Texas Strong (13 page)

There they were, his life, his treasure, his future. He would kill to keep them safe.

What they’d all been through still shook him to his marrow, how close he’d come to losing them both. A few more minutes without help, a long travel time to get to Austin—

He must have made a sound because Scarlett’s head came up suddenly.

As always, her face changed when she saw him, her love for him casting light into his darkness. “Hi.” She smiled.

He could do nothing but smile back. “You look like a Madonna and child.”

“Well, I think we both know there’s nothing virginal or saintly about me, but oh, Ian, isn’t she amazing? This face…” Her finger traced the contours of the baby’s cheek, and he couldn’t be apart from them any longer.

He stood by the bed, holding Scarlett to him with one hand while he brushed the other over Georgia’s glossy raven curls. He couldn’t speak for the love that filled him to overflowing. He settled on the bed beside the woman who’d transformed his life and brought her close. “I love you so much,” he finally managed. “How come there aren’t better words?”

She glanced up, her own eyes swimming. “Those are pretty great. Here—Georgia’s been asking for her daddy.”

Ian took her, as always astonished at how such a tiny being could have moved into his heart and somehow gripped the whole thing in one tiny fist.

Yet the powerful love he felt for her didn’t diminish his love for Scarlett even a fraction. Somehow he found he possessed an even greater store to give. He pressed a kiss to the forehead slightly puckered in sleep, Georgia’s tiny rosebud mouth smacking a little as if ready for another feast.

“I just want to sit here all day and stare at her. Hold her and do nothing else,” Scarlett said, finally dragging her gaze from their precious baby. “Except lie in your arms. Could we do that? Just hole up somewhere, the three of us? Let the rest of the world go to blazes?”

Ian grinned. “Might have to stir ourselves to eat and such.”

Then Georgia’s blue eyes opened, and she watched him gravely as if she had more to tell him than he could imagine. “She always looks like she knows things we don’t. As if only she could talk, she could explain the whole world to me.”

“Maybe she could. Heaven knows I have questions of my own.” Worry rippled over Scarlett’s forehead. “No one will discuss the café with me. Is everything all right?”

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that.” At that moment, Georgia’s face twisted up, and she uttered a small cry he was beginning to recognize only too well. He handed her over for the part of her care he couldn’t do himself.

He was getting pretty good with those tiny diapers, though.

“About what? What’s wrong?” Scarlett asked as she opened her gown and settled Georgia at her breast.

Ian lost the power of speech at the sight of the body he’d loved so often, had caressed and cherished and been driven half-mad with lust over, now providing nourishment for the child born of that love. “It’s a kind of miracle, isn’t it?”

Scarlett looked up. “What?”

“I’ve raised all kinds of mothers and babies of other species, dealt with nursing mothers all my life, but it was never the miracle that this is. God, I love you.”

“Are you okay?” With her free hand, she stroked his jaw.

“Yes. No. We can’t open Ruby’s Dream, Scarlett, not now. I can’t have it jeopardizing you again.”

He could practically see the temper rearing up in her, all steam and snap, and he wanted to cheer. Here was his lady love, all five foot three of her, rising to the battle. “I’m fine now, Ian. And I promised Nana.”

“First of all, you’re not fine. You nearly died, Scarlett, only days ago.”

“Nearly two weeks—” she protested.

Georgia quit suckling and let out a cry as tension filled the room.

He backed off. “I’m surprised at how thrilled I am that we’re arguing,” he said and couldn’t help grinning. “But it’s not good for either of you for me to be making you tense.” He stroked Georgia’s head and bent to kiss his woman’s stubborn, beautiful mouth. “We can discuss it later.”

“Or not.” How she managed to glare and yet smile he wasn’t sure.

“I won’t risk you, not ever again, and that’s that.” But as he saw her starting to wind up again, he held up his hands. She was a foot shorter and a hundred pounds lighter, yet she was more than his match. “I love you insanely, even when you’re unhappy with me.”

She scowled. “Don’t even try to charm me when you’re being a Neanderthal. You’re not the boss of me.”

“I know what I know.” When her brows snapped together more fiercely, he knew they weren’t finished with the topic. For now, though, he would distract her. “I may have good news for you. We have a chance at going home tomorrow.”

Her head whipped up. “Really?”

He nodded.

Her eyes filled. “Oh, Ian, I miss Sweetgrass so much. I can’t wait to get home.” She smiled down at the baby once again nursing so lustily. “And I can’t wait to show her off.”

“Pretty sure nearly everyone in Sweetgrass has been here to visit,” he observed. When Georgia gave a little greedy snort, he laughed again. “She’s going to wind up my size if she keeps eating like that. What a little pig she is.”

Scarlett beamed. “Isn’t it great?” She looked back down and traced Georgia’s tiny perfect ear. “You might have had a rough start, sweetheart, but you’re catching up, aren’t you?”

“She’s like her mama,” he said softly, bending to kiss Scarlett’s hair. “Small but fierce.” Then he took Scarlett’s mouth in a kiss that deepened with his love, his fear and the profound gratitude that was behind every breath, every thought.

They would have this out later.

And he would win.

Love her beyond logic though he did, he was never going to let Scarlett’s valiant spirit risk her life, ever again.

The work day was preceded the night before, Chrissy discovered, by a sort of family reunion—the term
family
being used loosely to mean practically everyone in Sweetgrass along with a whole bunch of what turned out to be Gallagher cousins, plus a number of friends.

Including Josh Marshall and, unbelievably, the country mega-star, Walker Roundtree. Josh was even more gorgeous in person, and Walker Roundtree was the same. And Brenda had been right: Josh’s older brother Quinn was more stunning yet.

