Bitter Wild (24 page)

John
studied him for a long moment before finally shaking his head. “Not so much of
an idiot that you don’t have enough sense to love my sister.” He stepped
forward and offered Jack his hand. “Welcome to the family.”

Jack
stood and took John’s hand. He’d given it a firm shake when John leaned forward
a bit, fixing him with a hard look. “Just make sure you keep her happy. I’d
hate to have to kick your ass in front of your kid.”

Jack
returned his gaze. “I’ll make her happy if it’s the last thing I do. If I
don’t, then you can kick my ass all you like.”

“I’ll
remember you said that.” John clapped Jack on the shoulder, then turned to the
tray of food. “Now, how about we get down to business and take in some chow?”

He
lifted the lid off one plate, frowned at it, then put the lid back and lifted the
other lid. He sighed as he spied the large steak. “Lord, I love beef.”

He
pulled the chair closer to the table, then nodded to Casey. “You best eat,
too.” He shot Jack a look. “Tell her to eat. She’s been so hyped up all day
that she’s barely eaten anything at all.”

Casey
sighed as Jack asked if that was good for the baby. “I can see that the two of
you are going to mother me to death before this is over with.”

She
leaned over and pulled the tray closer. She lifted the lid off her plate and
was mildly surprised to realize she actually was hungry. The pasta salad she’d
had John order for her suddenly didn’t look like it would be enough. She
glanced at Jack. “You know, I think I’d really love a hamburger. Would you mind
ordering one for me? And some chocolate mint ice cream if they have it. Just
plain chocolate if they don’t. You might as well get yourself something, too.”

Jack
arched a brow at her as she began to dig into the bowl of pasta that had been
hiding beneath the silver dome. John snorted. “Get used to it. The cravings
have already started to hit her hard. She’s hungry all the time and sometimes
for the weirdest things.”

Jack
leaned over to kiss Casey’s cheek. “She’s eating for two. She can have whatever
she wants.”

He got
up and headed for the phone, ordering a couple of hamburgers with everything as
well as some fries and a bowl of chocolate mint ice cream. He went back to
Casey’s side and laughed as she finished off the pasta, then downed most of the
glass of water that had come with the food. She turned to offer Jack a drink
and he took the glass, nodding to the small covered bowl that sat on the tray
as he lifted the glass to his lips.

“What’s
that?”

He was
in the middle of swallowing when Casey answered. “Peaches, for dessert. But I
think I’ll save them for later.”

Jack
couldn’t keep from spewing a mouthful of water halfway across the room.

Contents

EPILOGUE

Jack
leaned against the fence railing and watched as John worked the horse in the
paddock. Jack had come a long way since retiring from the FBI and moving to the
ranch. He could handle a horse a heck of a lot better than he had when he’d
followed Casey into those woods months earlier. He’d managed to prove himself
fairly useful, learning to handle the ranch with enough skill to not make a
complete fool of himself. He’d learned early that it wasn’t nearly as boring as
he’d imagined. And it had helped when Stan Pritchard asked him to join the
sheriff’s department. These days, Jack was far more content than he imagined
anyone had any right to be. Stan had told him just the week before that he
meant to retire the following year and that he hoped Jack would be willing to
take his place.

Casey
was as big as a house these days and frequently compared herself to a beached
whale. Jack happened to think she was as beautiful as ever. He’d never dreamed
he could love anyone as much as he loved her. He’d practically blubbered like a
baby the day they got married. It wasn’t a fancy ceremony. She wore a simple
off white dress and a wreath of flowers in her hair. Jack hadn’t even worn a
tux. He’d felt his heart aching for her as she lit a candle for Andy,
acknowledging her first love in front of most of the local community, including
his parents. And then she and Jack had said their vows and sealed their union
with a kiss that was greeted with so many cheers and shouts that Jack half
expected the windows of the church to crack. The reception had been a community
barbecue and Jack hadn’t ever enjoyed himself more. Well, not until later that
night when he took Casey to bed. But then the two events could hardly be
compared.

In the
months since, Jack had realized he’d been right to come to Casey. He was happy
with her on the ranch. He didn’t miss the city one bit. He’d grown accustomed
to the silence of the nights and the howl of wolves in the distance. This was
home for him now and it always would be. He nodded to John as he led the horse
over to the fence where Jack stood.

“You’re
right. He’s going to make a spectacular cow pony.”

John
gave the horse’s neck a pat. “Yeah, I think he might have what it takes to
compete nationally. I think I might give him a few runs out of a chute and see
what he’s got. The instincts are all there. I just need to see what kind of
speed he has.”

Jack
glanced down when he felt something nudge his leg. Chance was at his side and
it was obvious he was agitated about something. He nudged Jack’s leg again,
then turned and ran for the house. Jack frowned after the dog. John voiced the
question in Jack’s head.

“What
gotten into him?”

The
horse at John’s side got a little antsy, drawing both men’s attention once
more. John had just gotten the animal settled down when they heard Casey call
out from the back door of the house.

“It’s
time!”

Jack
turned around to focus on her as John spoke. “Time for what?”

Jack’s
gaze focused on Chance, who was dancing around Casey’s feet. The answer to
John’s question hit him like a two-by-four to the forehead.

“Holy
crap, she means it’s TIME!”

He ran
for the house, reaching Casey in a matter of seconds. He wrapped his arm around
her waist. “Are you okay? Did your water break? What about the contractions?
How far apart are they?”

He
didn’t even give her a chance to answer as he yelled for John to get the truck.

“Okay,
honey, can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?”

Casey
laughed at his anxiety. “Relax, Jack. It’s labor, not heart failure. Yes, my
water broke and yes, I’m okay. The contractions are still several minutes
apart, but considering how long the drive to the hospital is, I think we ought
to start heading that way. And I can walk just fine on my own, though I would
appreciate it if you’d get the bag I packed. It’s in the hall closet.”

Jack
didn’t want to leave her. He insisted on getting her situated in the SUV before
going inside to get the bag. John was already in the back seat with Chance at
his side when Jack came running back out of the house. He tossed the bag
through the open window at John and raced around to the driver’s side. In
seconds he was tearing down the drive, lights and siren blaring. Casey did her
best to keep both men calm while managing her contractions with the techniques
she’d learned in the classes she and Jack had attended. They reached the
hospital in what Casey was sure had to be record time and eight hours later
Amelia Marie Hall entered the world, announcing her arrival with a hearty howl
that Chance immediately echoed.

Contents

Thank
you for reading my book. I hope you found it enjoyable.

Sincerely,

Jennie
Leigh