sweet he'd ask for her brother's permission.

“So, Blake will be my dad?”

“No, honey. He's going to be your brother. But he'll be like a father to you. We'll raise you. You'll always have the both of us. Soon, Blake and I will have children of our own. You'll be an uncle to them.”

“I'll show them how to pet the horses and feed them apples.”

“That'll be great, buddy. They'll have to learn the rules of the ranch, and you're just the man to show them.” Blake ruffled Justin's hair and kissed him on the head.

“So, I can tell ­people you're my big brother?”

Blake smiled and held the boy close. “You sure can.”

“Cool! And Gabe, and Caleb, and Dane, too.”

“Yes,” Blake said on a laugh. “All of them. Though I don't know why you'd want them, when you've got me.”

“I'm glad I got you. I'm glad we came here and didn't have to leave.”

Since Justin was happy with the situation, she looked to her grandparents.

“Grandpa, Grandma, if it's okay with you, I'd like to be married here at the ranch.” Their eyes lit up and their smiles broadened. “Grandpa, if you'll give me away, I'd be honored.”

“Ah, Gillian, I love you. It would be my honor to give you away.”

They spent the rest of the morning sitting around the breakfast table talking about wedding plans. Gillian finally had everything she'd ever wanted. A safe and loving home for Justin. A family who cared about them. And she had Blake, a good and decent man who loved her above all else. He would spend the rest of his life making her happy.

 

Epilogue

E
ager to start the rest of their lives together, they were married two weeks later, the second Saturday in June. She wore a white gown that she and her grandmother picked out together. She carried a bouquet of red roses and lilacs, like the flowers Blake had left for her the morning of her birthday party. He looked so handsome in his tux, with Justin standing beside him in his own little tux as Blake's best man. Justin's new brothers, Gabe, Caleb, and Dane, stood beside them as well. Her new sisters, Ella and Summer, stood beside her in pretty purple gowns they picked out to complement each other. Summer had grown even rounder and more beautiful with her pregnancy. In a few short months, they'd welcome their little girl.

Gillian's grandfather walked her down the stairs to Blake. They were married by candlelight and firelight in the living room. Blake's parents looked so proud of their son and his bride. Her grandmother cried as the vows were said. Gillian even caught a glimpse of her grandfather wiping a tear away. Justin proudly handed over the rings he'd kept guard over all morning. When Blake slid her diamond wedding band onto her finger, he sealed it in place with a kiss. When the preacher pronounced them man and wife, everyone cheered, and Blake cupped her face in his hands and kissed her so achingly tenderly that the tears she'd tried to keep from shedding all morning slid down her cheeks.

Justin was excited about moving into Blake's house with them. They wanted him to have something special, so after the ceremony and a lovely dinner, Justin got the surprise he'd been wanting for a long time. Blake disappeared and came back and met Justin in the living room, a chocolate lab puppy biting at his heels. Justin went nuts. The two were inseparable from that day forward. Wherever Justin went, Charlie chased after him.

The first weekend in October, Boots won the first of several races. A champion again. As Gillian and Blake celebrated with everyone in the winner's circle, he picked her up and kissed her soundly to congratulate her.

“Hey, you're squishing us,” she said playfully and kissed him again.

Blake held her close with her feet off the ground. He stared up at her as she smiled like a maniac down at him. “Us?”

“Us,” she confirmed.

He boosted her up higher and kissed her belly and laid his forehead against her as she held onto his head with her fingers in his hair. He let her slide down his body until they were eye to eye. “You're sure? We're going to have a baby?”

“I'm sure. You'll have your baby in about eight months.”

“But you never said . . .”

“When you asked me to marry you, you said you wanted to have a baby whenever I was ready. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“It is,” he said and smiled hugely. “This is the best surprise. I can't wait to tell the family.”

“We'll tell them all together. We'll save Dane for when we see him ride in the Las Vegas bull riding championships in a ­couple of weeks.”

He kissed her until Justin came to them and hugged both their legs together. They had so much to celebrate today.

Gillian bent to Justin's ear and whispered her good news. He smiled and jumped, pumping his fist in the air. “I'm going to be an uncle!”

Everyone in the winner's circle cheered and shouted congratulations.

Blake laughed, staring at his beautiful wife. She looked radiant. She looked happy. So far from the woman he'd seen get out of a truck more than six months ago. Life changes so fast. Gillian's was full of love and family now. And his was even better having her and Justin in it.

Gillian leaned up and kissed him. She settled into him, into her happiness, into her new life with such ease that she smiled.

A hawk flew above them, drifting on the wind, just like when she'd stopped the truck that first day before reaching her grandfather's ranch and the unknown. She finally felt as free as that bird. She had her family and Blake to thank for that.

Love had set her free and allowed her to soar.

 

Keep reading for a special sneak peek at the next book in
New York Times
bestselling author Jennifer Ryan's Montana Men series

HER LUCKY COWBOY

Everything's bigger in Big Sky country

Including the hearts of the Montana Men

Champion rodeo rider Dane Bowden is eight seconds from winning under the Vegas lights. One last hurrah before reluctantly returning to his family's Montana ranch. But his bull has other plans. When Dane wakes up, he's sure he's died and gone to heaven . . . because the doctor who comes to his aid is the same girl who saved his life and disappeared years ago.

