Heather Rainier (36 page)

Jayne smiled blissfully and nodded. “Love you.”

“I love you, with all my heart.” Her eyes slid closed, a sweet half smile on her face, making her look like an angel. He brushed his lips against her forehead and gratefully breathed in her vital, feminine scent. Today could’ve ended so much differently if she hadn’t kept a cool head. “God, I love you so much.”

His heart felt like it had stretch marks from how
utterly
full it was as he drove back to the bed-and-breakfast. Ginny Kendall answered the door, smiled, and nodded when he quietly inquired about Toby.

“He was a sweet little sleeping angel the whole time you were gone. The poor baby was completely tuckered out. He reminds me so much of my Benny when he was that age. He’s seven years old now and, boy howdy, is he a piece of work. Was Jayne all right?”

Seth nodded and smiled at the angelic woman as she smoothed the covers over Toby one last time. She had a nurturing spirit and Seth was grateful she’d shown up at his door. He knew that Toby had been in good hands.

* * * *

The following afternoon, Jayne clutched the white paper box which the elderly and charming Kate Benedict had just given her as Seth helped her into his truck. The box contained several scrumptious-looking crème puffs created by Tracy Alvarez-Kendall, the pastry chef at Lusty Appetites, and wife to Jordan Kendall and Peter Alvarez, Julián’s brother.

Grandma Kate stood in the truck’s open doorway. “Remember what I said, Miss Sheridan. You and your family are welcome in Lusty anytime.” Jayne thought that might be sooner rather than later. Seth had told her about the bed-and-breakfast, Parkview Inn, which they’d stayed in overnight. He’d suggested it as a place they could spend their honeymoon, if she was open to the idea.

Kate looked pointedly at Seth then disarmed him with her mischievous grin as she patted his forearm. “And you, Mr. Carter,
are
a hero in my book. Sometimes bullets are just faster than people, no matter their good intentions.” Kate held up the origami swan he’d made for her while visiting Lusty Appetites. “And thank you for my swan. What a treasure.” Jayne couldn’t help but grin at the pleased smile Seth gave Kate as his cheeks flushed a little. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Seth had been waiting for her on the plane and she hadn’t known it. It had been him who tackled her and Toby, trying to protect them from the bullet, but Henri’s aim had been true. The bandage around her ribs attested to that fact. She was lucky that the bullet had been a small caliber and had hit one of her ribs instead of doing major internal damage.

From Seth’s arms, Toby flirted and cooed at Grandma Kate, who was standing right at his eye level. “And you, cutie-pie, with that twinkle in your eyes, you remind me very much of four little boys who stole my heart many, many years ago.”

Proving he was a heartbreaker in training, Toby chuckled and blew her a kiss. He’d been winning hearts and influencing goofy behavior at Lusty Appetites, or so she’d heard, while she’d been cooped up in the clinic. Kemp had brought Seth’s truck to him late the evening before so that Ace could return home since the danger had passed.

Henri Broussard and Phillipe Rousseau were in state custody, being held on multiple counts of kidnapping, breaking and entering, and assault charges. With the cooperation of the pilot, Guy St. Pierre, the prosecutors were working on adding human trafficking to the charges as well.

Grandma Kate turned to Julián Alvarez, who’d joined the crowd telling them good-bye. Julián had also been shot while wrestling the gun from Henri. “I’m thankful that odious little man waving his pistol about didn’t result in a more serious injury from this little ‘dustup,’ Mr. Alvarez.”

“Me too, Grandma Kate,” Julián said with a chuckle as he glanced back at his brother, Peter, who had been the man in the truck on the highway. “It seems to run in our family.”

A speculative gleam came into Kate’s eyes as she eyed Julián. “Peter tells me you’ve decided to move on to Divine. If we’re losing you, I couldn’t imagine a better place for you than there. I wonder if that’s not where you’ll finally put down permanent roots.” Arching her eyebrows, she added, “Maybe find a good woman?”

Julián’s tanned cheeks darkened a bit. He didn’t argue with her but neither did he agree. “Maybe so, ma’am.” To Jayne, Julián seemed a bit like a tumbleweed.

