12-Alarm Cowboys (28 page)

Austin stopped, put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. Maybe a little positive reinforcement would help, he thought. “Have I told you lately how damned proud I am of you?” he asked, meeting her worried blue eyes to emphasize his words. “You have
nothing
to be nervous about. This is your moment to shine, Sunny, so bask in the light, sweetheart.”

She huffed out a breath. “But when I get that diploma, I have to start working at the hospital. Foxy is not going to make it easy on me.” Worry narrowed her eyes, as she stiffened. “Hell, I almost didn’t make it through clinicals because of her.”

“She was only trying to make you better. You said it yourself,” Austin reminded, although he thought that
Foxy
should go back to school herself to improve her people skills. The number of times that this strong woman in front of him had come home from school almost in tears had ripped his damned heart out. He wanted to go to the E.R. and confront Foxy himself. Find out exactly what her motivation was to crush those who worked or trained with her.

He grinned, and gave Sunny a wink. For some reason that always seemed to calm her down. “Another thing a very wise woman told me once is anything worth having isn’t easy.” Austin fought a shiver as he remembered that turbulent day eight months ago when Sunny said that to him, and how an extremely good day had turned horrific in a matter of minutes. How lucky they both were to be alive to celebrate this moment. “You were determined and you made it happen, sweetheart, so be proud and don’t forget it.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Sunny said with a giggle, putting her arms around him to squeeze.

Austin’s arms closed around her to hold her tight. God, he loved hearing that sound bubble from her full lips. Hearing this woman, who’d been through so damned much get to this day laugh, was an accomplishment even bigger than her graduating from nursing school today.

“Momma is so damned excited to be back in her house,” she mumbled into his collar where she snuggled her face. “She’s so thankful to you and the guys.”

“That’s what firefighters do, baby. I told you that.” Austin shrugged. Rebuilding her mother’s house hadn’t been easy. Most of what was left after the tornado was kindling. But the town, as well as its residents had pulled together to help her when they found out she was uninsured. The local lumber mill had donated wood, the hardware store nails and other building materials. And every one of his men, new and old had banded together to help rebuild the town. He was so damned proud of them too. “It gave us something to do on our off days and downtime.”

Pushing back from his chest to meet his eyes, Sunny sighed. “You keep saying that, but you’re being entirely too humble. Don’t you know how freaking amazing you are, Austin McBride? Do you have any idea?”

Not until he met this woman, and she told him every day. God, he loved her, and he loved his new job. Austin was finally happy—happier than he’d ever been in his life. The intensity of her eyes, the warmth of the love and admiration flowing into his body from hers pulled emotion up to his throat, and he cleared it. “No, won’t you tell me again,” he said with a laugh. He would never get tired of seeing that look of awe in her eyes. How in the hell he’d earned it, Austin would never know.

“You are an amazing Fire Chief, better than I could have
ever
been, an unbelievable role model. Your heart is as big as this state, and I am so damned grateful you came into my life,” she said, her voice vibrating with intensity.

“You forgot amazing lover,” he added, with a wink. “Can’t forget that.”

Her eyes narrowed and sparked. “Good
Gawd
—you are a conceited bastard aren’t you?”

“You just said I was humble. And a god in bed.”

She slapped his shoulder. “You are a god in bed, but you know it, and that’s the problem.”

“How’s that a problem?” Austin asked with a laugh, loving her frustration.

At least the nerves seemed to be sidelined for a few minutes. And he loved teasing her. Loved tasting her more though, he thought, lowering his head, tilting it to press his mouth to hers. Sunny moaned, as she slid her hand over his shoulder to cup his neck, draw him in closer. Austin savored her mouth, deepened the slow, sweet kiss, told her with his mouth how he felt.

When her calf rubbed his, and she leaned into circle her hips, Austin’s body jerked to attention and he knew it was time for him to end the kiss. Either that or he would be sitting with a hard-on through this ceremony. A perpetual state for him around this woman who kept him in a constant state of arousal she seemed to enjoy.

