Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2) (40 page)

“How could you know? The tension was so thick that night, all I wanted was for her to get the heck outta there.”

“Um hmm. And that’s why I couldn’t let that happen. I must’ve seen a spark
you
missed.”

He clenched the steering wheel tighter, playing this one out a little. “Yeah, you threw us together like a meddling mother.”

“On purpose.”

She sounded so confident. “Well, I guess I have to say thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now if I can get Dane fixed up with somebody, I’ll be set and maybe have a houseful of grandbabies.” She snickered and he rolled his eyes.

“You almost do have a houseful of grandbabies. About Dane…you know he’ll never listen to you. He hasn’t in all this time. Best way to deal with him is tell him to do the opposite.”

“I suspect you’re right. Let Jaelle and Joey sleep at my house tonight. We’ll put all the kids in the family room in sleeping bags like old times.”

“I want them home first so they can see their horses and the house. It’s important for them to know everything is almost the same as it was.” He glanced in his mirror at the traffic behind him.

“That’ll be fine. Invite Brenna and her sister over tonight, too. Y’all are family and you might as well start out that way.” Judy stared out the window and nodded, agreeing with herself.

Jase pulled in not much longer after Brenna and Chloe arrived at his ranch, the dust not yet settled on the road. He had dropped his mom off so she could prepare the house and order pizza for lunch. Chloe and Brenna both stepped out of her car. He opened his door and Brenna immediately went into his arms.

“I’m so glad you and the kids are home.”

“Dad, can we get out?” asked Joey.

“Of course you can.” He kissed Brenna before turning back to his truck. She went around and opened Jaelle’s side and helped her down.

“Can we go into the barn, Daddy?” she asked when they came around the truck. She took hold of Brenna’s hand like it was the most natural thing to do.

He knelt in front of both kids. “Yeah, sure. I have a new family horse. She looks like Warrior, but isn’t used to kids so be careful with her.”

“Is she Brenna’s horse?” asked Jaelle as she took her daddy’s hand.

He glanced up at Brenna, a new gleam in his eyes. “She is, princess.” He took the kids over to introduce them to Chloe. “This is Brenna’s sister.”

She knelt in front of the kids and held her hand out to shake each child’s. “I’m so excited to meet you two. I love your horses.”

Brenna observed her sister’s body language when Jaelle wrapped her arms around Chloe. At first Chloe seemed unsure of what to do about it, but she wrapped her arms around both kids and hugged them. Her eyes were closed and it was obvious how much she savored holding them. The act nearly brought Brenna to her knees.
Hallelujah! That’s my family right there in a bunch.

When Chloe stood, Joey asked if she had a horse. Before she could answer, Jase said, “She’ll have one in a couple weeks. The next auction has a mustang I’ve been keeping my eye on.” Jase winked at Chloe. “Better start thinking of a manly name for your new horse, Chloe. I hope it doesn’t take you as long as your sister to name a horse.”

“I’ll know when I see him,” said Chloe. She gave Jase a hug. “Thank you!”

He nodded and took a hold of his kids’ hands and they all headed to the barn. “Grandma will have pizza for us when we get back to her house.”

“Yippee,” said Joey as he pulled his hand free and peered up at Jase. “Daddy, remember I don’t like mushrooms? Can I go with you to the auction?”

Jase looked away a moment. He took Joey’s hand, and nodded for the others to follow. “I’m sure Grandma remembers, too, that you don’t like mushrooms.”

He turned and peered at Brenna. “Ah, you’ll be in school by time that auction comes along, son.” Jase brushed hair from Joey’s eyes. “But you’re skipping that day. Heck yeah, you can come with me.” He leaned forward and spoke low, but not low enough where no one could hear. “We shouldn’t tell a teacher you’re skipping school, so we’ll keep it between us.”

“This is one day off I’ll approve, but we’ll keep
that
between us, too.” Brenna stopped, so surprised at what she saw when the kids got closer to their horses stalls. Sugar Plum and Shadow stuck their heads out and were neighing. Their lips curled back and they showed their teeth like they were smiling. They bobbed their heads and stomped hooves against the floor.

Sugar plum and Shadow knew their kids were back!

Brenna couldn’t stop crying buckets of happy tears. She watched Jase with his hand wrapped tight around his kids’ hands. Chloe stood beside them and her hand was on Joey’s shoulder.