Just then Josh—how could she possibly call him by his first name?—walked over and introduced himself, as though his was not one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

“Don’t mind her,” Spike said from beside her. “She’s gone mute from your awesomeness.” An evil grin spread. “Why don’t you take off your shirt and see if she’ll faint?”

“Ignore her,” Josh said to Chrissy, taking her hand when she couldn’t seem to make it work on its own. “Spike is a pain in the butt, but we put up with her for her flaky pastries. You have a name, I’m guessing?”

“I—” Chrissy’s voice was a croak, and she frantically tried to clear it. “Um…”

“Leave our girl alone, hotshot,” Mackey said, strolling up and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Chrissy’s new to town, and she’s a great waitress we can’t afford to lose, so take your awesomeness somewhere else.” Mackey snorted and shook his head.

Chrissy swallowed. “Um…” Having yet another hot guy close wasn’t helping. “I just, uh—” Vaguely she gestured toward the diner’s kitchen. “I should—”

Josh crossed his eyes and let his tongue loll from the side of his mouth while he scowled. “That better?”

She burst out laughing. “It is, thanks. I’m so embarrassed. Everyone told me just to treat you normally, so what do I do?”

He gave a mock-frown. “Who told you that? I’m all about the hero worship.” Immediately he shook his head. “Please don’t believe that. One of the things I love about being here is that I can be just…me.”

Abruptly a small figure launched itself at him. “Daddy!” Josh lifted his son, the smile that wreathed his face making her forget he was a star then, as love suffused his features. “This is Eli. He’s three.”

“Hello, Eli. I’m—”

Before she could speak, two more boys raced up to them. “Uncle Josh, there’s a boy over there with Legos. Wanna come see?” One of them grabbed his hand and pulled.

“Hang on a minute, dudes. Say hello to Ms. Daniels. This is my nephew Antonio, and that rascal is his twin Emilio.”

“Hello,” she said. “The boy with the Legos is my son Thad. I’m sure he’d be happy to share.”

“How old is he?”

“Six.”

Emilio puffed out his chest. “We’re seven.”

“Ah. Older and wiser.”

Josh grinned. “Not always.”

“Can we, Daddy?” His son patted his cheek, his expression beseeching.

The man named Sexiest Man Alive looked nothing like a heartthrob then, only a family man whose heart belonged to his tribe. He glanced over. “Would you like to go with us?”

Abruptly she was just a mother again, talking to a dad. “Sure.” But all the way over, she had this double-image vision of herself, single mom with absolutely no credits to her account, leading Josh Marshall—
Josh Marshall!!
—across the room. Along the way, they were stopped by several people, and she was introduced to so many gorgeous men, every one of them crazy in love with his wife—

Was there something in the water here that made Sweetgrass part fairytale and part daydream?

As they approached the booth where she’d installed Thad while Becky was with her friend Samantha’s mom, she looked around at the crowd chatting and visiting with happy abandon, and she realized that someone was missing.

Tank was nowhere in sight. Maybe working?

I’m a bad bet
.

Or maybe only staying away from her.

“Hi, Mom!” Thad cried out. “Where’s Big Theo? Man, there’s a lot of people here—” He broke off when Josh approached, the twins at his side. “Hey! Who are you?” He had eyes only for the boys.

“You gonna tell him, Antonio?” Josh prodded.

His nephew nodded but didn’t speak.

Irrepressible Thad barreled right into the silence. “I’m Thad. I’m six. How old are you? Do you like Legos?” he asked without waiting for the first answer.

“Shy kid,” Josh said, grinning.

“Yeah, I keep hoping he’ll come out of his shell.”

She glanced over, and one of the twins had already climbed up in the booth. She held her breath, hoping Thad would share.

With relief she watched him push the tower he’d been building closer to the other boy. “You want to help me build this?”

Antonio nodded.

“How about you?” Thad asked Emilio, shoving over a stack of pieces. “Here, this way you can reach better.”

The boys focused fiercely, Thad chattering and Josh’s nephews listening.

“Would you like to play, too, Eli?” she asked Josh’s son.

“He’s more like his mama,” Josh observed. “Doesn’t talk a lot. Elena is a deep, still pool. Have you met her yet?”

“I haven’t.”

“Then come on. Let’s fix that.” He glanced at Eli. “You want to stay or go with us?”

“With you,” Eli said shyly.

“Works for me. Boys, I’m taking Ms. Daniels to meet Aunt Elena.” The boys nodded without looking up.

He took her arm and turned them both. Chrissy glanced back.

“They’ll be fine. This is Sweetgrass,” he said simply.

“I’m new here. I’m used to the city.”

He cast her a look of sympathy. “You have a treat in store. Best thing you could have ever done for your kids.”

“But don’t you live in L.A.?”

He shook his head. “I stay there when I have to, but I have a ranch near my brother’s up on the Caprock. I have a plane, and it’s written into my contracts that I can work my shooting schedule around my family’s needs.”

“Wow.” The perks of power.

“My family is the most important part of my life. L.A. Isn’t good for kids. I take them with me when I’m on location sometimes, but Elena likes her home.” He shot her a quick grin. “And I like Elena.” His tone might be light, but love bathed his features. That he meant what he said was obvious.

“There she is, feeding Gregory, our newest family member. Our daughter Consuela is two. Last I saw her, Quinn’s daughter Clarissa was shepherding her around.”

A beautiful Latina woman sat in the corner of a booth, a light blanket over her shoulder.