Loosening his arms, he stepped back and she frowned. His eyes traveled down to the crotch of his jeans and she gasped. When her eyes met his again they were dark with need.

“I could help you with that problem, Chief. I’m sure there’s a bathroom around here somewhere,” she said, licking her lips before they curled into a smile that made him harder. That mouth of hers was an amazing thing. “That might help me to get over these nerves too.”

“Didn’t help you this morning,” he growled, fighting the urge to take her up on her suggestion. “And your mother and Billy will be here soon. We need to save those seats up front for them, your uncle, Foxy and Jolie, and the rest of the row for my family.” Every one of his brothers, his baby sister and his mom and dad were coming. After Austin had taken Sunny and Billy for a visit to meet them, his family had fallen in love with this amazing woman he loved too.

God he was proud of her, so damned proud.

Sunny let out a long sigh. “Yes, sir,” she replied, her shoulder slumping.

A thrill snaked down his spine, and zipped right to the end of his painfully hard dick. Those two words were now a part of their sex life, and Sunny seemed to enjoy torturing him with them at moments like this. She loved torturing him period. With a growl, he jerked her back to him and his fingers dug into her ass to hold her there.

“Maybe we will find that bathroom,” he growled, her nostrils flaring when he gripped her tighter. “So, I can spank your ass for teasing me.” A shiver worked through her body, and shook him too.

“Yes,” she whispered, on a hot breath, leaning in to lick his earlobe, her hard nipples raking his chest through her thin wrap dress.

With a final squeeze of his fingers, Austin pushed her away, adjusted himself and huffed a breath trying to relieve
his
frustration now. “You wearing underwear?”

Sunny shivered, looked around the auditorium at the few people who held seats on the fringe, then back at him. “No, sir…you told me not to,” she grated, the white line around her lips showing the tension in her body.

Austin smiled, but it felt more like a snarl he was so fucking turned on right then. “Good girl…I’ll reward you tonight.”

Her long legs ground together at the knees as she shot blue fire at him with her eyes. Leaning in close, her scent teased him as she growled, “I don’t want to wait until tonight.”

“Welcome to hell, Sunshine,” Austin replied with a wide grin, as he took another step back. Good, she was just as frustrated as he was now, she deserved to be. “Let’s go get those seats, before it fills up,” he said, reaching in to grab her hand. “I want to be up front so I can see up your skirt.”

“You’re the one who needs his ass spanked,” Sunny growled, as she walked beside him.

Two hours later,
Sunny stood behind her classmate Sharon on the stage. The heat under the black robe she wore, the pressure of being up on this stage, the hot lights that bore down on her from overhead, made her feel like she might just pass out before they called her name. The nerves in her stomach curled and dragged her light lunch up to her throat, and she swallowed hard. How in the hell was she going to give a speech, when she couldn’t even manage a decent breath? Valedictorian? Was her professor nuts? She wasn’t a valedictorian, Sunny Gleason was an idiot for working her ass off to get that last half-point bonus on her exam to beat Sharon out for the honor of being named valedictorian.

Watch what you wish for
.

Sunny’s eyes slid to Austin and the pride and confidence in his eyes flowed into her. Her shoulders lifted, and her stomach settled. Sunny had more than she ever wished for, more than she ever knew she could have. Because of Austin McBride. The man had come into her life like a wrecking ball, torn her up and rebuilt her into a woman she didn’t even recognize these days. A woman she was proud to be, that her son was proud to call mom. Her eyes slid to Billy who sat beside him looking like a miniature version of Austin in his black felt hat, and shiny boots.

There was not a man on earth that Sunny would want her son to be more like. And Billy was becoming that man with every day that passed having Austin as a role model. How in the hell did she deserve to be so blessed?

“Sunny Gleason,” her professor announced, and jerked her attention back to the podium. Her heart raced, and her legs shook as she took tiny steps toward the podium. The tassel that hung over her eyes shook as badly as her knees. Professor James smiled as he reached for it, and transferred it to the back of her cap. He took her hand, and shook it as he handed her the diploma. “Congratulations, Sunny,” he said loudly, then leaned in next to her ear. “I expect to see you back soon to enroll in med school. I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.”