Kate hugged and patted all three of them then backed away from the truck as the other citizens of Lusty bid them farewell and went about the rest of their evening. With Toby settled in his car seat and the handy, hefty diaper bag at her feet, Jayne sat back carefully to avoid jostling her injuries and said, “I’m ready to go home.”

“Me too,” Seth murmured. As if in agreement, Toby sighed heavily, his eyes already drooping.

* * * *

Late October…

Seth placed Toby on the floor near Jayne, who sat reading a book on the couch, and went to answer the doorbell. The man at the door towered over him by at least three inches. While the family resemblance was a little harder to spot, Seth recognized the stare of a father about to have a come-to-Jesus-meeting with the man who was interested in his daughter.

“Seth Carter?”

“Yes, sir.” Best to be up front, honest, and sincere. And hope the man wasn’t packing a handgun.

“Robert Sheridan.” Jayne’s father stuck out his big hand and Seth shook it firmly without hesitation, holding back the wince at the sensation of bones in his hand bending.

“Daddy?” Jayne moved to stand beside Seth, with Toby on her hip. “I didn’t know you were coming. Supper will be ready in a little while. Are you staying?”

The man’s demeanor changed when he shifted his focus to his daughter, no longer looking like he ate nails for breakfast. “Hey, angel bud!” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “This must be little Toby.” Seth’s son stared up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, but grinned at him when the man gave him a smile. “Yes, I’ll stay for supper but right now I need to borrow your fiancé.”

Jayne’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh?”

All business once again, Robert Sheridan leveled his stare at Seth again. “Let’s go get a beer, Carter.”

Seth nodded and grabbed his truck keys from the table by the door. Robert held up his keys. “I’ll drive.” To his daughter he said, “We’ll be back in an hour.”

Jayne pursed her lips. “Daddy—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring him back in one piece.”

Mr. Sheridan was mostly quiet on the drive to The Dancing Pony, allowing Seth to direct him to the nightclub where happy hour was well underway.

Seated at the bar with beers in hand, which Jayne’s dad had allowed Seth to purchase, Mr. Sheridan peered at him and said, “Carter, I’ve got several things to say to you.”

Seth nodded, figuring this was the part where he just shut up and listened. He respected what the man was doing and knew if he had a daughter, he’d be doing the same thing—putting the fear of God into his future son-in-law.

“First. Thank you for saving Jayne’s life. If it wasn’t for your quick thinking we might never have seen our only baby girl ever again.”

Robert paused, giving Seth the chance to speak. “Your daughter means everything to me. I’d have taken that bullet for her if I could’ve outrun it.”

Robert nodded. “Second. I understand that you’re a tattoo artist. I have mixed feelings about the fact that you’ve tattooed my daughter, rather extensively, so I hear.” The man appeared to grit his teeth for a few seconds before taking a sip from his beer. “I’m the minority opinion in my family about tattoos, so I’m going to suspend sharing my thoughts.” He turned and squinted at Seth. “Although I’m sure you already know how I feel about my baby having tattoos.”

“Loud and clear, sir.”

“She’s a grown-up and she can make her own choices. It’s clear she’s chosen you. I love her, I want her to be happy, and it’s obvious you make her happy. I’m honestly impressed that you took on the care of your little son there, with no notice at all. You sucked it up and took responsibility. That says a lot about your character in my book.”

“Thank you, sir. I have full custody of him if that’s a concern for you.” He was thankful he was finally able to say that, with all the familial loose ends tied up, thanks to Ace Webster’s and Kemp Whittier’s private investigation services.

“Good. Jayne’s been through an awful lot and we want her to have stability and happiness in her life. Seems like you and Toby fit the bill. But I want you to know…if you hurt her, I’ll hide your body so good they’ll never find it.”

Seth nodded stoically, knowing he’d probably say the same exact thing to the man who wanted to marry his daughter. “Reading you loud and clear, sir. Another one?” he asked Robert as he held up his empty bottle.

Robert nodded and chuckled. “Been looking forward to that speech since she was a little tyke.”