All of a sudden
her
horse had a new name. “Unity!”

Jase and Chloe turned and looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “You been out in the sun too long, sweetheart?”

“No.” She tried to prevent more tears from falling but failed miserably. “The mare, Jase. Her name is Unity!”

A huge smile broke out on his face. “Yeah, it is, darlin’. Perfect.” Jase turned to Chloe. “Think you’d be interested in…ahem, skipping school that day, too? After all, it’ll be your horse we’re going after.”

“I don’t have to think twice about saying yes.” Chloe squealed and clasped her hands together at her chest. “I’m excited.” She turned to Joey. “I get to go with you and your dad.”

“Goody!” He spun around in a circle and when Jase knelt beside him, Joey took his dad’s cowboy hat off, putting it on his own head.

“I’ll clear it with my principal, but if it’s okay, Jaelle can come and hang out in my classroom for when she gets out of kindergarten on your auction day.” Brenna glanced at Jase’s little girl. “If that’s okay with you, honey. We’ll have fun together, and you can help me be a teacher that day.”

Jaelle tilted her little head, peering up at Brenna. Her pretty hazel eyes glittered with glee. “Daddy told us he’s going to marry you.” She smiled so sweetly. “I want to have fun with you, Brenna. I
want
you to live with us.” Joey stood beside her and nodded.

Jaelle turned and entered Sugar Plum’s stall. She leaned against her horse with her arms spread out as far as they could hug her, and her horse turned and nuzzled its nose against her body. A smile on Jaelle’s face was as big as the Grand Canyon. It was then Brenna noticed she had the same dimples as her dad.

Brenna had lost all control of any strength she ever had. Marrying this man, taking on his kids, and seeing her sister happy about it all was more than she could handle. It’d been so long since she’d been part of a family, and she learned right at that moment what it was like to be one hundred percent happy again.

***

Later that same evening the kids were snuggled in the family room at Judy’s with a movie. Destiny cuddled close to her cousins, and Chloe spread a sleeping bag out beside Jaelle. Had she already taken on the big sister role?

Judy went to bed or disappeared to give them all time alone. Jase eased his hand around Brenna’s shoulder. “Come outside with me.” They rose from the sofa and he knelt beside his son and daughter, giving them a kiss and he told them he’d be right in. Brenna winked at them and her sister.

Outside they went out the back door and he pulled the tailgate down on his truck. “Have a seat, my love.” Brenna jumped up beside him, looped her arm around his and leaned against his shoulder. “It’s peaceful out here tonight. I’m so happy for you all. In a heartbeat everything changed for the good.”
I won’t cry again.

“When do you want to get married, Bren? I don’t want to sleep apart from you any longer.” He turned and held her face between both of his hands, peering into her eyes. “Tomorrow could end just like that and I don’t want to waste another minute without you.”

“Oh, honey, a big, strong guy like you is showing all that? You make me so happy and proud.” She softly kissed him. “I mean that. You’ve given me something I never expected to have again. A family. Love.” So much for holding back tears
.
“Those babies of yours are adorable and I’ll be honored to call them mine. Like you said, they’re so loving.”

He drew her against him.
His embrace comforts me so much.
“In October we have fall break, almost the whole week off. We can get married then.”

“October?” Jase removed his phone from his pocket and checked his calendar. “What week, do you know?”

“The second if I remember correctly. I’ll have to look again to be sure.” She clasped his hand and brought it to her lips. “Wow, that’s not much time. I told my best friend about marrying you. She’ll be there. Chloe will want
her
best friend, Lauren, too. Something small, right?”

Jase leaned close. “Whatever you want.”

“Yes, small. Family. Maybe your cousin and Velia can come.”

“Mom will want her friends there. She’ll offer to sing.” He chuckled. “She and her gals are great singers, but I don’t know about singing at our wedding.” His gaze drifted off.

Brenna closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the sky. The soft breeze blew across her cheeks. Refreshing
.
“Tomorrow if you’d like, we’ll talk to the family and check dates, find a place to get married.”

He used one finger against her chin and turned her face toward him. “Where we had dinner…if we can get it on such short notice.”