Bell would do anything for Dane. He's the fantasy that always kept her going. A child genius hidden away by her family, Bell was the secret no one talked about, the girl no one wanted. Despite finding success as a young surgeon, she's still the awkward girl who's never had a boyfriend. So why does Dane, a notorious playboy and sizzling-hot cowboy, insist on taking her on a real date?

Bell is the only woman in Dane's heart. When a rodeo rivalry turns deadly, it's his turn to save Bell's life—because he sure as hell won't lose his guardian angel again.

COMING AUGUST 2015

 

Prologue

Bowden Ranch, Montana – Eleven years ago

D
ane was flying.

One moment he'd been riding his horse across the far reaches of his family's land, the next his horse reared up and kicked his massive hooves in the air, spooked by some unseen threat. Dane let loose the reins and fell sideways, hoping the horse didn't trample him. Dane's left foot hit the ground first, his ankle twisting painfully as his body slammed into the packed dirt and weeds. His shoulder hit next, breaking most of his upper body's fall, but his head smashed into a jagged rock. Pain exploded through his head.

Hombre galloped away. Alone now, Dane rolled and lay flat on his back, staring up at the canopy of tree branches overhead. The sound of the rushing river next to him added to his thrashing heartbeat in his ears. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, hoping that cleared his spotty double vision. His left hand came away wet and sticky with blood from the gash swelling on his head.

He closed his eyes tight, his hands falling limp on his stomach. When he opened them moments later, he stared into a pair of dazzling blue eyes. The young girl's dark hair hung down covering most of her pale face as she stared at him. The most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

“Are you okay?”

Such a soft, sweet voice. Where had she come from? No one lived out here. He liked the peace and quiet. The solitude.

“I must be dead. You're an angel.”

Those ethereal eyes went wide with surprise. “Trust me, I'm no angel.” She filled those soft words with as much shock and disbelief as showed on her pretty face.

Calling her a liar probably wouldn't make her like him.

She crouched, opened her hand, and set a long blue feather on his chest before touching her fingers to his aching head. The sting made him hiss in pain. Definitely not dead. Which meant she was real. Despite his prone body and inability to think clearly, one thing came through loud and clear. He wanted to know this girl.

“I need to stop this bleeding.”

He must have torn his T-shirt when he hit the ground. She ripped a piece free and walked to the edge of the river and dipped it in the icy water. His vision blurred. He closed his eyes and moaned when she pressed the cold cloth to his head.

“There now. You'll be okay.”

At fifteen, the last thing he wanted to do was ask for help, but his head swam and his ankle throbbed in time to his heart and the headache pounding in his head. No way he got home on his own. “My ankle hurts. Please, you have to get my dad. Find one of my brothers.”

Her soft hand settled on his chest over his heart. “You'll be okay.” She snatched it back, like touching him burned her. He missed the sweet contact.

She reached for his foot and carefully pulled off his boot. He tried to bite back the groan, but it burst from his tight lips when the pain shot up his leg. Not cool to look like a wuss in front of a pretty girl, but with his head busted open, he was in bad shape.

She ripped his shirt again and used the long strip to bind his ankle. It actually felt better.

She sat beside him, her hands clenched in her lap. “I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry.”

He didn't understand her distress. He tried to sit up and comfort her, but fell back to the ground, his eyes closing as the blackness swamped his dizzy mind.

A hand settled on his shoulder and shook him. He groggily moaned and tried to open his eyes. The bright sun blinded him until his father leaned over and blocked the light as he stared down at Dane.

“Dad?”

“Are you okay, son? Is anything broken?”

“My head hurts. Ankle too, but nothing is broken but my pride. I fell off my damn horse.”

“Okay, now. I'll get you home. Can you get up?”

“I think so.” Dane pressed his hands down at his sides and rose to sitting. The wet piece of fabric fell from his head and landed on his bare belly along with the blue feather that fluttered into his lap. “Where is she?”

“Who?”

“The girl.”

“Dane, no one is here.”

“She helped me. She's got to be around here somewhere.”

“There's no one for miles.”

“How did you find me?”

“Your horse came home without you. I know you like to ride along the river, so I followed your trail.” His dad cocked his head, his eyes taking on a thoughtful gleam. “I did think I heard you whistle for me.”

“I passed out.”

“Must have been the wind in the trees.”

Dane didn't think so. He pinched the end of the feather between his thumb and index finger and stared at it. He scanned the riverbank and out toward the hills. He didn't see her anywhere. He didn't understand the way his chest went tight and the sadness that overtook him. Nothing but his regret that he didn't get to thank her, or say goodbye. He never got her name.

His dad held out his hand. Dane took it. His father pulled him up, and he stood on his good leg. He tested out his twisted ankle. The slight pressure sent a bolt of pain up his leg.

“How's your vision?”

“Better.”

“You did a good job using your shirt to bind that ankle and staunch the bleeding on your head.”

“I didn't. She did.”

His father eyed him, shaking his head side to side. “Dane—”

“I'm telling you, Dad, there was a girl. She helped me.”

“Okay, son. I believe you, but I didn't see anyone out here with you. I don't know where she could have gone. We're in the middle of nowhere.”

Which was the reason Dane liked it out here so much. Still, how did she get out here, and where did she go?

He lifted himself up into the saddle and grabbed the reins on the horse his father brought back for him to ride. He kept his eyes trained, searching the entire area the whole way back home, but saw nothing, no one.

Dane went back to the spot beside the river more than a dozen times looking for his dark-haired, blue-eyed angel. He never found her, but he'd never forget her either.