A tremor rocked her, as shock seized her heart.
Med school?
Good, God—Sunny was just happy to graduate
nursing
school.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, her voice as shaky as her insides. With a final smile, Professor James stepped aside and waved her to the podium. Sunny wasn’t sure she could make the two steps to get there, but somehow she did. Laying her diploma down, she cleared her throat, but her voice froze in her throat when she looked at the massive, expectant crowd.

A loud, shrill whistle split the air, jerking her attention to the front row. To Austin McBride, who used two fingers to indicate she should focus on him. His eyes transferred calm to her, and Sunny’s stomach settled, that lightheadedness subsided and her throat relaxed. Austin smiled, and she did too. God, she loved that man.

She held his gaze and somehow remembered her speech about following your passion, instead of settling for what was easy. She even remembered to thank everyone on the list she’d made that morning, but forgot on the kitchen table when they left, which accounted for part of her nervousness when she took the stage and discovered that.

Sunny saved her last thanks for last. The most important. “And finally…thank you to Chief McBride for being a pain in my ass, pushing me to my breaking point, tearing me down and then rebuilding a much better version. If the fire thing doesn’t work out for you, sweetheart, you might try construction. And I’m not saying that just because I love seeing you shirtless on a roof,” she added with a giggle, and the crowd went wild with wolf whistles, and applause. Austin had not only helped rebuild her mother’s house, for the last eight months he’d been having a small house for them built on property he’d bought without telling her. That is where he proposed to her last night, and given her a graduation gift to boot—her own horse.

Austin was the only gift she needed in her life. She would never need anything else.

When the roar died down Sunny smiled, held Austin’s eyes, and hers burned as she twisted the engagement ring he’d given her around her finger.

“Thank you for saving me, cowboy. I love you.”

The End

If you loved Where There’s Smoke (A Cowboy Way Novella), please consider leaving a review.

And also check out the other books in my
Cowboy Way series
:

Hope for Christmas (A Cowboy Way Novella)
,
Just Shoot Me (#1, Cowboy Way)
,
Cowgirl Crazy (#2, Cowboy Way)
,
Cupid’s Cowboy (A Cowboy Way Novella)
, and
Too Hot To Trot (#3, Cowboy Way)

A western romantic suspense series by
Becky McGraw
:

Texas Trouble Series

Book #1 –
My Kind of Trouble (Cassie & Luke)

Book #2 –
The Trouble With Love (Sabrina & Cole)

Book #3 –
Double the Trouble (Karlie & Gabe)

Book #4 –
Looking for Trouble (Jess & Wade)

Book #5 –
Trouble in Dixie (Katie & Tommy)

Book #6 –
Asking for Trouble (Jazzie & Beau)

Book #7 –
Chasing Trouble (Jenny & Chase)

Book #8 –
Here Comes Trouble (Terri & Joel)

Book #9 –
Worth the Trouble (Roxanne & Ethan)

Book #10 –
Royal Trouble (Leigh Ann & Wes)

Book #11 –
Trouble With the Law (Veronica & Trace)

Book #12 –
Borrowing Trouble (Carrie & Dylan)

New Series –
Deep Six Security

A new erotic romantic suspense series featuring ex-military, ex-cop, security specialist and private investigator, Dave Logan, from the Texas Trouble series and his hot men.

Till Death (#1, Deep Six Security)

SEALed Fate (A Deep Six Security/Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds Crossover Novella)

Twisted Honor (#2, Deep Six Security) –coming in August 2015

Hell Bent (#3, Deep Six Security)—coming in 2015

A Jill of many trades, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw has been an optician, a beautician, a legal secretary, a real estate broker, web designer, graphic artist, and romance writer. She knows just enough to make her dangerous, and her humor-laced contemporary western cowboy, and military, police procedural romantic suspense novels varied and interesting.

She resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-three years and her dog Abby. Becky is a member of the Romance Writers of America Published Authors Network.