Again, this man surprised her. “We’ll talk to them…tomorrow. See what I can take care of before school officially starts.” Brenna clasped her hands against her chest. She wanted to jump up in the bed of the truck and dance, but she’d contain her excitement for now.

He nodded. “What you said to Jaelle was kind, about keeping her in your classroom. It isn’t necessary, you know. Her grandma will watch her.”

“Yes, it is. I need to get to know them. I
want
to. I’ll be raising them with you.” Oh, how she hated to think about
their
mom…and the loss. She’d give them all the love and comfort they wanted from her. It was strange the way she automatically bonded without even knowing them.

“We better get back in. I need to remind myself they’re really in there.”

“They are, and they sure love their daddy.” She gave him a hug. “I can’t wait until you can call me Brenna Carlson. It’s so…so right, isn’t it? I mean us. All of us together. It’s meant to be, don’t you think?”

He met her lips. “Brenna, I said I’d make love to you like a crazy man. Now I don’t know how or when I can follow through.”

“We’ll find a way—”

“Tomorrow, we’ll find that way, Miss Page.” He placed his hand against her face. “I want to now, though. All of a sudden my crazy is…well, screaming for craziness.” Jase sat on the tailgate and eased back, bringing her on top of him in the bed of his truck “I could take you right here, girl. Real quick.”

“We can’t. My God, honey. We’re in the open.”

He glanced to the barn. “Let’s go in there, the hay is fresh. I helped Tristan get it up there the other day.”

“We can’t. Don’t be silly.”

“I’m not silly, I’m rambunctiously in love with you.” He began to unbutton her blouse when she moved off him. “Let me,” he whispered when she took his hand.

Brenna wanted all of him, but this wasn’t the place. She gathered her strength which wasn’t easy because she needed him,
now
in a bad way. “I want you madly, but we can’t do this here. We have to wait.”

“Bren, I can’t wait, girl. I’ve waited my whole life for you. Don’t you see?” He pressed his body against her and kissed her lips recklessly, boldly, sensually, and every which way in between.

She pressed her palms against his chest. A chest she wanted to rake her nails down, to tongue, lick, and kiss each square inch of his skin. “Baby, stop, we have to stop.” She pulled away from his scorching lips and sat up. “Whew! Damn and all that stuff.”

He sat beside her, running his fingers though his hair. His breaths were heavy and irregular. “W-what? Girl, w-why’d you stop me?”

Brenna swept her hand to the right. “Ah, look around, Carlson.”

“Yeah, what’s your point?” He burst out in laughter. “You best just cage me now. I’m an animal.”

Sliding off the tailgate, she stood in front of him. She put her arms around his waist when he spread his legs so she could come close. “I’m not about to cage anything.” Brenna kissed him, only a quick kiss. “For the record, I love you
and
your crazy animal, you know.” She shook her head to clear it.

His phone vibrated. It was a text message. He peered at Brenna, the look in his eyes hard to read. “It’s from Dane.” His voice faded, and he hesitated before reading it out loud. “HOME turf, bro. More later.” He stood and quietly closed the tailgate. “Dane told me the job would be in and out. Fast. No shit. That
was
a fast job.” He diverted his eyes to the ground and clasped the cross around his neck.

After a deep breath, he turned, whispering, “Come on, woman. Let’s go inside so we can look at our beautiful children.” He held her hand and they strolled across the drive to the back door. “My kids are home, Bren. I’m marrying a sexy blonde with a cool, hot rod. Damn, I’m happy. I have everything a man could ask for on earth.”

Brenna yanked him to a stop. “Likewise. My handsome cowboy is an animal in the bedroom.”
Probably in the bed of a truck and on the back of a horse, too.
“I have a loving family, a happy sister, and now two amazing kids. My horse ranching, future husband has a jacked-up, 4x4, souped-up engine, pickup truck.” Brenna laughed so hard it was a wonder the whole house didn’t wake up. “Oh, and…and a damn big mountain—the likes of what I’ve never seen before—in his backyard.” Brenna drew him closer before they got to the porch. “What else could a woman ask for on this earth?”

Jase gave the biggest, sexist smile she’d ever seen. He lifted her off her feet and her legs clamped around his waist. He twirled in a circle—around and around while she continued laughing. “Hallelujah and yeehaa… Crimminy, I love you, woman!”