Seth mirrored his nod and chuckle, and held up two fingers for Quinten, and pointed at their bottles. “Good job, sir. I’m duly warned. But you don’t have to worry. She owns my heart.”

“That makes two of us, son,” Robert said as he held out his hand to Seth to shake. Seth returned the gesture.

“Frieda says you do good work. She’s been bugging me for matching tattoos.” Robert chuckled again and shook his head. “That little dynamo has me wrapped around her finger. Be warned, she trained Jayne well. So how much you charge per hour?”

They chatted companionably for several minutes and Seth was mildly surprised when Julián Alvarez sauntered through the front door of the club. He grinned and lifted his chin in greeting, before coming to join them when Seth waved him over. Seth turned to Jayne’s father and said, “Mr. Sheridan, this man was involved with saving Jayne too. Got shot in the process of disarming the man who abducted her and Toby.” Seth performed the introductions.

“Alvarez, it’s good to meet you. Thank you for acting to save them.”

“I’d do it again, Mr. Sheridan. Jayne, Toby, and Seth are like family to us in Lusty.”

Seth ordered him a beer as he took the seat on Mr. Sheridan’s other side. “So have you made the move to Divine yet?”

Julián shook his head. “Not quite yet. I need to tie up some loose ends, but soon I’ll be out at the Cook Ranch.”

“The Cooks are good people. I hope it works out for you at their place.”

“Got a good feeling about it,” Julián replied and smiled at Camilla when she placed his opened beer bottle on a napkin on the bar. “A real good feeling.”

When they returned to the house, Jayne met them at the door with a wary expression, quickly checking them both over for injuries, which made her father laugh as he hugged his daughter. “Don’t worry, angel bud, I didn’t hurt him…much.”

For Jayne’s benefit, Robert gave him the evil eye and pointed at his own eyes with two fingers and then at Seth, in the universal I-have-my-eyes-on-you gesture. Jayne gasped and then laughed when she realized he was joking.

“Come in and eat. I already have Toby in his high chair. Mom called.”

“What did she want?”

“For me to remind you to talk to Seth about designing matching tattoos for the two of you.” Jayne seemed surprised when Robert laughed and turned to Seth and held up his little finger.

“Just prepare yourself, son.” Robert didn’t look like the thought bothered him all that much.

Jayne’s shocked expression was priceless. “You’re getting tattooed? You hate tattoos.”

“Yeah, but I love your mother. And I don’t guess they’re all that bad,” he added, pointing at the artwork on Seth’s forearms showing because he had his button-down shirt sleeves rolled up.

Jayne came to Seth with big eyes, and mouthed “wow” before hugging him. She whispered, “That’s not the dad I know and love. He’s a pod person too.”

Seth hugged her and laughed until Toby joined them and Robert squinted at them all like they were crazy. “Pod person?”

Soft cello music played over the speakers set up in the spacious shaded backyard of the Divine Creek Ranch. Grace had squealed and jumped at the opportunity to host Jayne’s early-November wedding at the ranch. Seth had taken Jack, Ethan, and Adam’s advice and let the ladies plan the wedding, nodded when necessary, and been as helpful as he could, all while seeking to stay out of trouble.

He stood before the congregation, who were all seated in neat rows of white folding chairs on the lawn, with his best man beside him. Well, not so much
beside
him as in his arms. He’d tended to be a loner until meeting Jayne, and since then, had felt equally friendly with all the men associated in some way with their group of friends. It had been impossible to choose just one best man. Jayne had suggested Toby and told him that it didn’t matter to her. Her father was walking her down the aisle, Grace was her matron of honor, and Grace’s daughter, Rose Marie, was the tiny flower girl. Jayne had been happy with that wedding party, so Seth didn’t worry about it.

Since the shooting the month before, Jayne had fully recovered and they were packed and ready for a week’s honeymoon at the bed-and-breakfast in Lusty. Toby was staying the week with Grace and her family. The November weather would be perfect for exploring, hiking, and their third-floor honeymoon suite in the bed-and-breakfast had a large, private balcony, perfect for lusty pursuits under the stars.